Carbs Damaged By Blended Fuels

[lnfletcher]

I'll have to try to find this locally!

[ERA Chas]

Originally Posted by WardL

What is gut wrenching sick about this is the corn lobby spent $millions buying votes to pass these laws when corn based ethanol does not reduce our need to import oil.

And a joyous byproduct of this genius solution is the now 25% cost increase to consumers for corn-based FOOD products.
What planet do congresspersons and senators come from----and why do we need them? Oh I know---they come from corn-producing states, right???

[patrickt]

Well I've been putting this Lucas Ethanol Treatment in and my air bleeds clogged up again yesterday. I spotted it pretty quickly, a change in off-idle performance, at first about 75-100 RPM drop at idle, then you have to heel-and-toe at the stoplights, then it won't hold an idle at all -- all of that in a matter of less than ten miles. Cleaning the air bleeds with carb cleaner and a plastic bag brought it back like a magic wand.

[WardL]

Nothing will eliminate the exposure to high water in gasoline with ethanol. E10 (10% ethanol & 90% gasoline) has been around a long time. You have been using it and didn't know it. Methanol is not used in retail gasoline anywhere. When E10 gets a little water, it absorbs it and everything continues to work fine. As long as the fuel is "clear and bright" it is fine. Just a tad too much water and the equilibrium shifts to form a water-ethanol layer on the bottom of the station tank or your gas tank. The fuel will be cloudy and have two distinct liquid phases. Your car won't get out of the gas station before you know you have a water problem in the gasoline. If this happens, don't drive your vehicle. Have it towed to where the fuel tank and system can be flushed with fresh gas. The retail site should pay you for your troubles if you have your receipts.

[lnfletcher]

Well Patrickt, I'm glad I didn't find it in my area!

I have been using the Lucas fuel treatment for years without any issues. I wonder what the real difference is.
But for the past few years I have been able to buy pure gas locally and avoid the issue of ethanol.

[patrickt]

Originally Posted by lnfletcher

Well Patrickt, I'm glad I didn't find it in my area!

I have been using the Lucas fuel treatment for years without any issues. I wonder what the real difference is.
But for the past few years I have been able to buy pure gas locally and avoid the issue of ethanol.

One of my car buddies was telling me that if you put a small amount of today's ethanol gas in a clean glass jar, and then allow it to evaporate, it will leave a residue that is plainly visible. Now I don't know whether that is true or not, but it makes for a nice story, especially since my air bleeds have now clogged up two years in a row on almost exactly the same date. Last year it took me a day or two to figure out what the problem was; this year I knew what it was instantly but was still amazed at how quickly it comes on. Frankly, if you've ever had a kidney stone, it's kind of like that -- your Cobra is having a small kidney stone. I remember my very first kidney stone over 25 years ago. On the way to the ER I was sure I was dying. Now, almost a dozen stones later, I can see them coming a mile away and they are nothing more than a painful inconvenience.

[lnfletcher]

It's true about the residue left behind.
I have a backup generator that I use for my home that only gets run about every 4 or 5 months. I didn't have any trouble until about 3 years ago, and then it was impossible to get it started without emptying the fuel and cleaning the carb. I finally had to replace the carb and then I continued to have problems each time until I began using gas without ethanol and I haven't had problems since.
Even fuel additives didn't seem to help over a period of months.

Just talk to the outboard motor guys about it.

[G-Pete]

Just on a side note: In Europe there are 4 different gas selections, high-mid-low grade and blended fuel (ethanol). Even the blended fuel is less expensive, hardly anyone buys it. They consider to remove the "4th class) fuel from the market.
The European fuel has higher standards than the US, besides that there are 14 (!!!) different fuel standards in the US. Not including the 3 grades. Depends where you live and buy gas it is different.
The additives in today's fuel are in there to make the fuel stable - at least for a short tim, because there are so much junk in there.
I buy race fuel, Sunoco 260GT, from time to time for my 2-stroke engines (model airplanes 50-180cc). This fuel has no additives at all, it is the fuel like we know from the 70's. It vaporizes without residue and has a very clean burn and it does NOT stink.
What I'm saying is, if I had a vintage power plant or carburetor setup I would do one or the other
one - add water to the fuel shake and freeze it, you remove the ethanol with the frozen water. Been there done that - not very "nice".
Or-
two - buy race gas (some marina gas too) for $8/gallon and do not ruin my high dollar engine.

[G-Pete]

Originally Posted by lnfletcher

It's true about the residue left behind.
I have a backup generator that I use for my home that only gets run about every 4 or 5 months.

Larry, if you use a 4-stroke generator you can burn the Coleman fuel. Available at WalMart. The shelf live is 10 years and has about a octane grade of 65, just fine for and low rpm 4-stroke.
When my power is out - I want to be sure that thang fires up...and it does!