We all know the modern fuels can cause a deterioration of rubber in the fuel systems of all Ferrari models. Time is a rubber killer. What micron filtration will catch the rubber bits before we see them in the fuel injectors? Has anyone seen rubber in the fuel rail? Has anyone confirmed rubber bits fouling fuel injectors? Does the stock filter trap all the rubber bits? Does the rubber only foul and reduce flow before the stock filters?
I know that rubber bits caused extensive driveability and repair issues on the car that I just bought. Multiple issues. Clogged injectors, lean condition, cooked catalytic, failed pump, maybe more. It's hard to look at how much was spent. What the special interest farm lobby and ethanol have done to our personal property is an outrage and complete consumer ripoff. I will get off that soapbox now. In our area (MN/WI) we have many options for "non-oxygenated" regular and premium fuels, and i have used them religiously for years. I am told that due to cross contamination from carriers though, there can still be a low percentage of ethanol even in those blends. The killer is "phase separation" of the ethanol from the gasoline over time as I understand it, and that causes a concentration of the ethanol. The use of products like Sta-Bil help to prevent or delay that. I add some for winter storage and am now considering periodic use during the summer months as well....
Carl, to address your questions: I think our stock fuel filters are fine enough to catch the debris, but the problem is that in extreme cases of rubber disintegration, there's so much of it that it overloads the filter and the media collapses and then the debris continue unimpeded down the lines and to the rails, injectors, etc. Seems like someone out in SF posted some pics of his fuel filters where this had happened, and his tech had cut them open to show the insides. It looked pretty awful. A deltaP pressure indicator, or switch on these filters wouldn't be a bad idea, and periodic changing and cutting them open for inspection would be even better.
Thanks JohnC! And JohnnyRay can you confirm that rubber clogged the fuel injectors. I see low mileage Ferraris with failed fuel injector patterns all the time. I now routinely have full injector out service by an injector cleaning company at every 5 yr major because spray patterns just plain degrade. I am very curious to know how often and under what conditions complete collapse of the stock filter can take place. These filters are so cheap maybe an annual replacement is a good idea instead of at the major?
I chased a huge problem with this on my SWB 911. I went through a couple of fuel filters changing the micron sizing, cleaning the fuel tank, and fuel hoses that were deteriorating from the inside out, as well as numerous Weber carburetor disassemblies... I learned a lot about what causes ethanol to do this. It needs to mix with moisture to create the rubber disintegration process...and it can turn into a fine powder in its' advanced stages damaging everything in its path. I don't have any proof that this product works, but this what I currently use in my cars...I put some in my Yelo Hot Rod when I first purchased it. I'm extremely paranoid of ethanol... http://www.ebay.com/itm/1-Quart-StarTron-Ethanol-Gas-Fuel-Treatment-Additive-32oz-Star-Tron-Bottle/360723321688?_trksid=p2047675.c100005.m1851&_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIC.MBE%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D28794%26meid%3D895d0f68c718419699cf9061523a819b%26pid%3D100005%26rk%3D4%26rkt%3D6%26mehot%3Dpp%26sd%3D291343157073&rt=nc
It happened to the PO of my car. He had to have all of the injectors removed and the rubber bits cleaned from the screens.
