Gas question on old tractor

Have 49 Ford 8 N that’s been sitting for about 8 yrs. Going to drain tank, line, carb. New gas 87 octane or highest (90) here or does it make a difference?

Octane shouldn't matter as much as ethanol content. Get no ethanol if possible, which around here is the high octane.

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Some stations have 91 premium no alcohol, that is what I run in all my small engines.

Thanks. I believe up here I can get 90 no alcohol.

Get it from a well used station, not a old marina etc. Sometimes it gets old if they don't sell much of. It.

ethanol free here is 91 octane

you want gas not alcohol

if they only have 1 hose for all gas types put a few gallons in your truck before you fill the cans for the tractor

I have a 1950 Farmall Cub and all I've ever ran in it is 87 octane. Never had an issue.

the issue isn't running 87 the issue is when you don't run often enough if you go months 87 separates makes a mess a lot more than non ethanol gas

guys that feed their chain saws on pro tree crews 87 day after day for years aren't the issue, alcohol and 2 strokes aren't great but oil is very good these days , the issue is joe home owner buys a new saw gasses it up cuts for 2 tanks worth and puts the saw away for 6 months or more.

if you have to fill your tractor monthly then 87 probably isn't an issue

As some said, octane is of no worry to you, get gas without corn squeezings in it is most important.

Beside corrosion in the tank, there's not much on a vintage tractor susceptible to ethanol issues. A short fuel line off the bottom of the tank that runs to the carburetor and a rubber O-ring on the carb drain. That's it. Condensation in the tank is the bigger issue. The tank on my tractor is seventy years with no signs of failure.

Are you sure there's ethanol in it ?
I've never seen 91 octane containing ethanol here in WI.

I run lead additive in my oldies fuel every other tank or more.

Bet that engine will run fine on lower octane. Agree with suggestions for ethanol free. Hope you do not have to rebuild your fuel systems, but 8 year old gas would have ethanol and you might need to clean and/or replace hoses and gaskets and carb stuff. Sounds like a fun project.

Buy a jug of Stabil, and use it every time you put gas in.

The reason ethanol worries folks is that it damages carburators because of the plastic.
NO plastic in a 49 8N

My 45 Farmall H was made to run on gasoline, alcohol, and kerosene.
just

that is what I said , ethanol free gas in WI is 91 octane

the 87, 88 , 93 all have ethanol

the 91 stuff marked ethanol free doesn't or shouldn't

having a wife that worked at a co-op with a gas station , truckers drop the wrong gas in tanks some times if your ever wondering why the 87 and 91 are nearly the same price for some reason , expect someone dumped 87 in the 91 and they need to sell it quick and get a new load of 91.

Make sure you drain the sediment bowl under the tank. It could be full of water.

It'll run fine on 87 with ethanol, just use the shut off valve at the bottom of the tank and run it dry.

Since the ole gal has been sitting for 8 years, it would be a great idea to make sure that the inside of the tank is clean. Gummy deposits will be dissolved by the ethanol in the gas and will migrate into the carburetor then into the engine where it can gum up the valve guides causing a bad miss or worse.
You won't need higher octane than 87. If you used higher octane, you would need to adjust the timing to compensate for it.