Which would be better?
Recommendations- 91 octane with ethanol or 88 octane ethanol free?
- Thread starter fat
- Start date
Ethonal free gas is always better in my opinion. It seems to not gum up everything when you let it sit for the summer. 91 will make more power than 88 though. If I was you I would try and find 91 or 92 that is ethonal free. Just my two cents
If your sled requires 91 and you are running at low altitude, I would run the higher octane up to 91.
If you are riding high altitude, like above 8,000, I would run the lower octane without ethanol, down to 87.
If you are riding high altitude, like above 8,000, I would run the lower octane without ethanol, down to 87.
I would run the 91 Ethanol for Det. protection. I don't understand the bad rap 10% Ethanol receives. Since the advent of E10 gasoline I have logged approximately 25,000 two stroke snowmobiling miles without one single gasoline related issue.
You'd probably be ok either way riding at elevation (could put a bottle of octane boost in the eth-free). I'd definitely recommend storing it with a fill of ethanol-free and a healthy dose of Sta-bil or the like. The ethanol will attract moisture over time, and if you store it over the summer and ride with that tank of gas, that's where you're more likely to see problems. Honestly, there's a decent chance you'll have no issues no matter what you do, but a few dollars and extra care could save you a breakdown and/or some expensive repairs.
We run 91 ethanol but we add some Sea Foam to every tank. It keeps the fuel fresh and adds a little lubrication. Sleds always start after sitting all off season.
Not sure your elevation, but octane requirement goes down a point with 2000ft of altitude gain. Whatever you do, don't run ethanol in that motor. It's ok for machines that get ran everyday. If you've ever witnessed the deposits left behind in the fuel system, you'd never put it in anything. A motor that gets ran constantly doesn't have a problem with it, but I wouldn't put it in my sled. Ethanol also binds to water, so in rare circumstances can also cause fuel system freezing.
