Ethanol vs. Your Engine

[fiscy_imp]

Just happened to come across this info on ethanol and it effects on things and thought I would share it.Be sure to read the link for Jay Leno...love that guy! Enjoy!

http://blog.amsoil.com/why-jay-leno-is-a...n-gasoline


Just wanted to add this as well...


http://pure-gas.org/?stateprov=NY

[JustPassinThru_imp]

A good discussion point, although I have nothing to add. The harm, damage and risks of ethanol have long been explored; and as a non-engineer I have little to add to it.

I'm VERY fortunate in that I live in an area where several gas retailers have non-ethanol premium available for sale...they don't even share the common-nozzle that most modern gas pumps use. So, assuming it really is ethanol free...it's uncontaminated.

Costs fifty-cents a gallon more than contaminated regular - and worth every penny, IMHO.

It probably won't be going away, either. In my neck of the woods there's a lot of fishing (with outboards) and snowmobiling and four-wheeling. ORV trails go deep into National Forest land. AND...the government has a forest-fire staging point and hangar here, along with a lot of trail equipment.

The government needs ethanol-free gas so their equipment will run without issues. And outdoors sportsmen on boats, bikes and ORVs need ethanol-free gas - ethanol drinks water like a sponge; in cars it causes poor running. In outboards and small engines, it causes FAILURE.

Failure deep down trails, leads to expensive rescue details. Leads to panicked families and friends. Leads to investigations, which will eventually be forced to identify ETHANOL IN GASOLINE, a pet project among some politically-driven types, as a primary cause.

So...letting us in the outdoors have ethanol-free gasoline, will help alleviate the pressure to get it out of ALL gas.

[Pterodactyl_imp]

Honda approves fuel contain Ethanol or Methanol for the CB1100. I don't use it in mine. If it was the choice of use it or a long walk, I'd use it.

Cheers

[JustPassinThru_imp]

Honda approves fuel contain Ethanol or Methanol for the CB1100. I don't use it in mine. If it was the choice of use it or a long walk, I'd use it.

Cheers

True enough...about the long walk.

As for Honda approving it...I have no idea what's gone on in Oz, or the details of what Honda is up against...but I know that here in the Big PX, initially, ten years ago, when booze was mandated in gasoline...

...initially the better-rep carmakers, Toyota at the fore, were yelling murder. Said it would damage their fuel and emissions equipment (and they weren't wrong). Warned that resultant damage (rust, from absorbed water, and pitting in the micron-thin surfaces in the FI system) might not be covered under warranty.

Our beneficient government took them to the woodshed; and even staged a few "runaway Toyota" false-events to put the fear of God into them.

It worked. They got their heads right; and now they smile and nod and say that Gasohol is pretty-good-fine.

SIDE NOTE: Touring with my BMW R1200GS, some years back...I noticed that my fuel mileage would drop DRASTICALLY when I had to use ethanol gasoline - and it would take about three tanks of non-corrupted gas to reverse it.

MY GUESS was that the ethanol screwed up the feedback-loop fuel injection system, and either put it in a default limp-in mode or just enriched it...since ethanol has significantly-less power (less BTUs) than straight gas. So, that rotgut fuel was doing something, and that something wasn't very good.

So much for saving gasoline with ethanol.

[ClassicVW_imp]

Let's see... Replace 10% gasoline with 10% ethanol, and then you'll see at least a 10% reduction in gas mileage... saving gas that way makes perfect sense to government regulators....

[Django]

Looks like there are lot of myths about ethanol afloat.

However, there is a little bit less energy in E10, as ethanol has about 2/3 of energy of gas. But then, it's only 10 % oberall and btw. at least here in Europe gas contained already about 5% ethanol for the last 40 years or so for some reason.

So it ends up in 1/3 of 5% less energy in E10, compared to E5 (or regular), which is less than 2% per gallon.

[the Ferret]

I don't worry about ethanol in my bike. It's all you can get around here and the manual says it's ok to use up to 10%. Not having any issues with it and just not going to worry about it.

Rather worry about people changing lanes on me, pulling out in front of me, or tailgating me.

[ClassicVW_imp]

Looks like there are lot of myths about ethanol afloat.

However, there is a little bit less energy in E10, as ethanol has about 2/3 of energy of gas. But then, it's only 10 % oberall and btw. at least here in Europe gas contained already about 5% ethanol for the last 40 years or so for some reason.

So it ends up in 1/3 of 5% less energy in E10, compared to E5 (or regular), which is less than 2% per gallon.

But somehow the net loss of MPG in real world use is 10%.

[Django]

Hm, I used E10 many times the last four years, about 60.000 km on my BMW. Haven't noticed a difference in mpg at all.

I've more concerns about usage of agriculture for fuel instead of for food production.

[Pterodactyl_imp]

Hm, I used E10 many times the last four years, about 60.000 km on my BMW. Haven't noticed a difference in mpg at all.

I've more concerns about usage of agriculture for fuel instead of for food production.

^^^^^ Good point. But we are straying away from the technical (motorcycling) aspects of the present reality and getting into the business/ political area. Anyone want ten thousand words from me on coal seam gas extraction in prime agricultural land? I don't think so.

Cheers