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The hassles of fueling old iron with todays gas pumps
Remember when gas pumps had long hoses? Why are they so cheap now??
I use to pump gas in high school, I remember the hoses being long enough to reach to the opposite side of the car if the driver carelessly parked with the filler neck on the opposite side.
You can always park a little closer to the nozzle. The very reason people pulled into the gas station not caring which side of the car the gas cap was on was because the hoses were too long and... well that kid will get the nozzle in either way. I used pump gas too.
Last edited by oldcutlass; October 31st, 2023 at 03:02 PM.
If there is a Costco near you, you might consider joining if only for the gas.
1) Their pumps are designed with very long hoses so that you can fill your vehicle regardless of which side is closest to the pump.
2) Their gas is WAY cheaper than most, if not all, places nearby. I can usually get 93 Octane at Costco for about $0.40 more than 87 octane which is usually only $0.20 - $0.30 more than 87 at most nearby gas stations.
I rarely drive my Olds near this Costco, but I do gas up my truck there all the time, so I will sometimes just fill up a 5 gallon can for the Olds when I am there.
I've noticed at the newer stations the stalls are arranged so when filling an old car at the rear bumper, the front end is sticking far into the travel lane of the lot. Its made for a few close calls.
I understand this completely. I never seem to get close enough or pull up far enough. I don't want the hose rubbing on my (79) tail lights or bumper so I wind up crouching there holding the pump's handle in one hand and the hose with the other.
I fill my daily driver at Sam's Club exclusively. They have E10 fuel like Costco, but they must have hired a chimp to design their fuel station. It's ALWAYS a fiasco getting fuel there. I used to be a member of Costco but they only had 1 location in OKC. The price of E10 at Costco and Sam's Club are about the same.
I have three old Oldsmobiles, all full-size. The worst are the two Toronados, a ‘77 and a ‘78. These are LONG (and wide) vehicles, and the filler neck is behind the license plate like yours.
No matter how I do it, I can’t win. Most are two-pump rows like shown in your photo. If I pull up to the first pump like your car is, to make sure the hose will reach the filler neck, I have to pull up far enough that the nose of the car sticks into the space that someone wanting to fill from the other pump would need and now could not do so because my car is blocking enough of the space to prevent access.
So I usually pull up to the second pump. But, just as you say, the front of the car is now sticking so far out from the pump island and into the driving area of the lot that it’s practically in a different area code, and I have had to watch for people driving around it.
I usually try to fill my tanks at an off time like a quiet Sunday morning when I have the gas station all to myself.
There is a down side of excessively long hoses. You're buying 93 octane, but the longer the hose the more of the prevous customer's 87 octane you're actually getting. Probably of no significance when filling an entire vehicle. However if you're filling a small gas can with non-ethanol for your home small engines, you actually receive about 1/3 gallon of the previous customer's purchase which most likely an ethanol blend, amount depending on pump and hose configuration.
I used to fill my gas can first and then the car. Need to reverse that order.
There is a down side of excessively long hoses. You're buying 93 octane, but the longer the hose the more of the prevous customer's 87 octane you're actually getting. Probably of no significance when filling an entire vehicle. However if you're filling a small gas can with non-ethanol for your home small engines, you actually receive about 1/3 gallon of the previous customer's purchase which most likely an ethanol blend, amount depending on pump and hose configuration.
I used to fill my gas can first and then the car. Need to reverse that order.
This is all much ado about nothing. First of all, every one of my home small engines says in the owner's manual that it can use gas with up to 10% ethanol, so having to find pure gasoline is not an issue. Manufacturers building engines nowadays for lawn mowers, snow blowers, home generators, and so forth realize that the gas that's out there is 10% ethanol and build engines accordingly. They would lose business if they sold engines requiring pure gas because most customers would not likely have a convenient place to buy it and would go buy another brand of engine that can use the 10% ethanol gas.
Second, this business about the leftover gas from the previous buyer is nothing. What is the typical gasoline hose? 10 feet? If it's got an inside diameter of 3/4-inch, the volume of that hose is 53 cubic inches, which is 1/5 of a gallon. Even if you're just filling your 5-gallon gas can for home use, the fraction of that previous gas in your 5-galon can is 1/5 x 1/5 = 1/25 of the total volume of gas. Negligible, and none of your engines will ever notice it. Heck, fuel tank trunks that bring gas to the gas stations usually bring several grades at once, and it's all pumped out of the tanker and into the underground tanks through the same hose.
What with inflation, wars in the Middle East, and the two winningest teams in baseball not making it to the world series this year, there are many more important things to worry about!
This is all much ado about nothing. First of all, every one of my home small engines says in the owner's manual that it can use gas with up to 10% ethanol, so having to find pure gasoline is not an issue. Manufacturers building engines nowadays for lawn mowers, snow blowers, home generators, and so forth realize that the gas that's out there is 10% ethanol and build engines accordingly.
I completely agree. All we have available here is 10% ethanol - it's been that way for 20+ years. None of my engines, in any of the cars, lawn mower, chain saw, etc. have ever had any issues, even when storing gas in a 1 gallon can for a year or so. The lawn mower runs just fine on it.
You gents have been luckier than me. I only ever use 100% gas in my small engine equipment. I even run the fuel tanks dry when I store them for the winter. This spring I had to buy a Chinesium carburetor for my power washer to get it to start.
If there is a Costco near you, you might consider joining if only for the gas.
1) Their pumps are designed with very long hoses so that you can fill your vehicle regardless of which side is closest to the pump.
2) Their gas is WAY cheaper than most, if not all, places nearby. I can usually get 93 Octane at Costco for about $0.40 more than 87 octane which is usually only $0.20 - $0.30 more than 87 at most nearby gas stations.
I rarely drive my Olds near this Costco, but I do gas up my truck there all the time, so I will sometimes just fill up a 5 gallon can for the Olds when I am there.
The nearest Costco is 45 miles away. Not reall convenient. Wish there was one closer.
I have three old Oldsmobiles, all full-size. The worst are the two Toronados, a ‘77 and a ‘78. These are LONG (and wide) vehicles, and the filler neck is behind the license plate like yours.
No matter how I do it, I can’t win. Most are two-pump rows like shown in your photo. If I pull up to the first pump like your car is, to make sure the hose will reach the filler neck, I have to pull up far enough that the nose of the car sticks into the space that someone wanting to fill from the other pump would need and now could not do so because my car is blocking enough of the space to prevent access.
So I usually pull up to the second pump. But, just as you say, the front of the car is now sticking so far out from the pump island and into the driving area of the lot that it’s practically in a different area code, and I have had to watch for people driving around it.
I usually try to fill my tanks at an off time like a quiet Sunday morning when I have the gas station all to myself.
I try to do the same when filling the cars with the filler neck behind the plate. God forbid you inconvenience the wrong person in today’s society.
You gents have been luckier than me. I only ever use 100% gas in my small engine equipment. I even run the fuel tanks dry when I store them for the winter. This spring I had to buy a Chinesium carburetor for my power washer to get it to start.
I wonder if the different experiences is due to the different blends for various areas of the country. Our summer blend is formulated for 110+ temperatures and our winter blend is formulated for 50-ish degree temperatures.
I agree with Jaunty about the worries of inflation and war in the middle east but, the Texas Rangers won the World Series last night so no worries there. Frankly I think this whole thread is a bunch of talk about nothing. I have never noticed a problem with gas hoses.
October 31st, 2023, 02:54 PM
The very reason people pulled into the gas station not caring which side of the car the gas cap was on was because the hoses were too long and... well that kid will get the nozzle in either way. I used pump gas too.
