At leaCLAY_SCOTT@HP-Loveland-om10.om.hp.com wrote:
>
> Item Subject: cc:Mail Text
> Jim,
> You must have forgotten to say YMMV. Mine sure has. After 8 years of
> sitting the fuel in my TR8:
> A: Was darker red in color
> B: Cloudy
> C: Smelled very different from the fuel I used to buy.
> Yes I know new fuel smells different than what we used to buy.
>
> My car ran poorly on the 8 year old fuel in the tank after a general
> tune-up. I pumped all the fuel out and drained the remaining fuel when I
> replaced that little bit of fuel hose that lives inside the tank. Added
> new fuel and it ran much better. Re-tuned and it ran even better yet! Put
> the old fuel in my riding lawnmower and it knocked under heavy load! It
> never knocked even under full load before (or since).
> The alcohol based fuels may pick up water, and the ether fuels may just
> lose volatiles, I don't know. But something changes. The crap they call
> gasoline (actually it's "motor fuel") sometimes boils out of the carbs when
> you shut off the engine at 5,200 feet altitude. The crap is just too
> volatile to be stable. Measured fuel vapor pressures prove the fuel isn't
> what it used to be. In the mountains (around 11,000 feet) you see lots of
> cars vapor locked. Especially on the oxygenated winter mix they force on
> us. That garbage comes in early and stays late. It seriously affects
> drivability in warm weather.
> Here in Colorado we have to pass smog. My advice is to always flush the
> old fuel if it is over 2 seasons old before trying to pass smog, maybe
> older in a tightly sealed, unvented fuel system. It's not that expensive,
> and I believe it improves the odds of passing the test.
> Another thing that sometimes happens is a supplier may deliver some fuel
> that isn't quite right. I have a friend that is a UPS fleet mechanic and
> occasionally he sees problems with their trucks that relate strictly to
> fuel quality, usually fuel vapor pressure- hence vapor lock. Sometimes the
> octane doesn't seem correct. If you get a suspect tank of gas, drain it or
> buy the next tank elsewhere. And never buy fuel when they are filling the
> tanks, it stirs up the sediment and water in their storage tanks.
>
> Maybe it depends on your definition of "bad gas"? When the vehicle
> performance/emissions change because of old fuel, I call it bad. I'm
> curious what evidence you have that ten year old gas has not changed enough
> to be out of "shelf life"?
> Clay Scott
> 2 1980 TR8's (the twins)
> Both smogged in July after 3 and 8 years sitting
> Both passed on the first try with fresh fuel
>
> >Date: Fri, 8 Aug 1997 14:02:01 -0500 (EST)
> >From: James Charles Ruwaldt <jruwaldt@indiana.edu>
> >Subject: Re: Rough running TR6
>
> >Chris,
> > Gasoline doesn't go bad. You'll probably hear it has a shelf
> >life of about three years, but it can for ten without any problems. I
> >can't imagine you'd suddenly have problems from the gas after running
> >your car regularly. You should check for rust in the gas tank and
> >clogging of the injectors, since that's where fuel problems are most
> >likely to occur.
> >Jim Ruwaldt
> >'72 TR6 CC79338U(being restored)
> >Bloomington, IN
At least st a couple of ingredients in gasoline, benzene and ethyl
benzene, have very high evaporation rates. These are hghly volatile
substances and contribute to octane ratings. Both are proven carcinogens.
The MTBE recently introduced into CA gas substitutes partially for these
components. Unfortunately, while benzene and ethyl benzene are quickly
and easily degraded in the environment the evidence so far is that MTBE
has a very long life and is not easily degraded. It is showing up in
water reserviors above the EPA limits for drinking water all over
California and causing no end of consternation. Its effect on living
organisms is not so well documented as benzene and ethyl b.
Even 6 month old gas will have lost much of these two components and thus
aged gas will result in degraded performance. The "new" gas has been
tinkered with so much that it has an even shorter half life. Those who
maintain that gas will maintain its initial characteristics over time are
simply misinformed and do not understand the chemistry of gasoline. In
areas where gas has contaminated ground water the concentrations of b.
and eb. are used to determine the age of the spill, less of both
indicates an older spill.
Deano
Deano
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