At 12:00 PM 2/27/2002, Ben McCafferty wrote:
>Well, ok, Karl seems to be the only response who actually has first-hand
>experience, and he says it doesn't knock.  What I'm trying to figure out, is
>whether it is SAFE for the engine, i.e. won't cause damage.  I'm not trying
>to decide if I can run into the mountains at 70mph or not.

I believe Karl was speaking of "white gas" -- as he described it , gasoline
without additives.  Different animal from Coleman fuel.

Here's some fuel experience re model engines, quoted from
http://www.jerry-howell.com/Fuel.html (be sure to go to his home page and
check out the engines he's talking about!).

david

>Model Stationary Engine Fuels
>Fuel selection for our engines can be a problem. Some use the same
>gasoline that is used in their cars. My friends and I have tried this, but
>for some reason it really stinks when burned in our hit-and-miss engines.
>This is probably due to the low temperature that these engines operate at
>and the somewhat rich mixture required by small engines. We came to the
>conclusion that it also carbons up the valves and spark plugs worse than
>the camp fuel we had been using.
>
>Most engine owners are using Coleman Camp fuel with good results. My
>Plunket Jr. engine has higher compression than most model engines and I
>noticed that it made some strange knocking sounds that were not
>mechanical, so I decided it must be detonation. Wondering what the octane
>rating is, a friend called Coleman and was informed that the octane rating
>is only 53. No wonder that it knocks! Knowing that methanol (used in may
>race cars) has a very high octane rating and burns clean, I went looking
>for a source and found it at an automotive speed shop. My Plunket Jr. and
>PowerHouse engines love running on alcohol! Valves and plugs stay clean,
>and there is no more knocking, but cold starting can be somewhat difficult.
>I continued using the Coleman fuel in my hit-and-miss engines because they
>are harder to start on cool days when using alcohol. Over time, I finally
>became disgusted at the fine lint particles in the fuel which was causing
>all maner of problems maintaining a proper needle setting over a period of
>time. I began filtering the fuel and installing in line fuel filters on my
>engines. One day while at a Walmart store several years ago, I noticed
>they had camp fuel called Ozark Trails on the shelf next to the Coleman
>fuel. I decided to try a can and see how it compared to the Coleman fuel.
>Upon checking, I discovered that it was clear as water and had no trace of
>lint particles. It ran just fine in all my hit-and-miss engines. I told my
>friends about the Ozark Trails fuel and they gave it a try. Now they use
>it too and we all agree that it even has a better exhaust smell than the
>Coleman.
>
>One day I got to thinking about the fuels I was using. The camp fuel is
>easy starting but carbons the valves and plugs, while the alcohol burns
>clean but can be hard starting when the engine is cold. I wondered if I
>could blend the two together and get the best of both. I discovered that
>up to 30 parts Ozark Trails camp fuel will blend with 70 parts of
>methanol. Any amount of camp fuel over 30 percent will not mix and will
>stay seperate. An engine will start just as easily with this blend as with
>straight camp fuel. After running the 70/30 methanol/Ozark Trails fuel for
>more than 100 hours, I found that the valves and plugs stay really clean.
>The spark plugs in my Plunket Jr. and PowerHouse engines run almost a
>frosty white, no carbon deposits at all! The fuel needle setting needs to
>be a little richer and a tank of fuel will not run quite as long as camp
>fuel, but this could hardly be of concern. I can't find anything negative
>with using this fuel blend, only positives. I think it is the best of both
>worlds, as they say. If you try it, please let me know what you think of
>it. Don't use these fuels in your lawn mower or car, models only!

--
David Beierl - Providence, RI
  http://pws.prserv.net/synergy/Vanagon/
'84 Westy "Dutiful Passage"
'85 GL "Poor Relation"