• Hi everyone,

    As you all know, Coffee (Dean) passed away a couple of years ago. I am Dean's ex-wife's husband and happen to have spent my career in tech. Over the years, I occasionally helped Dean with various tech issues.

    When he passed, I worked with his kids to gather the necessary credentials to keep this site running. Since then (and for however long they worked with Coffee), Woodschick and Dirtdame have been maintaining the site and covering the costs. Without their hard work and financial support, CafeHusky would have been lost.

    Over the past couple of weeks, I’ve been working to migrate the site to a free cloud compute instance so that Woodschick and Dirtdame no longer have to fund it. At the same time, I’ve updated the site to a current version of XenForo (the discussion software it runs on). The previous version was outdated and no longer supported.

    Unfortunately, the new software version doesn’t support importing the old site’s styles, so for now, you’ll see the XenForo default style. This may change over time.

    Coffee didn’t document the work he did on the site, so I’ve been digging through the old setup to understand how everything was running. There may still be things I’ve missed. One known issue is that email functionality is not yet working on the new site, but I hope to resolve this over time.

    Thanks for your patience and support!

Av Gas? Anyone run it?

We use Torco race fuel. Fyi - 91 octane is minimum in the 449/511's if you want them to last. Especially if you run our pcv maps.

I like the basic 108 octane race fuel. The exotic mixes tend to eat fuel injection components on motorcycles, so fyi if you loose your fuel pump 3 months down the road after running the power mixes, you know why. Two strokes, skys the limit. I always wanted to make a 2 stroke diesel, but never had the time, maybe some day.


Have you tried the Torco Unleaded Accelerator additive? Can't get their fuel near me.
 
Not only do I like av gas, I mix 2 stroke oil in my 4 strokes. (That'll get em revved up!) :popcorn:


Its your bike, do whatever you like with it. Hell I just put some Maxiblue oil additive in my 511 and have no idea if it works or if I will be able to tell. :excuseme:
 
I run avgas and love it. Jet it richer, usually one to 2 pilot sizes and 2-5 main sizes.

Stores super well, consistent, more octane, and lead which helps lots of things. Two strokes love lead esspecially.
 
I must admit I've poured premix for my Stihl Weed wackers and chain saws into my Husqvarna (Honda powered) lawnmower many times and my last lawnmower ( Briggs and Stratton) too that lasted about 20 years. I ran premix in it about 90% of the time, as usually thats all I had sitting around in a gas can when I needed to mow the lawn at my house. I would run premix in them before I would use my dirt bike gas. They always ran fine and didn't ever smoke.

AvGas is more consistent and stores better for sure.

All gas seems to store for long periods of time where I live here in Arizona.

I let my BMW with the TC449 engine sit for almost a year and 9 months with a partial tank of Pump gas in it during a time out from riding from a broken wrist and shoulder surgery.

It was about 7/8 full and I topped it off again with pump gas last month and the bike ran perfect after it sat for that long. It had only been ridden up my street about 6 houses away twice during that whole duration. The gas in it was fine.
 
I have heard that the fuels on the East Coast, more than most places are blended to different specifications throughout the year for weather and climate change to alter its chemical makeup.

The weather where I'm at is fairly stable, sure it gets cold to the point of freezing for a few months out of the year but we are at 4100 ft. elevation here in "High Desert". I don't think the refineries in mid Texas change the fuel blend for our climatic variations much and its fairly dry here as well.

Methanol I believe is hydroscopic and it absorbs moisture out of the air, that being said

My Neighbor right across the street from me just converted his sons 500 inch Big block drag car to run straight Methanol over the weekend.

Other than pouring a little 4 oz. bottle of top end lubricant, per tank full. That makes it smell like "Jolly Rancher Candy" to lube the valve stems and guides, So they don't seize after the car sits any length of time he has no problems running straight methanol all year in his engines. His son drives his 68 Chevelle all year round with a parachute on the back and slicks on the streets and it will run in the high 9s. but he is working on the car all the time. More than I want to work on my own hot rods for sure.

Between myself and the 2 of them we got more burnout marks in front of my house than the local dragstrip. The neighbors love us.

Nothing like waking up to the smell of burnt rubber and methanol in the morning on the weekends.

Gotta love it.
 
I did some reading online and several sources say the Torco Accelerator uses Methylcyclopentadienyl manganese tricarbonyl (MMT) as it's primary ingredient. This used to be added to unleaded gas when it was first introduced as an anti-knock additive. Supposedly nasty toxic in it's unburned state. Back to Avgas.

Makes me wonder what's in 100LL.
 
Morris,
I grew up in Castro Valley, went to C.V. High School.
I used to build Saddles and did all the Custom Leather work for Rowell's Saddlery and Western Wear back in the late 70s and start of the 80s. I hadn't walked into that place for about 30+ years.
I was just up there last June and dropped in to the saddle shop and wasn't even recognized by the owner "Janet" whom I had worked with back then.
I was up there visiting my Mom in Danville.
 
Here in Australia we have access to 4 fuels from the pump. Regular unleaded (90 RON) with bloody ethanol:thumbsdown:, ULP (regular unleaded 90 RON - NO ethanol) PULP (Premium Unleaded 95 RON) and UPULP - Ultra Premium (98 RON):thumbsup: . The two premiums (95 & 98 RON) were bought in 15-20 years ago when lead in petrol was banned. Most bike manufacatures selling in Oz recommend minimum 95 RON and most guys run the 98 RON where they can get it (95% stations on average). Important fact, mate who is a mechanic for a large dealership (NOT Husky) said first thing they do with engine warranty issues is check the fuel rating.
 
The crude connection ...

Crude_cook.jpg

The problem with crude oil is that it contains hundreds of different types of hydrocarbons all mixed together. You have to separate the different types of hydrocarbons to have anything useful. Fortunately there is an easy way to separate things, and this is what oil refining is all about.

Different hydrocarbon chain lengths all have progressively higher boiling points, so they can all be separated by distillation. This is what happens in an oil refinery - in one part of the process, crude oil is heated and the different chains are pulled out by their vaporization temperatures. Each different chain length has a different property that makes it useful in a different way.

To understand the diversity contained in crude oil, and to understand why refining crude oil is so important in our society, look through the following list of products that come from crude oil:

Petroleum gas - used for heating, cooking, making plastics
  • small alkanes (1 to 4 carbon atoms)
  • commonly known by the names methane, ethane, propane, butane
  • boiling range = less than 104 degrees Fahrenheit / 40 degrees Celsius
  • often liquified under pressure to create LPG (liquified petroleum gas)
Naphtha or Ligroin - intermediate that will be further processed to make gasoline
  • mix of 5 to 9 carbon atom alkanes
  • boiling range = 140 to 212 degrees Fahrenheit / 60 to 100 degrees Celsius
Gasoline - motor fuel
  • liquid
  • mix of alkanes and cycloalkanes (5 to 12 carbon atoms)
  • boiling range = 104 to 401 degrees Fahrenheit / 40 to 205 degrees Celsius
Kerosene - fuel for jet engines and tractors; starting material for making other products
  • liquid
  • mix of alkanes (10 to 18 carbons) and aromatics
  • boiling range = 350 to 617 degrees Fahrenheit / 175 to 325 degrees Celsius
Gas oil or Diesel distillate - used for diesel fuel and heating oil; starting material for making other products
  • liquid
  • alkanes containing 12 or more carbon atoms
  • boiling range = 482 to 662 degrees Fahrenheit / 250 to 350 degrees Celsius
Lubricating oil - used for motor oil, grease, other lubricants
  • liquid
  • long chain (20 to 50 carbon atoms) alkanes, cycloalkanes, aromatics
  • boiling range = 572 to 700 degrees Fahrenheit / 300 to 370 degrees Celsius
Heavy gas or Fuel oil - used for industrial fuel; starting material for making other products
  • liquid
  • long chain (20 to 70 carbon atoms) alkanes, cycloalkanes, aromatics
  • boiling range = 700 to 1112 degrees Fahrenheit / 370 to 600 degrees Celsius
Residuals - coke, asphalt, tar, waxes; starting material for making other products
  • solid
  • multiple-ringed compounds with 70 or more carbon atoms
  • boiling range = greater than 1112 degrees Fahrenheit / 600 degrees Celsius
 
Iv'e heard many times that the modern fuels have so many additives nowadays that motorcyles will all be coming out with Aluminum tanks very soon. Take a look at some of the race teams bike, like James Stewarts Yoshimura Factory Suzuki, they have already done this. The modern fuels of today are able to penetrate clear through the plastic making them gummy and sticky to the touch and they are subject to failure. For the average trail and offroad guys this will happen long before the rest of the bike and parts are worn out.


I'm not saying you are flat out incorrect, but there are a number of auto OEMs using plastic tanks with zero issues. I am not a highbrow - but had a number of "luxury" cars whens stationed overseas and ALL of them had plastic tanks. Many folks brought those cars back home with zero issues.

I am dead center in the corn belt and we have had E10 for a VERY long time. We are now getting E15. I could care less as I have seen zero issues.

One easy way to avoid E10 or E15 fuels is to get pump premium in a "lake zone" - ie gas station very near major bodies of water. Some are allowed to freely, some by legalieze - but they sell ethanol free gas as a major portion of their sale is for boats with VERY long storage potential.

We were just rebuilding my dad's Troy Bilt tiller - like when Troy Bilt made good stuff. Brand new from the Troy Bilt truck in 1979 - and that Tecumseh motor has seen leaded, unleaded and a decade+ of E10 in the now 35 year old plastic tank. Zero issues.

People leave fuel sit in bowls for 60+ days and then complain that they have gummed up carbs - duh! That happened long before E10 gas.
 
Wolf
Now you understand that 15$ bucks is for the can of VP and the rest is for the fuel. So drive up to Hampden and you can get your VP at the pump in your own can. If you but it anyplace else they got it from him and marked it up.
He also races with us at the J-Days and will bring you some if needed.

As I added nothing to this thread, carry on.
 
Funny thing is, I've seen more plastic fuel cells in my own drag cars and my friends dragcars that showed collapsing,sagging and just a general lack of original shape from when new and bought originally and all of them ran full on racing gasoline. I build my own fuel cells now out of Aluminum so this doesn't happen. These plastic fuel cells were always in the trunk of the cars and very seldom saw sunlight. The race gas is just as bad for causing this damage or distorsion.

I agree many new cars and trucks have plastic tanks, remember I work for the U.S. Border Patrol. I see more of these fuel tanks removed and damaged than you could imagine, be it Ford, Dodge or GM. We have a fleet of over 700 vehicles. Gas tanks are replaced quite often.

Great idea getting the gas from a boat dock in an area of lakes and such.
 
Im unsure if aviation fuel is actually safe to run in bikes, back when I was younger my father switched my bikes to av gas because it was cheaper then running Vp race fuel. A lot of the guys around my town also started running it and we had troubles with engines blowing up, im not sure if the gasoline was the cause, but if youre racing id run the vp fuel.
 
We use Torco race fuel. Fyi - 91 octane is minimum in the 449/511's if you want them to last. Especially if you run our pcv maps.

I like the basic 108 octane race fuel. The exotic mixes tend to eat fuel injection components on motorcycles, so fyi if you loose your fuel pump 3 months down the road after running the power mixes, you know why. Two strokes, skys the limit. I always wanted to make a 2 stroke diesel, but never had the time, maybe some day.
Tinken, I looked up Torco and all I see in the way of fuel is additives. Where do you get race fuel? Interested for my 310.
 
We use Torco race fuel. Fyi - 91 octane is minimum in the 449/511's if you want them to last. Especially if you run our pcv maps.

I like the basic 108 octane race fuel. The exotic mixes tend to eat fuel injection components on motorcycles, so fyi if you loose your fuel pump 3 months down the road after running the power mixes, you know why. Two strokes, skys the limit. I always wanted to make a 2 stroke diesel, but never had the time, maybe some day.

What do you mean by "exotic mixes"?
 
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