Bruce Carter asks about MTBE and ethanol in gasoline. We have these
in Colorado too, in the winter. They put in 14% MTBE or some similar
fraction of ethanol. The theory is that they decrease the unburned
hydrocarbon emissions from poorly tuned cars in cold weather. I run
my '68 Datsun 2000 roadster VBC (virtual British car) on either with
no trouble and no noticeable difference in running quality from the
normal summertime mix. I doubt that Bruce's problems are caused by
MTBE or ethanol.
My newer cars ('85 Prelude and '87 Mazda truck) do show some mild
signs of lean running on the winter fuel, especially on warm days.
If a car was just on the ragged edge of too lean, these additives
might cause it to run a little worse.
The ethanol blend is just what used to be called gasohol. It's great
stuff for older cars, since you get a couple of octane points for
free (or maybe even for less.) I can run regular with ethanol, otherwise
I have to use unleaded premium.
As for the list, I don't think it's broken. I wish it were a little
more like the old days, when it felt more like a small group of friends
sitting around the fire chatting, but I guess that's the way it goes.
I post a lot less now than I did then, and I suspect a few others do
as well. I enjoy the stories and the banter more than the technical
stuff. If we all continue to show some self-restraint, I think we'll
be OK. I agree that a newsgroup would probably be disastrous.
Wayne
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