Nitrogen in gasoline?

[rebars1]

Some gas stations here advertise that their gasoline contains nitrogen. Is there any concern with this for older boat engines (ie: carburated Ford 302, 1984-ish)?

 

[Alpheus]

Re: Nitrogen in gasoline?

I know Shell stations claim that their gas is nitrogen enriched and that it helps clean the valves from carbon buildup in the combustion chamber. Unless you are depending on carbon buildup keeping your valves sealed up I would not worry about it. I use Shell gas in my boat and its 22 years old...

Here is a pretty good article that explains the "hoopla" about this fuel. Personally I think its a gimmick, but what the heck if it works, great if not,oh well...

http://auto.howstuffworks.com/fuel-efficiency/alternative-fuels/nitrogen-enriched-gasoline.htm

 

[rebars1]

Re: Nitrogen in gasoline?

I use Shell gas also. I just was curious if this was another ethanol issue with gas tanks, etc.

 

[rodbolt]

Re: Nitrogen in gasoline?

no worries
nitrogen is an inert gas that reacts with pretty much nothing.
if anything it may subtract from the caloric value of the fuel.

 

[dakine]

Re: Nitrogen in gasoline?

The nitrogen in fuel is not atomic nitrogen.
Long chain nitrogen compounds called polyamines are required to be added to motor fuel to prevent deposits on valves and injectors.
This enables the 100000 mile emission warranty that vehicles are required to meet by EPA.
The best known of these compounds is Chevron's Techron and it works very well.
Premium fuels contain more of these expensive additives than lower grade fuels.
These compounds have no effect on fuel systems and are a good deal.
If your boat uses regular grade fuel it is wise to add Techron to at least one tank of fuel every few months.

 

[wca_tim]

Re: Nitrogen in gasoline?

no worries
nitrogen is an inert gas that reacts with pretty much nothing.
if anything it may subtract from the caloric value of the fuel.

er... I'm pretty certain the nitrogen they refer to is in the form of detergents that are designed to help keep scale from buikding up, etc... not a new idea, just a little different detergent and a new marketing spin...

 

[rodbolt]

Re: Nitrogen in gasoline?

how it was explained that in the combustion process the nitrogen was released as a gaseous form,however its still inert and wont burn.
Yamaha also says there ring free and most other decarbonizing fuel additives are based on chevrons patented techron.
it was explained that during combustion the released nitrogen bonded with the carbon and aided it keeping the carbon from sticking.
seems to work anyway.
however I have some F225 engines running about with an excess of 5000 hours that have never seen ring free and some with less than 100 that always get ring free and neither seem to suffer.
would be nice to actually be able to weed out the snake oils anymore.

 

[mkast]

Re: Nitrogen in gasoline?

Two winters ago, the area I live in was hit with an inordinate amount of fuel injector failures.
Dealerships/service stations were reporting thirty to fifty vehicles a day with injector failures.
The investigation showed a lack of detergents in the fuel used. Some of the fuel stations listed with offending fuel were Citgo, Mobil and independent stations. Shell not among them.
Upon further investigation, it was found, urban areas centralize fuel distribution.
A fuel station puts out a specification for fuel. as long as the local fuel depot has that quality of fuel, no problem. It was found, as noted earlier, it depends on the level of detergents in the fuel (cost). On the national advertising scene, each fuel company calls their additive something else, I think one used "Ivigorate".
On a side note, every year some fuel station is caught filling their 93 octane in ground tanks with remnants of lower octane fuel shipments.