Ethanol

[Michael F.]

Re: Ethanol

use your vote to stop further or continued use of gas-a-hol of any percentage, if you don't vote don't complain...my 2cents, I pay more by choice to buy non alcohol tainted gas.. oh, to each his own I say.

[Jim L.]

Re: Ethanol

Shouldn't we have choice of whether we want to burn this crap?

Yes, we should and we do. We express our choice with our vote.

Jim

[William C.]

Re: Ethanol

Jim is absolutely correct, the "corn lobby" is behind the irrational rush to Ethanol, while the libs in Congress make it more and more difficult to use the oil reserves we have in abundance. (Shale deposits anyone?)

[Cecil L.]

Re: Ethanol

By all means VOTE, but our current administration seems to have little to no interest in our input. The EPA will ignore congress and legislate by regulation.

Sometime after introducing ethanol to our fuel, my old trusty 89 chevy TBI 5.7 truck started having problems. I rebuilt the throttle body,changed the fuel filter, checked all the sensors and computer system to no avail. When I finally checked the rest of the fuel system I discovered low pressure. I dropped the tank (not a fun job), pulled the fuel pump and found the rubber hose from the pickup to the pump had turned to a sticky, gummy mess...it's a wonder any fuel at all was getting through. The pump was fine, so I replaced the hose not realizing the incompatilbilty issue with the alcohol/ rubber as it wasn't widely known at the time. About a year later, I had the same problem, dropped the tank again and this time replaced the hose with the newer "fuel injection" type hose and it was still running when I gave it to my son with 230,000 miles on it.

Even the newer vehicles have issues. At about 85,000 miles, my 2003 chevy pickup started having fuel quantity indicator problems (that was after replacing all the stepper motors in the cluster ...a different problem).
A little research showed that to be a not-uncommon problem and symptom of the moisture-magnet properties of ethanol and was caused by corrosion on the fuel quantity transmitter in the tank. One indivual swore that by adding Techron to a tank of gas, he solved his problem. Being somewhat skeptical of additives, but dreading the thought of dropping the tank, I decided to give it a try. It worked. Then my wife's Suburban started having the same problem and I dazzled her with my mechanical prowess and solved the issue on hers as well. Neither have had any problems since.

In a slightly related vein:

http://www.generalaviationnews.com/?p=26418

[John H.]

Re: Ethanol

The main issue that I had when they switched, was the interior of the fuel lines braking down in all the motors that I had that were of the older composition and the fragments getting into the carb. You could not see the decomposition from the outside. I had a float stick open after shut down. The result was a crankcase full of fuel in my riding mower, with the result being a purchase of a new engine. S.O.P. is now the use of a shut off valve EVERY time I turn off any gas device I own.

[Stuart F.]

Re: Ethanol

I heard it said recently that we will indeed survive the idiots we currently have in office, but the bigger problem is whether we will survive the idiots that voted them in. There really is an abundance of poorly educated idiots out there that vote with their emotions and fall prey to catch phrases like "hope and change". They ride buses and subways, and never even saw a car with three pedals, and could care less.

I'm up to speed to operate my 63 L-76 on premium 91 octane with TEL additive now, but it took some doing. You must run the carb cooler if you want to have any chance dealing with the percolation problem (post venturi drip). I changed my rubber hose to the pump and rebuilt the pump back in the 80's and it's holding up to this point. My AFB has all the latest gaskets and seals, as well as Viton inlet valves (needle seat replacements).

Stu Fox

[Clem Z.]

Re: Ethanol

By all means VOTE, but our current administration seems to have little to no interest in our input. The EPA will ignore congress and legislate by regulation.

Sometime after introducing ethanol to our fuel, my old trusty 89 chevy TBI 5.7 truck started having problems. I rebuilt the throttle body,changed the fuel filter, checked all the sensors and computer system to no avail. When I finally checked the rest of the fuel system I discovered low pressure. I dropped the tank (not a fun job), pulled the fuel pump and found the rubber hose from the pickup to the pump had turned to a sticky, gummy mess...it's a wonder any fuel at all was getting through. The pump was fine, so I replaced the hose not realizing the incompatilbilty issue with the alcohol/ rubber as it wasn't widely known at the time. About a year later, I had the same problem, dropped the tank again and this time replaced the hose with the newer "fuel injection" type hose and it was still running when I gave it to my son with 230,000 miles on it.

Even the newer vehicles have issues. At about 85,000 miles, my 2003 chevy pickup started having fuel quantity indicator problems (that was after replacing all the stepper motors in the cluster ...a different problem).
A little research showed that to be a not-uncommon problem and symptom of the moisture-magnet properties of ethanol and was caused by corrosion on the fuel quantity transmitter in the tank. One indivual swore that by adding Techron to a tank of gas, he solved his problem. Being somewhat skeptical of additives, but dreading the thought of dropping the tank, I decided to give it a try. It worked. Then my wife's Suburban started having the same problem and I dazzled her with my mechanical prowess and solved the issue on hers as well. Neither have had any problems since.

In a slightly related vein:

http://www.generalaviationnews.com/?p=26418

i use techron every oil change in all my vehicles. also on these newer vehicles NEVER top off the tank as this causes the slider to move onto a unused part of the indicator strip and cause fuel gauge problems. i learned this on my 97 vette and after not topping off the tank no more fuel gauge problems

[Terry M.]

Re: Ethanol

Jim is absolutely correct, the "corn lobby" is behind the irrational rush to Ethanol, while the libs in Congress make it more and more difficult to use the oil reserves we have in abundance. (Shale deposits anyone?)

Bill, Take a look at which party the representatives and senators from the corn states belong to. They consistently push for and vote in favor of that crap -- and while they are at it they are raising the price of food. They are the ones pushing for up to 15% alcohol in gasoline because the agri-giants want to make more money.

As Pogo said: "I have met the enemy, and it is us."

[Bruce B.]

Re: Ethanol

The politicians in the state of Ohio have made the decision to NOT mandate the labeling of gas pumps that dispense ethanol-gas mixture which is about all the gas stations.
Boat docks at state parks do sell ethanol free gasoline. The 100LL which is used in airplanes is also ethanol free so far.
All politics in my opinion.

[Wayne M.]

Re: Ethanol

On a recent trip stateside, just west of Minneapolis, at the Clearwater exit off I-94, I pulled into a "Holiday" brand truckstop for gasoline. In the passenger car section of islands, you had a choice of three pumps. One of them was painted a distinctive color and had large-font instructions cautioning the customer NOT to use this fuel unless you were driving a motorcycle or ATV, or a classic automobile, etc ... There was more which I can't recall now [dang ! should'a taken a pic].

The implication was that fuel from this pump contained no ethanol, but you weren't supposed to use it unless you fit one of these restrictive categories.

Any Minnesota members on the board that can fill in the details ?

[Ronald L.]

Re: Ethanol

Great conversation here!
Brazil's government has taken a stance to be independent of big oil. They have cut down the rain forest and use essentially slave labor to run the sugar cane alcohol plants. The people are bussed 600 miles from home and are paid so little they can't buy a buss ticket to escape. These televised documentaries have been out there for three years.

As far as how the older cars down there survived, don't know...

There are some here that were at GM back in the late 70's when gasohol hit the scene and it ripped up everything in the fuel system, basically corrosive, ate the turn coat off the fuel lines, tanks, etc.

What else is there to say about the reduced mileage than it is a sham and a boom to the ADM's & Monsanto's that develop the genetically modified seed, make the fertilizer required, etc.

None of it to our benefit. To that extend there are some that just pay up and get the real stuff, or Avgas.