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Running Mogas/Autofuel in a IO 360 ?
- Thread starter Python
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.BoydBirchler
Well Known Member
The local Indiana/Indianapolis area has Landmark (Farm Bureau?) has 90 octane non alcohol gasoline. I run it in my IO-360 PV 180 hp engine. I retard the timing 2 degrees to get a larger detonation margine, but I have friends who run the full data tag timing (25 degrees) and so far no one has has any problems.
Cautions: do not carry over winter blend into the warmer late spring temperatures. It is alright to carry over summer blend into the winter. I would say I do use 25 or maybe 30% 100LL because thats what is available on XC's. Almost all my flights are LOP mixture. I've run this way for near 1000 hours.
Cautions: do not carry over winter blend into the warmer late spring temperatures. It is alright to carry over summer blend into the winter. I would say I do use 25 or maybe 30% 100LL because thats what is available on XC's. Almost all my flights are LOP mixture. I've run this way for near 1000 hours.
BoydBirchler
Well Known Member
PS: I did remove the gascolator. The theory being; it was a place to boil fuel and cause problems. I have a large screen fillter ahead of the boost pump, to catch any debreas coming from the fuel tanks. I sump any potential water from the wing tank drains.
How clean are the pistons & valves?
rmarshall234
Well Known Member
What is your compression ratio / Engine model designation ?
Norman CYYJ
Well Known Member
I have been using mogas for 20 years when I can get it and no problems and the plugs are clean as a whistle and so are the valves and piston top.
Lots of people on this forum run mogas in their io-360. Considerations are compression, timing, fuel system compatibility, and ethanol content.
I've burned all kinds of mogas both with and without ethanol and the only problems I have seen is occasional low vapor pressure (use boost pump to avoid it) and fuel cap gasket swelling (changed them to Viton). I did get a service notice from Andair that they needed to do an upgrade on the fuel pump due to mogas incompatibility, but that was after I had already run a few hundred hours on mogas.
From time to time I use 100LL when mogas is not available, or very inconvenient.
Once flying, I can't perceive any difference. It might be interesting to throw all my data into a statistical analysis engine to see if it can detect any differences - perhaps Savvy or Flysto will add this someday.
I've burned all kinds of mogas both with and without ethanol and the only problems I have seen is occasional low vapor pressure (use boost pump to avoid it) and fuel cap gasket swelling (changed them to Viton). I did get a service notice from Andair that they needed to do an upgrade on the fuel pump due to mogas incompatibility, but that was after I had already run a few hundred hours on mogas.
From time to time I use 100LL when mogas is not available, or very inconvenient.
Once flying, I can't perceive any difference. It might be interesting to throw all my data into a statistical analysis engine to see if it can detect any differences - perhaps Savvy or Flysto will add this someday.
