Ethanol problems in classic cars

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BillGrissom

BillGrissom

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I ran across this video on ethanol problems in classic cars:

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZtqWT8ZfG5Y"]HVA: Ethanol in classic car engines.mov - YouTube[/ame]

A lot of people here have been having excessive problems with carburetors, fuel pumps leaking gas into the oil, corroded gas tanks, and such. Could ethanol be the culprit? I plan EFI eventually for all my cars, which isn't affected, other than the possible gas tank problems, and maybe new tanks are immune.
 
Modern gas will react with/corrode original fuel system parts not designed for use with ethanol but if your rubber lines and such are fairly new they should hold up fine. The main problems with ethanol come from gas boiling in fuel bowls in carbs (mostly Carter/Edelbrock types) which can be fixed by using a plastic spacer under the carb. My '70 Duster has the original gas tank as far as I can tell and I drive it everywhere on pump gas. The only issue is the fuel does boil off when the car is shut down (Carter AFB carb) and every time I go to start it cold it has to crank to fill the bowls back up, and I have no more room under my hood to add a carb spacer. Also when it's hot outside and I'm sitting in traffic the engine idles rough from fuel boiling which is caused by the same thing.

Gas tank corrosion usually happens from water vapor that is absorbed by the ethanol in the fuel after sitting for a long time (months...). Just be sure to add some fuel stabilizer if your car is going to be stored for a while and it shouldn't be an issue.
 
That's why I run race fuel apparently a little ethanol makes a Holley carb not happy happy happy found this out the hard way now it only gets fed Vp race fuel c16 plush u can't help but love the smell!!!!!!!

Sent from my iPhone in the shop
 
As long as your Holley carb is fairly new it should run fine on pump gas... Not all of us can afford (or need) race gas lol
 
the fuelpump leakage could be from just inferior gaskets and such consider how bad some of the new parts are that are available today compared to what they used to be.
and i know of 2 edelbrock 500cfm carbs that have been drinking E85 for a year now with no isues.
 
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