Gasahol question

[Tinster]

I got to thinking about gasahol today: I learned
gasahol has real negative effects on fuel line filters.
As a boater, I am keenly aware I need to have a custom fuel
tank built for my 69TR6 which will incorporate a Racor
water/fuel seperator. The same one I use on my boat.

Questions must follow this:

What OTHER Triumph problems can I expect will develop
due to gasahol?

IE: is the gasahol eating away at my rebuilt carbs?
Is it eating away at things inside my engine?
Is it eating away my brand new fuel hoses?
Is it eating away at my fuel pump?
What else might it be eating?

What can I do to forestall these problems?

I know a custom fuel tank and Racor filter are needed.
But I'm real short on the $$cash needed for a custom
crafted fuel tank. I must figure out some other solution
to the gasahol problems.

Any answers and suggestions appreciated.

<span style="color: #990000">The Beast started real nice this morning,
warmed up and I drove 64 feet without breakdown.
Hey! That's better than 48 hours ago!! At least the
car started. </span>

d :thumbsup:

 

[jessebogan]

OK Dale, here is what I am seeing. The "gasohol" will remove residue from the walls of gas tanks( and lines etc) I have a Jag in here that sat for several years with a full tank. The gas turned to "varnish", but was still largely liquid. I drained 20 gallons of bad gas and let it sit that way for months. I put 5 gallons of "gasahol" (10% ethanol) in the tank. I had rebuilt the carbs (4) and cleaned and rebuilt the SU fuel pump. (New points, otherwise just cleaned up) After a series of short road tests, I tried a longer drive. The fuel filter in the tank clogged completely. The gas had loosened all the crud that the old gas had left behind. This was REALLY ugly. It looked like I had 20 pounds of rust in the tank, but was not magnetic for the most part. I sent the tank to a local shop to have the "gas tank renu" process done. This is a coating, similar to the POR15 coating, but if they do it, it is guaranteed for life. Suits me. I am installing the tank tomorrow. The fuel filters kept any of the "stuff" from reaching anything else in the system.This seems to be typical of cars that have sat with fuel in the tanks. I have had 3 or 4 like this since the fuel changeover. Most of my customers drive their cars regularly, and no other effects have been noted.I have TR6s, TR4s, XK120, etc on the road at least weekly, and they (and I) have not seen any other fuel related problems.

 

[simpson]

<span style="color: #990000">The Beast started real nice this morning,
warmed up and I drove 64 feet without breakdown.
Hey! That's better than 48 hours ago!! At least the
car started. </span>

d :thumbsup:[/quote]

Just gotta love & admire your perseverance and glass half-full approach to things!

 

[Brosky]

Dale,

I thought that replacing the condensor fixed your problem. Why are you back on the gas again?

 

[Tinster]

Hey Paul,

The condensor bought me less than 100 feet of drive.

I am running straight fuel lines for the moment with
no filters present. Given the past history of this car,
I don't want to make any attemp to drive it without fuel
filter protection.

I neded to know what damage the gasahol was doing before
I attempted a drive.

I also keep thinking about the gasahol. The Racor
water seperator with remove water. I think the ethanol
will still be in the gasoline blend.

Just wanted to know what to expect from ethanol related
I run high test in my car. Does it also
have ethanol in it?

thanks,

dale

 

[TR3driver]

FWIW, I had a chat yesterday with Steve Hedke at British Pacific. It's his belief that the ethanol is washing lubrication from the upper cylinder walls, and leading to rapid ring wear. Not on every car, but he says they have been seeing lots of cases of excessive ring wear on relatively low-mileage engines, across a bunch of different engines (including Triumphs, Land Rovers and old American flat heads).

And one of our club members recently tore down his TR4 motor that he rebuilt just 16,000 miles ago, and found all the ring gaps up around .030". No visible ridge or anything, just worn rings.

Steve's suggestion is to run some upper cylinder lube, like Marvel Mystery Oil, in the gasoline.

I'm not sure what to make of that, but Steve generally knows his stuff. Some of you may remember him as the driver of a 57 TR3 dubbed "Scrappy" that took first in class in The Great Race a few years back.
https://www.rucompatible.com/triumph/transcontinental_race.htm

 

[Tinster]

Randall-

That's weird!!

I was discussing the enthanol problem with a few guys
at the marina yesterday.(and my need to have
a custom fuel tank fabricated for my TR6)

One of the guys knows a gas station that sells 100%
gasoline. He also mentioned he is putting Marvel
Mystery Oil, in the gasoline for his boat. He
suggested I put in a good supply of MMO.

small world,

d

 

[TRDejaVu]

What is the recommended ratio of MMO per gallon?

 

[PAUL161]

I use about a half pint per 30 gallons in my truck with a Chevy 350, what ever that comes out to. I never thought about breaking it down to gallons. I get no smoke or darkening of the plugs. My motor home has a top oil injection system and it only gets Marvel Mystery Oil in it's tank. I buy the stuff by the gallon.

 

[TR3driver]

MMO suggests 4 ounces per 10 gallons of gas.

 

[Brosky]

Randall,

That's about what I run in mine and no smoke, happy clean carbs and no issues to date.

 

[Guest]

What's that thing?
A scale model of your lungs?

Where's the fuel injectors?
:laugh:

 

[Brosky]

All in good time, my friend, all in good time....

 

[DrEntropy]

WHA?!?! What is this "fuel injectors" thing?


...or are we off to find a nice Lucas sliding throttle setup?

 

[Brosky]

No, that's just my way of putting off thinking about something for a while.

I'm going to wait until Rick Patton perfects the triple conversion and then seriously think about it.

For a while.....