Will 15% Ethanol ruin my LNF motor?

[jimbo]

Lord Obama's Ringwraiths at Fed EPA are about to allow 15% ethanol in gasoline as early as next summer.

The New York Times > Log In

My question is, how is my GMPPupgraded LNF going to feel on 91 octane containing 15% ethanol? Shoujld I just put a .45 slug in it now, or can I expect Obama to give my dead GXP a stimulus with a free LNF crate motor after it blows up?

What will 15% ethanol due to my StageII LNF motor's driveability and reliability?

More green idiocy from our nation's Tyrants.

And now that thw CRU e-mails have discredited man-made global warming, THIS ISN'T OF ANY BENEFIT WHATSOEVER. Evil slime!

[NormSky]

Your living in the wrong state with that attitude!

Ethanol should have higher octane than regular premium and more than CA 91 octane puss water. I'd follow what your owner's manual says.

Based on personal results of running 10% in a V8 your gas mileage will go down, ruining any savings by running ethanol.

Norm

[I1ULUZ]

Jimbo

Rush would be proud of your translation of that article. Blame it on who said they would consider it vice who is pushing it.

The E.P.A. was responding to a petition from ethanol manufacturers, who have complained that unless a higher blending level is approved, within two years they will not have a big enough market to absorb their production."

Big business wanting welfare so they don't loose their investment they made when gas prices were over $4.00 a gal.

"The decision drew mixed reviews. At Growth Energy, Wesley K. Clark, a retired general who is co-chairman of the organization, said the reply was “basically a positive answer,” and sent a signal to his industry to invest in more plants, including some advanced plants that would make ethanol from corn cobs, wood chips and other nonfood sources."


Where did idea start? In Congress, those morons right?

"Congress ordered increased use of ethanol in energy bills that passed in 2005 and 2007, but the plan has not worked as backers had hoped. Millions of “flex fuel” cars are on the road that can use ethanol blends as high as 85 percent, but fewer than 2 percent of service stations sell blends above 10 percent. Adjusted for its lower energy content, E85, as the higher blend is known, is more expensive than gasoline, and motorists thus have little reason to use it."



Norm is right you should be happy to get alky enhanced gas vice the weak sauce 91. If you are worried about MPG, trade in the GXP for a Honda or Toyota, they make some wonderful small BORING cars.

[KappaNumber]

The real problem as I see it is that most automobile manufactures say it is only safe to use "up to" 10% ethanol on non-flex fuel vehicles. So, if we get the 15% blend forced down our throats, will our warranties be voided? Ethanol is corrosive and can have bad effects on fuel systems not designed for the higher blends. So what can we do? Use the E-15 gas and void our warranties? Expect to have fuel pump and fuel line failures in the future? What are your thoughts?

[LiquidPT]

Originally Posted by NormSky Your living in the wrong state with that attitude! Ethanol should have higher octane than regular premium and more than CA 91 octane puss water. I'd follow what your owner's manual says. Based on personal results of running 10% in a V8 your gas mileage will go down, ruining any savings by running ethanol. Norm

No, see, the overall gas you put in still has the same octane. What they do, since the ethanol is higher octane, is they lower the grade of the gas it's going into. And you get worse fuel economy... yay.

Originally Posted by I1ULUZ Norm is right you should be happy to get alky enhanced gas vice the weak sauce 91. If you are worried about MPG, trade in the GXP for a Honda or Toyota, they make some wonderful small BORING cars.

Nope. See above. It'll still be weak sauce, just WORSE weak sauce.

[xmitterengineer]

Originally Posted by LiquidPT No, see, the overall gas you put in still has the same octane. What they do, since the ethanol is higher octane, is they lower the grade of the gas it's going into. And you get worse fuel economy... yay. Nope. See above. It'll still be weak sauce, just WORSE weak sauce.

What LiquidPT said. +1

Rickey.

[jimbo]

NormSky,

Indeed I live in the wrong state which is why I plan to retire to the commonwealth of Virginia, but that is a topic for another thread. I just want to be sure that my Solstice GXP lasts for the move in 10 years or so and that 15% ethanol won't damage my car.

[jimbo]

I1ULUZ,

Sorry, I go off the handle with the constant assault on my cars and driving, especially when the new restrictions are for no good reason whatsoever. CARB is killing us here in California. You can't modify motors. You can't swap motors. You can't make any mods that are not CARB certified. All I want is the FREEDOM to enjoy my car the way I want it. So I lose it from severe frustration whenever the government makes another move to screw me up.

Yeah, no lie it is a sell-out to business. So was MTBE and now the entire preivously pristine Lake Tahoe basin is streaked with streams and wells polluted with MTBE. And why? So oil refiners could dump their waste products for free instead of paying the cost to handle the waste. They caved to the oil lobby, polluted a prisine environment, all paid for by the taxpayers, and achieved nothing in the way of cleaning the air.

Originally Posted by South Tahoe PUD What impact has MTBE has in South Lake Tahoe? Since 1997, MTBE has been responsible for closure of 13 of the District's drinking water wells and prompted a landmark lawsuit (South Tahoe Public Utility District vs. ARCO et al) settled in August 2002, with settlements of over $69 million paid to the District by defendants. These funds have been set aside in a separate fund and can only be utilized by the District to resolve MTBE-related problems, at our wells, as they occur over the next 10-20 years.

South Tahoe Public Utility District

Yes, the FLAMING IDIOT SHEISTERS in Congress foisted them on us. Both the Bush henchmen and the Obama lackees. Both to blame

I don't give a crap about my fuel economy, although the imbeciles in govenment who foist the CAFE standards on the car industry continue to hamstring them with idiocy like this.

I just don't want my seals and gaskets to deteriorate. I don't want my engine to leak oil. I don't want a premature failure. I don't want my warranty voided. I could give a crap about milleage. I am way ahead of if I had got a Camaro SS. I just don't want the government causilng my reliable car to mechanically fail, and this for ABSOLUTELY NO ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFIT AT ALL, but only caving to the ethanol lobby.

I don't want my car to break!

[jimbo]

Originally Posted by KappaNumber The real problem as I see it is that most automobile manufactures say it is only safe to use "up to" 10% ethanol on non-flex fuel vehicles. So, if we get the 15% blend forced down our throats, will our warranties be voided? Ethanol is corrosive and can have bad effects on fuel systems not designed for the higher blends. So what can we do? Use the E-15 gas and void our warranties? Expect to have fuel pump and fuel line failures in the future? What are your thoughts?

You nailed it. This is my 20 year car. I am really taking good care of it. I don't want it to fail prematurely because of government/green idiocy.

You completely understand why I am asking how 15% ethanol will affect my GMPPupgraded GXP's driveability and reliability.

[I1ULUZ]

There is a less energy in a gal of Alky than a gal of gasoline.

Gasoline:
1 Gal Gasoline (mid grade) = 125,000 Btu's

Ethanol:
1 Gal Ethanol = 76,000 Btu's


So to make the same amount of power it takes more fuel.

Originally Posted by jimbo NormSky, Indeed I live in the wrong state which is why I plan to retire to the commonwealth of Virginia, but that is a topic for another thread. I just want to be sure that my Solstice GXP lasts for the move in 10 years or so and that 15% ethanol won't damage my car.

Save up for your personal property tax every year on your car.

Over 400 years of history about 3 days worth of progress.

I guess there are worst states to retire and live in. If you move up around DC they have sniffer testing.

[jimbo]

FWIW, my Solstice GXP is the most fuel efficient car I have ever owned. And still has 340 lb-ft TQ.

[jimbo]

Thanks for that. I hear there is an annual safety inspection as well. I am also aware Virginia LEO is pretty aggressive and 15 over is wreckless with severe penalties and possible mandatory jail. Good think I normally drive 60-65mph everywhere. Not that I can't accidentally do 50mph on a wide 35mph boulevard and still get nailed.

I will be avoiding DC like a plague. Somewhere mid to south central off the Appalacians is my guess. DC and Virginia Beach are way way too crowded for me. Way.

[Mac]

These was another thread that talks about additives to gas, one was adding 2cyc oil to help(small amount) wonder if this would help in the 15% eth being to dry?

No smog checks here, but nothing over 91, unless you pay for the 100+ pump(we have these at many places here, for boats mostly but its to much for daily.

[jimbo]

Mac,

Yeah, that is why I was asking. I was putting a gallon of 100 Octane per tank of cruddy California 91 Octane during the summer. With the colder weather, I am just living with the 91.

I have the GM Stage II and I wanted to make sure that 15% ethanol was not going to either eat my seals or cause detonation. Somebody up thread said ethanol has more octane, so maybe with 15% ethanol, I won't need the gallon of race fuel in the summer.

I'm trying to establish that on this thread with my questions.

1. Will 15% ethanol cause my seals/gaskets to leak, gum up my motor, cause water to collect in my oil?

2. Will 15% ethanol cause detonation with my Stage II upgrade on 91 octane California gasoline.

Those 2 questions are all I am trying to get answered on this thread.

[JewJenk]

The problem with going over 10% mix in the gas is unless the car is Flexfuel, then you risk the alcohol destroying various components in the fuel system. IE: seals, possible hoses, fuel pumps, gaskets, ETC. This is why the ethanol content was limited to 10% in the first place. This is why the gasohol pumps have different nozzles so that you can not fill up your non-flexfuel vehicle with it.

It should not cause water to collect, because alcohol actually absorbs water, this is why you put "drygas" in the gas tank during the winter months to absorb water so that it doesn't freeze in your gas lines and in the summer months to rid your system of any water so that the car won't run rough.
"Drygas" is usually either methanol or ethanol.........................FYI