E-Free run

[Sparky-(Admin) 25,283]

Hit a show up in Mass with Tony @Docwheelhorse near Vermont which makes it an easy hop over into New

Hampshire for some ethanol free fuel. 
 Yikes! 
 

 

 

[wh500special 2,407]

With regular gas at $5, that’s not much marginal difference for your preferred flavor. 
 

I’m the odd man out on this forum:   I avoid ethanol free gas…
 

Steve

[Sparky-(Admin) 25,283]

9 minutes ago, wh500special said:

With regular gas at $5, that’s not much marginal difference for your preferred flavor. 
 

I’m the odd man out on this forum:   I avoid ethanol free gas…
 

Steve

The 87 octane regular gas was $4.36. 
  So I’m curious…why do you avoid it? 

[Racinbob 12,946]

Twice a year I fill up the booze free cans. 20 gallons a crack. I hate to say we're fortunate here in the Hoosier state but the state taxes have been removed short term. $4.76 at a Michigan City Murphy. I barely avoided hitting the hundred dollar mark. 

[squonk 46,547]

1 hour ago, Sparky said:

 

 

 

 

The face says it all! 

[ebinmaine 78,799]

1 hour ago, Sparky said:

ethanol free fuel. 
 Yikes! 

 

Worth every cent.  

 

 

1 hour ago, wh500special said:

 

I’m the odd man out on this forum:   I avoid ethanol free gas…

 

1 hour ago, Sparky said:

  So I’m curious…why do you avoid it? 

 

 

[JoeM 9,919]

5.79 in this neck of pa. Picked up 3 cans the other day 88.88 

For me it is worth every penny. When you have a lot of machines that sit from time to time it is a okay, not to mention the mowers use less of it. 

Last year I spent $304 on non e fuel. That cuts all the grass, pressure washes and fuels up a quad. There are a whole bunch of other things I could cut out if I want to save a couple bucks. 

[ri702bill 12,100]

I'm jealous... Here in southern New England, I pay $42 for a 2 gallon pail at either Lowes or Home Depot. There is one "Performance Outdoor" provider a few towns away - BUT... he no longer has a dedicated pump for the E-free; instead he sells VP Racing fuel in 5 gallon pails. Last time I checked, that pail was $104... So that is 25 & change a gallon.

But wait, there's more!!! IF you provide TWO or more "approved" gallon jugs, the "Barista" will crack open a 5 gallon pail & pour it into your containers for FIVE dollars per gallon more! That's $30 and change a gallon.! So here, $10 per gallon would be a good deal.

Edited 12 hours ago by ri702bill

[peter lena 9,883]

@wh500special  I too avoid ethanol free fuel , since going over to adding  1-2 oz of sta bil to all my  tractor top offs , I have zero debris in my filters and zero fuel hose break down, years now with nothing but positive results , must work  pete

[adsm08 4,453]

2 hours ago, Racinbob said:

Twice a year I fill up the booze free cans. 20 gallons a crack. I hate to say we're fortunate here in the Hoosier state but the state taxes have been removed short term. $4.76 at a Michigan City Murphy. I barely avoided hitting the hundred dollar mark. 

I put half a tank in the Explorer today. It was $49.98. And that was at Sam's.

[wh500special 2,407]

On 5/23/2026 at 2:31 PM, Sparky said:

…So I’m curious…why do you avoid it? 

Mostly water control.  
 

Ethanol solvates water.   If the tank always has alcohol-laced fuel in it and there isn’t a gigantic leak that lets in rainwater, any water that does enter the tank gets dispersed in the fuel and passes through the engine. Without the alcohol, the water droplets sink to the bottom where they can accumulate and eventually enter the fuel system as one big slug.   
 

Secondarily, the differing solvent properties of non-polar gasoline and polar alcohol keeps things dissolved in the fuel.  So it helps keep things cleaner and avoids a buildup of something.  
 

This presupposes starting with fuel, a tank, and a fuel system that is already clean and dry.  When alcohol fuel Is introduced to a system that never had it, it can mix in the water and water-dissolved gunk and drag it up into the engine.  Likewise, it can dissolve things that accumulated in (and was not soluble in ) the gasoline and stuck to the tank and pull it along.  That does create issues.  
 

Lastly, ethanol gas is cheaper.  
 

I don’t have my head in the sand about alcohol fuels creating legitimate problems for some.  It was either Ed K or Bob M who pointed out it can accelerate the demise of laminated fiberglass marine fuel tanks.   Polyester resins (used to make those tanks and the gel coats that lined them) aren’t particularly alcohol (especially methanol) resistant.  So that’s not great. 
 

there are also some material compatibility issues with plastics and metals.  Generally the 10% dosage doesn’t make these critical though.  
 

I do think it catches the blame for uncovering other sleeping issues like existing water and dirt contamination.  It can also hide a moisture problem for a long time until the fuel gets saturated with water and it drops out all at once in the dreaded phase separation phenomenon. 
 

The Midwest doesn’t seem to be plagued with the same extent of problems that are attributed to alcohol on the East coast.  My guess - and this is a guess - is that the octane improver MTBE that was used out east instead of alcohol postponed and exacerbated the alcohol-related effects into more recent times. 
 

As long as your stuff is clean and dry and it’s kept clean and dry I don’t find any personal benefit from avoiding it. 
 

Steve

Edited 5 hours ago by wh500special