WARNING Ethanol in fuel!

[COOPERCO]

Just had a car in at work (1930's ALFA 8C 2.3) for some general maintenance. Had a look underneath & found this



The car was rebuilt two years ago with good quality (Gates) fuel hose, it has delaminated & has had a 'pregnancy' who's waters have broken & deposited fuel all over the exhaust/chassis etc.



This is a multi million pound car, but this Ethanol rubbish is in everyones fuel. Please keep an eye on your hoses boys & girls, especialy as we are about to get another 5% of this s**t in UK fuels soon.

[JanWulf]

A lot of people I know - including myself - are using 10% ethanol fuels in our cars (80'S era Mercedes w. semi-mechanical Bosch KE-Jetronic injection) - no troubles, not even with the 20+ years old fuel lines...

5% ethanol fuel didn't do any damage either... Admittedly, I had my troubles with fuel hoses... But after buying high quality fuel hoses, I had no more troubles. And it's been the hose runing very close to the hot LCB in my Mini anyway. Different routing & better material sorted that. The others have been fine for years now...

I'd investigate other causes - to make sure it's not happening again!! It's too easy to blame alco-fuels and overlook something else (too tight, too sharp hose clamps etc.). No trying to teach you how to suck eggs - but my experience wiht alco-fuels says differently.

Regards,
Jan

[Gray]

Yep, but it ain't been a problem before!!! why should we have to re-engineer a car for the green vote.

[Tulka]

If they could run a 1930s Alfa on alcohol in the 1930s,
should it not be possible in 2011?

Tulka

[COOPERCO]

If they could run a 1930s Alfa on alcohol in the 1930s,
should it not be possible in 2011?

Tulka

That's true but they were race cars, this is a road car. The racers used copper pipe & 'Salva hose'. We run cars on Methanol but they are set up in a different way!

Jan,

Understand your comments, we've run many miles in Europe in our 'S' over the last 7 years. Last time out the paint on the rear started to lift from spillage from the cap, it had never done it before so the fuels are getting more aggressive. Why should the hose break down when exposed to the fluid it's meant to be carrying?

[Tulka]

Thanks, CooperCo for letting us have something to think about on a saturday evening.
Spent an hour on internet but came up with very little that was new to me.
(Gates had a Youtube clip that says USA has 40 different fuel blends.)
Tulka

[JanWulf]

Jan,

Understand your comments, we've run many miles in Europe in our 'S' over the last 7 years. Last time out the paint on the rear started to lift from spillage from the cap, it had never done it before so the fuels are getting more aggressive. Why should the hose break down when exposed to the fluid it's meant to be carrying?

Good question. But regarding - for example - drive shaft or steering gaiters you get nowadays... It seems the quality of rubber products has masively decreased lately.

Fuels are getting more aggresive, yes. But I myself do not believe they got so aggressive as to cause major trouble. But maybe just enough to show any flaw in the (lower) quality of materials used (today)?

It has been discussed to use a slight amount (1:100 or 1:150) of two-stroke oil with alco-fuels. Specifically oils with API TC / API TC+ specification. It's said these have a stabilising effect and prevent the build up of aggresive decomposition products in alco-fuels.

Maybe worth a try? Modern API TC/TC+ oils should be smoke-less, so nothing to worry (and 1:100 is very little oil anyway)

Regards,
Jan

[mini13]

Good question. But regarding - for example - drive shaft or steering gaiters you get nowadays... It seems the quality of rubber products has masively decreased lately.

got to agree with this, three-four years since I replaced all the rubbers on my car and both my CV gaitors were shot at the last MOT, and everything else is well on its way, its just not good enough.

[Tulka]

Go down to the pub and check what kind of hose they use
to get their 3,9% etanol/beer to the tap?

Tulka

[mab01uk]

The flexible fuel pipe to the petrol tank on my Mini has recently failed even though not that old and there seem to be some similar recent reports on failing fuel lines in the MCR magazine. Is Ethanol blended with petrol to blame? Any recommendations for what pipe is best as a replacement?
More info here from the TR Register:
The issue of Ethanol blended with petrol
http://www.groups.tr-register.co.uk/wes ... pdate.html

[Tim]

I've been using E10 for about four years in my Moke, with no problems. I like it better than the other options because it doesn't run on. Its a bit cheaper here too.

Tim