Help what fuel to run?

[Hudsonthemorris]

Hi I’ve just bought a morris minor as a first car and can’t decide what to run it on as there are a lot of conflicting opinions on this forum. Will e10 with and an additive be alright until it needs an unleaded head conversion or does it really need e5? Any help appreciated.

[geoberni]

Well this has lifted the lid off the can of worms....

You've already said:

there are a lot of conflicting opinions on this forum.

So expect more of the same

IMHO, the car will run fine, although the mixture setting on the carburettor will likely need a tweak,

There will be people here that will swear by using a Lead Substitute because that's what they've been doing for the past 30-40 years since petrol went lead free.

IMHO, the real concern with the higher Ethanol content is all about what it can do to components like gaskets, seals and diaphragms and its poorer storage life.

What you have to remember is that Ethanol in fuel has been around since the 1930s, if not longer, it's not the 'Millennium Bug' all over again...
https://youtu.be/4uEqqlqqf4Q

[svenedin]

I have to agree with Berni. The car originally ran on much lower octane fuel. 3 Star I ran mine on. I do use a lead substitute additive (Castrol). Ethanol can be nasty to certain types of rubber. The main thing is your car does not have a computer. The mixture and timing is not constantly adjusted by a computer so set things up and keep using the same fuel.

[Myrtles Man]

Whether you opt for E5 or E10 it's probably not a bad idea to include a drop of this as well:-

https://www.frost.co.uk/ethomix-corrosi ... rotection/

[myoldjalopy]

I run mine on E5, for the reasons 'geoberni' mentions. I don't add anything else. The E5 is more expensive, but I get better mpg out of it......

[Grumpy21]

E5 for me. Runs better, more power and more MPG.

[svenedin]

I also use E5 for the Morris and my 310 hp Audi. They seem to like it. Nothing more scientific than that.

[ManyMinors]

I have never had my cylinder head modified in any way to suit unleaded fuel and have never used any additive at all. Currently I am running on E5 and nothing else. The car runs fine and I've had no problems. I hope it'll keep for a longer time than the E10. I do generally use E10 in my modern car because that is what it is designed to run on.

[Monty-4]

In terms of octane E5 is going to be overkill unless you've modified the engine to have much higher compression. The only possible benefit is having less ethanol and perhaps the additive mix.

If you price it up I think it's cheaper to use a lead/ethanol-stabiliser/octane additive rather than premium/E5, and it has more benefits.

However that may not even be necessary in my view, unless being run hot up and down motorways all the time I don't think a standard minor engine will even need unleaded conversion. Something else will go wrong first before your valves!

[KeithL]

We use E5, preferably Esso, as in most of the country it has 0% ethanol. In the south west and, I think, a part of the north east there is ethanol in it. The engine definitely runs better, although I'm making no claims about improved mpg.

[MorrisJohn]

I think practically everyone I know with a Minor runs it on E5 Super Unleaded. Over winter I add a fuel stabiliser. I wouldn’t put E10 in mine, but it’s your call.

I run my modern car on the same stuff.

[svenedin]

I think practically everyone I know with a Minor runs it on E5 Super Unleaded. Over winter I add a fuel stabiliser. I wouldn’t put E10 in mine, but it’s your call.

I run my modern car on the same stuff.

There is no Winter for my Minor. I drive it sub zero with the top down providing it’s not pouring with rain. I use fuel stabiliser in my lawn mower though. Works well

[svenedin]

I think practically everyone I know with a Minor runs it on E5 Super Unleaded. Over winter I add a fuel stabiliser. I wouldn’t put E10 in mine, but it’s your call.

I run my modern car on the same stuff.

There is no Winter for my Minor. I drive it sub zero with the top down providing it’s not pouring with rain. Two of us in -6.8C in January and the Swiss Shepherd dog. I use fuel stabiliser in my lawn mower though. Works well

[svenedin]

Oh dear. I’ve quoted myself again…..please delete

[JOWETTJAVELIN]

That’s a sign of madness.

[svenedin]

That’s a sign of madness.

You’re probably correct……

[MorrisJohn]

[geoberni]

Well those relying on ESSO E5 not having any ethanol had better reacquaint themselves with the ESSO website.....
https://www.esso.co.uk/en-gb/fuels

We currently supply an ethanol-free Synergy Supreme+ 99 unleaded in some parts of the UK. From September 2023 our Synergy Supreme+ 99 will transition to contain up to a maximum of 5% ethanol at all Esso pumps irrespective of which part of the country they are located

It ain't gonna last....

This website is a good read, as a 'Fact Check' and to counter a lot of the Doom & Gloom that gets published just to attract readership to websites and magazines.....
https://classicenginesmodernfuel.org.uk ... nu=1000001

[Hudsonthemorris]

Ok thanks for all these responses I’ll run it on E5 as it’s not too much more. I’m still deciding about lead substitute while my current supply runs out!

[KeithL]

We use E5, preferably Esso, as in most of the country it has 0% ethanol. In the south west and, I think, a part of the north east there is ethanol in it. The engine definitely runs better, although I'm making no claims about improved mpg.

Further to my previous post I had an e-mail from Esso today saying that from September this year their E5 petrol will no longer be ethanol free. It will have up to 5% ethanol like everyone else's.