Gasohol and Small Engines

[oldpilgrim]

I own a number of antique cars... all have vented fuel tanks and some cars rarely get used...

I'm a 40+ year member of the Model A Ford Club of America and with the advent of Ethanol Fuel without alternative here in California... we are all experiencing fuel issues we never had before...

Sure... much of it can be attributed to vehicles that may sit for months... just like they did before.

Another is Fuel Tank Sealing of Sloshing Compounds are are were used a lot in the antique auto hobby and the alcohol turns the Tank Sealer into goo... and that is a huge problem as the tank is part of the body of the car and not separate like a modern car...

There are consequences and just because they only affect a minute percentage of users does not mean they are not real...

thanks for reiterating the same issues I have with my Model T and my Model A. In frequent use was never a problem until the advent of gasahol. It just evaporated if it sat too long.

NOw every time the gas sits for more than 3 months, even with it being Stabilized, it turns to crap and won't even burn. It gets real tiring to have to disassemble and clean out the carburetors on a regular, nearly annual basis.

Same with my generator.

We have no recourse in our ability to get the non alky gas. We just can't get it. It's for our own good.

 

[arrow]

thanks for reiterating the same issues I have with my Model T and my Model A. In frequent use was never a problem until the advent of gasahol. It just evaporated if it sat too long.

NOw every time the gas sits for more than 3 months, even with it being Stabilized, it turns to crap and won't even burn. It gets real tiring to have to disassemble and clean out the carburetors on a regular, nearly annual basis.

Same with my generator.

We have no recourse in our ability to get the non alky gas. We just can't get it. It's for our own good.

Well you can Pilgrim. It's gonna cost you just $60 for 5 gallons. Where I bought my tractor sells it. It is sad to say that the number of times I've had to dismantle the front of our motorcycles to get to the ethanol crudded up carburetors, it's worth it to me.

 

[ultrarunner]

Yes... I did not even mention my old motorcycles...

One of the nice things about a Model T is you can just park them.

I have one with no battery and mechanical brakes... two major issues with storage solved.

Fuel was never a problem until the reformulated stuff started hitting he market...

Also have 3 generators and the Honda since 1985... all never had issues... not a single one... now, they all have issues.

My Stihl Dealer told me to run my saws dry if they were going to sit for more than a few weeks...

Just saying there has to be some truth to this.

The worst case has been my 1938 Bantam Roadster... it lives in my enclosed trailer... Had it stored for about a year and when I went to start had found the fuel had separated... over a mason jar of water??? It doesn't even rain in California.

 

[dfkrug]

Info is super easy to get, truth is NOT.

That's why I did not use the T-word.

One has to gather data from multiple sources, evaluate the credibility of these sources,
then try to filter it all to glean the truth. That is harder than just absorbing the "truth"
as told to us in an authoritative manner. This applies to info from the internet, books,
TV, your BIL, and others. Sometimes, you can even run your own tests and get
your own personal experience.

 

[dfkrug]

Don't forget Nancy Pelosi's famous statement that more people on unemployment was
good for the economy.

Her statements were some of those I had in mind when I said "our reps". All those "free" unemployment
payments were supposed to be a great stimulus.

Ethanol subsidies, then mandates, were supposed to help create a whole industry that helped the
US gain ground in the pursuit of "energy independence".

 

[davesl708]

Let the market decide about ethanol. With E85 on the market the reception has not been well received. Not sure if it is the availability of E85 or limited vehicles built to run on it or the cost was higher but don't see much of it around anymore.

Pure gas should be available at all stations so people can choose. The taxpayer subsidies should end. Let the industry compete fairly.
The engine manufactures should decide how their engines run and what fuel is best for them.

 

[3930dave]

Sometimes, you can even run your own tests and get
your own personal experience.

What kind of crazy talk is that ?

Actually applying the Scientific Method ? Who knows what that might lead to !

Rgds, D.

 

[lilranch2001]

I have ran all the experiments I need to.
I DO NOT WANT ETHYNOL IN MY SMALL ENGINES

:2cents:

 

[Copperhead]

I think the E85 thing not being well received is general public misunderstanding of things. They know, rightly, that E85 will offer lower mpg, so they avoid it. Now that being said, just because it has a lower mpg does not imply that it is not lower cost per mile. Depending on the area it is available, even with the lower mpg it can also be lower cost on a per mile basis than E10 or E0. Depends on the price spread in your area. We have a lot of E85 pumps around my area, because there is a lot of folks who use it. It can be very cost effective.

And that shows that it isn't necessarily the EPA that is pulling all the strings. While many areas, folks are limited in their fuel choices, we have E0, E10, E15, E20, E30, E85 any day of the year. I live rural, but I can head in any direction to any town and get ethanol free gas any time I want it. So the EPA must not be the one to blame. Seems more like a state issue. The folks at your state capitol have made the decision to offer or not offer ethanol free easily to anyone who wants it.

 

[oldpilgrim]

I have ran all the experiments I need to.
I DO NOT WANT ETHANOL IN ANY OF MY ENGINES.

:2cents:

FIFY.........