Ethanol and your brass floats

[Larry M.]

Re: Ethanol and your brass floats

I thought 1 1 1 trichlorethlane was used in carb cleaner back when. That sucks up water like a sponge.

Terry:

That solvent will also work. We used it in the chemical plants for cleaning piping for chlorine and oxygen service. If you leave any oil or grease in that piping or equipment it will either burn or explode when put into service. Chlorine and oil/grease and steel is the same as an oxyacetylene torch and steel.......the steel loses. Oxygen and oil/grease will like burn very rapidly or explode.

The carb cleaner I used to use (still available today if you search) is the Berryman Carb Cleaner in the small 1 gallon containers. Potent stuff. But again, tri-chlor will also work. Trouble is finding it and then disposing of it.

Larry

[Joe L.]

Re: Ethanol and your brass floats

Terry:

That solvent will also work. We used it in the chemical plants for cleaning piping for chlorine and oxygen service. If you leave any oil or grease in that piping or equipment it will either burn or explode when put into service. Chlorine and oil/grease and steel is the same as an oxyacetylene torch and steel.......the steel loses. Oxygen and oil/grease will like burn very rapidly or explode.

The carb cleaner I used to use (still available today if you search) is the Berryman Carb Cleaner in the small 1 gallon containers. Potent stuff. But again, tri-chlor will also work. Trouble is finding it and then disposing of it.

Larry

Larry-----


The dip-type carb cleaner has active ingredients including carbolic acid and other phenolic compounds. It's very toxic.

[Joe L.]

Re: Ethanol and your brass floats

Copper somewhat counteracts the fusel oils, the foul taste, in homemade likker

Dick-----


"Fusel oil" actually consists of a range of alcohols like amyl alcohol, butyl alcohol, etc.. These alcohols are toxic and that's why folks that get a shot of "fusel oil" usually get real sick. "Fusel oil" is not really an "oil", at all. It's just that these other alcohols are only slightly soluble so they rise to the top of a container of liquor and appear like an oil.

Of all the various alcohols (of which there are many), only ethyl alcohol is not toxic to humans (and some folks might argue that even it's toxic)

I don't know why copper would have any effect on "fusel oil" but there may be something I'm not aware of.

[Tom H.]

Re: Ethanol and your brass floats

I meant ethanol as an additive, not as a dip. Actually, I was thinking of was Heet for water removal, but I found out that's methanol.

An even worse mistake was brass instead of copper in stills. Labor Day. I'm not thinking too deeply today!

[Terry M.]

Re: Ethanol and your brass floats

Back in the day, 1 1 1 trichloroethane (or methyl chloroform as we used to call it, it was banned by the Montreal protocol) was used on electronics. I don't remember ever using it as a carb cleaner, but it worked well on my old circuit boards and tube TVs....

Yep, that's what the utility used to use it for. Water and high voltage don't work too well together either. I guess I shouldn't reveal how many gallons I still have (none for sale).

I would have swore I saw it on the label of the old, red labeled, carb cleaner. Oh well. Ah, now I remember it was in brake cleaner. Brake cleaner carb cleaner -- close enough.

[Michael J.]

Re: Ethanol and your brass floats

Yep, that's what the utility used to use it for. Water and high voltage don't work too well together either. I guess I shouldn't reveal how many gallons I still have (none for sale).

Oh Terry, I will keep your secret from the Montreal Protocol police, everyone just dummy up about this.......

[Terry M.]

Re: Ethanol and your brass floats

Oh Terry, I will keep your secret from the Montreal Protocol police, everyone just dummy up about this.......

And don't tell them about the old time wood preservative either. Maybe I can get my garage declared a toxic waste site and get someone else to pay to clean it up. Oh then there is the asbestos on the pipes in the 100+ year old house.

[Michael J.]

Re: Ethanol and your brass floats

And don't tell them about the old time wood preservative either. Maybe I can get my garage declared a toxic waste site and get someone else to pay to clean it up. Oh then there is the asbestos on the pipes in the 100+ year old house.

Oh my, I see mucho Superfund cleanup resources coming your way in the future.....

[John D.]

Re: Ethanol and your brass floats

Michael, Thanks for the good link. If you are going to use brass floats then we will need to coat them with a substance that is not going to affect the weight and will hold up to the alcohol & whatever else is in the ethanol. John

[Michael W.]

Re: Ethanol and your brass floats

I've been using E10 for 20+ years. My Qjet has a brass float and operates perfectly.

I also just looked outside, the sky has not fallen.

[Philip P.]

Re: Ethanol and your brass floats

I may be wrong but some time ago there were many that said ethanol fuel caused no problems. I have used non ethanol fuel in our 1960 for a couple of years and noticed better performance, better cold and warm (hot) starting) but that may just be my imagination. Oh yes better fuel mileage.
Phil

[John D.]

Re: Ethanol and your brass floats

Hi Mikey, Remember the Canadian E10 that you have is much purer than Sw corner of PA

Right now I have two junker floats submered in ethanol outside. A third jar has a bunch on new brass fittings. Will report back in a week as to what I find.

[John D.]

Re: Ethanol and your brass floats

Google: Pure-Gas.org
Click on your state and see a list of stations that sell non ethanol gas.

[Duke W.]

Re: Ethanol and your brass floats

Your observations are interesting given the science and engineering considerations of modern E10 relative to straight gasoline with no oxygenates.

Faster cold starts... modern E10 has lower Reid vapor pressure, which means the 10 percent boiling point is higher. This should yield poorer cold starting on a carbureted engine, but in high ambient temperatures, it's probably not that noticeable. For most of us, a "cold start" is probably not less than 60 degrees in the garage during the driving season.

Faster hot starts... the lower 40-60 percent boiling point of E10 due to the addition of ethanol (boils at 170F) tends to cause percolation, which often creates an overrich mixture on hot restarts. Essentially the engine is "flooded", so the "starting flooded engline" procedure in your owners' manual should be used if the car has sat in hot weather with the hood closed less than an hour after a hot shutdown.

Better fuel economy... E10 has about three percent less energy than straight gasoline, which increases fuel consumption and equal amount. This would reduce a 30 MPG car to about 29 and a 15 MPG car to about 14.25, so it may be tough to see on a typical vintage Corvette that averages mid-teens.

Power... With a rich mixture, typical of vintage engines at or near WOT, power is about the same as the lesser energy is offset by the additional oxygen carried in the fuel. E10 has about 2 percent oxygen by mass.

Duke

[Michael W.]

Re: Ethanol and your brass floats

Hi Mikey, Remember the Canadian E10 that you have is much purer than Sw corner of PA

Right now I have two junker floats submered in ethanol outside. A third jar has a bunch on new brass fittings. Will report back in a week as to what I find.

There again our mutual friend Mike McK in Indiana/Kentucky has been using E10 for many more years than I, and has also never had an issue.

Is there frequently a dark storm cloud your head?