Re: When you buy sunoco make sure it's not methanol
 

I've run Sunoco, VP and Renegade

All 3 116 RED dyed fuels.

Never had any problem with any of them from any track or supplier.

VP has X-16 and its just not available anywhere but direct from a VP dealer. I was buying it from Jeff Stricker

I also ran the Q-15 blend for half a season a couple years ago.

Tried VP C-14 at one event this year.

Both C-14 and Q-15 fuels sucked in plain English....

VP prices are ridiculous and some of their fuels let off offensive vapors enough to make your head spin....Noxious !!

Sunoco Maximul from a pump or a sealed 5 gallon can runs well for me and is available most of the time.

I dislike buying VP fuel other than the X-16. If it was more readily available I'd buy it when Sunoco was not available.

Other than that one fuel I would not buy VP....Pretty much hate the stuff....

Had a Stocker in 2005-2006...Bought VP fuel usually at the track after pumping out what was in the cell and completely emptying the cell with a hand pump.
At the Cecil Lucas race ....I bought fuel there and a lot of guys were failing fuel check or nearly failing. I showed the NHRA guy my receipt for the fuel I just bought that was out of spec. Seemed to me at that race they let it slide.....to many cars were checking bad. VP fuel right out of the drum not right.....don't recall if it was C-12 or C-11.....That was the only 2 fuels I used at Lucas races with that car. One more reason I don't use VP if I can buy Sunoco...

I've run Alcohol a lot and its nothing like gasoline.....I think I'd know in a heartbeat I was putting methanol in my fuel cell and not race gas......Yea I'd be pissed to.......

Some gas pump jockey started putting gasoline into my diesel pickup recently. I caught it before he got much in there....Stupidity is rampant.....

Re: When you buy sunoco make sure it's not methanol
 

we do know...
it was the the fuel pumper's mistake at the truck and the OP's for not recognizing that he was pouring alcohol.

so again, what does he expect to be done?

Re: When you buy sunoco make sure it's not methanol
 

The Russians did it! Or, they are liberal Democrats that hacked the fuel. :mad:

Re: When you buy sunoco make sure it's not methanol
 

The fuel was pumped from a 55 gallon drum into a brand new sealed 5 gallon can

It's not that I'm whining and complaining
It's bad that I spent 1500.00 to get to a national
Event and never get down the track or get to move on ladder , changed fuel pump, changed ignition , and carburetor,
The whole deal sucks and ruined my weekend
It was a mistake and shouldn't have happened but it did ,

Re: When you buy sunoco make sure it's not methanol
 

The same thing happened to me at Atco about 25 years ago when I first started racing stock. Was supposed to be C12 and was methanol. It was a track mistake then a driver error. From that day on when I purchase a new jug of fuel or take fuel from a unfamiliar source, I spill a little into the cap or on the ground just to make sure its the right stuff.

Doesn't sound like a brand problem, sounds like a handling and racing management problem. Both fuels work great. You had a once in a lifetime problem that I'm sure won't happen again. Chalk it up to experience.

Re: When you buy sunoco make sure it's not methanol
 

and it's on you!


EXACTLY!

Stop your whining and complaining!

Re: When you buy sunoco make sure it's not methanol
 

Thanks for your input Dave... and you're right, C-14+ and Sr-18 are not commonly used in Stock or Super Stock... BUT, I see that you have used C-25, probably in your SS car.. I just find it interesting that, at the time, C-14+ cross referenced to SR-18, and strangely enough, so did C-25.. I was confused by the wide band of coverage by one fuel..

While I'm sure that we could have a long term conversation about the two products, I can only offered my experiences, in the Super classes and Comp, the experiences of the teams I've worked with, along with the problems that I've witnessed on the dyno, and at the track..

We all know that there are those set-ups that are not too tempermental about what fuels go through them, and we also know the fuel costs, and availability, can be a deciding factor. It just bothers me that we racers pay a lot of money to do what we do, and at least we should be able to expect quality control, and consistency.. I have never had an issue with VP, but as described, I have had issues with Sunoco..

There are those guys on here, Dave and Rich, for example that I know have run the gambit with fuels, oils, plugs, parts, whatever.. they have each put in the time to compare different fuels, and found what they feel is best for them.. and their opinions are valued, and appreciated...

My point is not so much to pit one fuel against the other, cause I have, as much as to point out that since Sunoco has become the NHRA fuel, there have been too many problems in its use at events.. and yes, I may be referencing Comp and Pro Stock, but are those folks not racers too??.. failing fuel check, or being DQed after winning around affects all racers.. and I know that it has been happening in Stock and SS too.. just my opinion though..

I think it's time that both fuel companies be allowed on the property at ALL events, and let the racers be allowed to use the product of their choice, even Comp and Pro Stock... although this has happened at some tracks, it's not all tracks...

Re: When you buy sunoco make sure it's not methanol
 

This thread got started by someone who was sold improper fuel by someone working for Sunoco.
That person obviously is the main reason the thread starter had a problem. Basically the guy put the wrong fuel in a can and the racer took it for granted it was what he asked for.

If you like VP and have had good results with it, buy it and run it.

If you like Sunoco and have had good results with it, buy it and run it.

Make sure you check it before you dump it in your fuel cell.

I transfer fuel from a sealed can to my jug OR get my jug filled.

I am always aware of what I have and trust me methanol is way different than gasoline.......Its usually clear and cold to the touch.
Gasoline is always vaporous and some fuels from VP are offensive to the nose....methanol is not and more like water....

The fuel issue for us all is a real Pain in the butt.....cost and availability.....

When I can I buy drums and have my own fuel....

Sunoco has a lesser rep for using clean drums.....and that is probably the only issue with their fuel....The only problem I've ever heard of about Sunoco is exactly that....contaminated drums. That's probably the fault of the dealer or distributer...

Buying fuel from pumps like at MG with tanks is also a chance for issues...but that is what we have to deal with.....Insinger supplies all the Sunoco in this area.....

If your worried about fuel quality issues than buy VP .....they have a better rep in that regard....

At the cost we pay for race gas, the suppliers should be handling the fuel and storing it properly.....

Re: When you buy sunoco make sure it's not methanol
 

Granted I haven't been doing this as long as alot of you but I have never failed fuel check with VP or Sunoco. Alot of it has to do with how the fuel is handled, jugs clean, fuel system cleaned out and flushed when changing fuels etc. Maybe I'm just lucky!

Re: When you buy sunoco make sure it's not methanol
 

please elaborate about the problems you witnessed as a result of Sunoco fuels...Standard aka Purple, Supreme aka Blue and Maximal aka red, those that are in use in bracket cars, stock, super stock, throttle stop classes, Top Sportsman, Top Dragster.

You can count me amongst them, having bracket raced for 27 years and used every oil, plug, converter, carb, manifold, tire, yada, yada, yada as well VP fuels which I found offered no performance gain, no added consistency, only added cost.

Many bracket and class racers all across the country use Sunoco fuels, some for decades as I have and I don't personally know one that has had any issues with Sunoco fuels on the dyno or the track.

Agree with all the above.

I like Sunoco and have had good results with it. I'll continue to buy it and run it.

Now lets get back to the reason for this thread, the OP's whining and complaining because nobody at his local sunoco distributor will talk to him after he poured alcohol into his fuel cell.