Grand Marais gas
- Thread starter UPBob
- Start date
Gased up my 2 sleds last week and the week before in GM----no issues but I buy the ethanol free premium. Sounds like BS to me. I know for a fact that most of these stations on the trail have very small storage tanks and they are getting them filled numerous times during a winter week so likelihood of bad gas goes way down. That is why they sometimes run out of gas on busy weekend day.
WorkHardPlayHrd
Active member
Have fueled up at Grand Marais many times over the years. Never a problem. In fact the gas that sat in our sleds over the summer was the ethenol free premium put in at the end of last March at that gas station. That station runs out on busy weekends if the fuel truck gets delayed so I don't see how it could be water in the gas tank. Probably a local who is sick of all the sledders that come through town up there.
Sure could be.
Doo E-Tecs allow the rider to avoid G.M. on their ride to Paradise, MI..FYI.
Bear
snobuilder
Well-known member
Doo ppl are a special bunch...lol.
Paradise..
.how on earth could the fuel possibly be bad in PARADISE....DOO PARADISE....LOL
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Good point.
The lines here are epic on weekends and the turnover of gas likely keeps it fresher than many other gas stations.
The only longer line I have seen is in Bergland, MI.
Bear
Agreed with the turnover of fuel, but had an incident last year out of 5 sleds 2 four stroke and 3 2 stroke all three 2 strokes went down within hours of each other, I chose not to name the last place they obtained fuel because at the time couldn't prove it and would have been unfair to do so based on an assumption, to put sineage up and post all over is just wrong, don't know how many or if it truly was a problem, let the station owner know. If there was a chain of events due to fuel issues im sure it would have been addressed.
WorkHardPlayHrd
Active member
I've seen 20 sleds on both sides each waiting for fuel at Pine Stump. Over 300 sleds parked across the road on the second to last weekend of March in 2018. It was just nuts.
goofy600
Well-known member
I remember you talking about this last year did the fuel ever get tested? I don’t remember if you said. Did the 4 strokes run poorly at that time also?
No the four strokes weren't running funny, or at least they didn't say they were, 2 of 2 strokes were carbureted 1 injected, the injected one was last to go down, we were at cabin nursing an injury or could have been 2 more. All the sleds had similar failures both carbureted ones both cylinders damaged and some erosion of piston dome on exhaust side, pressure tested one no leaks, the efi had similar failure but only on mag side cylinder, I don't know if they ever did or took fuel sample, and if I remember from my days of piping and modifying sleds the mag side was the hotter side, at least in rotary valve engines ( I could be wrong though )2 of the guys now have 4 stroke sleds the other one hasn't done anything as far as I know with his. there is always a cause for every effect, me...I would have been all over that, especially considering what I do for a living. Someone had stated in earlier post that this cant happen, I would beg to differ with that, not saying this incident was, but it can. In my days of souping up sleds I always carried Klotz octane boost because sometimes going down trail my sled would sound like a Olds Delta 88 pulling a 30 ft trailer with the air on, pinging away. I also have a boat with a big block chevy engine and one time we went to Milwaukee and on the return back a few miles from racine noticed was losing power, by the time I got near harbor had the throttle almost pegged to keep moving so it didn't die, both water separator filters full and filter at carb full of water. Later that year the place I got fuel from was inspected by city for excessive water use and low and behold there was a garden hose in the gas tank well cap and were shut down. So to say it cant happen.....yes it can. But blame shouldn't be placed without proof.
goofy600
Well-known member
Euphoric Thank for the refresh as I was reading do remember the story now. I will agree with you on it can happen your boat think was blatant and that is another story but water in fuel tank this late in the year is hard to believe also unless the tanker truck was Contaminated can’t believe plant that filled truck to have bad fuel but all possible I guess. I have a 300 gallon tank that I get filled once a year with 91 no ethanol which I have a water separator on and have not had a problem in the 5 years I’ve had it.
dfattack
Well-known member
After a years time doesn't the octane level drop down below the 91? I've been told that could be in the mid to upper 80's by that time. I'm not an expert in this area but am curious about this. I usually siphon out the left over gas in my toys at the end of each season and pump into my vehicles so I'm starting each season with fresh fuel. In the rare event this doesn't happen I will add some octane boost in the first tank and take it easy on the sled until I can top off with fresh fuel.
euphoric1, the same thing happened to a friend of mine several years back. We started a day long ride with my sleds, and his two Etecs, his 96 Poo 500 Indy carb with a Holtzman ATAC, his older Yamaha 600 twin with a Holztman ATAC, and his Yamaha V-Max 600 triple. The Indy 500, and the Yamaha twin were fueled with fresh gas he had just hauled in. It being different gas from what the V-Max, and Etecs were fueled with. The Indy went down within a few miles, the Yamaha twin within 5 miles. He blamed it on the ATAC systems. But it turned out to be BAD gas was the problem, contaminated. He filled the gas containers right after the truck transport had dumped his fuel in the station's under ground bulk tank. Bingo, contaminated bulk tank being all stirred up due to dumping the fuel load. I'm guessing the bulk tank had been empty before the fuel was dumped by the transport truck. He pumped this gas out of the burnt down sleds, and dumped it, and what was left in the gas containers into his compact truck, bad idea! It would barely run after a very few miles. Bingo, there's the proof! Not the Holtzman ATAC systems!
dfattack, yes it does... and that's why I used to carry octane boost, back in the day when 91 or higher wasn't as prevalent as it is now there was no telling how old the high octane fuel was, I would let the engine tell me what it was and if I needed to just added some. In my business tree companies that have large cc/hp chain saws that only get to use on occasion, the biggest cause of engine failure is old fuel, not just because the fuel is old but more so because it is no longer a premium fuel, the octane rating is no longer what it started as, putting high octane in an engine that doesn't require it...little or no gain....not having it in something that needs it...detremental.
My bulk fuel supplier says, pure gas, Egas, and diesel of what ever grade including Bio, in spec shelf life is no more than 60, to 90 days. I use K-100, and Startron, to keep gas, and Egas in grade for a year? This being recommended by a Marine dealer. I use Power Service "Clear Diesel" to keep my Diesel, and Bio Diesel in grade/spec for over a year. I don't recommend storing fuel unless needed.
Completely agree! especially with last sentence 200%!!! Treated or not!