[Healeys] Gas and ethanol

[Al Malin]

Kees,

Rich is correct because condensation occurs when warm air strikes a  
very cold surface.  During the winter after your garage, and contents,  
reach a below-freezing temperature everything will be fine until you  
open the garage during a weather warm-up and a blast of the warmer air  
enters the garage. As the warm air hits the cold surfaces the relative  
humidity near the surface changes dramatically.  As the warm air is  
chilled by a cold surface, its relative humidity rises - if it rises  
enough the water vapor condenses and the metal is bathed in a thin  
film of water.  Keeping the gas tank full mitigates this condensation  
inside the tank.

Anyone wearing glasses in cold weather has experienced this  
principle.  Their glasses will fog up when going from freezing  
temperatures outside to a nice warm house inside. I've had tools  
sitting open in the garage rust during the winter, and, they couldn't  
be ventilated any more.

Al Malin



On Jan 3, 2010, at 5:45 AM, Oudesluys wrote:

> Not if you leave the filler cap off. It will ventilate naturally  
> without condensation. You have to cover the filler opening loosely  
> with an open weave cloth to prevent dirt and mice etc. getting in.
> Kees Oudesluijs
> NL
>
> Rich C schreef:
>> That will give you a maximum volume to collect the condensation  
>> (read rust) that will form in the tank especially in an unheated  
>> situation.
>>
>> Rich Chrysler
>> ----- Original Message ----- From: "TERRY COLL" <coll44 at msn.com>
>> To: <bspidell at comcast.net>; <coudesluijs at chello.nl>
>> Cc: "austin healey" <healeys at autox.team.net>
>> Sent: Saturday, January 02, 2010 4:58 PM
>> Subject: Re: [Healeys] Gas and ethanol
>>
>>
>>> I diconnected the fuel pump and ran the engine out then remove the  
>>> drain pug
>>> on the tank and will fill up with fresh fuel in the spring.   
>>> Pretty much the
>>> same drill I do for my boat.