Author Topic: Ethanol Corrosion  (Read 9665 times)

Offline cudabob496

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Re: Ethanol Corrosion
« Reply #15 on: June 08, 2014 - 08:07:51 PM »
Why does my 1979 Jeep that's never had anything other than E10 in it and is driven less than 500 miles a year show no problems with Ethanol ? Its stored in a pole building on gravel in Illinois. So it has seen some extreme temps. No fuel additives but there is a battery tender on it 24/7.  :D


is it fuel injected, or maybe its a carb that is not affected.
or maybe there is corrosion taking place that you cannot see at the moment.
Are you suggesting ethanol does not corrode aluminum and zinc?
Joe Gibbs seems to be a stand up guy.

http://www.drivenracingoil.com/news/dro/training-center/articles/ethanol-corrosion-kills-carbs/
« Last Edit: June 08, 2014 - 08:09:50 PM by cudabob496 »
72 Cuda, owned 25 years. 496, with ported Stage VI heads, .625 in solid roller, 254/258 at .050, 3500 stall, 3.91 rear. 850 Holley DP, Reverse manual valve body.

1999 Trans Am, LS1, heads, cam, headers, stall, etc! Love to surprise the rice rockets with this one. They seem so confident, then it's "what the heck just happened?"

2011 Kawasaki Z1000




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Offline Racer57

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Re: Ethanol Corrosion
« Reply #17 on: June 08, 2014 - 09:34:25 PM »
is it fuel injected, or maybe its a carb that is not affected.
or maybe there is corrosion taking place that you cannot see at the moment.
Are you suggesting ethanol does not corrode aluminum and zinc?
Joe Gibbs seems to be a stand up guy.

http://www.drivenracingoil.com/news/dro/training-center/articles/ethanol-corrosion-kills-carbs/


Stock 1979 carb. Joe Gibbs makes money. LOTS of money. :D   Think about it, E10 has been in the fuel supply for over 30 years and now all of a sudden the world is coming to an end. How come I never heard of anyone having problems throughout the 70's and 80's ? 

Offline cudabob496

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Re: Ethanol Corrosion
« Reply #18 on: June 08, 2014 - 09:43:05 PM »
Stock 1979 carb. Joe Gibbs makes money. LOTS of money. :D   Think about it, E10 has been in the fuel supply for over 30 years and now all of a sudden the world is coming to an end. How come I never heard of anyone having problems throughout the 70's and 80's ?

I don't know, but the Hot Rod article seems pretty convincing. Maybe
there's more in the fuel these days, than before.


https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080804221708AANLnjN
« Last Edit: June 08, 2014 - 09:47:05 PM by cudabob496 »
72 Cuda, owned 25 years. 496, with ported Stage VI heads, .625 in solid roller, 254/258 at .050, 3500 stall, 3.91 rear. 850 Holley DP, Reverse manual valve body.

1999 Trans Am, LS1, heads, cam, headers, stall, etc! Love to surprise the rice rockets with this one. They seem so confident, then it's "what the heck just happened?"

2011 Kawasaki Z1000

Offline cudabob496

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Re: Ethanol Corrosion
« Reply #19 on: June 08, 2014 - 09:52:51 PM »
This report paints a bad picture for ethanol, in all types of equipment.
Notes automakers sued to prevent the use of ethanol in their cars.

See paragraph "How About More Transparency"

http://oilprice.com/Alternative-Energy/Biofuels/Ethanol-and-Corrosion-What-Are-We-Not-Being-Told.html
« Last Edit: June 08, 2014 - 09:54:40 PM by cudabob496 »
72 Cuda, owned 25 years. 496, with ported Stage VI heads, .625 in solid roller, 254/258 at .050, 3500 stall, 3.91 rear. 850 Holley DP, Reverse manual valve body.

1999 Trans Am, LS1, heads, cam, headers, stall, etc! Love to surprise the rice rockets with this one. They seem so confident, then it's "what the heck just happened?"

2011 Kawasaki Z1000

Offline stinger

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Re: Ethanol Corrosion
« Reply #20 on: June 08, 2014 - 10:38:51 PM »
is there ethanol in AV gas? if not then why?

Offline Chryco Psycho

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Re: Ethanol Corrosion
« Reply #21 on: June 08, 2014 - 11:04:27 PM »
some carbs are coated to resist alcohol corrosion , any alchol carb has as little rubber as possible inside

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Offline Skunkworks Challenger

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Re: Ethanol Corrosion
« Reply #22 on: June 09, 2014 - 12:17:17 AM »
is there ethanol in AV gas? if not then why?
No ethanol in AV gas.  Not safe for that purpose.
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Offline 'Cuda Hunter

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Re: Ethanol Corrosion
« Reply #23 on: June 09, 2014 - 12:32:55 AM »
I know a guy that ran E85 for several years.
Never had any of these problems. Not even the rubber parts. 

I have ran one carb off of his engine for some time. Didn't change anything on the carb before putting it on my 440. No problems. 
I'll be running another carb of his soon on a 400 engine.

Now, I will say there is some weird grey sludge on the bottom of each motor pan I've seen apart that he ran E in.
Nothing like an inch or anything, just a 1/16th film.  That's the only thing I've noticed. 

But I'm a rookie in this anyway's. 
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Offline cudabob496

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Re: Ethanol Corrosion
« Reply #24 on: June 09, 2014 - 01:13:18 AM »
I know a guy that ran E85 for several years.
Never had any of these problems. Not even the rubber parts. 

I have ran one carb off of his engine for some time. Didn't change anything on the carb before putting it on my 440. No problems. 
I'll be running another carb of his soon on a 400 engine.

Now, I will say there is some weird grey sludge on the bottom of each motor pan I've seen apart that he ran E in.
Nothing like an inch or anything, just a 1/16th film.  That's the only thing I've noticed. 

But I'm a rookie in this anyway's.

That's dissolved carburetor!
72 Cuda, owned 25 years. 496, with ported Stage VI heads, .625 in solid roller, 254/258 at .050, 3500 stall, 3.91 rear. 850 Holley DP, Reverse manual valve body.

1999 Trans Am, LS1, heads, cam, headers, stall, etc! Love to surprise the rice rockets with this one. They seem so confident, then it's "what the heck just happened?"

2011 Kawasaki Z1000

Offline 'Cuda Hunter

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Re: Ethanol Corrosion
« Reply #25 on: June 09, 2014 - 01:55:12 AM »
Those pictures mostly look like water damage.  obviously from the hygroscopic properties of E. During storage periods.

The yahoo answers is for Methanol.  Very different properties between the two.  Methanol is very corrosive.  Ethanol is not "supposed" to be as corrosive. Both Alcohol, but very different.

I do like the article by Robert Rapier.  It brings out some good points.
I'm not really for Ethanol myself.  I mean, food into fuel..?  While people starve (not that we don't have enough).  Still though.  Our food is the last thing we should be using for fuel.

Over the Millions of cars that are being driven right now at this moment on the roads there have not been a huge out break of "ethanol corrosion problems" at mechanics shops across America.
Not to say there have been none, but there sure isn't an epidemic of it.  At least not a 3 to 8 problem like the article mentions.

Cars are made to be disposable anyway.  So, why would the car industry, the oil industry, or the food (now fuel) industry give a rats ars if the vehicles are living one year less.
The people will just be buying a new car a year earlier.  Everybody wins.  Except the every day worker.

I don't see alot of evidence that the ethanol is causing some kind of major corrosion problems.
However, talk to any top fueler, and they will tell you all about how Methanol eats the engine alive.


« Last Edit: June 09, 2014 - 02:16:06 AM by 'Cuda Hunter »
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Offline 'Cuda Hunter

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Re: Ethanol Corrosion
« Reply #26 on: June 09, 2014 - 02:15:17 AM »
I have a friend that lives out on the flats of Colorado.
He is a farmer. Works for Skyland Grain Company.
Ford guy.  Likes 427's 428's and 429's.
Anyway, he repairs/rebuilds a large amount of the local irrigation motors.  Mostly Chevy and Ford, but he does service several 413 mopars and a few first gen Hemi's.
A good portion of the motors are converted to propane, but some of them still run diesel, bio diesel, bio fuel/ethanol and gas.
He says he hasn't seen any thing particularly corrosive about the new ethanol/gas blended fuels or ethanol.
Since there is so much corn, several folk out there use their own bio fuel/ ethanol for the irrigation motors.
Now those folk out there sell their corn, so they have no problem with ethanol as it drives up the cost of corn. Hence, money in their pockets. So, maybe they are biased in the farmland country.
Just another point of view.
« Last Edit: June 09, 2014 - 02:17:13 AM by 'Cuda Hunter »
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Offline brads70

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Re: Ethanol Corrosion
« Reply #27 on: June 09, 2014 - 07:23:36 AM »
That's dissolved carburetor!

I doubt that.  :biggrin:
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Offline Racer57

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Re: Ethanol Corrosion
« Reply #28 on: June 09, 2014 - 08:33:41 AM »
I mean, food into fuel..?  While people starve (not that we don't have enough).  Still though.  Our food is the last thing we should be using for fuel.


Food grade which is only 10% of the corn grown in the US is not used for Ethanol production. No one is going to starve because of Ethanol.

Offline blown motor

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Re: Ethanol Corrosion
« Reply #29 on: June 09, 2014 - 09:01:02 AM »
Really??? I have to challenge you on that one. I've sent corn to the ethanol plant and to starch milling plant out of the same bin. No difference here.
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