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Old 04-27-2016, 04:10 PM
 
199 posts, read 175,021 times
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I know that this is a strange question. I just started mowing my parent's yard now after a very long hiatus. Now that Dad died, I'm now doing it exclusively. The last time that I remember doing it (the 1980s), we had to use a certain kind of gasoline in the lawnmower. It might have been "REGULAR" instead of "UNLEADED". If you did not use the "REGULAR", I was told that it would mess up the lawnmower engine. The gasoline pumps now say "87 Octane"- which we call "Regular Unleaded". Are all of the 3 gasolines offered now "Unleaded"?
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Old 04-27-2016, 04:17 PM
 
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Yes, all fuel sold today is lead-free.

Lead in gas was banned in 1996, but was mostly phased out in the early-mid 1980's for the US.

The lead acted as a lubricant for the valves and valve seats, and there is a lead additive (not lead, but an alternative) that's allowed in Some states/some circumstances.

Personally, on a mower that old, I'd run it till it died and replace it. You can rebuild the engine (assuming parts are available) to run without issue on modern fuels, but it'll be cheaper to buy something new.
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Old 04-27-2016, 04:22 PM
 
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Last time I checked prices at Home Depot, mowers ain't that cheap actually.
OP, as far as you do not have to use oil petrol mix in the engine, you good. Regular it is.

“Tetraethyl lead” was used in early model cars to help reduce engine knocking, boost octane ratings, and help with wear and tear on valve seats within the motor"
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Old 04-27-2016, 04:22 PM
 
Location: Ft. Myers
19,719 posts, read 16,696,674 times
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Lawn mower, don't worry about it. If you want to do anything, put something like Startron in there that will counteract the corrosive sulfur contents of E10. But even that is not really needed, especially on something as inexpensive as a mower. But it might make you feel better to do it.

Now, if you really want to do something good for the motor, google "non ethanol gas stations" in your zip code. You can still find straight gas at those places, and you won't have the usual issues with Ethanol, like Phase separation, moisture, corrosion, etc.

Don
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Old 04-27-2016, 07:27 PM
 
199 posts, read 175,021 times
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[quote=Brian_M;43856898]Yes, all fuel sold today is lead-free.

Lead in gas was banned in 1996, but was mostly phased out in the early-mid 1980's for the US.

The lead acted as a lubricant for the valves and valve seats, and there is a lead additive (not lead, but an alternative) that's allowed in Some states/some circumstances.

Personally, on a mower that old, I'd run it till it died and replace it. You can rebuild the engine (assuming parts are available) to run without issue on modern fuels, but it'll be cheaper to buy something new.[/QUOT
I WISH that we still had the same lawnmower from the 1980s!! I'm sure that they got rid of that one long ago. I remember that our lawnmower had lettering on the gas cap that said which kind of gasoline to use.
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Old 04-28-2016, 07:00 AM
 
4,690 posts, read 10,343,484 times
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Ah, so the mower isn't old, just your experience.

Got it, if the mower was made in the last 2 decades, you'll just put in whatever you want. As a motorcycle mechanic, I see nothing but issues with drunk gas (ethanol added), so would advise you to opt for whatever has the lowest content. Personally, I buy my gas from a station that still sells ethanol-free:

Ethanol-free gas stations in the U.S. and Canada to see if you have an option near you.


In any/all cases, absolutely DO buy yourself a product called Stabil to add to the fuel can you store the gas in. It'll help the fuel from oxidizing (going bad) so quickly, which is the #1 cause for all small engines to not function correctly. Simple preventative measure.
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Old 04-29-2016, 12:50 PM
 
Location: Phoenix, AZ
1,070 posts, read 2,930,897 times
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As others said, lead was a fuel additive to help lube the motor / prevent knocking / boost octane.

Most modern stations sell an ethanol blend (E10 is regular pump gas, 10% ethanol, 90% gasoline. I've heard the statistic that about 97% of gas in the US is an ethanol blend). If you've heard of E85, that's an 85% ethanol, 15% gasoline blend.

There's pro's and con's to ethanol. Ethanol burns cleaner, meaning less particulates in your exhaust, and a hotter burn. Unfortunately, it's not as efficient as gasoline at burning, so more of it is required. As well, ethanol eats rubber. Your fuel lines are made of rubber. Trucks that are designed to run E85 have special lines that are more resistant to the ethanol. But even the 10% ethanol in pump gas can still have some effect on your lines (modern fuel lines are more resistant, but pump gas in an old vehicle or old lawnmower with older rubber lines will definitely have some negative effects). Ethanol also breaks down over time, so E10 fuel in a can will go bad after a few months of storage (most people say about 6-9 months without a stabilizer added in).

Regular, 100% gasoline can be found (as was mentioned above). Just google it, there's all sorts of sites that will find stations for you. It burns a little dirtier, but is better for fuel lines and tanks. It's also typically a little more expensive (ethanol is cheap to produce, which is one reason it's added to fuel -- 10% of the stuff from the pump is a cheaper substance, so the whole batch is slightly cheaper to produce).

Leaded gasoline is actually STILL IN PRODUCTION -- you just won't find it at a pump on the road anytime soon. Go to any airport, and you'll find 110 octane "LL" (Low Lead) for light aircraft, right next to the jet fuel. The nomenclature you'll often hear is "AvGas" (Aviation Gas) for 110LL. "Jet Fuel", meanwhile, is more similar to diesel.
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Old 05-12-2016, 09:51 PM
 
Location: Cape Cod
24,230 posts, read 16,911,280 times
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Here is a question about leaded gas. What do the folks do that own antique autos?
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Old 05-13-2016, 05:27 AM
 
Location: Outskirts of Gray Court, and love it!
5,619 posts, read 5,756,256 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Cape Cod Todd View Post
Here is a question about leaded gas. What do the folks do that own antique autos?
I own antique tractors, and I run E85 in them!!! They are designed to run of Kerosene!! (I cant afford to keep them all filled up, so most sit there empty.)

I have a couple of antique trucks, and just run pump gas in them, which is E10. (I do use Seafoam as a stabilizer)

I have some antique lawnmowers, again, run E10 in them. (Again, they sit empty most of the time)

90% of the vehicles in the US run E10. I reserve the 10% for those who love to blame ethanol for the problems they experience. Granted, some areas of the country may see problems from E10, but I have NEVER had ANY fuel related problems with ANY of my vehicles, OLD or NEW!
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Old 05-13-2016, 07:49 AM
 
Location: Phoenix, AZ
1,070 posts, read 2,930,897 times
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Cape Cod Todd:

There's SEVERAL products on the market. Hell, you can grab this from Walmart --

LEAD SUBSTITUTE 12OZ - Walmart.com
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