ethanol gasoline

[cole18cars]

What potential harm could occur to our old engines, fuel lines, fuel pumps, gaskets etc. with the 10%-15% ethanol gasoline that is available? I know that I have changed a rubber gas line after about a year. It looked and felt like a sponge. Thanks

[Tom Skinner]

These Old Flat Heads will Eat Small Screws if you drop them down the Carburator when they're running so a little ethanol - cornahol - whatever is like drinking Lite Beer for them. Truth be told Gas was 72 Octane with Lead in it when they were made, so 87 Octane with no lead and ethanol probably doesn't phase them in the least. Now maybe Rubber Gas Lines

are made out of Crap and don't stand up to things like ethanol. Even the "Collector Car Restoration Bible" by Matt Joseph talks about the Fuel Pumps needing "Modern" Diaphrahms in them to combat the ethanol problem so maybe there is Rubber issues from this Crap Element introduced into our Gas nowadays. Was the Line Hot when you took it out? If so it would seem soft. Remember also the Rubber Line Flexes with Engine movement and this could also break down its integrity.

[Niel Hoback]

I've been using 10% since 1996 without any signs of trouble. I admit to having changed all the rubber fuel lines during that time, but I never saw any problem with them.

The pump has been changed a few times because I keep finding more at swap meets that seem to look cleaner than the one I'm using at the time. None of them are NOS.

I did change to an electric pump a short time ago, but again, I never had a fuel pump problem with the old ones.

[fstfish66]

may not be an answer but just some info on this topic,,

i have a motor cycle ,,carb not injected,,,has been having idel problems, ,,,almost was like a bad vacuum leak,, now im not a believer in any type of oil or gas additives,,years ago when i bought the bike,,i did all' the correct" things you were suppost to do,,,,added stabil in the winter,,bike wouldnt start in the spring,,,clean out fuel tank and carbs,,,never added any thing again,,,never had another problem till this idel problem,,,

was reading on this 10% and 15 % comming,,bought a new snow blower,,,the shop told me tons of people with mowers and blowers with carbs,,,running cheap 87 octane gas are having carb / gas related issues,,

they told me to run a additive that had an enzyme to battle the 10% ethahol... that lead me to think,, ill try it in my motor cycle,,i used a product i bought at the local mom and pops auto store,,,maker is STAR TRON,,ENZYME,, WORKS LIKE MAD,,, a large motor cycle shop told me the same thing,,,i now use it in anything with a carb,,,,,lawn mower,,,weed wacker,,,bot my classic cars,,,

just my 2 cents,,

[Robert Horne]

may not be an answer but just some info on this topic,,

i have a motor cycle ,,carb not injected,,,has been having idel problems, ,,,almost was like a bad vacuum leak,, now im not a believer in any type of oil or gas additives,,years ago when i bought the bike,,i did all' the correct" things you were suppost to do,,,,added stabil in the winter,,bike wouldnt start in the spring,,,clean out fuel tank and carbs,,,never added any thing again,,,never had another problem till this idel problem,,,

was reading on this 10% and 15 % comming,,bought a new snow blower,,,the shop told me tons of people with mowers and blowers with carbs,,,running cheap 87 octane gas are having carb / gas related issues,,

they told me to run a additive that had an enzyme to battle the 10% ethahol... that lead me to think,, ill try it in my motor cycle,,i used a product i bought at the local mom and pops auto store,,,maker is STAR TRON,,ENZYME,, WORKS LIKE MAD,,, a large motor cycle shop told me the same thing,,,i now use it in anything with a carb,,,,,lawn mower,,,weed wacker,,,bot my classic cars,,,

just my 2 cents,,

I have been using Lucas fuel treatment in my mowers, cycle, and small engines, that has been working great. I use 1oz in 5 gallon.

Edited April 28, 2011 by Robert Horne

[Young Ed]

Dad and I both put stabil in all our old cars for their 5month winter slumber. His 50 plymouth project that is now sold started and ran on gas that was years old but had stabil in it.

[busycoupe]

I used to put stabil in my cars, motorcycles etc to store them for the winter, but they ran rough in the spring until the stabil treated gas was used up. Last year I switched to the Star tron enzyme treatment in the blue bottle. Worked great. No problem in the spring.

Dave

[fstfish66]

glad to know the star tron is working,,i didnt have luck with stabil,,,but the star tron is harder to find,,,

[james49ply]

As for me, I guess I have been lucky?? I haven't had any problems with the e-10 fuel, other than it is no way comparable as 100% gasoline. I run 15k a year minimum and to date been averaging 17-18 mpg running at 60 or so mph. plugs show very good color and no deposites. Engine and drivetrain 100% origional.

[Don Coatney]

Yesterday for the first time I noticed a new blend of gasolene available for the new hybred vehicles. The tag on the gas pump said minimum of 85% ethanol. And it was priced way below the normal 10-15% ethanol blend that is available for normal vehicles.

[Plymouthy Adams]

approx 50 cent cheaper...I have a sneaky feeling I paid for that with my taxes and higher food cost at the grocery store..

[Captain Neon]

approx 50 cent cheaper...I have a sneaky feeling I paid for that with my taxes and higher food cost at the grocery store..

You most certainly did. Strip off all of the subsidies and taxes, and there is no way that any one thinking simply with their pocketbook would ever buy ethanol to burn in an ICE.

I could get in to all the political cronyism and back slapping, but will simply state that Iowa and Nebraska had two of the more seniour members in the Senate when the ethanol laws were put in to place. Similar thing happened in the coal industry in the '80s due to some very senior legislators from Pennsylvania and West Virginia. It has very little to do w/ the environment and that I can assure you. Despite all of the propaganda to the contrary.

Corn states and Colorado have had E-85 for several years now.

[TodFitch]

Yesterday for the first time I noticed a new blend of gasolene available for the new hybred vehicles. The tag on the gas pump said minimum of 85% ethanol. And it was priced way below the normal 10-15% ethanol blend that is available for normal vehicles.

"hybred vehicles"? Methinks you meant "flex-fuel vehicles".

[Robert Horne]

As more electric vehicles take to the highways, where will the states get money for highways upkeep with less money coming in from fuel tax?

[TodFitch]

You most certainly did. Strip off all of the subsidies and taxes, and there is no way that any one thinking simply with their pocketbook would ever buy ethanol to burn in an ICE.

I could get in to all the political cronyism and back slapping, but will simply state that Iowa and Nebraska had two of the more seniour members in the Senate when the ethanol laws were put in to place. Similar thing happened in the coal industry in the '80s due to some very senior legislators from Pennsylvania and West Virginia. It has very little to do w/ the environment and that I can assure you. Despite all of the propaganda to the contrary.

Corn states and Colorado have had E-85 for several years now.

Not sure where you are hearing environmentalist "propaganda to the contrary" as all the environmental stuff I read (and being a left coast person I read lots) says that corn ethanol is an environmental disaster.

But, despite our quite different political views, I basically agree with your post.

[TodFitch]

As more electric vehicles take to the highways, where will the states get money for highways upkeep with less money coming in from fuel tax?

That is already becoming an issue with high mileage cars using less gas. Some states are now talking about a mileage use tax either in addition to or replacement for the gas tax.

[Young Ed]

Tod here in the midwest we hear a lot of how ethanol is good for the environment good for the farmers(that parts probably true) etc. They run radio and tv ads about it.

[Captain Neon]

Tod here in the midwest we hear a lot of how ethanol is good for the environment good for the farmers(that parts probably true) etc. They run radio and tv ads about it.

It's almost a mantra we hear it so much. Ed, lets also not forget that it is domestic fuel. The radio and TV ads here in Corn Country border on accusing people of being Muslim terrorists poisoning Mother Earth and starving farmers if one raises an objection to ethanol.

Edited April 29, 2011 by Captain Neon

[Labrauer]

:mad:Here in Texas we have such a high tax on gas from the state and the goverment that our gas could be $ 1.65 cheaper than it is. I have heard that the gas today with ethnol in it cost more to make so it shows up at the pump. Texas wanting to put more tax on gas is the wrong thing to do. Every time I fill up my F250 it cost me around $90.00 and the wifes car about the same. My 48 Plymouth around 60.00 and the F1 Ford about the same so I am spending around $ 480.00 up to $600.00 a month on just gas. Something has to be done on these gas prices of today.

Larry Brauer

[Plymouthy Adams]

it was not much more than a week ago DC was entertaining a special excise tax on the hybrids due to the fact they are using the hihgways without remitting money for upkeep though feul sales..inother words..you can't win....you just have the warm fuzzy for going green as an incentive.

[adam_knox]

Hey Cap'n,

lol, don't believe the lies! Yeah, for anyone studying alternative energies and economics the consensus is ethanol derived from corn is a bad deal. Unfortunately there's some individuals who have a vested interest in doing their best to keep the corn conversion going. I really wish that making money didn't make people support long-term (heck, even short term) bad ideas.

[Plymouthy Adams]

am sure a lot of the folks have a keen interest right up to the point where they denature it...

[Robert Horne]

If the USA had a good mass transportation system, we could use less fuel. Here in Virginia, if I did not have a car, it would be along walk to go shopping.

In China, for every 1000 people 3 have a vehicle, but that is changing quick.

They are investing more into mass transit all the time.

[Plymouthy Adams]

Kingston Trio and the MTA..if this is not a forewarning to mass transit nothing is...

[greg g]

Well the whole thing is a sham. Road taxes should be X number of cents per gallon not as a percentage of the sale. States are reaping a windfall right now from folks payin on their purchase price and not on gallons used. And remember if you live in a metropolitan area you are subsidizing public transportation from your state and fed income tax. So you pay to use your car, and you pay so some one else can have cheaper bus/train fare. Another question or transport systems that use propane or cng for busses paying road tax, or is that part of their subsidy also.

Menawhile our friends at Exxon are reporting 69% at 10.6 BILLION bucks higher profits for this quarter than last year and usage is down nation wide.

Ethanol is certainly not a sustainable answer since it depends on so much petroleum product to prepare, plant, cultivate, fertilize, pest control, harvest, store and transport, before it gets to the refinery. then of course it has to be trasnported via surface means using more petro, before it gets blended somewhere because it can't be put in a pipeline.

All those things are wrong for an economic/dependable feul source.

Plus they keep pushig this crap about opec and trouble in the middle east, when 70%+ of our imported oil come from of neighbors north of the 49th parrellel. And the crap about Libian crude being interupted, 95% of their light sweet crude goes to Europe to power thier diesels.

most of the recent increase is due to commodity speculators buying futures.

Yesterday it cost 80 bucks to go 500 miles, glad it wasn't my money. By the way a 2011 Hemi charger RT showed 25 mpg over the 250 mile trip I took mostly with the cruise set at 73.

Edited April 29, 2011 by greg g