Geez Bob, according to the link you sent, there are 4 stations in California
that sell non-ethanol gas - the closest one to me is in Ridgecrest, 150 miles -
hardly a solution.
If you'd actually read my post below, you would see that I didn't say my 8%
ethanol gas was over-mixed, I only said there's an incentive for distributors
to over-mix ethanol into gas. It may indeed be over mixed for Healeys, though.
Do you know what the ethanol percentage was of the gas we were typically
running, say, a year or two ago was?
What I'm saying here is my car and those of others I know are running somewhat
badly now and I suspect the gas may be the problem.
Just because 10% is allowed, which was presumably arrived at in coordination
with the current car manufacturers, doesn't mean it will run in our old
carbureted cars without problems.
--
Steve Gerow
> -------Original Message-------
> From: Bob Spidell <bspidell at comcast.net>
> To: Steve B. Gerow <steveg at abrazosdata.com>
> Cc: healeys at autox.team.net <healeys at autox.team.net>
> Subject: Re: [Healeys] Bad running due to ethanol in gas?
> Sent: Sep 03 '11 17:51
>
> Let's see ... my car runs bad, my gas has ethanol; therefore, ethanol is the
> cause of the bad running. I know science
> is unpopular these days, but that doesn't mean it doesn't still apply. Try
> this: empty your tank as much as possible,
> then buy a tank of gas that doesn't have any ethanol--it's still available:
> http://pure-gas.org/. If your car stops
> running badly, you've proved your hypothesis; if not, time to look elsewhere
> for the cause of the problem.
>
> The vapor pressure of gasoline--it's measured by Reid Vapor Pressure
> (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reid_Vapor_Pressure)--varies during the course
> of the year; lower in summer, higher in
> winter (usually). It's closely monitored and controlled to reduce vapor
> loss and hence smog and, yes, the formulators
> consider its effect on combustion (that's why the VP is higher in the
> winter).
>
> 10% ethanol is allowed; how is 8% 'over-mixed?'
>
> FWIW, the oil industry people I've heard espouse on the subject hate having
> to put any ethanol at all in their
> gasoline--they want to sell petroleum, not moonshine.
>
> Bob
>
>
>
> On 9/3/2011 5:17 PM, Steve B. Gerow wrote:
> > Lately I've been experiencing bad running - loading up on taking off from
> a stop sign. Better in cool weather, worse in hot weather. It's like the fuel
> is now more volatile and vapor-locks at a lower temperature.
> >
> > A number of other collector-car drivers have mentioned similar problems.
> >
> > I did online research and bought an inexpensive kit which reveals the
> percentage of ethanol in the gas.
> >
> > My last tank, Unocal 76 Regular, which ran badly, turned out to be 8%
> ethanol.
> >
> > Pictures of the test, the kit and a link to the supplier's website which
> has lots of information on ethanol in gas, and how tax breaks are
> incentivizing suppliers to over-mix to a higher percentage of ethanol than is
> allowed by law.
> >
> > http://www.pbase.com/stevegerow/healey_tech
> >
>
>
> --
> *******************************************************************
> Bob Spidell San Jose, CA bspidell at comcast.net
>
> *******************************************************************
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