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Rumburg William J NNSY wrote:
How about some other comments and thoughts on using auto gasoline. Is it as safe as using aircraft fuel?
One point sticks in my mind. Auto gas uses alcohol to improve octane, and this is only going to continue with even large amounts mandated by the energy policy. Cars originally had problems in the fuel system due to rubber(?) seals swelling and dissolving from the alcohol exposure. So automakers had to design the fuel systems to ensure that all the exposed parts were immune to both aromatics (the gasoline) and alcohol. I have never heard that plane parts were similarly redesigned as plane fuel is not supposed to have alcohol in it, only lead tetraethyl for octane control. This could be bad news for the seals in valves, float valves in convention carburetors (the rubber tip), vanes in boost pumps, and flexible fuel hose portion of the fuel systems just to think about a few. Just a speculation, but that may also account in part for the gas tank lid getting tighter – the gasket may be swelling.
Charles R. Patton
LNC2 360JM
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