Posted on 04/23/2014 6:20:29 AM PDT by thackney
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has publicly acknowledged that ethanol in gasoline can damage internal combustion engines by increasing exhaust temperatures and indirectly causing component failures, the American Motorcyclist Association reports.
The EPA statements are found in a rule proposal issued by the Federal Trade Commission regarding a new label for pumps that supply fuel blends high in ethanol.
According to the EPA, "[e]thanol impacts motor vehicles in two primary ways. First ... ethanol enleans the [air/fuel] ratio (increases the proportion of oxygen relative to hydrocarbons) which can lead to increased exhaust gas temperatures and potentially increase incremental deterioration of emission control hardware and performance over time, possibly causing catalyst failure. Second, ethanol can cause materials compatibility issues, which may lead to other component failures.
"In motorcycles and nonroad products [using E15 and higher ethanol blends], EPA raised engine-failure concerns from overheating."
These EPA statements, contained in the FTC document, back the long-held position of the AMA.
"The American Motorcyclist Association has fought the distribution of E15 fuel blends in an effort to protect motorcycle and all-terrain vehicles from the damage that ethanol causes," said Wayne Allard, AMA vice president for government relations. "Now the EPA acknowledges that ethanol itself is harmful to emissions hardware and other components on all motor vehicles. It is time for the federal government to pause, take a hard look at this product and change its entire approach to ethanol in fuels."
E15 is a gasoline formulation that contains up to 15 percent ethanol by volume.
None of the estimated 22 million motorcycles and ATVs currently in operation can use fuels with blends higher than 10 percent ethanol. Doing so could void the manufacturer's warranty, in addition to causing damage to the vehicle.
The AMA applauded the EPA's decision in its proposed rule to roll back the requirement for wider distribution and use of E15 under its Renewable Fuel Standard.
The AMA also is concerned about the continued availability of E10 blends and E0 fuels -- gasoline with zero ethanol content -- if E15 is allowed to permeate the marketplace.
WELL that explains that burning phart I had last night..
the internal combustion engine is suffering liver damage.
I’ve been saying this for years and I still sometimes get kickback from green freaks about it.
I’ve had three cars with O2 sensors damaged by it, and nearly every 2 cycle and 4 cycle yard engine I own.
I’ve become a master at rebuilding 2 and 4 cycle carburetor systems because of it.
There is one solution ... Don’t let your car drink and drive.
epa to consumers: “Not our problem. We make the rules and regs, you have to live with them. Now shut up and sit down.”
The EPA - traitors to Americans owning an automobile.
The epa ... the death panel for your automobile.
Carrosis?.....................
Chainsaw engines don’t last for crap............the ethanol washes away the oil that’s supposed to lube the piston and cylinder walls.................
Wreaks havoc on lawnmowers. If you leave gas in the tank over the winter, forget to dump and replinish and start er up you are out for a carb rebuild. I have had to change my decades old sloppy habits wrt lawnmowers. No slack or forgiveness now with this ethanol crap. It will screw up a mower big time.
The Republican House of Representatives has the power to limit the ability of the EPA bureaucrats create and enforce these mandates. It chooses not to even try.
“Warning! Do not operate! This machinery is under the influence of alcohol”
It was a Republican president who pushed this latest version of the ethanol scam.
Local gas station supplies 91 octane ethanol free. After expensive rebuilds on my lawn tractor and snow blower, and the loss of an outboard motor, I only use 91 octane for my small engines. No problems so far.
Believe me its worth the extra cost.
StaBil Marine formula for ethanol seems to help. I can’t objectively say how much, but the throttle body freeze up and engine flooding I got in the winter stopped after I started using it. Expensive lesson.
Both my cars get it added every fill up.
As much as I love to dump on the EPA, they are just doing the bidding of our Congressional Morons.
This is all about buying votes in Iowa and Nebraska.
all government people must hate automobiles except for them having one, perhaps? ... To quote ... There’s too much mobility out there. Tain’t safe. Kill the engines!!!
Are you saying that the Republicans are just as corrupted in the ethanol rip off as the Dems? Who would have guessed? /sarc
The EPA employees should wear brown shirts and arm bands.
My main problem is melted O-rings, melted plastic thinfilm breather gaskets, etc. It pretty much destroys all them over a season or two if you let it sit. I’ve taken to letting them run completely dry before storing.
I haven’t gotten around to looking at rings, although I have rebuilt those once or twice. My repair pricepoint is about $100. If it’s over that I fix/rebuild it if the parts are cheap. If not, chuck it and buy another one.
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