RE: Ethanol news

I’ve been running E10 (10% ethanol) in pretty much all of my vehicles since the mid-80’s. Some do require a tweaking of the carb to get the best performance/mileage/idle, but I’ve never had any real problems. I have had systems where the junk is picked up far more easily with the E10 than with “normal” fuel, but that, IMO, is not an indication of a problem with the fuel, but rather the crud lurking in the system.

The reason to avoid alcohol is that it destroys real rubber. However, I have no idea when they stopped using real rubber in car parts, because nothing I have had to deal with back to 1957 has ever had failure due to E10 usage. Around these parts, it’s long been the preferred fuel for those of us with older and/or high performance vehicles that like the effective higher octane. Back when only one chain carried an E10 blend, you would find cars lined up there 20 deep on cruise night, all waiting for their fill of “the good stuff”.

That chain had the “x” on blended fuel. Others did try to break into the market with M5 (5% methanol), but never had success. Evidently, methanol is harmful in places where ethanol is fine. Around that time, I was swinging wrenches for GM, and methanol blended fuels were not supposed to be used, as they were supposedly harmful to the injectors. Yet methanol is typically what is used for gas line antifreeze.

The only vehicle I had that ever didn’t like E10 was a ’72 Polara with a 318 LA that was seriously tired. In fact, one cylinder would foul the plug with oil within 5 minutes of being changed. Even then, it was barely noticeable. Now, we very rarely reach 100 degrees up here, but often hit -40 in the winter. So those in warmer climates might get different results running E10 than we do up here.

My Dart with it’s 318 poly does just fine on E10. Yes, I’ve picked up stuff out of the tank that maybe wouldn’t have made it out of there with non-blended fuel. But the real problem was that it was in the tank in the first place. That, and the fact that a previous owner had cleaned the tank with acetone but not had it lined. So my plans are to take my spare tank, get it cleaned & lined, then replace the fuel lines. With everything new & happy, I don’t ever expect any issues with E10.

For years now, we’ve had up to 10% ethanol in all but 91 octane.

-Ray

From: 1962to1965mopars@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:1962to1965mopars@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Richard Kinsley
Sent: 18 September 2013 09:13
To: undisclosed recipients:
Subject: Ethanol news

I have heard the last few days that there will be no more 87 octane fuel sold in Nebraska shortly. Ollie was mentioning he couldn't find the 87 in Miss. so I guess ethanol mix will become the standard soon.

Everything will have 10% ethanol except the 91 which is wrong because most of it has 10% ethanol right now.

This will be hard on our old cars and actually lots of yard equipt says not to use ethanol also.

Dag nabbit!

Rich Kinsley '64 Dodge Polara 4dr LeRoar 324 poly w/goodies