90mphRAGE

I just read on KSL that Utah is now required to blend 10% ethanol. Does this have any ill effects? The report mentioned loss of power, milage & worse emissions. Is the octane affected thus causing issues with SC motors?

FuelinAround

Do a search I have wrote several good reviews on this. If you aren't satisfied with what you find PM me. I am a fuel distributor and be glad to try and answer your questions.

Steve Zuckerman

I have used BP/Amoco Ultimate 93 Octane with 10% Ethanol with no issues except one. The diaphram in my mechanical Merc/Eickert fuel pump was partially dissolved over the winter. Make sure to check for junk in the fuel pump oil reservoir when you change it, and keep an eye on your fuel pressure.
Alcohol is a solvent, and it is hard on rubber parts of the fuel system. Not a problem yet on our boats with aluminum tanks, but it has turned the glassed in tanks on some older boats (Skater and Motion for instance) into mush.
The other downside to alcohol is that it has an affinity for water, in other words it attracts and mixes with water, normally through humid air in the vent line and condensation in the fuel tank. Petroleum based fuels separate from it.
Long term storage without a fuel preservative like Stabil (I use) could be a problem. I would also change your water seperating fuel filter more often.
Just make sure your are buying high octane fuel from a brand name station that you trust. Also try to use stations that do volume business. Hopefully you'll get fresher fuel than hasn't sat in their tanks, attracting humidity and condensation as long. Short of carrying a fuel analyzer, that's about all we can do.
E85 will be real trouble. Let's hope we don't get that shoved at us.
Best Regards,
Steve

DesertRage

iTrader: (2)

Every pump I stopped at last week, between SLC and Powell, already had that 10 percent sticker on it.

I read somewhere that E10 will burn around 3% leaner. Anyone know if this is true? Does that mean a dialed in cruise ratio of 13.5:1 would become 13.9?