Classic car gas seems simple, but the new fuels with the ethanol fuel additive makes what you put in your tank a bit more complex. What does the addition of ethanol mean to you regular fill ups in your classic car? It may mean little, or it may have greater consequences depending on how and when you fuel system was installed.
As our automobiles have evolved, so have the fuels we use to power them. More specifically, fuels today have ethanol in them; the typical one is E10 which is 10% ethanol. But there’s also E85 which is 85% ethanol. The basic rule is E10 is ok for everything, but E85 can only be used safely in cars that are Flex Fuel compatible. So, unless you have a Flex Fuel vehicle, do not use E85. Now, along with the changes in fuels, the myths abound; the internet is full of these dire warnings about what is going to happen to our older, collectible, and classic automobiles if we put E10 in them. Well, they talk about engine failures and all sorts of things like that. Is not going to happen folks; yes, there may be some minor problems, but they are easily corrected.
The first thing that you might encounter is at the first use of a fuel containing ethanol because ethanol is a strong cleaner, it can clean away years of dirt, which can plug the fuel filter and can give you some performance problems. Change the filter, problem gone. Also, inside a lot of carburetors, there is going to be leather parts, there may be some metal or plastic parts that are not compatible with the 10% ethanol. But in those cases, it is probably going to be a long-term degradation of performance and it is going to be easy to correct; you just replace the part with a modern part that is ethanol fuel compatible – things like fuel hoses and so on. Sooner or later, all these parts either must be updated, rebuilt, or replaced. When you do that, simply make sure that what you use is ethanol fuel compatible and you will never have a problem again.
You may have noticed a white sticker on gas pumps reading “Contains 10% Ethanol,” and wondered “what might that be doing to my engine?” Or, you have not noticed the sticker at all, and now you will see it every time you stop for gas. Either way, we want to share the facts, and dispel the rumors about what ethanol is doing to your engine, so you can make the right choice when you pull up to the pump.
What is Ethanol Fuel?
Ethanol is a shortened name for ethyl alcohol, which is a renewable (if we can grow crops) fuel source made from plant material. Ethanol is a clear, colorless liquid that in the United States we make almost exclusively from corn. It is estimated by 2030, ethanol could replace up to 30% of U.S. gasoline demand.
Well, Is It Bad for My Engine?
That all depends on your engine. If you are driving a new(er) car, the answer is no, ethanol is not bad for your engine. This is because our modern engines are designed to run on the gasoline/ethanol combination and have been fitted with alcohol-resistant seals and hoses.
But on the flip side, if you are driving an older vehicle, the ethanol fuel may be causing problems. Alcohol is a highly corrosive substance that is hard on plastic, rubber, and even some metals, and over time it will eat away at your vehicle’s most vulnerable components. Additionally, alcohol in an old engine can start to dislodge the build-up of carbon deposits from inside the engine. That may sound like a good thing, but that buildup can move into places where it chokes the engine’s fuel supply.
And finally, when an ethanol/gasoline mixture sits stagnant in a gas tank for a long time, it can separate due to a process called phase separation. Phase separation, in short, happens when water finds its way into your gas tank and mixes with the ethanol. Ethanol will absorb and hold water until it reaches a saturation point, at which time the water and ethanol separate. This leaves a layer of alcohol and water at the bottom of your gas tank, which blocks the actual gasoline from entering the engine. Your engine will not run without gasoline in this mixture.
The Ethanol Fuel Verdict
Ethanol fuel is not for every engine, but for some engines it is a perfectly fine. Older vehicles are more susceptible to the problems caused by the ethanol/gas mixture (water in the gas tank, stagnant gas, rubber hoses, etc.).
Like it or not, ethanol in gas is here to stay. Although it does reduce pollution in our atmosphere, it can cause problems for many collector cars, boats, and older outdoor power equipment because of some of the side effects related to its use.
Ethanol is refined from grain alcohol; most specifically, corn, here in the United States; but it can also be made from switch grass, manure, willow trees, and even sugar cane in some countries.
The use of ethanol will only increase. Federal law mandates that the U.S. use 36 billion gallons of alternative fuel per year by 2022. By comparison, the United States used only 11 billion gallons in 2010.
Ethanol-supplemented fuel issues:
Ethanol is hygroscopic, which means it absorbs water more easily than gasoline. That leads to water condensation inside fuel tanks, carburetor fuel bowls and fuel lines where air spaces are present. Water content in fuel will also swell up the paper filter media inside fuel filters not specifically designed for flex fuels and can thus restrict fuel flow at the filter.
Ethanol also erodes fiberglass tanks, rubber hoses and plastic fuel lines. It contributes to rust in fuel systems by creating condensation in the unfilled portion of gas tanks. It will also dissolve varnish and rust in steel fuel components. These dissolved ingredients sit in the bottom of gas tanks until they are removed, or they will enter the fuel system if the fuel level in the tank gets too low.
So, what is a classic car owner to do when your classic car is sitting unused in the garage more than it is on the road. It has been stated that you can counteract the poor fuel mileage by driving at a consistent speed of between 40 and 60 MPH, but that does not really apply to boats or classic cars that are parked or do not have cruise control in most cases.
Several recommendations of things you can do:
- Replace any plastic or rubber fuel lines with ethanol-resistant hose or nylon tubing.
- Install a water separator filter in the fuel line leading to the carburetor. Water collects in the filter and can be removed periodically.
- Replace any fiberglass tanks with steel or aluminum.
- Ensure that any O-rings in the fuel system are also ethanol compatible.
- Keep your tank as full as possible to prevent air space where condensation can form.
- Use specific ethanol-compatible fuel storage additives. These are normally blue in color. Regular fuel stabilizers will not work unless they are labeled ethanol fuel compatible.
- Shop around for a service station that does not pump E10 or E85. None of these stations will be affiliated with a major gasoline producer, but there are still some out there.
- Vent your fuel system during storage for extended periods; the moisture your fuel system might absorb from the outside will be less than the moisture created in the air space inside.
- Use a fogging solution in your carburetor during storage to prevent condensation from collecting in fuel bowls.
- Use of isopropyl alcohol-based dry gas will help to absorb system moisture. Regular dry gas is ethanol-based and will only make the problem worse. Isopropyl-based additives combine with the water molecules and removing moisture through the combustion chamber. Also, there a quite a few gas stabilizers on the market as well specifically design for ethanol-based fuels.
- Use of a flex fuel-compatible fuel filter where possible will prevent degradation of the paper media in your filter by water in the fuel system.
One place where you can have a problem is that a lot of the miracle products out there that claim to do away with ethanol or to repair ethanol-related problems and so on. Well, many of these are nothing more than snake oil so be incredibly careful. So common sense is the word of the day when it comes to using E10 fuels.
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