Alternative to Coleman fuel?

[uncle joe]

Coleman fuel/white gas is Low Octane stuff. Would regular suffice??

I would not try it,the amoco premium used to be without a lot of the additives that are in regular gas. it was clear, if you fill up a gas can with regular and look in it it's green.
I grew up with my folks going camping all the time, we didn't have many stores around here that sold camping stuff so we made our own. They didn't sell coleman fuel locally either and this was bwm (before wal mart) but we did have an amoco station which is where we got the fuel for the stove and lantern.

[Eutectic]

Octane rating is basically an "anti-knock" value for the gasoline. It is not a heat or performance number on its own merit. 'Premium' is not hotter fuel.... It is thought of as such as it can increase performance in certain engines by its anti-knock characteristics. Most gasoline engines fire each cylinder at some degree before top dead center is reached to gain the most power produced during the power stroke. "Knock" or "pinging" is fuel detonation as the piston almost gets to the top and in affect fires too soon trying to push the piston backwards against the normal rotational direction! This is power robbing and rough on the engine longevity wise. So..... the higher compression, highly tuned performance engine develops more horsepower from premium because of resistance to "knock".... not hotter fuel.

Naphtha is a general term that can maybe be several different things or products. While white gas is a naphtha, it isn't the only one. #2 diesel fuel and Jet "A" are both mid-distillates but they aren't the same product!

White gasoline ran 75 to 80 road octane when I was in the business. Unleaded gasoline can be refined to about 100 road octane but you will never see it sold to my knowledge in that purity. It is strictly a blending enhancer for the most part. Unleaded or No lead gasoline is exactly that.... no lead compounds added for anti-knock improvement. They don't say that other metallic additives are not added to improve octane.... So using premium unleaded in a Coleman stove is like shooting yourself in the foot. The additives used in motor fuel are probably the detriment to the Coleman stove's design and premium will have the most metallic additives...

Eutectic

[mold maker]

When the generator clogs up from improper fuel, replace it, or take it apart and clean the carbon off the internal parts and carefully reassemble it for another, generator life time of use. I keep several cleaned on hand just in case.
Note there are several sizes that aren't interchangeable.

[jcwit]

Naphtha is a general term that can maybe be several different things or products. While white gas is a naphtha, it isn't the only one. #2 diesel fuel and Jet "A" are both mid-distillates but they aren't the same product!

You're correct in that they aren't the same product for sure. Diesel fuel #2 and jet Fuel are much closer to kerosene and are a far cry from Naptha. Do a google search for Naptha and you'll find:

Naphtha is used primarily as feedstock for producing high octane gasoline (via the catalytic reforming process). It is also used in the petrochemical industry for producing olefins in steam crackers and in the chemical industry for solvent (cleaning) applications. Common products made with it include lighter fluid, fuel for camp stoves, and some cleaning solvents.

no mention of jet fuel or diesel fuel. And as I stated earlier we can buy NAPTHA or so it says on the pump or as we normally call it White gas at the pump at our local gas station.

[Eutectic]

jcwit,

Re-read what I wrote. In no way was I relating #2 diesel or Jet "A" as a naphtha cut!

Maybe I should explain cut..... "Cut" is refinery talk where a certain range are pulled 'off' or removed by fractionation as they condense. Naphtha type cuts are in one range. Mid-Distillates are another group of 'heavier' hydrocarbons which include diesel and jet fuel in their range. Nothing to do with the naphtha range. I only used this comparison as many think naphtha is a specific product.... But most would get very nervous if their jet plane they were flying on was being fueled with Diesel #2!

Eutectic

[jcwit]

jcwit,

Re-read what I wrote. In no way was I relating #2 diesel or Jet "A" as a naphtha cut!

Maybe I should explain cut..... "Cut" is refinery talk where a certain range are pulled 'off' or removed by fractionation as they condense. Naphtha type cuts are in one range. Mid-Distillates are another group of 'heavier' hydrocarbons which include diesel and jet fuel in their range. Nothing to do with the naphtha range. I only used this comparison as many think naphtha is a specific product.... But most would get very nervous if their jet plane they were flying on was being fueled with Diesel #2!

Eutectic

Misunderstanding, sorry!

[shaune509]

vmp naptha[sp] 1gal, 5gal @ auto/industrial paint stores, cheaper than walmart coleman fuel

[leadchunker]

I been using regular unleaded for approx 30 years in my 2 burner, 3 burner, and 2 lanterns. All Coleman products. Never had an issue.

[leadchunker]

My dad has been using unleaded and Amoco white gas since the late 60s. No problems that I know of.

[Markbo]

Well since we have gotten off topic 3 or 4 times, just to reiterate - I use a turkey fryer and propane to smelt in a cut down 5 gallon propane tank. The Coleman 452 2 burner stove is strictly to melt small quantities of ingots to ladel cast.

I have no idea what "White gas" is or where to get it, but I will cut my one can of Coleman fuel with regular unleaded gasoline and try that. If it doesn't work well I can search out naptha at an auto paint store and see if that works any better.

Since Kerosene has aproximately 40% more BTU's per gallon that regular unleaded (depending on ethanol mix) is kerosene a viable alternative?

[DanLee]

So is there, in fact, a difference in stored energy between the average 87 octane regular and the 93 octane premium?

No difference in energy output. Octane is a measure of how much an air/fuel mixture can be compressed in an engine's cylinder before it detonates without spark. Gasoline stoves, such as Colemans, don't compress the air/fuel mixture in order to burn it, so the octane-enhancing additives are wasted money. That said, Coleman fuel does have additives (stabilizers) that help prevent varnish deposits and it lasts a lot longer on that count than most white gasoline. It's good until it's gone.

Dan

[jcwit]

That said, Coleman fuel does have additives (stabilizers) that help prevent varnish deposits and it lasts a lot longer on that count than most white gasoline. It's good until it's gone.

Could be it contains the above additivies. However I do know for a fact that the Amish in this area use Naptha either from the pump in the local towns or from the local fuel truck. I you order it from the distributor you ask for Naptha. Its used for lanterns, lamps, stoves and heaters. The general name also used is "white gas". Storage is normally outside in a 55 gal. drum laying on its side with a spigot. This set up is seen at mostly every home usually 3 barrels, 1 for white gas, 1 for kerosene, and lastely 1 for reg. gas for use in gas engines.

Never heard of any problems with generators or having to replace them often.

BTW this is from the 2nd largest Amish settlement in the U.S. and the largest in Indiana. Topeka, Shipshewana, Middlebury, Lagrange, Millersburg area.

[tomf52]

I have a two burner Coleman stove I bought when I was 18 years old. I am now 64 and that stove has run on nothing but unleaded regular gasoline all it's life . Still has the original generator in it and that part has never been cleaned or otherwise touched. Many hours of use on that stove between it's original purpose, camping, and melting lead.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

In MN nearly all auto Gasoline is 10% ethanol this was Law Mandated, the exception is High octane gas at a very few stations have "non-oxygenated" ( read no ethanol) for use in small engines and antique cars. I have used both in my Coleman stoves...doesn't seem to matter except that gas with 10% ethanol has a much shorter shelf life, it absorbs water from the air and will rust your steel tank. Now I only use the "non-oxygenated" in my coleman stoves. Luckily I can find used coleman stoves, quite frequently, at garage sales for $5 or $10 each. I use them for canning outside, smelting lead, and melting candle wax for firestarters for woodstoves. the intense heat of running them for several hours straight takes it's toll on the grate and frame/body, typically I have more generators as good working spare parts because of that. Right now I have about 6 stoves in backup, ready to go into use if the current one I am using kraps out.
Jon

[rbuck351]

Been using regular unleaded gas in my three burner coleman and lanterns for about 30 years and have yet to replace a generator or even clean one. I also have been using the gas with alcohol added as thats all we can get here. It doesn't seem to give any trouble either. Maybe I just don't worry about stuff enough.???

[Markbo]

I cut my stove/lantern fuel 50/50 with regular grade gasoline i bought for my yard equipment and it is working great. I imagine whenever I use that up I will just use gasoline. The temperature is certainly hot enough so there is enough energy in this mix.

Thanks everyone for your input
Mark

[firefly1957]

Probably do not need to post as same for a lot of you. I use the gas I keep for my lawn equipment which is unleaded regular gas with Marvels Mystery oil and fuel stabilizer added it will burn a little rich and I get lampblack buildup but in over twenty years no harm to stove and gas is now ten percent ethanol from pump.

[jcwit]

I use a single burner dual fuel Coleman stove and use Naptha and/or reg. gasolene in it. It lasted approx 5 years before the generator clogged up. Nope didn't get 20 or 30 years out of it, but then it smelted 6 to 8 tons of lead in that period of time let alone how many bullets it casted.

How long a stove lasts is of no consequence, how much it it is used is.