<VV> White Gas - no vair

[Bill Elliott]

I'm no gasoline expert, but here is how I understand it. (Someone more 
informed please feel free to correct any misconceptions I might have 
here...)

It was higher octane unleaded fuel... had been around since the very 
early days and was one of the  few not using lead. (I think they used 
phosphorus rather than lead as the anti-knock, valve lubricating 
product?). It was called "white gas" because no other gasoline around at 
the time was clear. However, it differed from Coleman fuel which is 
refined down further to being just Naptha (petroleum ether, benzine) 
which has far less impurities and is far less volatile. (Naptha is also 
primarily a solvent... but is considered a low flash solvent which means 
it can ignite at low temps.)

The product most of us know as "white gas" was introduced in 1970; the 
first modern high octane unleaded fuel.     It was the only readily 
available high octane unleaded fuel around at the time and the only 
clear one.  So Amoco used (and still uses) this feature for marketing as 
a way to differentiate its super premium product. Plus, you knew what 
you were getting (fraudulent substitutions of regular gasoline for 
premium once being common....)

The modern stuff is very different (using a high concentration of 
Toluene) but still is more refined with much lower Alkanes.

My family used Amoco Premium and Coleman fuel interchangeably as well, 
but Amoco Premium was just as dangerous from an explosive angle as any 
other gasoline and except for the lead content, every bit as bad for 
you. Certainly no safer for cleaning than any other unleaded fuel.

Bill

J R Read_HML wrote:

>Someone mentioned this the other day.  I don't recall the exact context.
>
>Anyway, what IS white gas?  I recall most gas having a yellow tint and white 
>gas being clear.
>
>Is it simply the lack of lead which makes it clear and gives it that name? 
>If so, do ALL of today's various blends fall into the category of "white 
>gas"?
>
>It is likely obvious by now that I don't know a lot about gasoline (except 
>that my brother and I cleaned a lot of 30's Fords parts with it), but I'm 
>trying to lead up to my REAL question.
>
>Coleman company has charged a lot of money over the years for "Coleman 
>Fuel".  Is that anything more than unleaded gas with an (some?) amount of 
>lubricant added for the pump mechanism?  Oh... this part of the question 
>only applies to those among the VV group who have actually used a "pump up" 
>Coleman stove/lantern.
>
>Off line replies are JF - unless you feel the general group might be 
>interested in your answer.
>
>Thanks.
>
>Later, JR
>CCE CORSA CORVANANTICS SCG member
>'61 Rampside Standard 4/110
>'65 Monza Convertible 4/140
>
>  
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