ageing fuel

[tonydenton]

I noticed on my last fly the EGA gauge [ has 3 colours in an arc , red is lean, orange is medium, and green is rich ] it has been more to the medium with the occasional flicker into the rich. if anything 2 bars orangs 1 bar green.
now it probably it is probably a steady 3 bars orange .
could this be from old fuel. ?? probably a month in the tank old. ??? colour of the plugs is ok.

[bones]

Modern fuel 6 weeks no octane left basically

[tonydenton]

thanks bones, and if it was 6 weeks + would that show as medium only and none in the green [ rich ]

[RickE]

I see a difference in EGT when using 95 opposed to 98.

[wolfy]

The fuel we get now days is definitely far from what it used to be, and at the same time when its gone off you don't seem to get that stale fuel smell like you used to.

wolfy

[tonydenton]

thanks everyone.

[Brian]

A interesting bit about fuel & aging. Had a drum of 98 in a shed plus a 20 liter jerrycan with 98 also. The fuel has been in a shed for 12 months so its had a full summers heat, the shed is enclosed & I expected the fuel to have gone off well & truly but to my surprise when compared to a fresh sample of 98 [ in glass jars ] the colour was excellent & smell was good so I have been using the fuel without any noticeable effects which is extraordinary !!

We bought another property couple of years ago now & in the shed were a couple of jerrycans with fuel in them & I didn't take a closer look for a while but I was amazed to see they contained the good old Super fuel that's been off the market for quite some time & it too has not gone off & I have used a bit & the motor bike has gone just fine !

[Justin]

I think the secret to keep fuel fresh is to keep it in a air tight container? That's what i've found any way.

[tonydenton]

I went for a fly yesterday and added another 10lt from my plastic Gerry can. it was probably a good 4 weeks old and I noticed the EGA colours were back up to where I am used to seeing it. so that was good.
my landing was the best ever. I actually had to look down to see if the wheels were on the ground and turning. talk about greasing it on . .that had nothing to do with the fuel I know I just had to tell everyone.
after going to WONDAI a lot more I also have been using the correct radio calls more. the glider strip where I fly from had a level 3 instructor there yesterday doing some checks with the boys. so I was told to do the right thing and put in the correct calls. [ everyone that knows me knows that I always do the right thing , hence the magical landing story in the above paragraph ] anyway as I was prepping my radio calls in my head flying back to the strip before I put out my real call, I found myself saying WONDAI and 36 instead of Elliott field and 32.
now a special note here to some WONDAI people. ok to all WONDAI gyronaughts.
I WASN'T LOST. I KNEW WHERE I WAS , WHERE I WAS GOING, AND HOW TO GET THERE. . and when I did return I did my magical landing , that friggen smooth I had to look down to see if the wheels were on the ground and turning cause I had touched down. now that was a smooth landing.

[RickE]

and when I did return I did my magical landing , that friggen smooth I had to look down to see if the wheels were on the ground and turning cause I had touched down. now that was a smooth landing. [/QUOTE]

Geez Tony, give yourself a rap!

On hot days my plastic jerrycans expand and expel air/vapour on opening. Just wondering if this loss of vapour affects the fuel octane level and storage life.

[Tim]

[tonydenton]

yes I know it was the only way I can describe it. floated on air and touched down only I couldn't feel the touch !!!!!
if you call it " greasing it on " I would of used that much grease it would of put up the price of crude oil. .
the down side of it was when I looked around there was not a person to be seen , not even a glider person to be seen. how sad was that. .
I know I wasn't dreaming because I always wake with drool on my pillow. and I never had that either. a legend in my own mind.

[Tim]

[Brian]

Yep, very well said Tim ! & Tony, good to hear you are enjoying your flying & getting the landings down pat.

Most people regard landings as the measure of piloting & yes, quite true but I'm always most vigalent on takeoff, particularly when driving Cessna's etc as they do not give you many options when the noise stops low down. I have had a engine out on takeoff in my old gyro at about 50 ft full fuel on a hot day with no wind just above a dirty big gutter that would have wrecked the gyro so I had to extend the "glide" somewhat..[about 20ft] & I was coming down much quicker than a house brick, gyro bounced back into the air & as it was descending, just before the second landing, she was despite full back stick, assuming a decidedly nose down attitude . The station owner happened to look back just at this point in response to me hitting the push to talk & witnessed a big cloud of dust as the nosewheel carved out dirt . Fortunately nothing broke but it gave me one heck of a fright as I thought for a instant I was going over.

[Justin]

It's a shame the above couple of people that have responded to Tony;s coments have'nt seen him fly for real? You would have a differant perspective.