90 RON Ethanol Free Gas

[vipergeek]

I now have a station that has ethanol free gas near me.  I previously had to drive about 25 miles to Cressson Motorsports Ranch west of Fort Worth to get it.  They have a station there with EF gas and VP race fuels for the race crowd.  Will the RON being 2-3 points lower for EF gas than the RON for Premium (with ethanol) have a negative effect on my Ford Ecoboost Mustang crate engine?  The car sits for extended periods, especially now with temps in the 105-110 degree range so I have been using EF gas for some time to offset the negative effects of old ethanol fuel.  But I'm curious about any possible negative effects resulting from the lower RON.

Edited August 19, 2023 by vipergeek

[jbcollier]

Your engine will have a knock sensor and adjust to the lower octane fuel, no problem. You may notice it running a little off its former prime and returning a bit lower economy but it won’t damage anything.

[MV8]

Mileage should improve significantly, though it may not be enough to counter the additional cost. The btu content is much higher without ethanol. The ethanol requires more fuel (injector open time) to produce the same power. There are many significant variables in the actual % ethanol pumped no matter what it says on the pump.

I expect your ecoboost is not so aggressively tweaked to reduce the detonation margins to where a few points octane are not offset by a 2000-3000 lb curb weight reduction in engine loading and small, street tires.

[vipergeek]

jbcollier & MV8:  Thank you for your information.  While I received a Cobb tuner with the car I have not installed it so the engine is running a stock tune and the car weighs approximately 1600 lbs.  I have not noticed any symptoms of detonation but will be a little more attentive in the future.  Thanks again.

[panamericano]

Vipergeek, so where is the station.  The closest I found in Greenville.

[vipergeek]

panamericano:  I live on the far Southwest side of Fort Worth and it is very near me just off of the Chisholm Trail Parkway at Oakmont Blvd.  I suspect it is about as far from you as is your station in Greenville.  It is a Murphy Express station and is fairly new to our area.  They prominently display "Ethanol Free Fuel Available" on their gas price display so perhaps there is one near you.  Look for a Murphy Express in your area.  If you live near a big lake I've noticed that stations around lakes are likely to carry EF gas for the boaters.   Good hunting!

[panamericano]

Wow!  Thanks for the tip. There is a Murphy's near Love Field, which is maybe 5 miles and I go by there frequently.  Webb site says the have ethanol free.  Don't know if EPA rules changed or Dallas & Tarrant counties improved our "nonattainment" status.

[vipergeek]

Good to hear!  On the other hand, I'm sure as soon as the "high government officials" find out that EF gas is out there they will cut off access immediately. 

Edited August 19, 2023 by vipergeek