ethanol: the old rubber chemist says ...
#1
01-16-2016, 02:25 AM
ethanol: the old rubber chemist says ...
Many many years ago I was a chemist in the rubber industry. Polymers used for contact with hot oil are polar because lubricants are not polar. Using a polar solvent like acetone or ethanol will invite trouble as they will not only swell and soften polar polymers but also extract out plasticizers so that after "unswelling" the rubber will be harder, more brittle and occupy less space- all kinda bad things for seals and such.
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Grant Francis (01-16-2016),
sklimii (01-17-2016)
#2
01-16-2016, 03:30 AM
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#3
01-16-2016, 09:07 AM
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01-16-2016, 10:04 AM
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I would have liked to meet the chemist being quoted. A person with such background would also be qualified to describe the destructive effects that pure gasoline has on certain rubber compounds, not to mention the evil that can be done by engine oil (especially synthetics), coolant, brake fluid, w/shield washer fluid, etc.
It's fortunate that the world has chemists who long ago developed materials that are fully compatible with just about every compound that's come along.
There's one notable exception- dihydrogen monoxide.
Despite it being one of the most common compounds on the planet and known to be lethal in even small quantities, only minimal effort seems to be paid by the auto industry during vehicle design.
Let's take the modern S-type Jags for example. Due to a design error that should have been caught long before production began, many cars suffered hundreds if not thousands of dollars worth of damage from exposure to dihydrogen monoxide. This insidious compound was allowed to infiltrate the trunk/boot area and quickly knocked out several critical electrical and electronic components and their related systems to the point that the vehicle was undriveable.
All of our Jags, even the most recent models, suffer tremendous depreciation in value due to a perception by the general public that they are unreliable. Seems that there is some truth to the story as several decades ago the cars were even more susceptible to the effects of dihydrogen monoxide and would refuse to start with even the slightest exposure.
I always thought that this was rather ironic as the home country of our beloved marque is known around the world for having an atmosphere frequently contaminated by dihydrogen monoxide. It's spoiled more than one picnic I'm told.
I just don't understand why not more is done to rid the world of this compound.
It's fortunate that the world has chemists who long ago developed materials that are fully compatible with just about every compound that's come along.
There's one notable exception- dihydrogen monoxide.
Despite it being one of the most common compounds on the planet and known to be lethal in even small quantities, only minimal effort seems to be paid by the auto industry during vehicle design.
Let's take the modern S-type Jags for example. Due to a design error that should have been caught long before production began, many cars suffered hundreds if not thousands of dollars worth of damage from exposure to dihydrogen monoxide. This insidious compound was allowed to infiltrate the trunk/boot area and quickly knocked out several critical electrical and electronic components and their related systems to the point that the vehicle was undriveable.
All of our Jags, even the most recent models, suffer tremendous depreciation in value due to a perception by the general public that they are unreliable. Seems that there is some truth to the story as several decades ago the cars were even more susceptible to the effects of dihydrogen monoxide and would refuse to start with even the slightest exposure.
I always thought that this was rather ironic as the home country of our beloved marque is known around the world for having an atmosphere frequently contaminated by dihydrogen monoxide. It's spoiled more than one picnic I'm told.
I just don't understand why not more is done to rid the world of this compound.
#5
01-17-2016, 04:10 AM
#6
01-17-2016, 04:24 AM
maybe it reinforces the idea that the pointy heads haven't
completely figured it out yet. a sentiment that would be
shared by those subjected to recalls due to perforated
fuel rails, and closer to home, those with AJ27's that
have lost fuel pulse dampers due to not quite up to snuff
viton seals. viton is "supposed" to be ethanol "resistant"
but only the "right" viton. or at least that is what the
engineers at Dupont say in their product application
guides.
as an analogue, you can survive the consequences of too
much fatty foods through heart surgery and anti-cholesterol
drugs ... but some smart asses insist that avoiding fatty
foods is the better route.
despite the fact that McDonalds has been around for decades,
vegetables still exist.
similarly, while ethanol has been around for a very
long time, it is still possible to purchase ethanol free gasoline,
the real stuff, just by stopping at the right corner. no trips to
the marina or airport required.
#7
01-17-2016, 10:18 AM
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#8
01-17-2016, 03:42 PM
Discovered the hard way that even using the better quality "ethanol resistant" hoses (like GATES qualified to SAE 30R9 requirements) and even those rated for submersion (SAE 30R10) I still replace all the fuel lines on my '64 Corvette every 2 to 3 years.
Last edited by 64vette; 01-17-2016 at 03:52 PM.
The following users liked this post:
DPK (01-29-2016)
#9
01-17-2016, 03:55 PM
Engine Rebuilder Magazine, circa 2013
Impact of Today’s Fuels on Carbureted Engines
by Henry P. Olsen - Nov 15, 2013
The pump gasoline sold at gas stations around the country has changed
quite a bit over the last several decades. The first major change was
the removal of lead from the gasoline. The next major change was to
reformulate the gasoline to reduce both the evaporative and exhaust
emissions from vehicles. Then, the federal government mandated the use
of oxygenation of gasoline in many parts of the countrcarb photo1y. The
latest method to oxygenate the fuel is with ethanol made from corn.
These recent changes in gasoline formulation may or may not be a good
idea in theory, but since this modern gasoline contains less energy than
it did in the past it may actually cause a loss in power, fuel
efficiency and driveability unless the engine is properly tuned for
these new blends of gasoline. carb 2
The combination of today’s gasoline, ethanol and heat can cause the
rubber parts used in older vehicles’ fuel system to fail.
Gasoline with Ethanol
The addition of ethanol to the gasoline is causing problems with many
fuel system components of in a vehicle’s fuel system that was not
designed with ethanol in mind. Ethanol is very corrosive to many of the
materials that were commonly used in fuel system of older vehicles.
Ethanol can also act as a solvent that will attack any component made
with plastic or rubber compounds (such as the fuel hoses) that it comes
into contact with, also components made from brass, copper and aluminum
can become corroded over time if they are not given proper surface
treatments.
Heat is also a factor to consider in how quickly the rubber and plastic
compounds used in the fuel system will degrade with the exposure to the
fuel because the rate of reaction doubles for every 10°C rise in
temperature.
Ethanol is also a hygroscopic *substance that readily attracts water
from its surroundings such as the moisture that is in the air in the
fuel tank, it takes as little as one tablespoon of water per gallon of
gasoline to cause the ethanol to phase separate from the gasoline.
When the ethanol and water mixture phase separates from the gasoline it
will drop to the bottom of the fuel tank. This phase separated ethanol
and water mixture is extremely corrosive to anything it comes into
contact with. Plus, it will also cause engine performance/drivability
problems as it flows into the engine through the carburetor or fuel
injectors.
Modern Gasoline and Vintage Engines
A 1997 or newer fuel injected vehicle has an ECU/PCM (computer) that
should be able to make the necessary air/fuel mixture and ignition spark
timing adjustments necessary for gasoline with up to a 10% ethanol
mixture.
Most vehicles manufactured after 2005 should be able to handle up to 15%
ethanol content in the gasoline, but older vehicles will begin to
experience performance issues with the higher ethanol content in the
gasoline. The vehicles that are most effected by the addition of ethanol
to the gasoline are the older carburetor equipped engines which will
need to have their air/fuel mixture and ignition spark advance curves
retuned for these new blends of “cleaner burning” gasoline if they are
expected to perform their best.
The ethanol content of gasoline will cause the air/fuel mixture of a
non-computer controlled carburetor engine to shift leaner, which will
often cause a loss in driveability and throttle response. These new
blends of reformulated gasoline (with and without ethanol) are actually
quite different from the leaded gasoline that a vintage carburetor
equipped engine was designed and tuned to use.
The main differences between today’s gasoline and the leaded gasoline of
days past are the burn time of the fuel and the distillation profile of
the fuel, but it actually goes deeper than that. The composition of
today’s gasoline is very different when compared to the leaded gasoline
of the ’60s because of the removal of lead, the addition of ethanol and
the modern fuel additives that are in the fuel.
Tuning a Vintage Engine for Modern Gasoline
It’s important to understand that the modern, fuel-injected,
computer-controlled engine is a very different *animal than the
carbureted engines of years past. The computer of a modern,
fuel-injected engine continually adjusts fuel and spark to adapt the
engine to today’s ethanol and reformulated gasoline blends.
A vintage carburetor equipped engine simply cannot do this by itself,
therefore you will have to retune the carburetor and distributor for
these new blends of gasoline. If your customer is experiencing
driveability and throttle response issues with a vintage
carburetor-equipped engine the problem may be caused by the changes in
today’s reformulated gasoline with the cure being to tune the ignition
spark advance and air/fuel curves for the modern fuel blends of today.
Ignition System Tuning
Most modern fuel injected *engines have a computer – controlled ignition
system that has been programed with a spark advance curve suited for
today’s gasoline, plus it provides the spark plug with the higher
current and longer duration spark that is needed to prevent misfire
problems. But the ignition system that most carburetor- equipped engines
came with can prove to be marginal with today’s reformulated gas blends.
Today’s gasoline burns somewhat faster than the leaded gas of days past,
but it needs a hotter spark to ignite it. The ignition spark advance
curve that is programmed into the PCM of a typical modern fuel-injected
domestic V8 engine would also work quite well with a vintage carburetor-
equipped engine.
A typical vintage Ford or Chevy small block (with a mild camshaft) will
perform well with a spark advance curve that has 12 degrees initial
timing plus 24 degrees of mechanical advance all in by 3,600 rpm with an
additional 10 to 12 degrees from the vacuum advance.
Fuel System Tune-Up
The changes in the formulation of today’s gasoline most often causes a
carburetor to shift about 3 to 5 percent leaner than the gasoline most
carbureted engines were designed and tuned to use. The most common
problems we see with carburetor-equipped engines are lean off-idle
surge/misfire complaints and poor throttle *response complaints. The
tuning changes needed to cure the lean off –idle problem involves
enriching the off-idle circuit through enlarging the idle well of a
Holley-style modular carburetor or enlarging the idle channel restrictor
(ICR) of the Rochester carburetors or the Carter AFB and AVS carburetors
(including the Edelbrock Performer and Thunder series carburetors). The
throttle response issue is often cured by making the accelerator pump
circuit more active by increasing the strength of the accelerator pump
duration spring and sometimes enlarging the accelerator pump squirter
size.
Most of the high performance replacement carburetors built after the
late ’70s have an accelerator pump duration spring that is not as strong
as the original spring strength that the carburetor was originally
designed to have.
If you are rebuilding an engine for vintage carburetor-equipped
application you may want be sure your customer is aware that they will
need to retune the ignition spark timing curves and the air/fuel mixture
curves of the carburetor, plus the fuel can create swelling problems
with the rubber (elastomer) and plastic parts that are common in a
carburetor equipped engine such as the rubber gas hoses, the accelerator
pump and a nitrophyl carburetor float.
Both ethanol and the aromatics that are in gasoline (such as benzene,
toluene, and xylene) have also been shown to have negative effects on
parts that are made with rubber and plastics.
The gasoline sold today also may have a higher level of aromatics than
the gasoline that was sold decades ago. The combination of ethanol and a
higher aromatic level in the gasoline may increase the rubber and
plastic swelling problems more than if the fuel had just ethanol or just
high aromatic levels.
The exposure of any fuel system components made with rubber or plastics
to high heat conditions *(including the normal under hood heat
conditions after an engine is shut off) and today’s reformulated
gasoline will also accelerate the rate that the fuel will attack the
rubber and plastic components it comes into contact with. The best way
to help prevent these problems is to keep fuel hoses away from any heat
sources and to use a heat insulating spacer under the carburetor.
Vapor Lock Volatility
The ability of a fuel to vaporize or change from liquid to vapor is
referred to as its volatility. Volatility is an extremely important
characteristic of gasoline because an engine can only burn the vaporized
portions of the gasoline.
Depending on the time of the year and local regulations, ten percent of
the fuel should be evaporated when the temperature reaches the 122°F to
158°F range, 50 percent of the fuel should be evaporated when the
*temperature reaches the 170°F to 250°F range and 90 percent of the fuel
should be evaporated when the temperature reaches the 365°F to 374°F
range.
The easiest and safest way to measure the volatility of gasoline is the
Reid vapor pressure (RVP) method, which measures the absolute vapor
pressure exerted by the gasoline at 100 °F. The RVP has changed from as
high as 14 lbs. in the 1960s to where it is currently, which is as low
as 7.2 lbs. in California during the summer months.
The under hood temperature of many vehicles will reach 230°F or higher
during a hot soak (after the engine is shut off) so 50% of the gasoline
(the most volatile parts of the fuel) in the carburetor may boil off.
This heating and subsequent boil off of fuel components can and does
wreak havoc on fuel curves and ignition timing requirements of a
carburetor equipped engine plus it will create vapor lock issues if the
gasoline boils in fuel lines or the carburetor bowl(s). The answer,
particularly in a carbureted engine, is to minimize the exposure of fuel
system components to heat in every way possible.
Aging Gasoline
The gasoline your customer buys at their local station has a shelf-life
that can vary from 90 days to at least one year from the day it was
blended, depending on how it is stored. Most gasoline made for the
general public is consumed within 30 days of being blended but the
slower selling premium grades of gasoline sell at a much slower rate
than regular grade gasoline.
Premium grade gasoline makes up less than 5% of the gasoline sales at
some gas stations therefore it is possible that it may be less than
fresh if you buy it at the wrong gas station. It would be wise to advise
your customer to be sure the gasoline they have in the fuel tank of
their vehicle is fresh before they try to start the engine you just
built for them.
The last thing any engine builder wants to have happen is to have the
engine they just built have any problems caused by bad gasoline.
Whenever gasoline is exposed to heat, moisture, air or light it will
begin to go bad, as the gasoline ages the most highly volatile
components in gasoline tend to evaporate out through any vent in the
tank. It will also degrade with time and exposure to the elements.
As the gasoline ages, it will become less volatile, which will cause the
engine to be hard to start plus it will also cause the engine to produce
less power. The use of this degraded fuel may be one of the worst things
to which you could expose an engine that you just rebuilt to. When
gasoline is stored for an extended period of time, it will gradually
turn into a varnish-like substance that if used, will raise havoc with
both a fuel-injected or carburetor-equipped fuel system.
The gasoline tank of most modern fuel injected vehicles is sealed, thus
its exposure to outside air and moisture is limited but you still have
the heat issue to consider. Most vehicles built before 1970 have vented
gas tanks, therefore the fuel in these tanks will degrade at a much
higher rate than a vehicle with a non-vented gas tank. This is because
the fuel is exposed to the outside air that contains moisture that
enters through the fuel tank’s vents and venting to atmosphere can allow
some of the lighter/more volatile portions of the gasoline to escape.
Extending Gas ‘Shelf Life’ If you can, it would be wise to advise
your customer to add a gasoline storage stabilizer to the fuel tank if
the vehicle will not be driven for any extended period of time. This is
even more important in a vehicle that has a vented fuel tank because
there is a constant source of fresh oxygen that will cause the gasoline
to degrade at an accelerated rate.
In addition, the use of an ethanol treatment product contains increased
water handling additives that will help a stored vehicle handle the
excess water that tends to build up in an open vented system. Ethanol
treatments also have enhanced corrosion inhibitors that will help
protect the metal portions of the fuel system from corrosion that is
caused by any water/ethanol blend that may *develop over time in a fuel
tank.
NB. Some Jaguars run Strombergs and SU's. The general tech section
is not the exclusive domain of fuel injected Jaguar owners. Nor is JF
the exclusive domain of fuel injected Jaguar owners.
by Henry P. Olsen - Nov 15, 2013
The pump gasoline sold at gas stations around the country has changed
quite a bit over the last several decades. The first major change was
the removal of lead from the gasoline. The next major change was to
reformulate the gasoline to reduce both the evaporative and exhaust
emissions from vehicles. Then, the federal government mandated the use
of oxygenation of gasoline in many parts of the countrcarb photo1y. The
latest method to oxygenate the fuel is with ethanol made from corn.
These recent changes in gasoline formulation may or may not be a good
idea in theory, but since this modern gasoline contains less energy than
it did in the past it may actually cause a loss in power, fuel
efficiency and driveability unless the engine is properly tuned for
these new blends of gasoline. carb 2
The combination of today’s gasoline, ethanol and heat can cause the
rubber parts used in older vehicles’ fuel system to fail.
Gasoline with Ethanol
The addition of ethanol to the gasoline is causing problems with many
fuel system components of in a vehicle’s fuel system that was not
designed with ethanol in mind. Ethanol is very corrosive to many of the
materials that were commonly used in fuel system of older vehicles.
Ethanol can also act as a solvent that will attack any component made
with plastic or rubber compounds (such as the fuel hoses) that it comes
into contact with, also components made from brass, copper and aluminum
can become corroded over time if they are not given proper surface
treatments.
Heat is also a factor to consider in how quickly the rubber and plastic
compounds used in the fuel system will degrade with the exposure to the
fuel because the rate of reaction doubles for every 10°C rise in
temperature.
Ethanol is also a hygroscopic *substance that readily attracts water
from its surroundings such as the moisture that is in the air in the
fuel tank, it takes as little as one tablespoon of water per gallon of
gasoline to cause the ethanol to phase separate from the gasoline.
When the ethanol and water mixture phase separates from the gasoline it
will drop to the bottom of the fuel tank. This phase separated ethanol
and water mixture is extremely corrosive to anything it comes into
contact with. Plus, it will also cause engine performance/drivability
problems as it flows into the engine through the carburetor or fuel
injectors.
Modern Gasoline and Vintage Engines
A 1997 or newer fuel injected vehicle has an ECU/PCM (computer) that
should be able to make the necessary air/fuel mixture and ignition spark
timing adjustments necessary for gasoline with up to a 10% ethanol
mixture.
Most vehicles manufactured after 2005 should be able to handle up to 15%
ethanol content in the gasoline, but older vehicles will begin to
experience performance issues with the higher ethanol content in the
gasoline. The vehicles that are most effected by the addition of ethanol
to the gasoline are the older carburetor equipped engines which will
need to have their air/fuel mixture and ignition spark advance curves
retuned for these new blends of “cleaner burning” gasoline if they are
expected to perform their best.
The ethanol content of gasoline will cause the air/fuel mixture of a
non-computer controlled carburetor engine to shift leaner, which will
often cause a loss in driveability and throttle response. These new
blends of reformulated gasoline (with and without ethanol) are actually
quite different from the leaded gasoline that a vintage carburetor
equipped engine was designed and tuned to use.
The main differences between today’s gasoline and the leaded gasoline of
days past are the burn time of the fuel and the distillation profile of
the fuel, but it actually goes deeper than that. The composition of
today’s gasoline is very different when compared to the leaded gasoline
of the ’60s because of the removal of lead, the addition of ethanol and
the modern fuel additives that are in the fuel.
Tuning a Vintage Engine for Modern Gasoline
It’s important to understand that the modern, fuel-injected,
computer-controlled engine is a very different *animal than the
carbureted engines of years past. The computer of a modern,
fuel-injected engine continually adjusts fuel and spark to adapt the
engine to today’s ethanol and reformulated gasoline blends.
A vintage carburetor equipped engine simply cannot do this by itself,
therefore you will have to retune the carburetor and distributor for
these new blends of gasoline. If your customer is experiencing
driveability and throttle response issues with a vintage
carburetor-equipped engine the problem may be caused by the changes in
today’s reformulated gasoline with the cure being to tune the ignition
spark advance and air/fuel curves for the modern fuel blends of today.
Ignition System Tuning
Most modern fuel injected *engines have a computer – controlled ignition
system that has been programed with a spark advance curve suited for
today’s gasoline, plus it provides the spark plug with the higher
current and longer duration spark that is needed to prevent misfire
problems. But the ignition system that most carburetor- equipped engines
came with can prove to be marginal with today’s reformulated gas blends.
Today’s gasoline burns somewhat faster than the leaded gas of days past,
but it needs a hotter spark to ignite it. The ignition spark advance
curve that is programmed into the PCM of a typical modern fuel-injected
domestic V8 engine would also work quite well with a vintage carburetor-
equipped engine.
A typical vintage Ford or Chevy small block (with a mild camshaft) will
perform well with a spark advance curve that has 12 degrees initial
timing plus 24 degrees of mechanical advance all in by 3,600 rpm with an
additional 10 to 12 degrees from the vacuum advance.
Fuel System Tune-Up
The changes in the formulation of today’s gasoline most often causes a
carburetor to shift about 3 to 5 percent leaner than the gasoline most
carbureted engines were designed and tuned to use. The most common
problems we see with carburetor-equipped engines are lean off-idle
surge/misfire complaints and poor throttle *response complaints. The
tuning changes needed to cure the lean off –idle problem involves
enriching the off-idle circuit through enlarging the idle well of a
Holley-style modular carburetor or enlarging the idle channel restrictor
(ICR) of the Rochester carburetors or the Carter AFB and AVS carburetors
(including the Edelbrock Performer and Thunder series carburetors). The
throttle response issue is often cured by making the accelerator pump
circuit more active by increasing the strength of the accelerator pump
duration spring and sometimes enlarging the accelerator pump squirter
size.
Most of the high performance replacement carburetors built after the
late ’70s have an accelerator pump duration spring that is not as strong
as the original spring strength that the carburetor was originally
designed to have.
If you are rebuilding an engine for vintage carburetor-equipped
application you may want be sure your customer is aware that they will
need to retune the ignition spark timing curves and the air/fuel mixture
curves of the carburetor, plus the fuel can create swelling problems
with the rubber (elastomer) and plastic parts that are common in a
carburetor equipped engine such as the rubber gas hoses, the accelerator
pump and a nitrophyl carburetor float.
Both ethanol and the aromatics that are in gasoline (such as benzene,
toluene, and xylene) have also been shown to have negative effects on
parts that are made with rubber and plastics.
The gasoline sold today also may have a higher level of aromatics than
the gasoline that was sold decades ago. The combination of ethanol and a
higher aromatic level in the gasoline may increase the rubber and
plastic swelling problems more than if the fuel had just ethanol or just
high aromatic levels.
The exposure of any fuel system components made with rubber or plastics
to high heat conditions *(including the normal under hood heat
conditions after an engine is shut off) and today’s reformulated
gasoline will also accelerate the rate that the fuel will attack the
rubber and plastic components it comes into contact with. The best way
to help prevent these problems is to keep fuel hoses away from any heat
sources and to use a heat insulating spacer under the carburetor.
Vapor Lock Volatility
The ability of a fuel to vaporize or change from liquid to vapor is
referred to as its volatility. Volatility is an extremely important
characteristic of gasoline because an engine can only burn the vaporized
portions of the gasoline.
Depending on the time of the year and local regulations, ten percent of
the fuel should be evaporated when the temperature reaches the 122°F to
158°F range, 50 percent of the fuel should be evaporated when the
*temperature reaches the 170°F to 250°F range and 90 percent of the fuel
should be evaporated when the temperature reaches the 365°F to 374°F
range.
The easiest and safest way to measure the volatility of gasoline is the
Reid vapor pressure (RVP) method, which measures the absolute vapor
pressure exerted by the gasoline at 100 °F. The RVP has changed from as
high as 14 lbs. in the 1960s to where it is currently, which is as low
as 7.2 lbs. in California during the summer months.
The under hood temperature of many vehicles will reach 230°F or higher
during a hot soak (after the engine is shut off) so 50% of the gasoline
(the most volatile parts of the fuel) in the carburetor may boil off.
This heating and subsequent boil off of fuel components can and does
wreak havoc on fuel curves and ignition timing requirements of a
carburetor equipped engine plus it will create vapor lock issues if the
gasoline boils in fuel lines or the carburetor bowl(s). The answer,
particularly in a carbureted engine, is to minimize the exposure of fuel
system components to heat in every way possible.
Aging Gasoline
The gasoline your customer buys at their local station has a shelf-life
that can vary from 90 days to at least one year from the day it was
blended, depending on how it is stored. Most gasoline made for the
general public is consumed within 30 days of being blended but the
slower selling premium grades of gasoline sell at a much slower rate
than regular grade gasoline.
Premium grade gasoline makes up less than 5% of the gasoline sales at
some gas stations therefore it is possible that it may be less than
fresh if you buy it at the wrong gas station. It would be wise to advise
your customer to be sure the gasoline they have in the fuel tank of
their vehicle is fresh before they try to start the engine you just
built for them.
The last thing any engine builder wants to have happen is to have the
engine they just built have any problems caused by bad gasoline.
Whenever gasoline is exposed to heat, moisture, air or light it will
begin to go bad, as the gasoline ages the most highly volatile
components in gasoline tend to evaporate out through any vent in the
tank. It will also degrade with time and exposure to the elements.
As the gasoline ages, it will become less volatile, which will cause the
engine to be hard to start plus it will also cause the engine to produce
less power. The use of this degraded fuel may be one of the worst things
to which you could expose an engine that you just rebuilt to. When
gasoline is stored for an extended period of time, it will gradually
turn into a varnish-like substance that if used, will raise havoc with
both a fuel-injected or carburetor-equipped fuel system.
The gasoline tank of most modern fuel injected vehicles is sealed, thus
its exposure to outside air and moisture is limited but you still have
the heat issue to consider. Most vehicles built before 1970 have vented
gas tanks, therefore the fuel in these tanks will degrade at a much
higher rate than a vehicle with a non-vented gas tank. This is because
the fuel is exposed to the outside air that contains moisture that
enters through the fuel tank’s vents and venting to atmosphere can allow
some of the lighter/more volatile portions of the gasoline to escape.
Extending Gas ‘Shelf Life’ If you can, it would be wise to advise
your customer to add a gasoline storage stabilizer to the fuel tank if
the vehicle will not be driven for any extended period of time. This is
even more important in a vehicle that has a vented fuel tank because
there is a constant source of fresh oxygen that will cause the gasoline
to degrade at an accelerated rate.
In addition, the use of an ethanol treatment product contains increased
water handling additives that will help a stored vehicle handle the
excess water that tends to build up in an open vented system. Ethanol
treatments also have enhanced corrosion inhibitors that will help
protect the metal portions of the fuel system from corrosion that is
caused by any water/ethanol blend that may *develop over time in a fuel
tank.
NB. Some Jaguars run Strombergs and SU's. The general tech section
is not the exclusive domain of fuel injected Jaguar owners. Nor is JF
the exclusive domain of fuel injected Jaguar owners.
The following users liked this post:
DPK (01-29-2016)
#10
01-17-2016, 03:56 PM
Engine Rebuilder Artilcle: Impact of Today’s Fuels on Carbureted Engines - Corvette Forum
Henry owns a tune-up/carb shop - he posts here sometimes, and used to write occasionally for "Corvette Enthusiast" magazine and "Auto Enthusiast" that followed it.
Last edited by plums; 01-17-2016 at 04:03 PM.
#11
01-17-2016, 04:01 PM
due to intense lobbying efforts resulting in the diversion of
food stuffs and farm land to create taxpayer subsidised
ethanol and other biofuels.
even the pricing of buns and vegetable oils used by McDonalds
is affected.
The following users liked this post:
DPK (01-29-2016)
#12
01-18-2016, 02:15 AM
Veteran Member
#13
01-18-2016, 04:43 AM
Veteran Member
E85 is quite popular here with people running turbo cars, for the extra power if tuned for it.
Happily in my part of Oz there is very little E10 or more fuel, you have to seek it out. The closer you get to the sugar cane up north the thicker it is in the ground.
As with everything I blame global warming.
Happily in my part of Oz there is very little E10 or more fuel, you have to seek it out. The closer you get to the sugar cane up north the thicker it is in the ground.
As with everything I blame global warming.
#15
01-29-2016, 12:17 PM
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It appears that dihydrogen monoxide will change states at various temperatures. Below 0C, it will form a solid. Above 100C, it will become a vapour.
It seems the snowmobiler was travelling over an area covered by solid dihydrogen monoxide, made possible by temperatures that have consistently been well below 0 of late, but unaware that the film of solid dihydrogen monoxide was not strong enough to support such a load. Worse yet, it hid a huge concentration in liquid state directly below.
Such occurrences happen many time over a given winter despite the numerous warnings and laws governing vehicle usage. Here we have a case of a person consuming a significant amounts of ethanol but that this was not the primary cause of death.
Other reports suggest that the next leading cause of snowmobiler death is impact with vertically arranged cylinders of cellulose fibres situated randomly next to or near snowmobile trails. These cylinders apparently contain a certain amount of dihydrogen monoxide and also pass through a transition phase, again at 0 degrees and below, where they become far more rigid and unforgiving upon impact. Another obviously lethal hazard that should be eliminated.
Isn't someone thinking of the children?
#16
01-29-2016, 01:16 PM
Veteran Member
Mikey you had me for a bit..But I will give this one to you as one of your most subtle examples at humor and sarcasm ..Very good...
Okay folks, move along, nothing to see here, just a little case of misplaced identity..Dihydrogen monoxide, or H2O as we commonly call Water...yes, I'll admit, I had to look it up...LOL
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dihydrogen_monoxide_hoax
Okay folks, move along, nothing to see here, just a little case of misplaced identity..Dihydrogen monoxide, or H2O as we commonly call Water...yes, I'll admit, I had to look it up...LOL
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dihydrogen_monoxide_hoax
#17
01-29-2016, 04:20 PM
Once again...... well done!
Sorry to add to the thread hijack, but everyone needs a little humor once in a while.
I have used this on numerous college age family members and apprentice techs straight out of college or tech school. Collegians are unfortunately WAY TOO ACCEPTING of such scare tactics. Perfectly willing to turn petrified of the verbiage before a simple Google search to identify the "chemical".
Are cellulose columns next????
Cheers,
Sorry to add to the thread hijack, but everyone needs a little humor once in a while.
I have used this on numerous college age family members and apprentice techs straight out of college or tech school. Collegians are unfortunately WAY TOO ACCEPTING of such scare tactics. Perfectly willing to turn petrified of the verbiage before a simple Google search to identify the "chemical".
Are cellulose columns next????
Cheers,
#19
01-30-2016, 01:27 AM
Veteran Member
It's more devious than that: it joins forces with other dangerous chemicals (monosodium monochloride springs to mind) to turn solid at a different (lower) temperature and a vapour at well above 100!
#20
01-30-2016, 09:14 AM
Join Date: Oct 2009
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Horrors! Is there no limit to the insidious nature of this evil compound?
On the other hand, I've heard reports that the blending of dihydrogen monoxide with Satan Ethanol at about 5% by volume, plus some trace amounts of flavouring from specific grains and herbs can make a very pleasant and refreshing beverage.
On the other hand, I've heard reports that the blending of dihydrogen monoxide with Satan Ethanol at about 5% by volume, plus some trace amounts of flavouring from specific grains and herbs can make a very pleasant and refreshing beverage.