The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk What type of fuel in a 51?

Just started running low on my first tank thu my 51 which still has its original 216 so I pulled into a station and a zz top lookin old timer who was chatting me up about his old AD farm truck told me I could just use regular 87 unleaded pump gas as I was adding a lead additive ... is this true?

Thanks!

Also how many gallons is the tank?

87 octane will be fine. No real need to add any lead additive, which I don't beleive is even available anymore, or a substitute unless you're working the engine hard.
IIRC, the tank is 18 gallons for the in-cab tank.

The previous owner gave me a half case of lead additive in little bottles the look similar to the ones typical injector cleaner or octane booster come in.
I guess I can pitch it. ...or what ever you do these days with that type of stuff. lol.

I've been running premium in my older stuff to get away from the corngas. It;s a little easier on fuel pumps and carb parts and keeps a little longer in the tank for the ones that set unused for long periods of time.

If it sits unused for extended periods, add some Sta-Bil or similar product. The shelf life of modern gas is not that great.

gas today is fine.Cost more to make leaded gas,always has.Then why was it cheaper that unleaded gas years ago? You figure that one out.Big brother

gasoline... seriously, our old low-compression engines do not require anything special about the fuel. Many comment about the ethanol/alcohol and how it can deteriorate some seals, gaskets and rubber parts, but it won't hurt your 216.
Since the "corngas" as some call it IS NOT going away, and in fact some states have mandated higher percentages of it in gas, we will have to get used to it, and replace/upgrade seals, etc. to handle it...

There is a website called www.pure-gas.org and they have a state by state breakdown of where to buy ethanol free gas. If you find one in your area you can submit it to them, and they will add it to the list once they verify it. There are 90+ stations in Texas that are ethanol free. And over 2800 nation wide according to the site.

I have been talking to every gas station owner and employee that I run into about trying to get it. I know I'd drive 20 or so miles to get some. I tell them they could really boost their business if they had it. I've seen it in oklahoma advertised as such, and for roughly the same price for the corngas crap I gotta buy in Waco, Texas. I don't know how easy it is to get it at a station, but I'm sure trying.

I've got a '65 Mustang that HATES it, and I use Water Remover by STP and Seafoam, and she runs a lot better. Figure I'll do the same to my truck when she's finished. Of course my truck will be a daily driver so I probably won't have to worry as much.

Isn't water remover just straight ethanol?

methanol I think

The ethanol debate is so politically charged and there is so much disinformation about it out there that I think many of us have a "received opinion" about it: we believe what we are told to believe... some of us are prejudice against it maybe for the wrong reasons. Cars have been run on alcohol since Model T days.
When I visited Brazil in 1992 approx 60% of the cars ran on alcohol made from sugar cane. I don't know what the percentages are today.
Back to the original question of what fuel you should run; your 216 will run just fine on straight gas or the E10 blend that is so common everywhere. I run mine on the cheapest pump at the station. With some tuning and re-jetting of the carb it would probably run fine on E85. Though admittedly with some less power and fuel mileage as alcohol has less BTU's per gallon than gas.

I've been running regular 87 Octane for four years without problems in my 51.

methanol can't be run without some serious re-jetting Plus if you are bothered by $4.00 gasoline, wait until you price methanol and it accompanying 4mpg

Or were you just pulling my leg?