CesarBartz

Folks,

I follow some discussion in US based foruns for both car and boat on concerns of what sort of long term effects having ethanol mixed fuel being used.

I would like to contribute to those asking the question as I have a huge "lab" experience in this. Here in Brazil, it is mandatory to have huge ethanol contents in the gas from ages. So my 1996 ZJ has been burning a 25% ethanol "thing" that I can not even call gas! (75% of it in fact is gas...)

And I had the same in other engines and technologies - carburated, fuel injected, 2 & 4 stroke, motorcycle, outboard, I/O (boat).... and can tell in practice the only engine I had suffering with this was a carburated chevy in a boat - ethanol would absorve moisture from air, condense in the carburator bowl and the water mix with whatever sulfur content of the fuel and produce some acid, corroding the nickel plating of the carburator. Then with vibration, the corrosion products would fall free to the bottom of the bowl and then clog some tight idle passages, so rough idling and stalling...

The rest is fine. No issues with motorcycle, 2-stroke outboard (both with carb), no issues with EFI systems, pump, hoses, catalythic converter, exhaust piping corrosion etc...

In Brazil we also have some 100% ethanol engines (in fact 92% ethanol and 8% water!), since the early 80's. These cars had some problems with corroded carburators, but eventually the nickel plating solved.

"Now" with the EFI in 100% of new cars since mid 90's, we even have the "flex-fuel" engines, that can adjust to any mix of ethanol and gas.

So, you shall only have concerns with ethanol in hang-over matters!!!

dave1123

I would like to add the fact that the US decided never to use less (more) than E85 was the "invisible" flame of pure ethanol. We learned the hard way from pit fires at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The only way you could tell what was going on was from the heat ripple in the air and people getting crispy!

andrewmp6

People like me and drag racers have run e85 for a while for its octane and price.Most efi systems take larger injectors and a tune with more fuel to run e85 right,The old school people like me they sell e85 carbs and covert kits.I changed over my car back when gas hit 4 a gallon few years back and really have nothing bad to say about it besides on a road trip it might be hard to find fuel.But around town i got 5 or 6 gas stations so im good.

dave1123

Must be all those moonshine stills are making legal money now, huh?

andrewmp6

That was my thought also dave,e85 is all over the south but up north hard as hell to find.

dave1123

Well, I believe NY won't allow it to be sold for highway use. IDK why. It probably has something to do with tax revenue, like using red kerosene in diesels. They aren't getting their cut!