The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop Anyone got ideas for gasoline additives?

I was wondering about gasoline additives for my Big Bolts and Pickup.

I have been adding one cup of kerosene per tank of gas. Plus octane booster, it seems to eliminate ping and knocks.

Been adding one cup of kerosene per 10 gallons of gasoline in my old '42 Fxxd 2N Mototug tractor/loader. GMC never made farm tractors or loaders. So I have a Fxxd tractor...

Anyway, anyone have ideas or recommendations.

Marvel Mystery oil, Seafoam...

GM's offering in the tractor world was named "SAMSON" around 1920-30, loaders would have been the "TEREX" of the 60's I think---different company ownership now.

depends on what you really want. If is just a little something to clean the tank, or give it a little boost I like the Techron additive. It goes on sale fairly regular buy one get one.

If its water in the tank, just add a bottle of isoprophyl alcohol. Other than that marvel or seafoan will do the trick.

One additive to stay away from is alcohol.. if you have the choice where you buy your fuel.
http://pure-gas.org/about
http://pure-gas.org/extensions/map.html

I always considered isoprophyl alcohol like "rubbing alcohol" a step in the wrong direction since, if you read the label, it can already contain from 30% to 50 % water.
I recommend NO additives for our low compression engines and non-alcohol added gasoline.
The kerosene works against the octane booster.
keep the tank full-buy your fuel where a lot of GOOD brand fuel is being sold-run it enough to keep the fuel fresh.
Maybe a little Nitrotoluene???

No water in tank just wanted to get input and other ideas.

I use Kerosene in my Ford tractor, it has the 9N running gear. The old flathead 4 banger. Tractor engine has never been apart so it does not have hardened valve seats.

New gasoline formulas flash to fast, want to slow down the burn rate.

Never use Alcohol based gasoline if I can avoid it. Even in my new truck.

I have to use Octane booster in my 2000 Sportster 1200cc, it runs cooler and smoother. Gas formulas have changed about 3 times since 2000.

The 9N series began in 1939 and leaded gasoline was a extra cost premium and would not have been expected to be run in a tractor.
My book says the 9N (1939), 2N (1942), 8N (1948) design tractors had seat inserts as original.
I have found that valve seat recession from lead free fuel and non hard seat inserts is an exaggerated threat in low compression, under stressed engines like our old engines and tractors.
More important to keep correct tappet clearances in preventing valve seat wear/recession.

..clarification.
I'm not advocating adding alcohol as a regular additive but if you have water some alcohol will get it out. I printed using alcohol based inks for 13 years and during that time I kept the local Toyota and Nissan dealers stocked with Butyl and propyl alcohol. They used it regularly. For that they kept me stocked with oil filters and ect for my Nissan!!
The thousands of gallons of alcohol we used had NO water in it or it'd spoil the inks. Maybe ours was "special".

Just didn't want any mis-understanding on my part.

Good luck GMCpics, keep us posted on how you come out.

Back the timing up until the ping is gone and use standard pump gas,
Scott

Sounds like you had some good stuff there Chip, and your part of the country, like mine, was known to turn out some sippin' alcohol that was the pride of the maker.
I have had some working aquaintenances that tried to be thrifty(cheap) and use rubbing alcohol instead of "gas drier" but they should have read the label.If you read the label the componant percentages are usually listed and water is the second greatest part.
To use this isopropyl alcohol in the tank would be actually ADDING water.

i would use marvel mystery oil or lucas oil,i prefer marvel because it has been around since WWII and is proven to help prolong the life of an engine.

The only thing I add is stabil during months it might sit.

new gasoline contains ethanol unless it has a decal that states "does not contain ethanol" or "ethanol free" if it does, it will most likely be premium.

there is nothing you can add to ethanol fuel to make it last much longer than 30 days, or keep it from phase separating

gasoline formulae change all the time.

what works on a buds old johny-popper, 8n and various old cars and trucks, along with the girlfriends fathers T-bird is 1 part leaded aviation fuel, 2 parts premium ethanol free.

that will put enough lead in the engine to keep the valves from eating themselves. to keep the fuel from going bad, drive them to keep putting fuel in every 3 months.

I go to my local parts supplier and order 110 Octane Racing gas (not cheap!) and I apportion it into a tank (18 gallon on my rig) and I add 1 gallon per tank fill. It works for me and when it is all figured up it amounts to what I used to pay for 104 octane gas at a station in Sacramento. But it sure run better.
Normbc9

With little over 7 to 1 compression, you shouldn't need any additive. If its pinging and or knocking, our timing is set wrong. I would also bet, you are lowering the octane of your fuel quite a bit with the Kerosine additive.

Run the engine at a high idle and slowly dump a cup a straight water down the carb. The steam being made will clean the piston tops of any carbon build up. If it still pings, back the timing down till it quits. Pay no attention to the pointer or timing marks, just get it to quite pinging.

Once you are satisfied its not pinging at anytime, check the timing marks against top dead center of #1 piston.

More octane is wasting money if the engine doesn't need it. Low compression engines do not need much! I would also bet the Marvel oil is gumming up the carb when the fuel evaporates out. Ethanol creates enough problems on its own, don't go adding to it.

You can't retard the timing on a Sportster (no points), it has preset electronic timing.

There's a big difference between the alcohol used in printing ink and rubbing alcohol. As much difference as between Moonshine and Red Vino. The alcohol used for diluting the water in gasoline after a long cold winter is not the same as alcohol for in your local drug store.

I let my old Ford tractor set for a couple of months without starting it, the gas was as dark as coffee and slightly sticky. I had to flush the carb and tank with fresh gas to wash it all out. It was almost like sludge.

I had forgot to put kerosene in the tank with the gas.