<VV> VirtualVairs Digest, Vol 69, Issue 57

[djtcz at comcast.net]

---- Original Message(s) ----- 

From: Mikeamauro at aol.com 
"...I would like to put to bed the fears of using E10 in Corvairs..." 

Sorry, but for me the fear is real, and the effects known: as soon as I 
could no longer readily obtain non-ethanol fuel, I began to have problems with 
blocked carb idle circuits. The palliative solution was to, about weekly, 
remove the idle mixture screws and blow carb cleaner and compressed air 
into the screw ports. Now, over the past year or so, since I began treating 
all fuel used with Marine StaBil for Ethonol Fuels, the blocked passage 
problem has gone completely away... same car, same carbs, same ethanol fuel; the 
only difference is the StaBil treatment. If there are folks out there 
using ethanol fuel with no problems, then God bless you; I hope your good 
fortune continues. 

Mike Mauro (in humid Florida) 


==================================== 
On Wed, Oct 13, 2010 at 9:21 PM, J R Read <hmlinc at sbcglobal.net> wrote: 

I did have the fuel line on a snow blower turn to mush a couple of years back. Yep, it was an old one. Don't remember now if it was rubber or plastic. Replaced with modern rubber fuel line. 

Illinois has had ethanol in the gas for at least a dozen years. We grow the corn here. 

Later, JR 

----- Original Message ----- From: "Mark Durham" <62vair at gmail.com> 
Subject: Re: <VV> FYI - Ethanol 

We in Northern Idaho do have a choice, if we want to drive 30 miles, to find 
the rare non-ethanol gasoline station, or at least one pump at a station 
with straight gas. So, like Matt, we use the ethanol laced mix ourselves 
with no ill effects. I own semi new and old. Mark Durham 

On Wed, Oct 13, 2010 at 6:46 PM, Matt Nall <patiomatt at aol.com> wrote: 


=============================================================== 
I think over the years there have been different materials have been used in fuel systems. 
So, one or even several experiences with no failures may not define what "is" is. 
"Proving" a theory (or is it a hypothesis?) with evidence based on a negative is especially hard. Consider the Coelacanth, the prehistoric fish that everybody, including scientists, knew was extinct, until 1938 when a South African fisherman who apparently didn't "know" any better caught one. 


There is anecdotal evidence online, and widely held at gas stations, and repair shops that even some fairly new vehicles ( watercraft and lawn equipment) have had problems with "rubber" parts degradation that may be related to alcohol in fuel. 


Here's mine. 


I got a 1968 Scout from a friend 2-3 years ago cause I was able to revive it from sitting in his yard since the owner,his dad, died. The Scout was his dad's daily driver. It has a 1995 Massachusetts inspection sticker on it. I brought it home, where it has since served as a plow vehicle for a the last few seasons. Last week I started it up for a pre-season check out. A short hose connecting a filter installed between fuel pump and carb failed and gushed fuel all over the place. It looks like it used to be one of those short pieces of fuel line provided with inline filters back in the carburetor days. It had turned to rubbery mush and disintegrated to reveal the braid inside like the ribs on the turkey carcass on November 25th. I attribute that peculiar failure to at most 2 years' exposure to "something" in modern "up to 10% ethanol" gas-o-line. I got some 5/16 inch modern name brand fuel line to replace it. I expect that to work just fine, but We'll see how long that lasts. 


Dan T