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Ethanol and my MGBs Heartburn

Last post 07-31-2008, 7:56 PM by mbamgb. 9 replies.
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  •  05-27-2008, 2:44 PM 14612

    Ethanol and my MGBs Heartburn

    Recently, I filled up with Exxon gas containing ethanol. Now, up until now the car has been running and stopping fine. But in the last couple of days, the engine has run-on badly. Is that a byproduct of ethanol in a 30-year old British car?

    zach 


    Happiness is an MGB!
  •  05-28-2008, 10:12 AM 14632 in reply to 14612

    Re: Ethanol and my MGBs Heartburn

    Reading around (briefly) I see claims that ethanol can reduce knock problems, but not much turned up about running on problems. This article/webpage might be of interest if you are using E85 or similar.

    http://e85vehicles.com/converting-e85.htm

     

    Ed


    I want my MGB
  •  05-30-2008, 6:58 PM 14684 in reply to 14632

    Re: Ethanol and my MGBs Heartburn

    Thanks, Ed.
    Happiness is an MGB!
  •  05-30-2008, 8:46 PM 14689 in reply to 14684

    Re: Ethanol and my MGBs Heartburn

    I noticed around here that some of the stations are selling, I believe it was 10% alcohol blends. About that time I had my fuel tank out for repairs, so when I went to replace the rubber portion of the fuel lines I went to NAPA and looked thru their parts catalog for specs on their fuel lines.

     I recalled Motorbill telling about using fuel injection lines in case of ethanol. Sure enough, fuel injection line, although a little more expensive were specified as being alcohol resistant, whereas there was no mention of that in the ordinary fuel line specs.

     Three feet was enough to replace all of the ordinary fuel line in my TR6.

     I'm not using the blend yet, but in the future I might not have a choice.

     BTW, I remember hearing about problems with ethanol back during the gas shortages in the mid 70's (the Arab oil embargo). 

  •  07-16-2008, 8:42 AM 15276 in reply to 14684

    Re: Ethanol and my MGBs Heartburn

    Zach, TR Man here,  We had a similar problem with our TR 3.  Trying to be responsible in the environment, 12 gallons of Gasohol in a 14 gallon tank.  A hot humid Minnesota/Dakota day,  our Winston ran a little rough, seemed a little down on power.  We stopped for lunch in Mankato, MN, and when we left the restaurant, it was 'the devil himself' to restart.   The same thing when we got home in South Dakota.  Down on power, rougher than normal idle and satan incarnate to restart.  The only fix was to siphon the gasohol out and then to the Amoco station for a tank of premium gas.  That was the fix.  After that, Sorry Environment, you are on your own.  No more gasohol, no more hot starting difficulties.
     

  •  07-16-2008, 1:29 PM 15280 in reply to 15276

    Re: Ethanol and my MGBs Heartburn

    TR Man,

    I hope you continue to have a choice, but I doubt it will remain so. The difficulty in starting is the lower boiling point of fuel with alcohol in it. You are on the edge of vapor lock. Here at 5000 ft., we deal with this all summer long and into the fall as the altitude makes it even worse. We've even seen some fuel injected cars experience the problem.


    Motorbill
    From Lola to Land Rover, If it's British and has wheels, it's likely I've bloodied me knuckles thereupon
  •  07-21-2008, 6:57 PM 15333 in reply to 15280

    Re: Ethanol and my MGBs Heartburn

    Motorbill and others:

     

    Those of us lucky(?) enough to live in California have enjoyed the use of E10 (10% ethanol) since they took away MTBE a couple of years ago.  I have not noticed any problem either in winter or summer with cold or warm starts.

     I would want to do some serious jetting changes to run E85 in anything not designed for it as the power produced per pound of fuel is considerably less and more needs to be burned to restore the power to what it was.


    Oh, to be as young as I think I am.
  •  07-22-2008, 10:01 AM 15341 in reply to 15333

    Re: Ethanol and my MGBs Heartburn

    Bob,

    10% isn't so bad at sea level, but come up here and the story changes a bit. The fuel at the stations works generally OK for injected cars, whose systems are under vapor preventing pressure and whose fuel pumps are in the tank, where they'll stay relatively cool. By the way, that's the whole reason for that type installation. A hot external pump, near hot pavement, on a hot day, has one heck of a job to do to put thirty to forty pounds of pressure into an injection supply line. Vapor lock can actually happen at the entrance port to the pump. Ask anybody with a late eighties Jaguar about this deal, and then prepare for a dirty look...

    No matter where you are, Alchohol in the fuel will degrade old low pressure type rubber fuel lines. This stuff just can't resist it. We ALWAYS install fuel injection grade hose where there is a choice, and we had to find this out the hard way. E85 will be a major undertaking for anyone with one of these classics.

    Please don't mistake my intentions. I'm not just a curmudgeonly type campaigning against pollution reducing technology. Far from it, I embrace it wholeheartedly. What's annoying is that our cars, no matter how "dirty", are such a small niche that they do nothing to the overall picture, and we are also ignored by most major manufacturers when it comes to warning us about changes which threaten the condition of our automobiles. Witness the whole ZDDP thing. This cost my business, and therefore me personally, a bunch to rework engines we had rebuilt and whose cams and lifters went bad while the oil producing industry said NOTHING. They din't mind taking our money the whole time for the oil that was ruining our customers' engines, though.

    Truly, we're on our own out here, and we need to look out for each other. 


    Motorbill
    From Lola to Land Rover, If it's British and has wheels, it's likely I've bloodied me knuckles thereupon
  •  07-22-2008, 12:23 PM 15346 in reply to 15341

    Re: Ethanol and my MGBs Heartburn

    People-

     

    Alcohol/E-85 eats aluminum and can dissolve certain plastics and rubber compounds. Another problem with it is that to get the correct air/fuel mixture with it in a carb takes a lot of fuel. At idle, it is very difficult to get the high volume of fuel necessary to atomize properly. Furthermore, the alcohol in the intake and carb has a cooling effect when vaporizing which can cause icing of the carb in the winter. Plus, it is a waste of resources that can be put to better use making the other kind of alcohol I enjoy from time to time!

     

    LCJUTILA
     

  •  07-31-2008, 7:56 PM 15434 in reply to 14612

    Re: Ethanol and my MGBs Heartburn

    I read and article in a recent magazine that says ethanol only has 60 percent of the octane that Gasoline has.

    I have heard it can also corrode fuel lines and deteriorate and swell rubber lines and seals possibly causing a fuel leak so be careful!

    I have a lawn care business and all My 2 and 4 stroke equipment has been hard starting and runs terrible lately.

    I have just found a local BP Gas

    station that does Not have Ethanol in their Gasoline!