Ethonol in fuel

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Galactic_eyes

Galactic_eyes

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How much would the percentage of Ethanol have to be before it starts causing problems with carbureted cars? The government is wanting to increase the amount of Ethanol in gasoline. I think cars from 2007 on are required to be able to run Ethanol. I'm not buying a new car just run shi*y gas.
 
Galactic_eyes said:
How much would the percentage of Ethanol have to be before it starts causing problems with carbureted cars? The government is wanting to increase the amount of Ethanol in gasoline. I think cars from 2007 on are required to be able to run Ethanol. I'm not buying a new car just run shi*y gas.
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I'm told that anything over 20% and the ethanol will attack (swells) the rubber seal on the fuel tank guage, rubber hoses and the rubber diaphrapm in the mechanical fuel pump. I realize they aren't pure rubber probably neoprene regardless not a good thing. The other problem with ethanol in the fuel is it does not absorb and break up water droplets (like methanol does) but instead mixes with the water to form goop in the bottom of the fuel tanks. I know this for a fact as last year at the lake there were a lot of boaters, that naturally end up with a bit of water in their fuel tanks over the years, had a lot of trouble with this goop and the stuff was finding it's way into the engine carburators and causing nothing but trouble. Lake sold fuel just went to 10% ethanol last year. Thankfully my engine is fuel injected which I think essentially pushes the stuff through the system as I didn't have any problems. There is a chemical additive that the guys were using that supposedly counteracts the effects of ethanol but I can't remember what it was.
 
I just read that there are several lawsuits out from boaters in Fla. that had suffered engine damage due to that very problem you described. Oh well, looks like there's nothing we are going to be able to do about it.
 
....and when you look at the overall carbon footprint, it is actually more polluting that reg gas..and it shoots up the cost of food..or so the experts say..
 
I drive a number of carbureted vehicles. None of them perform as well as they did before Ethanol was mandated. Even with only 10% my fuel mileage is less, they are harder to start, the stuff boils out of the carb after a few minute heat-soak, gotta whirl it over a few rounds before it starts beause it's flooded. And it does attack rubber. I was using a can to get an old Jeep running. I had a rubber hose running from the fuel pump into it. I left the hose down in the gas for a few days. When I pulled the hose out of the can the end that was in the gas was swelled up. And this was a new piece of hose.
Don't get me started on the direct and indirect costs of this program.
Dallas
 
Don't worry. The bottom is dropping out of the ethanol market. Too many plants built too quickly. Lot of producers are going broke before they have finished construction. Maybe there's light at the end of the tunnel.

There's been lots of times I've bought fuel that's not supposed to contain ethanol & you can smell the stuff in it. Ticks me off.
 
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