[DeTomaso] Ethanol

Sat Aug 10 16:36:25 EDT 2013

I use StaBil in all my collector cars. They also sell an ethanol-protecting StaBil but it is NOT a preservative- it is for use with daily drivers and is not particularly cheap, so I don't use it.  All fuel in CA has 10% ethanol too as far as I have have seen.

In CA we also had an additive for a while which damaged rubber fuel lines (BTFE or something like that) in the '90's IIRC and led to several old cars catching fire, so everyone in CA should have replaced their fuel lines then.

Jim

-----Original Message-----
From: Julian Kift <julian_kift at hotmail.com>
To: Boyd Casey <boyd411 at gmail.com>
Cc: De Tomaso List <detomaso at poca.com>
Sent: Sat, Aug 10, 2013 11:02 am
Subject: Re: [DeTomaso] Ethanol

I think it is mostly because of infrequent use and winter storage, ethanol 
absorbs water and engines start corroding. Briggs & Stratton sell a fuel 
stabilizer for their 2 & 4 cycle small engines.
Non stabilized ethanol fuel can be stale after as little as 30 days, depending 
on the environment and ambient conditions. Maybe that's why I'm good here in NV, 
very low no humidity. It also pays to keep the fuel tank either empty or full 
adn stabilized for storage not a partial tank.

Julian

Date: Sat, 10 Aug 2013 13:48:16 -0400
Subject: Re: [DeTomaso] Ethanol
From: boyd411 at gmail.com
To: julian_kift at hotmail.com
CC: detomaso at poca.com

Why do you suppose that the lawn equipment says that use of fuel containing 
ethanol will void the warranty? Is it perhaps related to the  fact that they 
were 2 stroke engines? I thought I had read that ethanol was also harmful to 
aluminum (in addition to rubber fuel lines)
Boyd

On Sat, Aug 10, 2013 at 1:00 PM, Julian Kift <julian_kift at hotmail.com> wrote:

10% ethanol is mandated here in NV during winter months and most gas station 
have up to 10% year round, I fill up the same as I have always done and drive 
the same as I have always done. 

If you are still running 1970's rubber hoses on your fuel system then you are 
asking for trouble no matter what.
Ethanol as an alcohol, is hygroscopic so absorbs water, thus any long term 
storage should be with a good gas stabilizer or just make the last tank of the 
season race gas, but be aware even some race gas brands have an ethanol content 
as pure ethanol has a RON octane rating of 108, also most race gas blends over 
100 octane contain lead anyway.

Maybe it's all a Chinese conspiracy to make you buy a new car, as they own at 
least a portion of every new car made ;>)
Julian

> Date: Sat, 10 Aug 2013 12:42:12 -0400

> From: boyd411 at gmail.com
> To: detomaso at poca.com
> Subject: [DeTomaso] Ethanol

> 
> Unfortunately it appears as though it is impossible to find (buy) gasoline
> that does not contain ethanol on Long Island. It appears that even though
> it is a known fact that ethanol damages certain (older and or 2 cycle

> internal combustion engines). I know there are many of our members that are
> expert in engineering and even some involved in the oil business. Can any
> of you tell me if there is anything I can do to protect my engine and fuel

> system from the damage done by ethanol? The potential for ethanol to damage
> engines first came to my attention when I was shopping for some lawn
> equipment that was powered by 2 cycle engines. I noticed an area of

> unusually small print which immediately attracted my attention. It was a
> disclaimer that stated that using gasoline that contained ethanol would
> void the warranty of the device I was considering buying. This prompted me

> to do more research and I found numerous articles that spoke about the
> damage ethanol would do to engines and fuel delivery and storage systems
> that were not designed specifically for use with fuels containing ethanol.

> Then I started to search for a source for gasoline in New York State that
> did not contain ethanol, I found one source but it was race gas and is over
> $10.00 per gallon.
> I found Avgas but you can't pump it into a car for road use which means you

> have the added expense and difficulties (as well as the danger of storing a
> 50 gallon drum of high octane gasoline).
> So what can I do to minimize the  deleterious effects of gas containing
> ethanol.

> Thanks,
> Boyd
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