Racing Gas and Aircraft

Hi Ron,

I can't specifically answer your question about the use of "Trick" racing gas, although I can't imagine it would be a problem. Here in Minnesota, the Minnesota Street Rod Association maintains a list of gas stations that sell non-oxygenated premium fuel.

http://www.msra.com/NonOxygenatedFuel/NonOxyFuelListApril2010.pdf

The list is updated quarterly. Anything similar in your area?

Greg Cardinal

I suggest you ask them for a MSDS for the fuel you are contemplating using in your plane.  That wil tell you what is in it. I would want to know how they get to 100 octane without lead.  They have to be adding something to it, and I think you should know what it is.

Ron:

Trick has a site for their 101 Unleaded http://www.trickgas.com/unleaded.htm

They also have an 800 number; maybe they can help.  800-444-1449.

Here's a place to look up ethanol-free gas stations in your area:

http://buyrealgas.com/

Cheers!

Joe

Racing fuel is usually methanol (straight or a blend) and  runs at a mixture of 6:1 instead of avgas' 13:1 so it would require carb. rejetting to use. It's also, corrosive to AL and softens certain rubber/plastics. It has been used in a/c, but requires system modification to do so. I knew someone at Baylor Univ., TX,  who in the 1980's was running alcohol fuel in  a Citabria as a research project. Indy was using methanol, but has now switched to ethanol which is less toxic and has a higher energy content.

However, I agree with Dave P. and Joanne P. to get the MSDS and/or contact Trickgas directly to find out for sure.

I'm not sure that racing gas is coorrsive to aluminum as most racing engine intake manifolds and carburetor bodies are aluminum.  (yes some racing engines still use carburetors).   Also, so far as I know, racing engines are jetted big not for stochiometric changes using racing gas, but mor for making sure they have the gas for the increased power they create.  At 850HP you need a lot of gasoline. 

Not all racing fuel is alcohol and in fact the majority is not.  Most is pump gasoline available in several octane ratings higher than the corner station.  Some racing classes require pump gas same as what we all use to drive to work every day. 

Greg -

I applaud the Minnesota Street Rod Association for providing this list.  I wish more states would do this.  Of course Minnesota, along with my state of Oregon, is a mandatory E10 state and has a provision in the law to allow pilots to purchase ethanol free gasoline for aircraft use.  But, be advised there is nothing in the statute that requires gasoline companies to provide ethanol free gasoline and as the federal RFS mandate squeezes the majors to blend more ethanol every year they are going to be up against a blending wall by the end of 2012 and many of them may quit making ethanol free gasoline.

Those states without ethanol mandates have no protection for aviation and there is no requirement in the federal RFS mandate for requiring that unblended gasoline be made available for aviation, marine, public safety, antique and classic cars, or small engine use, so there is no requirement for states to tell there citizens where they can find ethanol free gasoline, if there is any.

I gave a presentation at Sun'n Fun about the future of aviation gasoline and the problems of ethanol blending in all of the auto fuel and the slides from that presentation can be viewed at www.e0pc.com/SNF10.pdf

I urge folks to get involved before there is no more ethanol free gasoline made and urge their state legislators to pass a law prohibiting the blending of ethanol in premium unleaded gasoline.  It is the only option you have if you want mogas to be available for aviation in the future.