[Rhodes22-list] E85

[Rik Sandberg]

Brad,

Sure, we heard all that sky is falling bs when we first started using 
ethanol in our gas 30 years ago. Yes, if your fuel system was 
exceptionally full of gunk, you might have trouble with the fuel filter 
clogging for a bit due to the different solvent properties of the 
ethanol. Like any gas it need some Stabil or something in it if you are 
going to leave it sitting around for a long time.

I've been using this stuff in cars, trucks, lawn mowers, boat motors and 
every other gas powered machine I've owned for 30 years, as I said, and 
have never had a problem. Those of you that are just starting out with 
it now are going to be hearing all the horror stories we listened to 30 
years ago. Unfortunately no one seems to be able to look at the 
experience of people who have gone before them and realize that if it 
works OK for them, why shouldn't it work for me.

Heck, I ran my sprint cars for a couple years on straight ethanol when I 
had a sponsor for the stuff. The rest of the time we used methanol which 
is much harder on stuff.

Rik

"Stupid is supposed to be painful" .... Rik Sandberg



Brad Haslett wrote:
> Rik,
>
> You hope you're buying 10% or less ethanol.  The way it is mixed at the tank
> farm is pretty crude and that is why it is called "splash" blending.  Here's
> a link to some marine issues-
>
> http://www.theoutboardwizard.com/boat_ethanol_danger_precaution.html
>
> Brad
>
> On Thu, Apr 17, 2008 at 8:11 AM, Rik Sandberg <sanderico1 at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>   
>> Slim,
>>
>> What you're buying here in MN isn't E85, it's gasoline with 10% ethanol
>> added. You've been running the stuff in your car for years. So have I.
>> Most pumps say "this fuel contains 10% ethanol"
>>
>> There aren't many stations around yet that have E85. If you find one,
>> the pump generally has a yellow hose and the pump definitely says E85 on
>> it. Our Cenex in town has E85. It's the only one. Yes, unless you have a
>> flex fuel vehicle, you don't want to try to use this stuff.
>>
>> Ethanol enriched gasoline is 10% ethanol and 90% gas. Most any internal
>> combustion engine can run this stuff, unmodified, with no problem. This
>> has been sold at most every station in MN for almost 30 years E85 is 85%
>> ethanol and 15% gasoline ..... Big difference.
>>
>> Your scooter friend doesn't know what he is talking about.
>>
>> Rik
>>
>> Steven Alm wrote:
>>     
>>> I've got some good news and some bad news.  The good news is that we
>>>       
>> finally
>>     
>>> got some spring-like weather up here in Minneapolis and I got the
>>>       
>> scooter
>>     
>>> out for a nice long ride.  The bad news is that I was talking to another
>>> biker dude who told me he goes down to Iowa and loads up on gas for his
>>>       
>> bike
>>     
>>> because Iowa doesn't use any ethanol.  He told me virtually all gas
>>>       
>> stations
>>     
>>> in Minnesota have it.  I thought they had to put a sticker on the pumps
>>> saying it's E85.  WTF?
>>>
>>> I know we've discussed this before but IIRC engines have to be reworked
>>>       
>> to
>>     
>>> run on ethanol because it's hard on hoses, gives lower gas-mileage and
>>>       
>> so
>>     
>>> on, and so-called "flex fuel vehicles" have undergone this modification.
>>> But I'm sure the vast majority of Minnesotans have not made these
>>> modifications to their cars so I'm wondering if we're all ruining our
>>>       
>> cars
>>     
>>> or was this biker dude just blowing smoke.  I've googled around a bit
>>>       
>> and
>>     
>>> can't find evidence one way or the other if all or how many Minnesota
>>>       
>> gas
>>     
>>> stations have it now.  Or if it's required that pumps display a sticker.
>>>
>>> I'm not at all on the corn-produced ethanol bandwagon and don't see it
>>>       
>> as a
>>     
>>> viable option--unless of course you're a corn farmer of which there are
>>>       
>> a
>>     
>>> lot in this neck of the woods.  But there's probably no place that grows
>>> more corn than Iowa.  So what do the Iowegians know that we Minnesotans
>>> don't know about ethanol?  More importantly, am I wrecking my scooter's
>>> engine?  My out board?  My V-8 without even knowing that I'm running
>>>       
>> E85?
>>     
>>> Aside--they're all running well but I haven't checked gas mileage
>>>       
>> lately.
>>     
>>> Slim
>>> __________________________________________________
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>>>
>>>
>>>       
>> __________________________________________________
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>>     
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