An interminable oil or tyre thread

VanguardontheLav

VanguardontheLav

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Location
Cambridge, UK
I'm going off topic in the first post of a thread - because I can AND it's a record that can never be beaten!  (clever) :D

I always use plain entry level unleaded fuel (frequently from Tesco as it's just round the corner) and never have any problems with pre-ignition. Neither do I ever have problems with carbs getting gungy.

However a week or two ago I pulled in with an almost empty tank and they'd run out of regular so I had to put in "Momentum" - their "posh" unleaded. Now a couple of weeks later, I discover that the middle float valve is sticking slightly open so I am getting an overflow if I don't shut the taps immediately I stop.  >:( >:( >:(

It made me think: is this why some forum members experience gunged up carbs and some never have problems? Does it depend on what fuel you normally use?

What grade do you use and do you get gunged up carbs?

I filled up with standard fuel today and will see if that cleans out the gunge, before I have to strip the Mikunis down...

--
Dick
 
Oddly enough, a mate in NZ wouldn't run either of his Ducatis (one modern, one bevel) on anything other than 'regular' because he said the so-called good stuff bunged things up.
 
Haven't experienced a single issue with different fuels in any single bike.  Older fuels gunge up carbs just as bad as newer types.  Recently stripped a set of Dellortos that had been dormant for 18 years, long before lead-free was compulsive here or ethanol additive was thought of.  Was very tiresome, EVERYTHING was gummed/corroded and extremely difficult to clean out.

Friend of mine that was involved in the fuel management dept. of theToyota F1 effort claims modern fuels are far more efficient and cleaner, and thus lots more engine-friendly than the old brews.

piet
 
I use Shell V Power,never had any problems,but having read the updates newsletter of FBHVC,I see that it can contains 5%  ethanol now,it says it may well leave the refinery as ethanol free,but when it gets to the distributors it may or may not have 5% ethanol added without breaking laws.Tesco use Esso fuel hence the Clubcard arrangement so its not as bad as people make out .

See Ethanol in petrol at www.swanseahistoricvehicleregister.co.uk/fbhvc_updates.htm

Shaun
 
lemonjelly said:
I use Shell V Power,never had any problems,but having read the updates newsletter of FBHVC,I see that it can contains 5%  ethanol now,it says it may well leave the refinery as ethanol free,but when it gets to the distributors it may or may not have 5% ethanol added without breaking laws.Tesco use Esso fuel hence the Clubcard arrangement so its not as bad as people make out .

See Ethanol in petrol at www.swanseahistoricvehicleregister.co.uk/fbhvc_updates.htm

Shaun
Click to expand...

Shaun,

I'm rather certain that EU law requires the addtition of at least 5% ethanol! 

Only drawback I'm aware of, is the rubber/plastics compatability.  The manufacturer of my car states it is safe to use E10 (at least 10% ethanol content), which I do, as it is quite a bit cheaper (subsidised by the govt.) than regular fuels, poor bastard that I am. 

On the other hand, it is also very questionable to grow food stuffs exclusively for the production of fuels, whilst half the worlds' population is starving... which makes me a bit of a hypocrite in that regard. ::)

piet
 
5% ethanol has been in standard petrol in France at least if not the whole EU for many years. The shift is now towards 10%.
Paul
 
The question isn't about ethanol or not ethanol. Ethanol burns cleanly and doesn't leave a residue if it dries. Maybe it doesn't generate the same power as octane (lower calorific value and different speed of burning means it behaves differently in the cylinder.) Plus it is hygroscopic so dissolves a bit of water. But that's a different question.

The difference between the cheap, regular unleaded and the posh stuff (VPower, Momentum, Ultimate etc.) is the addition of more additives - and it's the additives that I am suggesting are what gunge things up. Either because there are more of them or because they are different types.

For example, many of the additives are supposed to allow the fuel to "burn quicker". if that's by making them more volatile, then they will evaporate more quickly when left, causing more gunge, or the same gunge but more quickly.

What I know is that I don't have problems until I use posh fuel. When I use posh fuel I get problems.

What's the point of posh fuel on our old clunkers? (Excepting the track of course!)

--
Dick
 
A high RON fuel will have a higher resistance to pre-ignition. The higher octane rating means that the fuel has a high activation energy (>Carbon-to-Carbon bonds).

A high RON fuel needs to be subjected to more extreme conditions before an explosion will occur, either by high levels of compression or high engine temperatures.  A high-performance/Race engine makes extra power from generating higher pressures in the combustion chambers, not by the high octane fuel. 

So, unless you have a high compression ratio engine in your bike, using high RON fuel can only assist by lowering the chance of pre-ignition. That's a good thing, but extra power? nah!  Just sayin.....
 
Reggie3cl said:
Oddly enough, a mate in NZ wouldn't run either of his Ducatis (one modern, one bevel) on anything other than 'regular' because he said the so-called good stuff bunged things up.
Click to expand...

I run a "modern", well, year 2000, BMW R1100S as well my "clunkers".

BM runs better on regular - putting the fancy higher octane / whatever stuff in shows a definite deterioration in engine running - poorer tickover, poorer starting, and no noticeable performance benefit.

I use an octane booster / lead replacement in some of my Laverdas....Castrol stuff. Goop City if you leave the bike for a while.

And don't talk to me about getting the pre-mix on a 1970 Bultaco correct with modern petrol and modern 2 stroke oils.....If you use the 1970 recommendation you'll be arrested for environmental damage (lots of smoke). So it's experiment time, whilst sweating that you've got the ratio too high (too little oil). Just a seizure on a trials bike, but God knows how people race classic 2 strokes.

H.

 

 
I use 98 octane unleaded at whichever pump is to hand. Never had any problems including in machines running once every few months.
Engine definitely more wholesome than with 95 octane.
Paul
 
Don't know about that Harry, recall BMW stipulate 98 Ron for my R 1200 ST....though have read it has knock control so you can use95 if you have to.
 
never had a problem with "posh fuel" on my Sprint,never gunged up,even with a winter lay off each year,maybe its the West Country air :D I used to use ordinary until some ILOC members recom"d V power
 
I'm not so sure that additives in 'posh' fuel do make it burn quicker. I believe they make it burn smoother.
Some of these additives are from the 'Benzine Ring' family or 'Aromatics' which are renowned for smooth burning.

Chalk up another one that has NO problems with the higher octane stuff. I only have problems with low octane stuff. I cannot satisfactorily explain why some would have the opposite experience. I use BP Ultimate.


As an asside I have just stumbled upon a fuel, developed by my old 'local' refinery at Kwinana Western Australia that specialises in a low aromatic fuel to discourage petrol sniffers!!!!!!!!
http://www.opalfuel.com.au/page.cfm/what-is-opal/low-aromatic-fuel
 
BP Ultimate seems to suit my bike much better than V-Power, and V-P stinks bad.
 
I have tried diesel in the past, and report that my Jota refused to get on the ferry at Dover in disgust!! Wow that was back in 06 on the way to the Lav museum opening in Holland, how time has flown..
 
It was the posh stuff...in fact I didn't realise that there were 2 grades of diesel and reached for a blue line thinking that was premium unleaded...which it wasn't! The rest, as they say, is history.... ;)
 
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