Has anyone here had actual damage to their fuel system related to ethanol in the gasoline?
Something I've wondered for years.... but you'd think with all the cars on the road NOT designed for Ethanol we'd have conclusive data at this point. Jedi
So far, just sludge and gummed-up carbs and pumps on the cars in our vintage racing team. They tend to sit between races. It's quite a hassle. The damage on fuel hoses, plastic floats, tanks, etc., may become apparent later.
Other than recently replaced fuel hose lasting just a few years... Or tank to cross-over line sleeve leaking fuel through the actual hoses... Or BB carbs requiring rebuilds after three years versus five due to pump diaphragms leaking... Or the presence of fuel vapors in an otherwise fine appearing engine compartment... Nope, no real problems seen. Oddly, I don't recall having any of these issues 20 years ago!
I chased down all the supposed stations within 30 miles of me that have non-ethanol gasoline; all of them had ethanol. I don't see any way to escape it.
Ethanol: Another favor from misguided Uncle Sugar.....Higher overall energy prices, higher food prices, higher operating costs for older cars. And now they've approved 15% ethanol content. ...but a couple of hundred people probably "feel better" about using less (actually, more) carbon based fuel. Mega-agri-business feels pretty good about it, too.
That's a bummer. I have it within a few miles of my house. I use all my vehicles so infrequently that I run them all with non ethanol. Interestingly enough my 2004 Mazda pickup (ford ranger) used to surge real bad in certain rpm ranges and under light load. Now that I'm running straight gasoline no more surge. The dealer said they all do that when I asked about the surge a couple years ago. I wonder though, around here it's all the off brand gas stations. How clean their gas is and who is supplying it to them in enough volume that it stays fresh. Don't know, but I take the Ferrari down to that station anyway. What I also like is that they have a different nozzle for each grade. Good for my M/C that only takes a couple gallons. Someone mentioned here that alcohol doesn't play so well with aluminum, I don't know anything about that, but interesting for those with the aluminum gas tanks.
You forgot the old mechanical fuel pumps whose rubber diaphram positively self destructs in a matter of weeks, possibly days after exposure.
maybe we should be voting for different legislators. politicians with a surrupticious agenda should be hunted down like rabid animals and eliminated! junk science will always be junk science!
Ive been putting in Sunoco ultra 94 octane here in Canada for ions and there are no problems whatsoever. If ethanol was a problem then we would have seen all sorts of it by now on everyday use cars and from what ive seen, nothing out of the ordinary has been happening. I sometimes thing that people blame ethanol for the problems in their car when actually it was that cut rate gas station they used now and then because it was cheaper. One tank of crap fuel will do a lot more damage than any amount of ethanol. JMO though.
I think it all depends on what car you are using the fuel in. An oil company engineer who spoke at the local sports car club meeting said new cars shouldn't have a problem, as well as most modern fuel-injected cars. We with the Dinos have a problem.
Here in Germany there is a big discussion about it, as we will have from new year one 10 % Ethanol in our fuel. It was 5% till now, what will still be available. One proposal in several comunities is to use 1% two stroke engine oil, which I do now since one year in my 69 Duetto Spider as well as in my Dino. I heard that in the US there is much more than 10% Ethanol unsual since a long time. Is that true and how much is it? Regards Nicolai
You have a replacement fuel pump. (Ask me how I know. ) Oh, and we did the fuel lines at that time too, as I recall. My mechanic was very sensitive to the ethanol issue. And don't forget, ethanol reduces your car's gas mileage, too. DM
