Lead or no Lead?

We're taking a road trip "up north" this weekend in the Imperial. I should check the pure fuel site to see if there are any stations en route.
 
I don't think we put enough miles on these cars for it to make a difference. What you should be doing is running an additive in your fuel to counter the effects of the ethanol unless you're running pure fuel without the ethanol. I run 1 oz of two cycle oil with TC-W3 per 5 gallons of gas at every fill up. This additive will provide protective lubrication for the whole fuel system.

Ah. . . Another convert. . .
 
Anyone else use Lucas for that? Is the protective effect real? Which is best -- 2 cycle oil or Lucas?

The Lucas stuff is ok, but its expensive. Go to WalMart and get their house brand of marine 2-cycle oil with TC-W3 additive in a one-gallon jug. However, last time I went in there, all they had was the Evinrude brand. Its the same stuff. The gallon cost somewhere around $15 or a little less. Add one ounce for every five gallons of gas, when you fill up. The small amount of lubrication, etc. provided by the marine oil has several beneficial effects: protects the fuel system from corrosion and rust, lubricates electric fuel pump internals (if you have one), cleans spark plugs, lubricates and cleans intake valves, and it lubricates the ring pack on your pistons (which promotes better ring sealing and compression). My wife's Lincoln and my Harley panhead love this stuff.
 
You have Pan head.......? (drool). What year..?

Why. . . Yes. . . I do. . . Its a '65 ElectraGlide Police. cropped_rip_at_lu_and_joes.jpg

cropped_rip_at_lu_and_joes.jpg
 
I looked for ethanol free gas stations in my area. The closest is 37 miles some of the areas worst traffic. The next is 48 and still not where I would drive Goldie. Guess I will be burning ethanol gas.

Be patient. We had none around here a year or so back, then several places that were a ways off. Then a place with 87 octane 7 miles west and another with 93 7 miles east. Just last week an independent mom & pop place right around the corner started selling 93. Just brace yourself if you're liking the low prices now. $3.29/gal is what I just paid for 93 to use in the tractor (which really only needs 87). Not bad if you only need a few gallons. A bit more noticeable if you're filling up a 25 gal tank!

Thanks Matt for posting that info. Corn ethanol is another example of the enviro-nazis pushing something 'better' that is actually worse, like the CFL bulbs that contain mercury. I've seen more than a few carburetors eaten up by ethanol fuel, and talked to far more people who have had problems. The 'solvent' part confuses me, though, because I swear it turns to gum much, much faster than straight gas. If I use it in my push mower and don't use the mower for a month or so, I have to tear it apart and put the carb cleaner to it to get it to run.

I wonder what the energy comparison is to make a gallon of less efficient ethanol compared to pure gas?
 
I have run Marvel Mystery Oil for quite a few years in my Fury, both in the crankcase & fuel tank, with no issues. I started putting Sea Foam in my gas tank every fill up to help counter act the ethanol based crap they call gasoline today. I also run Sea Foam in my fleet of daily drivers a couple times a year for the same reason. There is a Shell station 2 miles away from me that sells 103 octane racing fuel. It goes for about $7 per gallon so I put in $20 worth of that and then fill up the Fury the rest of the way with 93 octane, it purrs like a kitten. My 68 Fury has a stock 383 2bbl with dual exhaust. The ethanol in today's fuel is destroying the rubber lines & related parts in our old cars. Start paying close attention to the rubber lines in your fuel system. At the first sign or smell of a leak replace the line. I know that is an obvious statement but a lot of the old car guys I talk to have been telling me about fuel line or fuel delivery problems related to disintegrating rubber parts. It is better to be safe than sorry.
 
58 gallons of water is required to make one gallon of Ethanol. It is the biggest ripoff Invented in many years. The producers are happy to get the subsidy, they don't care. I lose 10% fuel mileage with it, and the car(2013) runs like crap. I never run it in the old cars, and fortunately Regular unleaded is plentiful here. I do add 2 stroke oil in the tank, and it helps greatly. If Ethanol hit my 1980 Gold wing carbs, , it would Immediately quit running. The rubber seals hate the alcohol, and swell up to where the needles won't move.
I found out the hard way, and had to push that bike a mile back home. my lawn tractor hates it, as do the other lawn care stuff I use.
 
I run Lucas in all my vehicles. It's a lot cheaper buying it by the gallon.
 
Lucas is a very high quality product. I use the Zinc additive in every oil change.I order mine directly from California, and the price is substancially less than local prices.
 
Have you been to the Harley tour at York, PA?

Or the H-D Museum in Milwaukee?

I've been to the Harley plant in York several years ago. I remember a neat part of the tour was seeing the ladies lacing new spoke wheels.
 
I've been to the Harley plant in York several years ago. I remember a neat part of the tour was seeing the ladies lacing new spoke wheels.

I love driving from Baltimore to Milwaukee and seeing the H-D trucks all day going both directions on the Turnpikes and Toll roads and know they are going to York and back to Milwaukee round and round!

You have to see the Museum in Milwaukee....you'll be lucky to see everything in one day. A lot of other stuff to see and do in Milwaukee. Let me know when you go and I can tell you where to go and what to see. They also have the World's biggest music festival every year from late June until right after the 4th of July in Milwaukee right on the shore of Lake Michigan. 14 outdoor stages. Awesome! They had 567 different acts in 2015.....

http://summerfest.com/2015-lineup/
 

Beautiful......... To me the Pan heads are the epitome of the HD mystique. My last HD, (long ago), was a 57 pan. No electric start either, but I was younger then.

No doubt you can kick start one today too Will!
 
Still waiting for an explanation why ethanol hasn't destroyed my fleet.

Kevin
Just keep doing what you're doing. If you don't feel like your fleet is worth some preventative measures that's your choice.
 
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