*Burns E10 without issues*

"Berang" (berang) 02/24/2018 at 05:23 • Filed to: None

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People who think ethanol will destroy their old car make me laugh.

What really destroys old cars is them not being driven.

MINIGTI > Berang 02/24/2018 at 08:54

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No issues in my TR6 either. And my snow blower runs fine on last year’s gas too. I do run Shell or BP premium FWIW.

DucST3-Red-1Liter-Standing-By > Berang 02/24/2018 at 09:56

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The only issues ive had with ethanol is letting it sit. Exactly what you describe. A little ethanol fuel treatment fixes that though

Eric @ opposite-lock.com > Berang 02/24/2018 at 11:00

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It’s using ethanol and not driving it constantly. The fuel system will corrode. It could still be doing it and you just don’t know it yet. I’ve seen 90s cars that were designed and built prior to ethanol being added to gas have serious fuel system problems if not driven constantly after the switch to ethanol.

Mechanically > Berang 02/24/2018 at 11:25

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I avoid it in my ‘95 Isuzu pickup. Don’t worry about it in my ‘06 Mazda.

But, I am ANAL about my push mower and chainsaws. I’ve seen the carnage the corn can wreak there. Not pretty.

DipodomysDeserti > Eric @ opposite-lock.com 02/24/2018 at 11:26

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I fired up my ‘66 GMC the other week after sitting for a year. What corrodes that wouldn’t normally corrode on an old vehicle?

TheTurbochargedSquirrel > DipodomysDeserti 02/24/2018 at 12:17

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The rubber tends to corrode and the ethanol itself can turn into green crystals.

You can tell a Finn but you can't tell him much > DipodomysDeserti 02/24/2018 at 12:21

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Ethanol is hydrophilic, so when it sits it absorbs water. The water settles out into the bottom of the tank and can get left in the lines and bottom of the carb. Water plus metal plus time ends up with corrosion. Ethanol is also corrosive to plastics and rubbers that were not formulated to withstand it. Over time it will dissolve the rubber lines and fiberglass tanks and deposit the gunk downstream in the fuel system causing all sorts of problems.

Eric @ opposite-lock.com > DipodomysDeserti 02/24/2018 at 12:33

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It eats the rubber and ethanol is hydrophilic, so it will attract water, which will corrode low points in the system.

JawzX2, Boost Addict. 1.6t, 2.7tt, 4.2t > Berang 02/24/2018 at 12:44

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I had a bitch of a time with ethanol fuel in a old scooter, it kept making the rubber seals in the needle valve sticky, and since the needle was tiny it wasn’t heavy enough to unstick itself. When the floats dropped the needle would stay stuck closed. I switched to an all metal seat and seal, which solved the sticking problem, but didn’t seal as tight, so it would flood if idled to long or left sitting with the stopcock open. I have also personally witnessed an older plastic fuel pump impeller disintegrate on the first tank of ethanol gas run through it. I have also had to replace all the seals on an older set of Weber DCOEs due to ethanol, luckily Weber still makes seal kits for older carbs with modern ethanol-safe materials. It’s true, some older fuel systems will run Ok on E10, others will NOT.

Berang > Eric @ opposite-lock.com 02/24/2018 at 12:48

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...which is why not driving the car is bad for it.

Berang > Mechanically 02/24/2018 at 12:49

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Ususally with lawn equipment, it’s poor storage, not fuel that causes the issue.

Berang > JawzX2, Boost Addict. 1.6t, 2.7tt, 4.2t 02/24/2018 at 12:52

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Generally only an issue on vehicles that have been sitting for years/not maintained. Now, on some genuine antiques, you will have real issues particularly with cork floats and cork gaskets which absorb the alcohol and then disintegrate.

Fuel hoses should be replaced every few years anyway, and the only time I’ve had an issue with E10 eating fuel hoses it was on a car that had been parked since the 1990s, and should have had the hoses replaced anyway due to age.

Eric @ opposite-lock.com > Berang 02/24/2018 at 12:53

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Yes, but in the past it wasn’t a big problem with E0 fuel. Even with driving it, it’s still eating at your rubbers/plastics in the fuel system and increasing corrosion of susceptible parts. It might not be as quick if driven constantly, but it still has the same result over time. Ethanol is a terrible thing to add to fuel and is killing older cars slowly.

Berang > DipodomysDeserti 02/24/2018 at 12:54

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What corrodes that wouldn’t normally corrode? Nothing. It can however exacerbate corrosion because the alcohol absorbs moisture and keeps it trapped in the tank (not an issue if you drive the vehicle and it keeps getting fresh fuel).

Berang > Eric @ opposite-lock.com 02/24/2018 at 12:55

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No, seriously, it isn’t.

Eric @ opposite-lock.com > Berang 02/24/2018 at 12:57

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It’ll still have more water in it and it stays in the low points. It still eats at the rubber/plastics.

Berang > Eric @ opposite-lock.com 02/24/2018 at 13:11

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It won’t if you keep driving the car and getting fresh fuel in the tank.

Gasoline has to be blended with anhydrous alcohol. If the alcohol is “wet” before blending - it won’t blend. It absorbs moisture over time. If you keep fresh fuel cycling through the system you won’t have issues.

MINIGTI > Berang 02/24/2018 at 15:32

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Fun fact my 85 Jaguar is approved for 10% per the manual.