Fuel Additives
Posted: Tue Jun 16, 2020 11:54 am
Fuel additives are a time honored subject, and there are probably as many opinions are there are people.
What additives are you putting in your fuel--if any?
My latest additive cocktail, recommended by my now deceased mechanic (who died in a boat racing accident in Fall 2017), is ordinary Chevron Techron, one bottle per 13-gallon tank, and StarTron enzyme fuel additive used as directed (one fluid ounce per 6 gallons). A cheap borescope looking in the spark plug hole shows a nice clean piston top, however, this was not an exhaustive examination. This was an examination of my most frequently used engine, a carbureted two-stroke-power-cycle engine. I use the same cocktail in my carbureted four-stroke-power-cycle engine that is powering an Alert 17, a Special Service classic Montauk.
===
Random Notes and thoughts on the matter:
--Having said this, prior to this particular "cocktail", I always added something to the tank. Sometimes SeaFoam, sometimes B12 Chemtool. Just whatever I had lying on the garage shelf, and usually purchased on sale somewhere.
--Apparently one of the primary ingredients of SeaFoam is alcohol, and nowadays pump gasoline has plenty of that as well. I have heard it posited that the alcohol in pump gasoline is generally enough to keep down carbon deposits. Though I don't know how it is with gum and varnish, or how much of a threat those things are.
--A little google research shows that the "magic" ingredient in Techron is PEA (Poly Ether Amine). Gumout brand touts it's use in their products as well
--It used to be that Costco had the best price and availability in town on Techron (by a long shot), but the local Costco that used to carry it is either out, or they are no longer carrying it
===
So those are my current habits and thoughts on fuel additives. What "cocktails" if any, are others out there using, and in what engine types, from old carbureted two-stroke through fuel-injected four-stroke engines. I always like to gather opinions.
--Peter
What additives are you putting in your fuel--if any?
My latest additive cocktail, recommended by my now deceased mechanic (who died in a boat racing accident in Fall 2017), is ordinary Chevron Techron, one bottle per 13-gallon tank, and StarTron enzyme fuel additive used as directed (one fluid ounce per 6 gallons). A cheap borescope looking in the spark plug hole shows a nice clean piston top, however, this was not an exhaustive examination. This was an examination of my most frequently used engine, a carbureted two-stroke-power-cycle engine. I use the same cocktail in my carbureted four-stroke-power-cycle engine that is powering an Alert 17, a Special Service classic Montauk.
===
Random Notes and thoughts on the matter:
--Having said this, prior to this particular "cocktail", I always added something to the tank. Sometimes SeaFoam, sometimes B12 Chemtool. Just whatever I had lying on the garage shelf, and usually purchased on sale somewhere.
--Apparently one of the primary ingredients of SeaFoam is alcohol, and nowadays pump gasoline has plenty of that as well. I have heard it posited that the alcohol in pump gasoline is generally enough to keep down carbon deposits. Though I don't know how it is with gum and varnish, or how much of a threat those things are.
--A little google research shows that the "magic" ingredient in Techron is PEA (Poly Ether Amine). Gumout brand touts it's use in their products as well
--It used to be that Costco had the best price and availability in town on Techron (by a long shot), but the local Costco that used to carry it is either out, or they are no longer carrying it
===
So those are my current habits and thoughts on fuel additives. What "cocktails" if any, are others out there using, and in what engine types, from old carbureted two-stroke through fuel-injected four-stroke engines. I always like to gather opinions.
--Peter