Ethanol Question?

[toocrazy2yoo]

So, they're going to be adding ethanol to the fuel in greater abundance whether we like it or not. Ethanol being bad for fuel systems, what's the add to our fuel to buffer the pump, lines, injectors, etc., against the Ethanol? Would MMO be effective, or something else?

Hopefully something that won't foul the cat?

 

[MNgopher]

If you are fueling a vehicle made anytime after the late 80's, your fuel system will handle the 10% ethanol blend with no problems, no adds needed.

 

[mechtech]

Ethanol is much better than Methanol for corrosion.

 

[Volvohead]

The 10% blend won't hurt anything except mileage on a modern engine.

E85 can be a different story in some vehicles, however.

 

[LC]

I have had great results using FP60 http://www.lubecontrol.com/ with E-85 ethanol and fuel that is 10% blend in my FFV 3.0 Ford Ranger 2 to 4 mpg increase also.
As far as I know they don't use Methanol in unleaded gas anymore. It is a common misunderstand people have between ethanol and methanol.Methanol being much more corrosive as mechtech said. Some people don't realize they have been adding ethanol to there fuel for years. Most of your gas line antifreeze is ethanol based

 

[toocrazy2yoo]

It is? The dryer-stuff I've always used was Isopropyl-based. Thanks, guys. I just found a whole thread regarding all this stuff, but lots of it was from 2002-2003. E-85 ain't happening in THIS car, in any case..

 

[unDummy]

All the cheap dry-gas sold here was methanol based.
All the more expensive drygas sold here is isopropyl based.

Both ethanol and methanol are corrosive. Somewhere someone deemed that E-10, M-5, MTBE-15, and ETBE-17, were safe for all vehicles.
Does anyone here notice that we're adjusting the percentage blend for corrosive level? Would it be safe that say the M-5 is just as safe as E-10? or E-10 is just as corrosive as M-5?

What bothers me is that either will bump your octane 2-3 points. If this is so, why am I paying more for E-10 87 octane(which is a blend of 84 octane gasoline and 10% ethanol)?
Where's my per gallon fed/state 10% tax break?

I wonder what the next fuel additive fad will be once the demand of ethanol exceeds its supply.

Gotta run and rebuild another carb, and replace another mechanical fuel pump. I guess that there %'s are a little high for certain cars!

Biomass butanol, a high octane fuel:
without the BTU hit causing lower MPG,
without the corrosion issues of E or M,
without the cost of FFV vehicles,
without the transportation or storage issues of E,
.....

http://www.energy.ca.gov/gasoline/statistics/gas_taxes_by_state.html
http://www.lightparty.com/Energy/Butanol.html
http://www.butanol.com/

 

[psudaytona]

This "alternative" fuel crap is getting old. I never undertood the point of this, Flex-Fuel failed years ago yet now we have to exact same thing creeping back into the picture one more time. This time being pulled in under the banner of "decreasing our dependence on foreign oil and thus helping homeland security....". IMO we are wasting resources on something that is just not a good fuel for most of our types of engines . This new E85 as far as I read is only for people with flex fuel vehicles and not for the rest of our cars. Well....how does this help the pollution issue. Most cars on the road are NOT FF. I would rather the money being put into this go to hybrids(since they take normal fuel) or just pushing engines to be more efficient.

Not to sound like a total jerk but I think this E85 mess is more a "feel good" thing for people with alot of money and little intelligence to be able to feel better about themselves after years of buying these SUVs that get 2MPG highway lol

 

[Terry]

E85 is a transition alternative for the shorter term. Something that can be done to lower oil consumption on a nationwide level.

I am for it but want more permanent alternatives being seriously implemented soon.

FP60 is indeed a great add to use in E85 or lower level ethanol blends. Anything that really gets us off the foreign dependent petrol fuel tit is OK by me.

 

[wileyE]

Remember in the early '90's there was something called "UNITED STATES ADVANCED BATTERY CONSORTIUM"
Government gave tons of (taxpayer) money to the big 3 (gm chry ford) to work together so they would be well postioned to lead the japanese in the sale of electric cars in the US?

 

[GROUCHO MARX]

WileyE, give the money to the consumers and the rest takes care of itself. When tax credits were given for energy saving measures such as window installation and insulation, the job was done.

 

[LC]

I stand corrected "It is? The dryer-stuff I've always used was Isopropyl-based"
That's what I get for trying to write at 6:00 AM.
I agree with Terry E85 is stepping stone in alternative fuel. And we need a more permanent alternative. It Does not matter if you like or dislike the use of ethanol it's here for now and it's use will be increasing. And it creates plants and jobs right here in the U.S.A.
We should get at least a state tax break for using it.Here in Wisconsin and I am sure other states. The state makes more than the oil company's on a gallon of gas.

 

[oil pan 4]

Maybe all this E85 going into cars will drop the price of gas.
That might mean cheaper prices on 100LL(100 octaine low lead, avation gas) and other straight up oil products.
As far as changing the make up of fuel for Gasoline engines... Me and my camaro took a little trip back in time when I put a some leaded gas in it.
It ran smoother, quiter and better then ever.
The more they change gas the worse it makes old cars run, it makes it harder for engineers to design cars that run good off it.
MTBE desolves with water and gives people cancer, lead just made people stupid and killed a few unneeded brain cells.

 

[MNgopher]

Nobody deemed that E-10 (the usual 10% ethanol blend) was safe for use in all gasoline engines based on a corrosiveness level. In fact, here in Minnesota, retailers are allowed to sell non-oxygenated (no ethanol) premium fuel for use in vehicles and other gasoline engines that cannot use E-10 because of its effects on older engines fuel systems.

Vehicle engines made after the mid-80's should have fuel systems that can handle the E10 without any problems, and small engines etc, generally followed.

 

[JonS]

I wish we could get non-ethanol in 87 octane. It is always 91-93. I have been using the 10% in my cars always, but last year i started using 10% in my boat and nmotorcycles. I do add MMO to the boat and bikes. I called "Holley carburetors", and they said if i have the green diaphram in my accelerator pump on my 4bbl carb on the boat, i am good to go with ethanol. The black one is for straight gas only.