Ethanol content in our gas eliminates the need for "DryGas". Not a bad
thing entirely.
Hygroscopic means that it attracts/absorbs water.
If there's water in your gas tank (whether from the gas-pumps or from highly
humid air condensing in the airspace above a less-than-full tank).
It allows the contaminant to burn in the engine along with the gas. This
reduces octane as well as the combustion temps as the water cools the
mixture.
We're all E10 here in New England; "gasohol" from the 70's, right?
They water down our gas and then charge us more for the privilege! What a
deal (for them)!
So, now it's just a natural course of events to make the move to 15%, and
higher!
Shorter engine life means we buy cars more often to replace the worn-out,
too-expensive-to-repair ones we own now.
Yes, this stuff eats fuel lines. My 4-cycle weedwacker's clear fuel lines
crumbled to shreds over the winter, that never happened before!
I replaced it with thick-wall clear fuel line for my radio-controlled model
airplane; it's formulated for some pretty strong stuff.
But I have NO idea what to do for VW fuel lines.....
Mike B.
-----Original Message-----
From: Bert Knupp
Sent: Wednesday, June 29, 2011 6:48 PM
To: 'Air-Cooled Volkswagen Discussion List'
Subject: [vintagvw] Ethanol in gasoline
Volks,
The European classic-car boards are lighting up in panic because of a
proposal in the European Community to mandate E10 fuel -- requiring 10%
ethyl alcohol (ethanol) in all retail motor fuels. You'd think war had been
declared on old-timers and classics: Doom and destruction is being forecast
for all the usual reasons, mostly revolving around the hygroscopic
characteristics of ethanol. Of course, here in the USA, we've had E15 at
our pumps for a long time. And lead-free gasolines even longer.
The general question: What adaptations, if any, are required when ethanol
gets added routinely to motor fuels? Will our fuel tanks really rust away?
Will our butyl rubber fuel lines really turn to silly putty? Are we really
seeing any negative effects of our E15 gasoline on longevity, performance,
or economy? How about the absence of tetraethyl lead? In the USA, it was
the agriculture lobby that bought enough votes to require ethanol use. In
Europe, distaste for dependency on Khadafy and his ilk adds to the push
(though we've had our share of jingoism, too). What's the Real Story for
those of us who drive antique cars with antique engines? Are there any
additives we ought to consider? Changes in hoses and tubes? Fuel
treatments to spare our gas tanks?
Bert Knupp in Music City USA
|__n__
(_____)º
(Ô\_|_/Ô)
ü ° ° ü
Polizeikäfer '70
_______________________________________________
vintagvw site list
[email protected]
http://lists.sjsu.edu/mailman/listinfo/vintagvw
_______________________________________________
vintagvw site list
[email protected]
http://lists.sjsu.edu/mailman/listinfo/vintagvw
