Aspen Alkylate Fuel

[AlexStromberg]

A little more testimony on this magic potion: it works on snowblowers. Neighbors blower was sputtering and would only run on 1/2 choke. Didn't want to get too involved, so grabbed a bottle of A2 and said "try this stuff". 15 minutes later it was running perfect. Tell ya one thing, that's the last bottle I'm giving away.

Here where snowblowers only get ran maybe every 3 years, alkylate fuel is the savior.

 

[Nutball]

After about 5.5 gallons of Aspen 2 with Red Armor added bringing the oil content to around 32:1, The carbon is not gone from the 572. It hardly cleaned it up. What did happen is it appears no extra carbon was deposited, so what was there started to burn and turn to ash.

 

[Nutball]

I left my saws and jug of Aspen in the car overnight intentionally. No stink, just a faint Aspen fuel smell.

I'd never do that with regular gas.

 

[isaaccarlson]

I would use it all the time if it wasn't so spendy. The smell of gas and exhaust drive me nuts.

 

[Nutball]

For pro use, it's just $30 more the customer gets charged. For personal use, maybe swap Stihl chain for Archer and a diamond file to offset the cost. 1 & 1/3 gallons per jug. If I hadn't blown through 4 jugs milling last winter I'd have 3 more left for personal use. It was worth it, and I'm cheap.

 

[J.Noss]

I've personally never seen Aspen fuel here but just got VP 94 4 cycle fuel and then mixed 40:1 to put in the tanks before the saws sit overwinter in the house, I had run Trufuel before and to me it smelled just like regular pump gas, but this VP smells completely different with hardly any odor at all comparatively and it seems like it evaporates really fast too.
I ran through a tankfull today and I'd swear it boosted the power by a little bit. Definitely far different smell than Trufuel or pump. While I'd never run the stuff year round I might start buying 1 gallon before I put my saws away. I never had a fuel issue with any of my equipment through the years but I've always ran non-E 90 octane, used to just leave whatever amount of gas that was in the tank and fill up with fresh stuff next year.. Now that I've got some really nice saws I just wanted to take best care of them that I can, interesting to read the earlier comments saying not to switch back and forth, hopefully that's no issue for my situation.
I really like this site, the sharing of information and opinion among those who have shared interests and experience is very helpful.

 

[Moparmyway]

I’ve been running VP SEF or Sunoco Optima for over 7 years now. I’ve got 50+ saws, plus lots of OPE, needless to say, but alot of my stuff sits and hardly gets used.

Everything starts quickly, haven’t replaced anything fuel related, I mixx my own oil in my 2 cycle stuff, and I don’t get headaches from exhaust fumes.

Before switching, I was trying to run everything dry after replacing multiple diaphragms every year, sourcing replacement carbs, and stocking oem fuel lines for each piece of equipment I had. I was driving myself nutz !!!

I’m going to be getting the canned fuel in 55 gallon drums next, seems to be the best option I have

 

[isaaccarlson]

Why is everyone replacing diaphragms every year? I have been running non ethanol fuel and synthetic oil and even my 15-20 year old saws are running original diaphragms. Some of them sit for a year between uses. The oil has stabilizer in it if that makes a difference

 

[Squareground3691]

I’ve been running VP SEF or Sunoco Optima for over 7 years now. I’ve got 50+ saws, plus lots of OPE, needless to say, but alot of my stuff sits and hardly gets used.

Everything starts quickly, haven’t replaced anything fuel related, I mixx my own oil in my 2 cycle stuff, and I don’t get headaches from exhaust fumes.

Before switching, I was trying to run everything dry after replacing multiple diaphragms every year, sourcing replacement carbs, and stocking oem fuel lines for each piece of equipment I had. I was driving myself nutz !!!

I’m going to be getting the canned fuel in 55 gallon drums next, seems to be the best option I have

Good stuff,

 

[Moparmyway]

I’m pretty sure that it’s a regional thing. Gas in NYC and Long Island is pretty bad. I’ve tested ethanol content at well over 20%, should only be 10%

 

[drf256]

I’m pretty sure that it’s a regional thing. Gas in NYC and Long Island is pretty bad. I’ve tested ethanol content at well over 20%, should only be 10%

Do you think it already absorbed a healthy amount of ambient humidity before you tested?

Trying to figure out if the E-Free Sunoco pump fuel is the same as the canned Kev.

 

[Moparmyway]

I tested it’s ethanol content, not moisture content, but with more ethanol Im sure that it will absorb more moisture and quicker

It’s definitely different fuel from Optima

 

[Squareground3691]

It’s definitely a different fuel from Optima

Supposedly Optima was developed for small engine applications, not for sale as a consumer public fuel for vehicles,

 

[legdelimber]

Please Forgive me for furthering the off topic issue here.
--
If someone says that the aspen-alkylate-fuel evaporates faster, and they perceive more power?
Then perhaps that might indicate a better fuel atomization/spray from the carburetor and a little better burning?
All that vapor pressure stuff and such factors?

Please keep digging gents, we can all benefit from the collective data here!
====
now off I go...
I buy my non-Ethanol fuel from one location and always drop 2.5 (top spout measure bottle) squeezes of Sta-Bil brand fuel preservative into my 5gallon jugs, before filling, each time.
I always use the standard, pink, version of Sta-Bil.
Mix oil for 2-cycle has been Echo Red Armor oil for several years now.
All mix oil comes from a one gallon 128oz bulk jug. So mix chemistry should hopefully be fairly constant across fuelings.

But as to non-ethanol fuel in my area.?
The non-e labeled pumps (separate dedicated hose pumps, in both counties) in my city still have a bit of the "cat urine" smell in the gasoline.
The non- ethanol fuel from pumps in, the next county, smells just a little different.
Maybe it's just a different vapor control, or something, at the different locals, causing the different odors. But who knows?

I still drive to that nearby county for ALL of my fuel, whereas my neighbor switched over to using the fuel in our home city/county.
It's about a 35 mile round trip. to the next county location.
I drive less and have different destinations etc, so the fueling trips aren't as much of an issue for me as for him.

Edit:
Perhaps I should have mentioned along here, that we are both still buying fuel labeled as
Ethanol free.

The big thing though, is that his equipment re-developed fuel system issues within a few months of his switching back to the "big city fuel". remember that fuel odor difference?
Whereas I continue to have none, while using the next county fuel.

We ordered repair kits and parts in one order (from same Ebay vendor etc) to fit most of both our saws, trimmers, etc.
Wherever they were identical items, I just pulled the Carbs, kits and filters from one common bag for both of our units, when I did the repairs.
(while purely coincidental with parts and fuel choices) This is about the best comparison test I could likely have tried to plan on purpose.

 

[isaaccarlson]

We have 91 no ethanol here for 3.50-4.00

 

[qurotro]

Gas is a complicating thing. I’ve used e free gas that swollen every O rings of my old husky’s, the hexagon head style fuel caps. And I soak the Chinese fuel lines in gas before install to test quality, they swollen in a different rate in different gas.

 

[Vintage Engine Repairs]

I can only get motomix here in Australia, besides its price I like it, mostly because it doesn’t stink the room where I do all my repairs. $46 Australian dollars for 4L.

Edit to add: I decant it into small fuel squirt bottles and when I use it, it inevitably gets spilt on the desk and floor but you can’t smell it.

Keeps the mrs happy.

 

[Spike60]

Aspen comes in handy when I run out of tonic water too.