remember white gas?

[bobski]

we had a gas station in the 60's that sold 'white gas' at the pumps. dad used it for small engines and some I knew used it for snowmobiles. it had a very odd smell to it.
to this day, I cant figure out what it really was.
do you recall?

 

[GRAMPS 51]

Yes Amoco sold it we use to use it in our Colman lanterns and stoves along with are vehicle's i sort of remember it being the first form of unleaded gas

Gramps

 

[tom black]

Smell always reminded me of lighter fluid.
Tom

 

[Uncle Howie]

A couple of years ago, I was running low on Coleman stove fuel, so I went to pick some up. Locally, it was $12/gallon! :shock:

Found this “Crown” brand, for significantly less.
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Crown-Camp-Fuel-Gallon/51741744

Works just fine, burns clean, and hasn’t given me any troubles.

The ice fisherman in these parts have largely gone away from white gas appliances, to propane. They’re kind enough to leave their empty 1-pound cylinders all over, littering the countryside... :evil:

I still prefer white gas appliances- you don’t have the extra weight of the cylinders, and you don’t have the low-pressure problems that propane can present in extremely cold weather.

 

[Mobuck]

The thing I've noticed about "white gas" is it's ability to escape sealed containers. In full "prepper mode" prior to Y2K, I bought some extra Coleman fuel. A while back in preparation for a big outdoor cookout, I grabbed a can of this 20 year old supply and found it was EMPTY. Still sealed mind you but bone dry.

 

[coach]

It’s hard to believe but liquid can evaporate from sealed containers. I remember seeing a show on tv where an unopened 200 year old bottle of brandy was about halfway down.
I had some Coleman fuel on a garage floor and the bottom started to rust.
I always thought white gas was unleaded very low octane gas.

 

[Colonialgirl]

Well, SOME stations are selling "NON-ALCOHOL gas; I assume ( I know, I know how that word can be divided)it is also UNleaded since leaded gasoline is a No No anymore.

 

[Snake45]

Apparently, it's naphtha/lighter fluid:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_gas

I sometimes use naphtha for enamel thinner when airbrushing my model cars and airplanes. It works great, flows out smooth and dries quickly. BUT! I've learned to never thin more paint than I'm going to use at a time, as naphtha turns enamel into Jello in a couple days or a week, and it can't be re-thinned. On the other hand, I've thinned enamel with lacquer thinner and it's been good for many years afterward.

 

[tinman]

In my youth we always called it "white gas". Many gas stations had a separate pump around to the side where you could dispense the quantity you needed. Later it came to be called Coleman Gas/Fuel". :idea:

 

[bobski]

wonder how it worked in snowmobile engines in the 60's? no premixing. they just dumped it in and ran .

 

[Fox Mike]

Back in the day 'white gas' was simply unleaded gas before all gas was unleaded. The only place that sold it in my area, when I first started driving, was the Amoco pumps up the road.

 

[Rick Courtright]

Hi,

As explained in the mid-'60s by the fellow at our local Standard/Chevron station who sold it out of a 55 gal drum beside the station, true "white gas" was gasoline without any additives, e.g. lead (Frank types faster than I do.) As unleaded auto fuel was coming in--early '70s here--Coleman started selling a naphtha based product as stove and lantern fuel. In side by side tests, our various stoves and lanterns worked better (higher heat/light output) with the gas station product.

"White gas" seemed to become a ubiquitous term for the "stove fuel" products marketed by Coleman and others as the "real" white gas started disappearing. Today I use Coleman fuel and Crown, depending on which one's available at Wally's. Crown is usually a couple of dollars cheaper, and calls itself "white gas" on the can, but it's not what we used to get.

Rick C

 

[bobski]

I just tossed out the last of my dads old stove glass jugs with the spring loaded cap. he use to tip it upside down in the stove and when it got empty, he'd change it. wow. times have changed.

 

[bobski]

'flying a' use to sell white gas here in conn..

 

[Don Lovel]

When I was a kid we used to get drip gas from the separator on an oil well on my friend's grandpa's farm. We would add a can of 30 weight motor oil to 2 gallons of drip and run it in an old Model A. It would make the model A run hot so you had to watch it.
We put some with 2 stroke oil into an old Allstate moped, bad idea it melted the head.
Trick to getting water out of the fuel was using an old felt hat or layers of felt in a funnel that had soaked in gasoline, it would let the gas flow through it and water stayed in the hat., Three of four filter runs would do the trick.
Many of the wells in that area had wet gas, so you could get all the drip you wanted free. I knew one old man who used to mix it with kerosene or diesel and use it to run an old continental single cylinder oilfield motor to run a water pump. He irrigated a bunch of land using waste motor oil, kerosene, drip and diesel for free or dang cheap.
These days I have a Coleman lantern and Peak One stove that can use white gas or pump unleaded. I suppose they would run ok on drip in a pinch.

 

[caryc]

Apparently, it's naphtha/lighter fluid:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_gas

I sometimes use naphtha for enamel thinner when airbrushing my model cars and airplanes. It works great, flows out smooth and dries quickly. BUT! I've learned to never thin more paint than I'm going to use at a time, as naphtha turns enamel into Jello in a couple days or a week, and it can't be re-thinned. On the other hand, I've thinned enamel with lacquer thinner and it's been good for many years afterward.

Talking about lighter fluid...When I worked at Rohr Aircraft Plant in Riverside, We had use of different fluids we used for cleaning things. Toluene was one of them. We used to fill our Zippo lighters with it. One day when we ran out of Toluene, I filled my lighter with MEK. I while later, I went to light a cigarette and my lighter would not light. I pulled the Zippo lighter out of the case and the felt type stuff just poured out of the case. The MEK had melted the stuff.

 

[Snake45]

Apparently, it's naphtha/lighter fluid:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_gas

I sometimes use naphtha for enamel thinner when airbrushing my model cars and airplanes. It works great, flows out smooth and dries quickly. BUT! I've learned to never thin more paint than I'm going to use at a time, as naphtha turns enamel into Jello in a couple days or a week, and it can't be re-thinned. On the other hand, I've thinned enamel with lacquer thinner and it's been good for many years afterward.

Talking about lighter fluid...When I worked at Rohr Aircraft Plant in Riverside, We had use of different fluids we used for cleaning things. Toluene was one of them. We used to fill our Zippo lighters with it. One day when we ran out of Toluene, I filled my lighter with MEK. I while later, I went to light a cigarette and my lighter would not light. I pulled the Zippo lighter out of the case and the felt type stuff just poured out of the case. The MEK had melted the stuff.

It must have been some type of plastic. MEK is a well known plastic solvent and is in fact the active ingredient in many/most "model airplane" cements, such as Testors.

 

[kramden]

The first time i heard the term white gas I was at my buddys house back in the 50's . He told me it was for the lawn mower. His Dad always burned white gas only in the mower. Always wondered what it was, I mean my Dad always put plain ole gas in our mowers.

 

[RSIno1]

Just unleaded gas my dad told me. He used it in the blowtorch.
I have a 20+ year old can of Coleman fuel. Still smells fine - I sniffed it about an month ago cleaning out the garage.

 

[6GUNSONLY]

I use the no-ethanol gas in Coleman appliances and in all my small engines.

 

[Jeepnik]

White gas is expensive because it’s a low volume product. It comes from an intermediate stage in the refining process. As such it’s kind of a pita to make. Most refineries can’t be bothered.

It’s unleaded. That was one of the significant differences when leaded gas was used for motor fuel. Generally, it has no additives such as ethanol or others used in motor fuel. Another term used in refining was raw gas or sometimes wild gas
Though wild gas was incorrect. Wild gas is an unrefined naturally occurring liquid petroleum with a low flash point.

By the way, if you’re ever tempted to use motor fuel in a Coleman stove, don’t. It burns much hotter. And like the old leaded gas gives off some pretty nasty combustion products. And here you thought catalytic converters were just for reducing CO emissions.

 

[krw]

It’s hard to believe but liquid can evaporate from sealed containers. I remember seeing a show on tv where an unopened 200 year old bottle of brandy was about halfway down.
I had some Coleman fuel on a garage floor and the bottom started to rust.
I always thought white gas was unleaded very low octane gas.

Which is exactly the reason there is age limit where it is no longer practical to age bourbon an Scotch. I have wonered if you kept the bbls “slightly” damp, you could age longer without suffering too much evaporation

 

[GLGAR]

During WW II, my father would add white gas to his 38 Pontiac when he was low on coupons. Pontiac was still running fine when he sold it in 1949.

 

[M. HALL]

Hey strangers.

If you live near an airport, or a race way, you may find 100LL octane fuel{low lead} no ethanol, that works well. It is cheaper than the branded Coleman fuel. It isn't cheap but works well.

Be well. Matt

https://www.airnav.com/fuel/greatdeals/long?type=1
https://www.sunocoracefuels.com/fuel-finder
https://www.exxonmobil.com/en/aviation/products-and-services/products/avgas-100ll

 

[Busterswoodshop]

You can still buy white gas.
Walmart had it yesterday when I was in there buying shotgun shells.

 

[Watchman]

White gas is racist.

It IS 2021, you know.

 

[Acorn]

I used to buy Coleman fuel for my lantern. An old timer I fished with told me just to use Amoco white gas as it was cheaper. IIRC about $3.95/gal vs .75 for Amoco. Never had a problem with clogged jets etc.
I have an old plumbers furnace I am going to use to refine dirty lead with and for its trial run at least I am going to use unleaded.

 

[Jeepnik]

Hey strangers.

If you live near an airport, or a race way, you may find 100LL octane fuel{low lead} no ethanol, that works well. It is cheaper than the branded Coleman fuel. It isn't cheap but works well.

Be well. Matt

https://www.airnav.com/fuel/greatdeals/long?type=1
https://www.sunocoracefuels.com/fuel-finder
https://www.exxonmobil.com/en/aviation/products-and-services/products/avgas-100ll

Low lead aviation fuel still has lead. Not really a good idea to inhale the products of combustion. Lead poisoning is much less common today. Heck, if you presented with the symptoms to most doctors they wouldn't know what it is.

 

[M. HALL]

Hey strangers.

If you live near an airport, or a race way, you may find 100LL octane fuel{low lead} no ethanol, that works well. It is cheaper than the branded Coleman fuel. It isn't cheap but works well.

Be well. Matt

https://www.airnav.com/fuel/greatdeals/long?type=1
https://www.sunocoracefuels.com/fuel-finder
https://www.exxonmobil.com/en/aviation/products-and-services/products/avgas-100ll

Low lead aviation fuel still has lead. Not really a good idea to inhale the products of combustion. Lead poisoning is much less common today. Heck, if you presented with the symptoms to most doctors they wouldn't know what it is.

I agree. Carbon monoxide is bad for you, too. You take the proper precautions. I would/do still use lanterns, stoves and generators with it if necessary. Be well. Matt

 

[Specs]

I got in trouble with white gas back in our camping days. My wife made a bunch of donuts to take camping and I packed them in the same compartment in the car with a can of white gas, and the donuts picked up the white gas flavor. None of us including my 4 sons could eat them.