Here Here! 3 Cheers for LT Don!
See http://www.iowacorn.org/ethanol/ethanol_3b.html
and http://www.iowacorn.org/ethanol/ethanol_3.html for science based facts.
I have burned the 10% ethanol blend in lots of stuff since it became
available in the 70s. (cars, trucks., motorcycle, small engines) It works
just fine. It prevents gas line freeze. It keeps your carb/injectors
clean etc. If you have crud in the tank/carb, it will clean it out. Does
anyone remember HEET? We used to dump cans of HEET in our tanks in the
winter to prevent the water in gasoline from freezing. HEET was ethyl
alcohol.
While pure ethyl alcohol has less BTUs per gallon than gasoline, the
mileage difference of 10% blend is negligible. The 10% blend has helped to
keep gasoline prices fairly stable until a year-year and a half ago when
the prices went nuts. It was not that long ago that we had 99 cent gas
here. The high price of oil related products means that ethanol and BioD
are more viable, as is corn based plastics.
The only thing you have to watch out for is that alcohol evaporates more
easy than gasoline. If you leave it in your lawnmower over winter or your
chain saw for months without use, it can cause problems. The current
blends of gasoline, without alcohol also cause problems in these conditions!
I don't have a crystal ball, but I am sure that there is more alcohol in
our future, not less! (I know I am drinking more beer than i used to!) I
also think that more alcohol will be in motor vehicles. I look for more
E85. There is a big push in Iowa to be able to buy E85 in more
places. There is more BioD in our future also.
Big oil is not pushing E10 and E85. Just the opposite is true. They are
pushing MTBE and have been working actively for 30 years to resist ethanol
blends.
E85 does get lower mileage, but the overall fuel cost is about the same. I
have noticed that E85 price at the pump fluctuates with gas, so as to keep
the overall cost equal. If E85 retail price was left independent of
gasoline, then the advantage would go to E85. My guess is that the
wholesalers and retailers are making MORE money on E85.
The E85 challenge:
http://www.whoradio.com/pages/shows/farm/index.html?feed=121646&article=376418
The results:
Fuel cost:
E85: $1.71/gallon
Unleaded: $2.17/gallon
Mileage:
E85: 17.1 mpg
Unleaded: 21.2 mpg
Cost per mile:
E85: 9.97 cents
Unleaded: 10.23 cents
The winner by a slight margin was the E85 vehicle. (For fuel cost
only) When you consider the other benefits of E85, it has an advantage in
the long run.
For more info on pricing, see
http://www.iowacorn.org/ethanol/documents/gaspricesconsumer.pdf
Loren
At 07:29 AM 2/2/2006, you wrote:
Interesting. I run the 10% ethanol in all of my non-diesels (including in my
motorcycle) and have had no problems.
But I do live in Iowa.
On 2/1/06, [EMAIL PROTECTED] <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
>
> <<I have found that ethanol in fuel is garbage, I put a tank full of
> ethanol
> blend into the 230E and it hated it, fuel mileage went down as well. No
> wonder our friends the oil companies are pushing for an ethanol blend,
> worse
> mileage equals more fuel sold.>>
>
> Maybe fifteen years ago 10% ethanol was mandated in certain zip codes in
> the
> winter months in western Washington. After EPA air quality requirements
> were
> met, ethanol went away, thank God. It is true that mileage drops 10% which
> was
> proven to me, tank after tank. It's hard to measure performance except to
> say
> that it was noticeably down. Which means, obviously, that monthly fuel
> cost
> went up 10%.
>
> My Porsche isn't driven much and so I didn't want ethanol in the tank all
> winter, so I gassed it up in late September which I made last until normal
> gas
> was again available in about March. Maybe April.
>
> The main benefactors turn out to be ADM Corp. plus the Iowa corn farmers.
>
> RLE/Seattle
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--
1977 240D
1983 VW Quantum turbo diesel 5-speed
1972 Honda CB-500K motorcycle
http://www.airamericaradio.com/listen
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