Ethanol.

[ZXT 2,396]

I just wanted to take a moment to express my hatred towards the corn lobby and whoever thought up the idea of mixing ethanol with gasoline. I apologize in advance for the rambling I'm about to do.  

 

Last time I ran the 70 Charger roughly 2 months ago, the likely original voltage regulator shorted internally and started charging full blast at idle. After about 2 seconds, it blew out the dome light bulb and the car died. No spark. Didn't feel like messing with it and it sat.

 

Fast forward to Monday. We finally had a day below 90 degrees so I went out and messed with it some. Turns out the voltage spike fried the ignition control module. No biggie, put one off of the pile on it, changed the voltage regulator and I was in business. Drove it around some, parked it in the driveway and tried to start it after work yesterday. No spark! Turns out the pickup coil in the distributor went ahead and died, likely from the voltage spike. No biggie, grabbed another distributor off of the pile, slapped it in and 10 minutes I was back in business. Ran it for about two hours while I was working on other stuff to burn some of the old gas out of it, then I shut it off and left it.

 

Fast forward to today after work.. You can probably guess where I'm headed. Wouldn't start. I automatically assumed I had an ignition issue. Checked the ballast resistor, had voltage to the coil, so I put yet another ignition box on it. Nothing. Another distributor. Nothing. I poured some gas down the carb for the heck of it. Nothing! By this time I had a helper so I checked for spark with another plug, and I did have spark. Pulled the #1 plug out. It had a nice varnish glaze on it and it was wet. Every plug was like this and was dead. Cleaned them all, put them back in it, and it started and ran for a second. Checked and the accelerator pump wasn't spraying fuel when the pedal was pressed. 

 

I pulled the top of the carb off to find that both needles were stuck.. Like stuck enough that i had to use a pair of needle nose to get them out. Cleaned the carb out, put it back together and still nothing. Pulled it back apart to find that the rubber-tipped needles had stuck again, almost as bad as before. I went and grabbed 2 used metal tipped needles and seats that came out of a carb that I put a kit in. After installing those, It started and runs excellent! Added a can of sea foam and 5 gallons of ethanol free gas to the tank which didn't have much gas in it to begin with. Hopefully the new gas prevents anything from sticking or killing the plugs. 

 

Keep in mind that this gas is less than a year old and had Sta-Bil in it. From now on, it will be getting nothing but ethanol free gasoline. It's around $.40 a gallon more than regular gas, but it is definitely worth it! 

[Yossarian 208]

I never did think it was a good idea to burn food. Not to mention what it's done to the price of a cheeseburger. 

[ebinmaine 66,585]

Want something else to "chew on"?

 

I just recently learned that corn on the cob is actually not even good for us to eat.

It is NOT a vegetable.

It's a grain.

A VERY sugary grain at that.

The high sugar content (negative) outweighs the positives of consumption.

Now look at all your food labels for High Fructose Corn Syrup... And try to stop eating all if them. The human body has a difficult time processing it, if able to do it at all.

 

 

 

The lack of availability of whole real gas is disappointing to say the least.

 

I'm lucky enough to have a couple places to get it but both are about 20 minutes each way the wrong direction of travel.

We keep 3 cans for small engine equipment but daily/weekly filling a vehicle would be too inconvenient.

 

That's a primary reason why I don't want an older vehicle for now.

 

I've rebuilt a few larger carbs in the past and I have no desire to make that a part of a vehicular maintenance program for a daily driven car/truck that I need to depend on for work.

 

It's time to move the farms that grow corn to another crop and move on.

 

Easy?

No.

I realize that.

 

[Achto 27,287]

1 hour ago, ebinmaine said:

I just recently learned that corn on the cob is actually not even good for us to eat.

 

May be true, but it's SOOOOO good.

[The Tuul Crib 7,333]

1 hour ago, ebinmaine said:

Want something else to "chew on"?

 

I just recently learned that corn on the cob is actually not even good for us to eat.

It is NOT a vegetable.

It's a grain.

A VERY sugary grain at that.

The high sugar content (negative) outweighs the positives of consumption.

Now look at all your food labels for High Fructose Corn Syrup... And try to stop eating all if them. The human body has a difficult time processing it, if able to do it at all.

 

 

 

The lack of availability of whole real gas is disappointing to say the least.

 

I'm lucky enough to have a couple places to get it but both are about 20 minutes each way the wrong direction of travel.

We keep 3 cans for small engine equipment but daily/weekly filling a vehicle would be too inconvenient.

 

That's a primary reason why I don't want an older vehicle for now.

 

I've rebuilt a few larger carbs in the past and I have no desire to make that a part of a vehicular maintenance program for a daily driven car/truck that I need to depend on for work.

 

It's time to move the farms that grow corn to another crop and move on.

 

Easy?

No.

I realize that.

 

 The money maker crop 

that farmers are starting to go to here 

is hemp. The non thc variety. 

 

[953 nut 54,386]

6 hours ago, ZXT said:

take a moment to express my hatred towards the corn lobby

         And all the other special interest groups that line the politician's pockets at our expense!       

[The Tuul Crib 7,333]

32 minutes ago, 953 nut said:

         And all the other special interest groups that line the politician's pockets at our expense!       

[ZXT 2,396]

3 hours ago, ebinmaine said:

Want something else to "chew on"?

 

I just recently learned that corn on the cob is actually not even good for us to eat.

It is NOT a vegetable.

It's a grain.

A VERY sugary grain at that.

The high sugar content (negative) outweighs the positives of consumption.

Now look at all your food labels for High Fructose Corn Syrup... And try to stop eating all if them. The human body has a difficult time processing it, if able to do it at all.

 

 

 

The lack of availability of whole real gas is disappointing to say the least.

 

I'm lucky enough to have a couple places to get it but both are about 20 minutes each way the wrong direction of travel.

We keep 3 cans for small engine equipment but daily/weekly filling a vehicle would be too inconvenient.

 

That's a primary reason why I don't want an older vehicle for now.

 

I've rebuilt a few larger carbs in the past and I have no desire to make that a part of a vehicular maintenance program for a daily driven car/truck that I need to depend on for work.

 

It's time to move the farms that grow corn to another crop and move on.

 

Easy?

No.

I realize that.

 

I've never been that big a fan of eating corn either. I'll eat it if its there, but it isn't something I crave or would go out of my way to make. I like drinking Dr. Pepper, and I go out of my way to buy the real sugar version. Many soft drink brands have started offering this.

 

We now have three places within about 10 miles that have ethanol free gas, the closest being about two miles away. Two of them are Walmart, and the other is a hole in the wall place that just opened up recently.

 

Cleaning a carburetor out isn't that big a deal depending on what it is. If its a Carter (or a newer Edelbrock) AFB or AVS, it's a cakewalk and takes about 10 minutes. If its a Quadrajet or a Holley, add some time.. and buy new gaskets every time for the Holley. They like to leak and burn cars down. If you're driving the car regularly you won't have the issues above. The stuff just has a very short shelf life and it attracts moisture like nobodys business. 

 

Here about a year or so ago we drove our old 67 Dodge D100 /6 pasture pickup in from my grandmothers to do some work on it. It had been sitting a while but had been run regularly. We brought it in and let it idle until it ran out of gas. We let it sit overnight, put gas in it the next day, got in it and it cranked over very hard for a few revolutions and then it cranked like it had no compression. Pulled the valve cover off and it had bent every pushrod. Every valve was stuck. When that varnish gets hot and then is allowed to cool down, it turns to glue. I eventually worked all of the valves free, straightened the pushrods and all was well.. but it was still a major ordeal that was completely unnecessary.

[The Tuul Crib 7,333]

As a kid growing up on the farm up in Iowa we would pick it off the corn stock I eat it raw.  Of course that would be the sweet corn variety . 

[Mike'sHorseBarn 2,949]

I agree with all of the above. Can't stand ethanol in the least. I've taken the carbs off some GT's that have sat for a while and it looks like sunny beach inside the bowl. Can't be good for the engine at all, so I'm like Eric and I drive about 20 minutes out of my way to fill my three cans with ethanol free and every once and a while I take my little 2 cycle can and fill it up too. 2 cycles really seem to not like the ethanol.

[JoeM 7,871]

Ethanol Pearls baby! This is the part I love the most!

Hey EB, I found out the other day I'm part Vegan! I like Beer and French-fry's

[clueless 2,963]

So corn is not good for us . I guess that makes moonshine twice as bad .

[WHX?? 48,079]

38 minutes ago, clueless said:

So corn is not good for us . I guess that makes moonshine twice as bad .

I dunno @Ed Kennell, @formariz, @stevasaurusand I have  sip of it now and then and we is still kickin! 

[Stormin 9,980]

6 hours ago, OILUJ52 said:

Ethanol Pearls baby! This is the part I love the most!

 

Never seen those in my float bowls. UK petrol has 5% ethanol. What's the percentage in the US?

[ebinmaine 66,585]

6 minutes ago, Stormin said:

 

Never seen those in my float bowls. UK petrol has 5% ethanol. What's the percentage in the US?

Up to 10

[adsm08 1,849]

21 minutes ago, ebinmaine said:

Up to 10

 

Allegedly.

 

A lot of the samples I test fall anywhere in the range of 10-15%, and I live and work in an area where E-85 is not readily available, only a few station carry it.

[Stepney 2,325]

12 hours ago, ebinmaine said:

 

That's a primary reason why I don't want an older vehicle for now.

 

I've rebuilt a few larger carbs in the past and I have no desire to make that a part of a vehicular maintenance program for a daily driven car/truck that I need to depend on for work.

 

I went out of my way specifically to make a much older carb fit my pickup. All mechanical linkage now for the mix needle. The old Carter YF uses a rubber diaphragm to actuate the mix needle, right at the bottom of the bowl. Doubles as the accelerator pump. 
Ethanol eats that rubber. Then the whole contents of the bowl dumps into the manifold.. it's never been an issue but it does make me nervous. 

 

Funny how I've heard some serious horror stories about Ethanol, then others who have done every wrong thing in the book, and had no consequence besides a bad idle till the new gas came up the line. 

Have a good friend out in Iowa. I should copy a few of his tales over. 

[JoeM 7,871]

48 minutes ago, Stormin said:

 

Never seen those in my float bowls. UK petrol has 5% ethanol. What's the percentage in the US?

Two station I checked were just at or slightly under 10%

I find this after my pressure washer sits a couple months. I think it is some kind of reaction with water and if left unchecked, it turns to green gunk! I know those little white balls get into the main jet, (very fine), and it will not start. I tried Ethanol Shield, (that is what I treated the gas in the pick with), and it was not impressive. I finally got a station close enough now and use non E fuel, no more pearls.

[ZXT 2,396]

24 minutes ago, Stepney said:

I went out of my way specifically to make a much older carb fit my pickup. All mechanical linkage now for the mix needle. The old Carter YF uses a rubber diaphragm to actuate the mix needle, right at the bottom of the bowl. Doubles as the accelerator pump. 
Ethanol eats that rubber. Then the whole contents of the bowl dumps into the manifold.. it's never been an issue but it does make me nervous. 

 

Funny how I've heard some serious horror stories about Ethanol, then others who have done every wrong thing in the book, and had no consequence besides a bad idle till the new gas came up the line. 

Have a good friend out in Iowa. I should copy a few of his tales over. 

That's part of the reason I refuse to run Holley 4 barrels on any of my cars. As you probably know, there is a fuel bowl on each end of those carbs that mount vertically and are an excellent place for a massive leak. Had one on my dad's 71 Camaro that would leak if it sat any time at all. Holleys might be good for a little more power, but from a reliability, leakage and working on stand point, Carter AFB or AVS's are hard to beat. I also like Thermoquads and Quadrajets, but they're a bit more difficult to pull the top off of to clean out. 

 

On another note, I went out to the Charger a few minutes ago and it fired right up. Ethanol free gas to the rescue!

[Stepney 2,325]

Just now, ZXT said:

That's part of the reason I refuse to run Holley 4 barrels on any of my cars. As you probably know, there is a fuel bowl on each end of those carbs that mount vertically and are an excellent place for a massive leak. Had one on my dad's 71 Camaro that would leak if it sat any time at all. Holleys might be good for a little more power, but from a reliability, leakage and working on stand point, Carter AFB or AVS's are hard to beat. I also like Thermoquads and Quadrajets, but they're a bit more difficult to pull the top off of to clean out. 

 

On another note, I went out to the Charger a few minutes ago and it fired right up. Ethanol free gas to the rescue!

I've had quite a few Holley's before, and never a leakage issue. They come home and straight away get resurfaced and rebuilt, and assembled with a torque-drive. No leaks, warpage, or issues to be had after that. Did a massive load of 4bbl's for guys at highschool, when I actually cared enough. 
The leak I speak of with the diaphragm would literally dump the huge 1bbl bowl, under vacuum, into the manifold itself. Possibly causing a hydrolock. The carb I speak of is the old Carter YF that lots of smaller cars used at one time. 

[ZXT 2,396]

1 minute ago, Stepney said:

I've had quite a few Holley's before, and never a leakage issue. They come home and straight away get resurfaced and rebuilt, and assembled with a torque-drive. No leaks, warpage, or issues to be had after that. Did a massive load of 4bbl's for guys at highschool, when I actually cared enough. 
The leak I speak of with the diaphragm would literally dump the huge 1bbl bowl, under vacuum, into the manifold itself. Possibly causing a hydrolock. The carb I speak of is the old Carter YF that lots of smaller cars used at one time. 

Didn't the 50s Ford 6 Cylinders run a YF? I think the CJ5 down at our river place might have one as well.

[Stepney 2,325]

Yes, Willys was using the YF as far back as the old flat-fender Jeeps. Our 78 AMC/6 CJ7 has one too. Most every Jeep 4/6 did. My truck is an 85 Ford with the 300"-6, it has one as well. 

The earlier Ford 6's used a small Holley single, before updating to the YF somewhere in the mid 1960s.

[Digger 66 3,478]

9 hours ago, OILUJ52 said:

 

 

 

 

Turns my stomach looking at this 

[Daddy Don 905]

I don't burn gas in my truck. I bought a 2013 ford f150 in 2013. Took it straight to the shop and had it converted to run on CNG. Have 73000 miles on it now and never had any problems. I pay $1.39 per gallon for CNG and also can run on gas if I want to. I have only run on gas if I am in an area that does not have any CNG services in their town. Still get the same mileage and same power as if I was using gas.  I know there are some states that you can't find CNG but most of the places I go I find it without any problems. 

[Yossarian 208]

This website keeps track of stations that carry pure gas and has a searchable map.

 

https://www.pure-gas.org/