Oh, not another one of those polarizing ethanol sucks things. Good grief, like there aren't enough of those already (here and elsewhere)
There's been studies back and forth as far as "environmental impact" and next year there will be another saying something different.
Here's the bottom line -
I've been a mechanic since before it was even a thing. I saw it come into Iowa in the late 70s/early 80s.
I've run it in everything - tractors, chain saws, trimmers, lawn mowers, cars, trucks, you name it. There's only one car I've ever had where I try to limit it and that's because of the very rare rubber hose fuel tank filler on that car. It's been ok for 190,000 miles but I'm wondering about cutting back because after all of these years (decades) and thousands of miles, I'm actually seeing an impact on that 1982 hose.
I have run it in Javelins, AMXs, Eagles, Ford trucks, Chevy trucks and countless Jeeps.
I've yet to see any damage from it.
I've done small engine repair for years - I've yet to see damage caused by ethanol. usually what happens is people see what happens when you let things SIT for months or you have moisture in the fuel and they blame the ethanol.
As I've said countless times - if it's so very bad for things - why have I never had, nor seen, any ethanol damage or problems in all of the years since it came to Iowa, and I've never worked on a car belonging to anyone where the car actually had ethanol-related problems. The only exceptions were in the early 80s when accelerator pump piston rubber swelled or the original fuel hoses had some issues. Once Tomco and others changed the makeup of those parts, and we rebuilt the carburetors, the problems went away.
120,000 miles on my 68 - no issues, over 80,000 miles on my AMX - no issues, about 100,000 miles on my current Javelin - dual quads, no issues.
I've worked on hundreds of cars, carburetors and all, and have never seen ethanol related issues.
Careful there, I was a farmer in the 1980s. There's no food vs. fuel, not a bit. If you looked at valid research, you'd find that's the case. WHO radio spent almost a whole day doing the "food vs. fuel" thing about 15 years ago - and debunked it. The only shortages are caused by politics and greedy leaders in other places. Corn SITS in piles, the problem is there's so much of it that it killed the markets so the government decides they are smart and gets involved.
Granted, there are other means of making it - like grass - that's better. There are a lot of studies showing that using other "crops" is more efficient and better for the environment.
Very rough LOL.
Seriously, additives don't "settle". What really happens, and I've studied this at length having used it in EVERYTHING I've ever owned that burns gasoline - is that since ethanol has an affinity for water, it absorbs the water and when it sits it's the water that does the damage. I recognize the oxidation that results - it's the water that's been absorbed. If you live in a climate that has drastic temperature changes and high humidity, don't let it sit. It will absorb the moisture or water. If it's sealed, it's not going to be a big problem but most fuel systems "breathe" to some extent.
As long as it doesn't sit for months, no problem.
I run ethanol in my JD lawn tractor, and the JD before this one. It often sits a month, even two, at a time and guess what - years later, zero issues.
My cars often sit months at a time - no problems.
ISU did studies over time and found that there's virtually no difference on cars made after about 2000 or so as far as 15% vs 10%. It's when you jump up higher you are bound to see things change.
So - I guess I must be the most lucky person in the world! I've run it in EVERYTHING since the 1980s, cars, trucks and more. I still run it in everything, including my SX4 (although for the sake of a fuel filler hose that is literally irreplaceable I've cut back) I run it in my Javelin, lawn mower and have worked on hundreds of vehicles and many dozens of small engines, and have never seen a problem. So - is it REALLY the ethanol, or are people blaming it on things they just don't understand what's really happening?
here's the gas tank inside view of my SX4 - 40 years old, some of that time it sat for weeks or longer, and I run 10%.
your rebuttal and break down of that article was an excellent read and incredibly interesting facts. I felt that article was very one sided and used pseudo-science to lend itself favor. Kudos my fellow gladiator owner!Oh, not another one of those polarizing ethanol sucks things. Good grief, like there aren't enough of those already (here and elsewhere)
There's been studies back and forth as far as "environmental impact" and next year there will be another saying something different.
Here's the bottom line -
I've been a mechanic since before it was even a thing. I saw it come into Iowa in the late 70s/early 80s.
I've run it in everything - tractors, chain saws, trimmers, lawn mowers, cars, trucks, you name it. There's only one car I've ever had where I try to limit it and that's because of the very rare rubber hose fuel tank filler on that car. It's been ok for 190,000 miles but I'm wondering about cutting back because after all of these years (decades) and thousands of miles, I'm actually seeing an impact on that 1982 hose.
I have run it in Javelins, AMXs, Eagles, Ford trucks, Chevy trucks and countless Jeeps.
I've yet to see any damage from it.
I've done small engine repair for years - I've yet to see damage caused by ethanol. usually what happens is people see what happens when you let things SIT for months or you have moisture in the fuel and they blame the ethanol.
As I've said countless times - if it's so very bad for things - why have I never had, nor seen, any ethanol damage or problems in all of the years since it came to Iowa, and I've never worked on a car belonging to anyone where the car actually had ethanol-related problems. The only exceptions were in the early 80s when accelerator pump piston rubber swelled or the original fuel hoses had some issues. Once Tomco and others changed the makeup of those parts, and we rebuilt the carburetors, the problems went away.
120,000 miles on my 68 - no issues, over 80,000 miles on my AMX - no issues, about 100,000 miles on my current Javelin - dual quads, no issues.
I've worked on hundreds of cars, carburetors and all, and have never seen ethanol related issues.
Careful there, I was a farmer in the 1980s. There's no food vs. fuel, not a bit. If you looked at valid research, you'd find that's the case. WHO radio spent almost a whole day doing the "food vs. fuel" thing about 15 years ago - and debunked it. The only shortages are caused by politics and greedy leaders in other places. Corn SITS in piles, the problem is there's so much of it that it killed the markets so the government decides they are smart and gets involved.
Granted, there are other means of making it - like grass - that's better. There are a lot of studies showing that using other "crops" is more efficient and better for the environment.
Very rough LOL.
Seriously, additives don't "settle". What really happens, and I've studied this at length having used it in EVERYTHING I've ever owned that burns gasoline - is that since ethanol has an affinity for water, it absorbs the water and when it sits it's the water that does the damage. I recognize the oxidation that results - it's the water that's been absorbed. If you live in a climate that has drastic temperature changes and high humidity, don't let it sit. It will absorb the moisture or water. If it's sealed, it's not going to be a big problem but most fuel systems "breathe" to some extent.
As long as it doesn't sit for months, no problem.
I run ethanol in my JD lawn tractor, and the JD before this one. It often sits a month, even two, at a time and guess what - years later, zero issues.
My cars often sit months at a time - no problems.
ISU did studies over time and found that there's virtually no difference on cars made after about 2000 or so as far as 15% vs 10%. It's when you jump up higher you are bound to see things change.
So - I guess I must be the most lucky person in the world! I've run it in EVERYTHING since the 1980s, cars, trucks and more. I still run it in everything, including my SX4 (although for the sake of a fuel filler hose that is literally irreplaceable I've cut back) I run it in my Javelin, lawn mower and have worked on hundreds of vehicles and many dozens of small engines, and have never seen a problem. So - is it REALLY the ethanol, or are people blaming it on things they just don't understand what's really happening?
here's the gas tank inside view of my SX4 - 40 years old, some of that time it sat for weeks or longer, and I run 10%.
To each their own. I run e10 in my vehicles, but I choose to use pure gasoline in my small engines - I find with the single cylinders, carburetors, and long storage times (with with stabilizer) that e10 doesn't work as well. So, I'm all for anyone choosing whatever they want whenever they want.
Your statement is a little misleading, as the manual recommends gasoline with 15% or less ethanol. E-10 gasoline - which is what you commonly see - is 100% fine per the owner's manual, and as long as you're regularly driving your vehicle there's literally no harm to a modern fuel system.
Please explain how a subsidy to prop up an industry for growing corn that adds to the input cost of the final product somehow makes gas cheaper at the pump. Then, please explain how adding ethanol, that oxygenates the fuel more and causes it to burn faster, reduces the overall consumption.
I could take a picture at the pump, and show you how it's cheaper, but I know that's not what you're asking.
Gas mileage of ethanol blended gas and non-ethanol blended gas is virtually the same.
it actually recommends top tier gas and no they aren't the same, from my experience in other vehicles that I used 100% gas vs ethanol blended gas, I got better fuel economy.
