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Jonah D'Avella
- Posts: 700
- Joined: Mon Jul 27, 2020 8:00 am
- First Name: Jonah
- Last Name: D'Avella
- * REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 1926 Touring
- Location: Kingsport TN
- Board Member Since: 2020
Post
by Jonah D'Avella » Sat Dec 12, 2020 8:14 am
What kind of gas is best for a T? ethenal free, regular, hi octane,

jet fuel

?
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DanTreace
- Posts: 3813
- Joined: Sun Jan 06, 2019 10:56 am
- First Name: Dan
- Last Name: Treace
- * REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: ‘12 open express,'23 cutoff, '27 touring
- Location: North Central FL
- Board Member Since: 2000
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by DanTreace » Sat Dec 12, 2020 9:36 am
Would say any good grade of gasoline is OK in the Ford.
But if you want best all around performance, be sure to drop a few tablets of these in the tank.

- IMG_6754 (462x640) (397x550).jpg (142.05 KiB) Viewed 1884 times
The best way is always the simplest. The attics of the world are cluttered up with complicated failures. Henry Ford
Don’t find fault, find a remedy; anybody can complain. Henry Ford
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John.Zibell
- Posts: 361
- Joined: Mon Jan 07, 2019 9:09 am
- First Name: John
- Last Name: Zibell
- * REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 1926 Tudor
- Location: Huntsville, AL
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by John.Zibell » Sat Dec 12, 2020 9:37 am
I run on plain old regular. Ethanol hasn't been an issue for me. Works just fine. Any gasoline produced today is better that what they ran on when made.
1926 Tudor
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TRDxB2
- Posts: 6260
- Joined: Tue Jan 08, 2019 4:56 pm
- First Name: Frank
- Last Name: Brandi
- * REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: Speedsters (1919 w 1926 upgrades), 1926 (Ricardo Head)
- Location: Moline IL
- Board Member Since: 2018
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by TRDxB2 » Sat Dec 12, 2020 10:47 am
You have asked one of the most opinionated questions to the forum. I have attached some links so others don't have to repeat their responses if they choose to do so. But let me begin by saying that in the days of Model T gasoline was of very low octane rating by Today's standards. BUT the compression ratio of the Model T was low and some stories mention mixing kerosene with the gas even alcohol and lead additives (enough of that). Now many model T engines have been rebuilt with different pistons, cams, carburetors, cylinder heads etc and compression rations were slightly improved - so individual responses may reflect an engine set up. Bottom line inexpensive gasoline and never anything above 10% alcohol. Read on
https://mtfca.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php? ... gas#p71075
https://mtfca.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php? ... gas#p72909
And yes
"FRESH" just like lawn & garden equipment you don't leave gas in the tank for months on end.
The past is a great place and I don't want to erase it or to regret it, but I don't want to be its prisoner either.
Mick Jagger
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Norman Kling
- Posts: 4634
- Joined: Tue Jan 08, 2019 1:39 pm
- First Name: Norman
- Last Name: Kling
- Location: Alpine California
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by Norman Kling » Sat Dec 12, 2020 11:44 am
I use the lowest grade available which works fine for me. I use Sinclair gas (lowest price in our town) I go in and say I want Dinosaur gas for my Dinosaur car, and everyone laughs!
Important to drive the car from time to time and use up the old gas before it turns to varnish. It is the old gas which gums things up. I have recently worked on two cars for friends and we had to replace the fuel lines because the gas in the lines turned to varnish. After cleaning the carburetors they worked fine. One of the cars had been sitting for almost 20 years and the tank was gummed up. It would have cost about the same amount to have the tank boiled out than a new tank, so we replaced the tank too.
I have heard that "Stabil" poured into the tank if you are going to park for a long time is helpful, however I have not used it. Just drain the tank and carburetor if going to be parked for long periods.
Norm
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Steve Jelf
- Posts: 7237
- Joined: Fri Jan 04, 2019 9:37 pm
- First Name: Steve
- Last Name: Jelf
- * REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 1923 touring and a few projects
- Location: Parkerfield, Kansas
- Board Member Since: 2007
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by Steve Jelf » Sat Dec 12, 2020 12:35 pm
What Jerry said. Most of the places I've been, E-10 is the least expensive. Some people tell horror stories about bad experiences with it, but I use it in everything I drive (1915, 1923, 1945, 1951, 1973, 2008), and have no trouble* with it. I drive often enough that it doesn't sit for ages. I once tried super-cheap E-85 and got such lousy mileage that it actually cost more than E-10.
*I did have to replace the leaking filler hose on the '73 Suburban. Today's hoses are made to handle it.
The inevitable often happens.
1915 Runabout
1923 Touring