From: "Scott Dahlgren" <spdahlgren@uswest.net>
To: "___Lancair list" <lancair.list@olsusa.com>
Subject: 
Date: Sat, 4 Nov 2000 08:25:00 -0700
Message-ID: <EIEFKAHFNOPGEABIOMPOGEAOCEAA.spdahlgren@uswest.net>
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Reply-To: lancair.list@olsusa.com
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>>Scott: Many alcohols are not too friendly with aluminum either

you aren't kidding. I read an early study on an alcohol fuel test using an
aluminum engine. After running ~100 hours the engine was disassembled and it
was just a mess. almost every surface had massive corrosion on it and the
valve stems were wasted. They concluded that absorbed water from the alcohol
had decomposed during combustion. Perhaps they have overcome those obstacles
with additives, but it looked bad back then.

Here in Utah the stations have to add alcohol to the gas starting in
November. Every November there are cars up and down my block that stop
running due to blocked fuel filters, dead pumps, etc. due to the water
soluble contaminates in the bottom of the gas tank that precipitate out with
the switch in fuel.

The station that sold me the MTBE modified fuel claimed that the MTBE was
immiscible with water, so there shouldn't be any problems. I also know that
the FAA has given MTBE the nod as an acceptable fuel additive. The questions
that arises is: can you be sure that's what you are getting when you fill up
at a local station?

For the two stroke flyers I also found my two stoke motor cycle wouldn't run
on the alcohol gas due to oil mixing /combustion problems , but the MTBE gas
worked just fine.

Scott

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