Cross Country Trips

[efwd]

That is interesting. Doesn't a Lycoming need the lead? Thought that's why everybody has 100LL on the airport fuel pump.

[jrevens]

That is interesting. Doesn't a Lycoming need the lead? Thought that's why everybody has 100LL on the airport fuel pump.

No, the Lycoming doesn't need the lead. The lead is necessary to give the fuel certain needed characteristics - it's principally an octane booster. With older internal combustion engines the lead was helpful also to lubricate valve stems, but not with more modern engines having sodium-filled valves for instance (to transfer heat more readily and keep the valve stems cooler), etc. Metallurgy, design, and especially lubricants have all improved over the years.

[Rodney]

This post got me to thinking about how I blend fuels.

Found a neat octane calculator:

http://www.motorsportsracingfuels.co...alculator.html

Now, I can get my mogas without any alcohol, so that really helps.

For a 93 Octane blend I should mix 63.6 gallons of 89 and 36.4 gallons of 100LL. Right now, that would make my blended fuel cost about $3.41 per gallon. Thats about a dollar less than 100LL at our airport. It's not much, but it does help.

Also, Swift Fuels has a map online to show you where their 94 Octane gas is available. https://swiftfuels.com/ul94-map

For those of you that know about the subject of alternative fuel, AvWeb reports that Swift has pulled out of the PAFI program. They, and Shell were, or are, the two fuels the FAA is/was testing.

So is this a David vrs Goliath situation? Politics???

I know it's a very complicated subject, but anyone really know whats going on??

Regards
Rodney

[David47]

Agree with John. I’m installing the Lycoming 0-233 in my build and this engine can run on 100LL avgas or autogas.

[Tfoster100]

That looks like a good engine option. Will have to look into that. Nice to have that fuel flexibility and the Lycoming pedigree.