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Bad gas - but mixed with what?

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T

tdskip

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Hi guys - I've had running issues with the TR8 that I traced to a fuel delivery problem. So I replaced the in-tank pump, which isn't too bad but not something you'd do for fun either. Turns out that wasn't it.

So I rebuilt the suspect carb, and just to make sure i had fuel flow I ran the pump into a clean plastic bag, mainly the catch the flow. Glad it was a clear bag - look what came out of the pump.

At initial pumping;

tr8badgaspic.jpg


At the bottom of the tank;

tr8badgas-2pic.jpg


I drained the tank to a point where the pump isn't able to get any more fuel.

The fuel is still a bit shaken up from going through the pump but what the heck is with that?


Ideas?
 
How old is the fuel? It looks like separated ethanol (After is absorbs moisture).
 
I've seen some very poor sealing gas caps. In a heavy rainstorm, rain will settle into the recess that the cap sits in and find it's way into the tank as the recess fills up.
 
tr8todd said:
I've seen some very poor sealing gas caps. In a heavy rainstorm, rain will settle into the recess that the cap sits in and find it's way into the tank as the recess fills up.
Click to expand...

You know - I'm wondering if that is that is part of the problem Todd. We got really heavy rains while she was sitting and at one point the car wasn't covered well.

So ethanol will do something similar after that short of a time? Figure 3 months of sitting?
 
Yup, 'twill do that.
I have a friend in Louisiana who has....many....Jaguars.
I think it's a MK9.....maybe a 10....twin tanks, one side, the drain in the recess was plugged, drove through one o dem Louisiana monsoons, got low on the one tank, switched to the other, and in about 1/4 mile was DOA at the side of the road.
Water had just run into the vented cap.
Took about a gallon of water off the bottom of the tank.
 
Just to play devils advocate... is it possible that you got the water where you last purchased the gas?
 
3 months is usually given as the shelflife of E10, assuming optimum conditions.

But if your gas cap was leaking water into the tank, it could ruin the fuel in a matter of minutes. Only takes a bit over 1 tablespoon of water per gallon to cause phase separation, assuming the fuel was perfectly dry to start with (and it's not likely that it was perfectly dry when you bought it).

There was a club project TR7 where we found the tank more than half full of water, apparently just from leaking past the cap. It had been stored outside for several years, but then it very rarely rains here like it did a few days ago.
 
I've been having a devil of a time with gas going bad on me. The 3000, XKE and TR250 all have given me trouble with gas going bad and I use stabilizer. They all set(inside) for 3 to 6 months at a time not being run. I found a station that sells 100% gas, so that now with stabilizer, not having the trouble. Driving them more often helps as well. Remodeled the house so very little LBC time last year.

Marv
 
Does "stabilizer" actually claim to help with phase separation? I thought there wasn't much you could do about that, except add more alcohol (which also makes it suck up water faster).

Modern cars actually use little relief valves to seal the tank most of the time (until the pressure difference gets to be dangerous to the tank). I wonder if something like that would help our LBCs?
 
Especially with "winter" blend gas there are volatile components that will evaporate out over time. What's left is harder to start in a cold engine. Stabilizer won't help that.
 
Ethanol is just plain EEeevile.

Automotively, politically, economically.

...not much more to say about it.
 
DrEntropy said:
Ethanol is just plain EEeevile.
Click to expand...

Oh I don't know about that. It has its uses.

Properly aged and poured over ice, it can become downright heavenly!
 
Corn mash?

...naaaah.
 
I have stored my 8 without issue for 23 winters. I always put in pure gas.

I am hoping and praying your issue is related to a leaky gas cap.

When I put the Ferrari away I had to do it at a shop about an hour away and it was right at closing time. I ran it to a station close to the shop and filled it with 93 octane....only to look at the details on the pump as I finished to see it contains 10% ethanol. :frown:

I have not slept correctly since and need to get that tank burned up ASAP.

This was posted on our forum before but as the summer season approaches might warrant a second look: https://pure-gas.org/index.jsp?stateprov=WI
 
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