Zenith Aircraft Builders and Flyers
Online Community of Zenith Builders and Flyers
pump gas
Does anyone use pump gas in their 3300 engines. I have a zenith 601xlb
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Mike Chekal on
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I use the Swift 94 octane successfully but never tried auto fuel.
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Permalink Reply by George Snedeker on
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thanks i was thinking high octane gas station fuel that has ethanol
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Permalink Reply by Randy Ferri on
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We have 91 octane (non ethanol) at my airport. Unless I'm traveling, that's all I've used for 13 years.
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my airport doesn't have gas but i have 90 octane non ethanol available ...i'm just concerned about the octane not being high enough so i thought maybe high test unleaded gas
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Permalink Reply by Stephen R. Smith on
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My 601XLB has over 2,400 hours on it. I always use premium car gas in my 3300 unless I am on an extended trip. In California the premium has ethanol in it. If the fuel contains ethanol, don't let it get old - say 4 months max. So if you don't fly much, perhaps stick to 100LL. If the fuel contains ethanol, only use good quality fuel line rated for ethanol and replace it every 8-10 years or so or when/if it gets hard or shows any cracks.
I once bought 87 octane for the plane by accident but realized what I had done before putting it into the plane. I put 100LL in one tank and the 87 octane in the other. I used the 100LL for all high-power operations and burned the 87 octane in level flight at low power; about 2,500 RPM. That seemed to work just fine.
I have also mixed 92 and even 87 octane with 100LL. However keep this in mind; as outlined in a Jabiru issued a bulletin year ago, the math does not work like you would hope because the two fuels are not formulated in the same way. So go heavy on the 100LL vs what you might expect strictly on the math.
The problem with low octane (detonation) can show up quickly. It will be when the plane is heavy and the air is hot and your operating at a high power setting (take off for example). I have seen it more than once. What does it look like? A mostly normal sounding engine but loss of power and spiking CHT. The only remedy is to reduce power and put the nose down for cooling. This is only possible if you have the altitude to spare. Very unnerving.
Steve
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what do you think about 90 octane no lead no ethanol
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California premium is only 91 so that is what I have used; always a good brand - not the cheep stuff. I wish it were higher but its not.
Ethanol creates problems that must be managed but can be. I guess if it were me, I would avoid 90 octane as being too low if I could get 91 or even higher. You have to draw the line somewhere. Detonation can kill you.
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so you use ethanol premium then? I would use that if possible ...plenty of 93 octane available
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Yes, premium with ethanol; thousands of gallons of it.
Steve
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i will give it a try thanks steve...better than low octane i;m sure
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Permalink Reply by John Austin on
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Jabiru approves 90 AKI octane auto fuel. I've run 93 AKI octane (no ethanol) for years. Supposedly auto fuel's octane degrades quicker than 100LL, so I figure a few extra octane points is good! Also, since I buy a couple hundred gallons at a time (which lasts about a year), I store the tanker trailer in an insulated metal building and add PRI-G fuel stabilizer. The auto fuel keeps the engine much cleaner internally than running 100LL.
BTW, I "think" I recall seeing somewhere that if you have the Bing carburetor, they recommend replacing all the rubber components such as O-rings, etc., every 2 years if you run fuel with ethanol in it.
John
N750A
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I'm not sure what 90 AKI is ...we have 90 octane no lead no ethanol? or...i could use 93 octane pump gas with ethanol and a fuel stabilizer ...
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