[ale] [OT] - Ethanol-free gas in the Atlanta area?
Jay Lozier
jslozier at gmail.com
Sat Sep 21 22:20:14 EDT 2013
Ethanol content can be harmful to rubber and plastic parts in the fuel
system. Cars since sometime in 80's have been designed with gas being up
to 10% ethanol.
My complaint with the EPA requirements is that they never fully thought
out. Often fuel regulations are promulgated without considering chemical
attack on parts in existing vehicles. The EPA is considering raising the
ethanol requirement to 15%. Whether an engine will tolerate the increase
could be problematic and there is the possibly of the owner being on the
hook for expensive repairs. Often regulators ignore chemical attack and
corrosion when writing their rules and do not factor material failure as
part of the cost of the regulation.
-----Original Message-----
From: Michael Potter <michael at potter.name>
Reply-to: Atlanta Linux Enthusiasts <ale at ale.org>
To: Atlanta Linux Enthusiasts <ale at ale.org>
Subject: Re: [ale] [OT] - Ethanol-free gas in the Atlanta area?
Date: Sat, 21 Sep 2013 21:33:03 -0400
I have been using exclusively 10% ethanol since it become available in
the early eighties.
I bought a brand new 1987 chevy celebrity and put 170,000 miles on it.
I always ran 10% ethanol from top tier gas stations. When I donated
the car to some charity it still got great gas milage and did not use
oil. I had the fuel injectors cleaned NO MORE than once.
Since that time I have owned several cars and always run exclusively 10%
ethanol. I have never had any engine problems.
I really believe that running ethanol is not a problem on any car
designed to run it.
I will say this.... I had a convertible that would sometimes sit in the
garage for a few weeks at a time. When it sat for over a week it would
take a few cranks to start it. If I used sta-bil, it could sit for
months and start on the first crank.
On Sat, Sep 21, 2013 at 3:47 PM, Courtney Thomas
<courtneycthomas at bellsouth.net> wrote:
On 9/21/2013 10:41 AM, Ken Cochran wrote:
I'm surprised there hasn't been mentioned on this list
(until now :) that ethanol gasoline is most efficient at
a different air-fuel ratio (umm, it needs to be richer
I think). I've always found it to run poorly (if at
all)
in carbureted engines or even very old fuel-injected
ones
(i.e. pre-early-'90s engines that can't adjust their
fuel
mix ratios accurately/electronically). And we really
can't
adjust the carburetors to compensate because the mixing
jets
are/were usually factory calibrated & not adjustable
(except
maybe for idle). Examples are *any* kind of outdoor
power
equipment (mowers, trimmers, chainsaws, older
(carbureted)
outboard motors, older (carbureted) inboard marine
engines,
and of course antique vehicles. Ethanol gasoline works
ok in
modern fuel-injected engines (albeit with decreased
effiency
- they adjust themselves to enrich the air-fuel), and as
has been mentioned on this list, used enough that the
fuel
"flushes through" & isn't stored for very long.
Also, I don't believe I've seen *any* metal fuel system
component (other than a fuel-injector itself) on any
vehicle
made since the mid-'90s (probably before, too). I might
speculate that this material change was for weight &
lower
manufacturing cost but there's also corrosion resistance
(ethanol gasoline is corrosive to metals from what I've
seen).
Thought I'd toss that out I guess... :)
-kc
Date: Sat, 21 Sep 2013 07:56:57 -0400
From: Michael Potter <michael at potter.name>
To: Atlanta Linux Enthusiasts <ale at ale.org>
Subject: Re: [ale] [OT] - Ethanol-free gas in
the Atlanta area?
+1 Sta-bil
On Fri, Sep 20, 2013 at 6:28 AM, Sean Kilpatrick
<kilpatms at gmail.com> wrote:
**
Yes, absolutely. Gasoline mixed with
ethanol degrades quickly (think
weeks, not months.) The ethanol causes
crud to form in aluminum carbs and
rots out the rubber fuel lines in small
engines, especially two-strokes.
The carbs on these engines MUST be
drained dry after each use to prevent
damage. I speak from bitter
experience. :(
The solution is simple: use ethanol-free
gasoline and add Sta-bil to the
gas. A treated 2 gallon tank will last
all summer.
Sean
------------------------------------------------------------------------
On Friday, September 20, 2013 02:48:11
am Jeff Hubbs wrote:
But is ethanol-free worth going
out of one's way for for use
with
lawnmowers and/or 2-stroke lawn
equipment, especially when such
equipment sits idle for a few
weeks or months at a time?
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Michael Potter
Tapp Solutions, LLC
Replatform Technologies, LLC
+1 770 815 6142 ** Atlanta **
michael at potter.name **
www.linkedin.com/in/michaelpotter
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Ken,
I have a couple of old Mercedes, a U.S. 1982 380SL, and a 1984
Euro 500SL, that are injected and have been using the ethanol
stuff since it is the only practically available fuel
here in Alpharetta, to my knowledge, but have not noticed any
problem for about 10 years now, but frankly, don't know if the
fuel air mixture is electronically compensated.
They are both V8s by the way.
What should I be on the lookout for, as I want no other and
intend to be buried in one of 'em :-)
Finally, any preventative suggestions ?
Appreciatively,
Courtney
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Michael Potter
Tapp Solutions, LLC
Replatform Technologies, LLC
+1 770 815 6142 ** Atlanta ** michael at potter.name **
www.linkedin.com/in/michaelpotter
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Jay Lozier
jslozier at gmail.com
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