Posted on 05/25/2016 3:54:04 AM PDT by IBD editorial writer
Energy: The EPA’s proposal to increase the amount of ethanol that must be blended into gasoline is a trifecta of regulatory abuse. It will do nothing for the environment, it will do nothing for energy security, and it could wreck millions of car engines
(Excerpt) Read more at investors.com ...
That's what's known as "bad gas".
You can't leave it sitting exposed to humidity, or that's exactly what happens. It's not usually a problem in a modern vehicle with a closed fuel system.
Either run your antique vehicle or garden equipment out of fuel, or put Stabil in it, and put the gas cap on with a plastic bag to seal it, when not in use.
Yes, pinging is bad news, same as with a "boost" engine, but the reality of it is, if the water-laden alcohol "drops out of solution" the heavier water falls to the bottom of the tank where the fuel pick up is, and the vehicle probably won't even run, or it will not run well enough to hurt itself.
Don't get me wrong, I'd just as soon have real petrol. It's just that so many wrong arguments against ethanol get put forward...The best argument is:
It takes more BTUs to make it than you can get back out of it.
They make it out West, where the sun shines hot. If they were using that as a heat source, and if the resultant "solar alcohol" made gasoline cheaper...I'd have no problem with it.
I'd take an old mechanical pump and reconfigure it as a "flow through" dummy pump...just for looks.
Get a low pressure solenoid type pump, you can hide it inside the frame rail...and there is a special oil pressure switch available from Standard Ignition, which (with or without a light) will shut off the power to the electric fuel pump should the engine stall or be shut off.
That way you can look stock, but continue running your old-timer on the gasahol.
REALLY!
Then how come I'm not selling lots of rebuilt engines or engine parts to fix all this damage?
Two strokers may be a different story, buy pre-mixed at the hardware store, or get some racing or avgas and make your own blend.
Don't let it do that.
I suppose you would want to junk all vehicles that are over 10 years old.
No, you just don't leave the fuel exposed to the air. Run them empty, drain or seal the tank until you use it again.
That is a lot of work to do just to give away a lot of hard earned money to a bunch of rich bankers. Why not go back to some good gas?
Not really, since they haven't used real rubber in fuel systems for decades. And if you have such a vehicle, those items would need to be replace with neoprene components.
I've never understood the desire to run alcohol. It costs more to produce, reduces MPG, so you have to use more to go the same distance, negating any positive impact you may get when blending it with gasoline.
That is all correct. It's a bunch of left-wing political hocus-pocus...we have enough oil and natural gas to produce gasoline for hundreds of years.
The only common sense is; it's no where near as horrible as MTBE, the previous toxic anti-knock agent, which also made gasoline water-soluble.
Not really, just put a plastic bag on the filler neck and replace the cap...put in some Stabil.
Why not go back to some good gas?
Well, meanwhile, back at the ranch....there isn't any, except at the airport.
If it affects rubbers hoses and gaskets, shouldn’t it be cause for concern?
Alcohol softens neoprene and rubber causing it to fail. Old fuel pumps will fail and replacement ones do not do much better.
“I used to race go-karts. I ran methanol “
hmmmm. So methanol made you go faster?
I’d take an old mechanical pump and reconfigure it as a “flow through” dummy pump...just for looks
I would suggest not running gas through an old nonfunctional fuel pump. Alcohol will dissolve the diaphragm and either fill the engine with gas or spurt gas out the fuel pump vent creating a big fire hazard.
I don’t know about where you’re at, but up here, the place is crawling with 200,000 mile cars and trucks. They fall apart from rust way before the engines or fuel systems go.
The biggest engine problems are with COP coils, a real stupid idea. That and variable timing components. Not to mention front hub assemblies on 4WDs, ABS and TPMS.
The biggest repair section, by far, is brakes.
Well, I meant "gut it" make it into a "connector" just so it looks right down there on that side of the engine.
I suppose what I hate most is government micromanagement of my life. They have exceed their authority on regulation of coal fired electric pants and are ignoring the supreme court. They poisoned two states with their self imposed mine disaster in Colorado/ New Mexico. Al Capone had higher moral values than these bureaucrats.
No I will not make pretty repairs but the ugliest manner possible so I can tell the story of destructive government.
Fingers crossed for continued availability.
Our 300 horse Mercury outboard would be derated to 250 on 87 oxy.
I am envious. It’s a 2 hour drive to ethanol-free gas from here.
“What has me so mad is to get the better mileage rate mandated by the EPA, they are using lighter metals aluminum instead of steel in the engines. So at 80,000 grandma miles with a $48,000 vehicle, it had a defective crankshaft that cracked “
The crankshaft is NOT made of aluminum.
As for aluminum blocks, the Ford 5.0 coyote is good for up to 1000 hp. One dealer here is providing supercharged 5.0 at 670 hp with a lifetime warranty!
We actually have 6 stations who sell it locally, one right by my Office.
buy corn futures and diesel engined cars.
It was what the class ran. It was called the STAR class. Stood for STAbilized Racing. It started with a 10-HP Tecumseh motor and it was set up to run methanol. Yes, I do think methanol in that particular engine was faster than gasoline, but it was more expensive, and it took more maintenance than gasoline at the time.
But, we also had kids classes running gasoline, and several two-stroke classes, some with transmissions (like regular motorcycle engines with built-in transmissions) and one class that ran a screaming banshee of a two-stroke that was a direct drive with no transmission. I can't remember if they had clutches, but I'm guessing they did. This was 20 years ago, and I'm certain classes have changed.
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