Colt Case Ingersoll Garden Tractors

With the price of gasoline going through the roof and since during the summer I go through a lot mowing grass mostly. I do use other tractors for moving dirt and roto tilling which adds to the cost also.
Have any other members gone to using ethanol gasoline in their GT's to save on fuel costs this summer?

Keep the Peace
Harry

A few years ago I had an Audi A4, then a BMW 325i, then a BMW X5. They all specifically asked for premium fuel, yet they ran just fine on regular gas. Sure I did feel a little more umph with premium.

I think I used premium gas only for one fill up on one of my tractors, and switched to what here in Canada is regular gas since then. Have not have a problem. I really don't see the real point of premium gas in such old engine. You can start throwing stones now.

I am comfortable enough with regular gas in my tractors, and occasionally I add a little Seafoam, but not all the time.

I usually use regular Ethanol with seafoam tossed in.

After I got past the soft rubber in my 63 Studebaker Avanti's fuel line rubber hoses, I haven't looked back. The gas cap even calls for premium fuel only. It is the Studebaker 289 with Factory Supercharger for an engine. Probably perform better with Premium, but has never rattled from ignition knock. That's more than I could say for half the engine manufactured during the late 70's thru the 80's!

Bill

I use ethanol regular in my engines. It was hard to find nonethanol around here for awhile. I do add sea foam it doesn’t take much to treat a tank of gas. In my tractor engines I also add a quart of automatic transmission oil to 5 gallons of gas. Is it necessary, I don’t know, but I figure it will give a little lubrication to the top of the engine.
Where I’ve seen problems from ethanol is in my small engines, weed eaters, small tillers, etc. That’s why I went to a battery weed eater!
If your running the engine regularly I don’t think you’ll have a problem, it’s when it sets that issues seem to come up.
Now I usually close the fuel and run the carburetor dry if I know the engine will sit for a long period of time. Seems to work.

JSinMO wrote: ↑Mon Jun 13, 2022 1:58 pm I use ethanol regular in my engines. It was hard to find nonethanol around here for awhile. I do add sea foam it doesn’t take much to treat a tank of gas. In my tractor engines I also add a quart of automatic transmission oil to 5 gallons of gas. Is it necessary, I don’t know, but I figure it will give a little lubrication to the top of the engine.
Where I’ve seen problems from ethanol is in my small engines, weed eaters, small tillers, etc. That’s why I went to a battery weed eater!
If your running the engine regularly I don’t think you’ll have a problem, it’s when it sets that issues seem to come up.
Now I usually close the fuel and run the carburetor dry if I know the engine will sit for a long period of time. Seems to work.

Yea, woo hoo, somebody else uses transmission oil in their gas. Cleans carbon and sludge too.

Noel

I'll try the ATF in some gas and see what I think. It couldn't hurt only give a different smell on my clothes when using the gas engines.

Keep the Peace
Harry

If ATF would replace my use of the Seafoam I would definitely use it.

My big backhoe has an advanced system by which it leaks some diesel directly into the engine oil and such it cleans up everything

Eugen wrote: ↑Mon Jun 13, 2022 4:16 pm If ATF would replace my use of the Seafoam I would definitely use it.

My big backhoe has an advanced system by which it leaks some diesel directly into the engine oil and such it cleans up everything

LOL! That’s quite an efficient setup. The inside of the engine must be like new!

Eugen wrote: ↑Mon Jun 13, 2022 4:16 pm If ATF would replace my use of the Seafoam I would definitely use it.

My big backhoe has an advanced system by which it leaks some diesel directly into the engine oil and such it cleans up everything

Thought you got the backhoe fixed

Yes I fixed the big diesel into oil leak but couldn't pass the opportunity to make a joke!

It's not completely false what I said though. I'll provide an update in its thread.

I buy ethanol regular gas and treat it with seafoam . Just remember to richen it up a little as E runs leaner that G .

Ooh a fuel debate!! I'll wade in lol

I run ethanol free premium in my small engines, and also Seafoam. I like the convenience of having gas that can be used in the 444 and on hand to mix for all my 2-stroke equipment. Overkill I'm sure but have also had to replace fuel lines etc in 2 stroke equipment from E gas, so I like it for peace of mind.

That's interesting @Eugen re: your vehicles. My BMW F800GS bike specifies 89, and definitely doesn't like 87! But not a big deal - even with today's prices it's still very affordable to fill and gets great mileage.

Haven't heard of using ATF before, might give that a try.

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For the last few years when gas was going for a bit under $3 a gallon I was using premium non ethanol for GT's and 2-cycle engines. Premium gas was all I could find in non ethanol. With the price of gas going through the roof I've switched to ethanol for all 4-cycle engines and buy non ethanol for 2-cycle engines. Chain saw, weed string trimmer and leaf blower are all 2-cycle and probably only use a gallon a year for them. The last time I had a problem with fuel lines getting eaten up by ethanol, I went to a NAPA store and the guy sold me fuel line that would not get soft from ethanol. The wall thichness of the fuel line was thicker than the original fuel line.

Keep the Peace
Harry

I generally pay the extra for non-ethanol gas if I'm feeling flush. But for many years I've run the ethanol 10%. In my old 442. And always added a little bit of marvel mystery oil to the gas tank. And it always seemed to perform very well.

But the last year or two I've had some real problems in my gas golf cart with the ethanol fuel. So I have tried to switch over. Having said that I haven't gone and bought my 20 gallon refill at the new prices yet. So I may change my story!

If you're going to run it, I don't know that it matters much. If I cut every blade of grass, I'll go through 6, possibly 7 gallons of gas spread across 2 or 3 different machines. What I don't burn out of the tank this week, will for sure be gone next week. With that being the case, I run the cheapest option available. Never had any serious issues with the '48 8N, and just plain wore out the engine on the 2000 ish Walker before we replaced that last summer.

For the stuff that sits, strangely, I haven't had serious issues with whatever ethanol blend we get is. I have had one generator that continuously gives me fits, but otherwise, most stuff seems to just run when needed. Hell, I've got a MF 202 that has sat for so long I think the fuel has just turned to runny varnish, and somehow that always fires off once a year, and runs happily. (usually have to clean the points to fire, but that's it)

I was using regular gas all along in every thing, but switched to high test for my truck. I seem to be getting better milage. So while filling the truck, I also fill the gas cans when needed. I don’t seem to have troubles with lines and carburetors when I was using regular fuel. Some trouble is, when wanting to use high test, and your only filling a 10 litre gas can, how much regular are you getting before it is pure high test coming out of the hose. If the last person to use the hose used regular, how many litres are you getting of regular before it’s high test and paying high test price. You really need to fill the vehicle with high test then fill the gas cans to get true high test in your gas cans, if that’s what you want to use.

That’s just the way it is and not much you can do about it.

Noel

Chad wrote: ↑Tue Jun 14, 2022 9:24 pm That's interesting @Eugen re: your vehicles. My BMW F800GS bike specifies 89, and definitely doesn't like 87!

That's a nice bike Chad!! Always wanted one but the wee-strom was the one I could afford. I'm surprised it doesn't like the 87 octane. The 800 and 1200 gs are routinely used for trips around the world where you get low grades gas.

My previous German cars had a definite peppy response on acceleration when run on 89. But they have knock sensors and as lazy as a Honda on regular.

My wee-strom has more pep than I need on regular gas. Been very happy with this bike, got it new in 2008. Finally the front wheel bearings bit the dust a couple of weeks ago. Otherwise just oil changes and once brake pads, and it has 32000 km on board.

Eugen wrote:

Chad wrote: ↑Tue Jun 14, 2022 9:24 pm That's interesting @Eugen re: your vehicles. My BMW F800GS bike specifies 89, and definitely doesn't like 87!

That's a nice bike Chad!! Always wanted one but the wee-strom was the one I could afford. I'm surprised it doesn't like the 87 octane. The 800 and 1200 gs are routinely used for trips around the world where you get low grades gas.

My previous German cars had a definite peppy response on acceleration when run on 89. But they have knock sensors and as lazy as a Honda on regular.

My wee-strom has more pep than I need on regular gas. Been very happy with this bike, got it new in 2008. Finally the front wheel bearings bit the dust a couple of weeks ago. Otherwise just oil changes and once brake pads, and it has 32000 km on board.

You are correct Eugen. It's possible that I got a bad batch of 87 on a trip a few years ago (a small gas station/general store with 1 pump north of Little Rapids, ON). Of course I had no other option that time, and bikes definitely see some questionable fuel in parts of the world!

The V-Strom is a great bike! Glad to hear it's been good to you. I'm just about at 40k on mine.

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