7t9l82

i noticed recently that Lars and Cliff both have been alerting people to the effects of ethanol fuel on accelerator pumps . I'm now wondering if this ethanol fuel has been doing damage to fuel pumps also. just trying to prevent an issue. maybe someone has some more information on this fuel like evaporation issues etc, seems like in a few days the float bowl dries up and i have to add fuel through the bowl vent to keep from cranking the engine to fill the bowl. seems more of an issue than i thought.

Mike Ward

I've been running E10 on a stock pump for 20 years without issue. Look elsewhere.

garygnu

I worry about the ethanol drying out the rubber and making it more brittle.

Matt Gruber

2014 15% mandate.
keep an eye on it. watch for leaks.(none so far)
may need 1 size larger carb jets '14 since it contains less energy.

7t9l82

already jetted it up plus smaller rods big improvement. it does seem like the fuel evaporates quickly but that could be my imagination

iokepakai

Don't care what anybody says about Ethanol fuel! It screwed up my boat engine bad! Look for Ethanol free fuel at a marina or where boats fuel up.Anything with a carb that sits for a period of time will get messed up with ethanol.Happened to me and I paid the price.Boat was fine before Ethanol fuel came to be,so was my lawn mower,weed-eater and chain saw...

ezobens

I've been replacing fuel pumps on my 85' Suburban every 2 to 3 years now- I'm convinced it's the ethanol in fuel that is deteriorating the diaphragms at a faster rate. I used to get 10-15 years out of a pump.
Look at the marine industry- Poor bastards are replacing their old fiberglass and plastic tanks right and left because the newer fuels are dissolving the material.
Even the late model Eldorados had issues with newer fuels deteriorating the plastic used in the NorthStar injection system.
Ethanol is not our friend.

marshal135

7T9l82,
To answer the part of your inuiry that went unanswered,
yes todays fuels seem to be evaporating quickly.
Lars makes mention of it in his Q&A carb overall paper.
He said if your sending me your carb because the fuel
has evaporated causing hard start, he can not correct this by rebuilding your Q-jet.
My '68BB evaporates in a couple days just enough to require
several pumps to get it primed.
I was unaware till I read Lars great paper that the Q-jet
draws the fuel from the top of the float bowl vs the bottom of the bowl.
This is why hardcore drag racers that pull the front wheels off the ground my experience fuel starvation w/ a q-jet.
As for street use its the best avail for mileage and general cruising.
The Holley carbs were used on the hi performance L-88 type cars.
But I think they were meant to go from the show room to the track.
I use 93 octane Sunoco in Pennsylvania. It still evaporates.
Merry Christmas ,
Marshal

7t9l82

thanks, its good to know i am not imagining this. i believe its time for an electric fuel pump.

Mike Ward

My car sits with E10 in the tank for up to six months at a time over the winter. It starts on the first turn of the key in the spring- just like it's been doing for decades.

Find a different horse to whip.

Matt Gruber

Mike
Why don't u drive it all year long? Must be some reason? Let me guess. Could it be so cold that it SNOWS? and so cold that a battery stays charged and fuel doesn't evaporate? Ever hear of winter formula gas? Park yours with summer gas and it will last for years in the cold!
I had my 61's tank, lines, carb, and FP, all clog up when it sat too long here in FLa. BUT in NJ it sat 8+ years in the 80's and caused no problem. So what changed?
1. FUEL
2. Temps/my location

Don 68

There are gas stations that still sells ethanol free fuel. Go to Pure-Gas.org where there is a state by state list of all the stations including Canada.

MotorHead

Wow thanks for the link, I use Canadian Tire 91 and it appears to be ethanol free in my Vette, just lucky I guess, because I have their gas card and 10% off when I get gas there.

Mike Ward

I should add that the car also sits for extended periods during the summer, especially in the last few years where I've been busy with other activities.

It still starts up on the first turn of the key, stale E10 and all.

Thanks for prompting my memory.

Matt Gruber

Anyone can check their gas.
put 1 oz in an open jar outside and see how long it takes to vanish.
mine is gone in 1 day

7t9l82

lets not forget the lousy mileage we get with it.

Sigforty

Not just a summer vs winter blend. Here in the states we have different blends based on location as well. It also depends on how bad of a smog problem you have, there are blends for that as well.

Mike Ward

Again, you're right. That 3% decrease (approx 6 miles per tankful) is a real killer.

74modified

As to the OP's question on fuel pumps, the diaphragms on good quality pumps usually hold up OK. Older fuel line from before ethanol is usually more of a problem.
In the States there are different fuel blends for regional air quality as well.
I live in a sub-tropical climate with coastal humidity, and the ethanol is a major problem. This is a fact, whether people want to believe it or not.

7t9l82

for the price we pay for gas now i want all the value i can get .and depending on formulation i wouldn't be surprised it isn't higher than that