gas and ethanol

[horsepwr]

TweetI'm sure everyone has noticed, for the last few years, all the major gas stations have a notice on the pumps stating that the gasoline "contains up to 10% ethanol". yeah, I'm sure it's right up to 10%, and then some. Ethanol, just in case you didn't know, is alcohol. Ethanol is simply alcohol. It's alcohol in any, and every, form. The government puts ethanol in gas for environmental purposes, correct? Well, this would be a good thing if it worked that way, but it doesn't. There are gasoline burning engines. (The vehicles that we drive on the streets everyday), and there's ethanol/alcohol burning engines. They are not interchangeable. You either have an alcohol burning engine, or a gasoline engine. Gasoline engines do not like being fed alcohol.
We're lucky enough to have 2 gas stations, here in town, that still sell ethanol free gas. I have heard of these ethanol free stores for a couple years now. I didn't realize how big a difference it makes until I finally ran my truck almost completely out of gas, and put ethanol free gas in it. Being the truck was pretty much empty, I could tell a difference by the time I had gotten about a quarter-mile down the road, and idled at a red-light. That ever-so-slight rough idle that's supposed to be "characteristic of the 5.4" and feeling the cams was gone. She was purring like a kitten. That split second of valve chatter that's also "characteristic of the 5.4L" was gone. I haven't done the math, but my 5.4L F150 gets at least 25% better gas mileage with ethanol-free gas. Go figure...it's a gasoline motor. Not an alcohol burner!

To draw an accurate scientific conclusion. You should test your hypothesis at least 3 times.

So, I had a tank of that 10% ethanol gas in my motorcycle. I don't have a gas guage on my bike. It's a sportbike(Yamaha), but it does have a gas light that comes on at 1 gallon left. At the same time, the odometer starts at 0.0, and begins a count of how many miles you've rode with the gas light on.
My bike gets an easy 35mpg. The literature on the bike when you buy one new claims 48mpg on the HWY. I've always got around 30-35mpg riding pretty easy.
Well, I wanted to make it across the bridge and into town to put this ethanol free gas in my bike, so I was riding very easy on the throttle. I was like grandpa on the thing. I had done some more riding, then decided I better head toeards the gas station. I didn't quite make it there. I ended up having to coast into a gas-station with 25miles clocked. wtf?! I should've at least had another 10miles. So that's a sure 30% drop in gas mileage for my bike.
That's 2 tests with synonymous results. No need for a 3rd.

Conclusion: The whole ethanol hype has not only been a huge waste of time and money, but it's also bad for gasoline motors as well as even worse for the environment than leaving our gasoline to be pure gasoline for gasoline burning engines.
Leave alcohol to alcohol burning engines.

Who in the hell are the clowns that came up with throwing alcohol in our gasoline as some kind of help? Gasoline engines don't like alcohol. At all. And vice-versa. It doesn't take a scientist, or mechanic, to know that fact. And it shouldn't take a scientist, or environmentalist, to understand that by continueing with this ethanol in our gasoline burning vehicles. We are just damaging our engines and putting more exhaust into the atmosphere.

What happened to common sense?

[rc10j1]

TweetEthanol also attracts water. When left to sit for a while, ethanol separates from the gas. If u have anything that doesn't get used often like a boat or motorcycle be sure to put some stabil ethanol treatment in it. Ethanol is hell on boat motors. Older boats with fiberglass fuel tanks have to be fitted with new tanks because it will actually pull the resin out of the fiberglass and into the fuel system. If you have a boat make sure you change the water separator often because the ethanol will attract water to your tank.

[rc10j1]

TweetAlso the ethanol industry is lobbying to be allowed to sell 15% ethanol.

[horsepwr]

TweetThank you for the tips rc10! That might be the main reason my bike went to sputtering, like it was out of gas or couldn't get gas. It migh've been water. Ya know how an engine will just bog when you try to throttle? That's what it did. I didn't even wait for it to completely die, or run out. As soon as it bogged down like that, and lost power, I wheeled it right into a gas station that was conveniently right there in coasting distance. Had to put more of that ethanol shit in it, but...that's what's most convenient.

It really sucks that at a time when engines are running like never before, the government throws alcohol at 'em so, there goes the excellent progress in engineering.

[JsJs24]

TweetEthanol is less efficient in gasoline engines, and I have heard it is not too good on the life of the engine. I do not run it in our gas engines and never will. The same is going on with diesel. They are moving to B20 for diesels, which is less efficient than regular diesel. I only run regular diesel in my truck and I add a cetane booster made by Ford, which makes my truck run like new.

[horsepwr]

Tweetyeah man. It's like night-n-day in my truck.
See, they've had that ethanol in the gas since just before the late model '04 5.4L(exactly my model truck). The late model 2004+ 5.4 is different than the previous years. That's why friends with the same engine, and the F-150 board claimed that slight valve-chatter on the 1st crank of the day to be "characteristic of the new 5.4". Well after putting ethanol free gas in her. I've since learned that's not so. At least, not with the one sitting outside my house.

I know that I will do everything I can to get to ethanol-free gas in the future. It doesn't seem so outta-the-way now that I've seen the difference. And with it having such a harmful effect on engines. That motorcycle in the garage damn sure won't see anymore ethanol. Talk about night-n-day...Those engines are extremely sensitive. They must have at least 91octane. It's good to live in a state where premium is 93. I programmed my truck for 93 as well. Modular motors need it anyway, but I'm sure that has something to do with it running so much different from ethanol free to gas with 10% ethanol.

[CTRL]

Tweetgreat thread and i didn't ever think much about it.

can we start a list of which gas companies or stations do or don't use it? i try to use one gas company for my cars just so it's always the same additives and crap rather then all the companies shit tossed around in my tank but i never really looked at the ethanol content

[rc10j1]

TweetMost major stations are going to it. I offshore fish a lot so I make sure and change my fuel/water separator each year and drain my tanks and motors when I store my boat in the winter. I don't wanna take a chance on being 100 miles in the gulf and have a motor not work!

[horsepwr]

Tweet

great thread and i didn't ever think much about it.

can we start a list of which gas companies or stations do or don't use it? i try to use one gas company for my cars just so it's always the same additives and crap rather then all the companies shit tossed around in my tank but i never really looked at the ethanol content

From right here in my home town, and my travels abroad. All the major gas companies have the 10% ethanol additive. The 2 gas stations that still have ethanol-free gas are not major petro corp stations here locally. They're stations that I would normally pass up because of the concern for the age of the tanks in the ground, etc...But trust me. If you can find a station that offers ehthanol free gas. Jump all over it. Run that Mustang as low as you can before you put the ethanol-free gas in it, and you'll notice a huge difference. I wouldn't doubt at least a 10-15hp gain. These modular motors hate alcohol and water instead of straight premium gas.
I was told about the one ethanol-free station for a couple yrs before I finally gave it a try. This is my home-town, so I hear from allot of folks.
Just ask around. Actually, you might contact your local Chamber of Commerce. Maybe they can point you right to an ethanol free station.

Best of Luck bro.
If you find ethanol-free gas. Post up how your car responds to it. It'll love you for it.

[CTRL]

Tweetwil do and i guess i'll go driving to waste gas and find a station now, lol

[Dzone]

TweetGood information. Thanks. So you pull in to a gas station , where do you look to know if the gas has ethanol? I suppose it is posted on the pump itself. Probably something we see every time we pump gas but have never bothered to notice it.

[rc10j1]

TweetHere In TX it's just a tiny sticker on the pump.

[horsepwr]

Tweetyeah. that "up to 10%" sticker on the pump.

If they have ethanol-free gas. It'll be on the Marquee outside.

[jipped genes]

Tweetjust a good example of lobbyists getting a favor from our gov for profit even though it sets the USA back in its ability to find and use alternative fuels.

"Ethanol contains approx. 34% less energy per unit volume than gasoline, and therefore in theory, burning pure ethanol in a vehicle will result in a 34% reduction in miles per US gallon , given the same fuel economy, compared to burning pure gasoline"

it is also corrosive. it will eat the fuel system of older cars designed for gasoline

[bowbow]

TweetI love ethanol, The sooner we get to the 15% bleand the better.
I can't even find a station around me that has ethanol available. Your only supposed to be putting the bleand in cars designed for it. It has it right on your fuel cap if you should be using it.
Oh, I grow lots of corn here if you wounder why I like it.