Actually, the stringent fuel regs mean more weird additives, not less. Most
low-octane pump gas products won't pass SCCA dialectric tests. The simple
additives can't be used. The aim is to eliminate the highly toxic ones. The
end result is all kinds of weird rocket fuel being used to get past the test
and still deliver 105-plus octane or octane equivalent. Two years ago when I
running a Radical in DSR, I got some stuff at Laguna (or maybe Sears) that
smelled like shoe polish, and passed the test for SCCA a few weeks later but
took on some of the color from my poly fuel can. Yikes.
Conversely, the stuff I got from Pacific Raceways when they first put the
new big aboveground fuel tanks in looked and smelled like normal gasoline,
and worked fine, but I had to wash my fuel cans out with Avgas and fill and
pump Avgas through my fuel cell to get fuel to pass the dielectric test
after using it. About had me pulling my hair out. I got DQ'ed on an easy win
from fuel testing after the race.
Bill Babcock
Babcock & Jenkins
-----Original Message-----
From: owner-fot@autox.team.net [mailto:owner-fot@autox.team.net] On Behalf
Of Rocky Entriken
Sent: Tuesday, March 29, 2005 10:10 AM
To: BillDentin@aol.com; fot@autox.team.net
Subject: Re: Unfriendly Racing Gas Additives
With SCCA's stringent fuel regs -- and SCCA is not the only sanctioning body
taking a hard line on fuel, and those making racing gas know it -- I'm
skeptical of additives even being there to do such things. I'd be more
suspicious of quality control of the floats themselves (also explaining why
older ones are better).
We get so much aftermarket crap nowadays that cannot hold a candle to the
original....
--Rocky Entriken
----- Original Message -----
From: <BillDentin@aol.com>
To: <fot@autox.team.net>
Sent: Tuesday, March 29, 2005 8:20 AM
Subject: Unfriendly Racing Gas Additives
> Amici:
>
> Three or four years ago, we were having a tremendous problem with leaky SU
> carb floats. Six or eight failures in ten events. We assumed it was some
> new
> additive in the racing gas, which the solder in the floats did not like.
> We
> also determined that an old float lasted longer than the new ones
> available.
>
> The following year the problem seemed to go away, and we again assumed it
> was
> a change in the racing gas. Well, it may be back. Bob Wismer is racing
> down
> south, and in two events (Sebring and Moroso) he has had two leaky floats.
> Maybe the gremlin is back. Worth watching for, anyway.
>
> Bill Dentinger
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