[Mgs] Sunday morning, a bit OT

[Max Heim]

In California, they used MTBE as an oxygenator, prior to the widespread use of ethanol. Now I believe it has been replaced with ethanol across the board.

One hears a lot of complaints, but I haven’t had any real problems with 10% ethanol fuel in my MG. My muscle car, with an advertised 10.5:1 compression ratio V8, wasn’t very happy with 91 octane CA blend, but it ran with slightly retarded timing.

Sent from my iPad

> On Oct 7, 2019, at 5:46 AM, Richard Lindsay via Mgs <mgs at autox.team.net> wrote:
> 
> Hello friends,
>    Straight ethanol has an equivalent octane rating of 113, so mixing it with petrol increases the mixture's octane value. Of course, the quoted value on the pump already takes this into account. Beyond that gem of useless knowledge, I'm close to lost.
>    Petrol is a mixture of hydrocarbons. We all know that. And Wikipedia can probably list them all in volume fraction order. But what is added today to increase the 87 octane value, other than ethanol? It used to be TEL, or tetraethyllead, but those days are long gone. The skeptical and distrusting scientist in me wants to believe that petrol manufacturers are using the ethanol content to elevate the effective octane rating thereby saving the other octane boosting stuff, whatever it is.
> 
> Rick
> 
> 
>> On Mon, Oct 7, 2019, 3:11 AM PaulHunt73 via Mgs <mgs at autox.team.net> wrote:
>> Fortunately the UK still has 5% max ethanol in both standard and high octanes.  There is 'moral' pressure from some quarters on the Government to increase it to 10% max but suppliers can meet their legal requirements purely with bio diesel, and don't want to be the first to go to 10% and get bad publicity from complaints.  If the move against diesel gathers pace that may force their hands.
>>  
>> The main problem with fuel hoses and everything else rubber here is the quality of the rubber itself.  I've always (30 years) run the roadster on high octane but the V8 (24 years) always on standard which has had ethanol at 5% max for 20 years now.  While 98 octane may not have contained ethanol originally, suppliers tended to be cagey when asked directly, and others indicated that it varied according to where in the UK you bought it.  Four years ago I decided to replace the V8 pump hoses as the braiding was crumbling when it came to me so they were probably original - but as far as the rubber goes the old ones were in perfect condition.  I even slit a piece lengthwise and opened it out but there wasn't a trace of cracking.  When I first got the V8 it didn't have any carb overflow hoses so I installed them, and they have had to be replaced since from severe cracking - and they don't even carry liquid fuel, only vapour.  I fitted non-braided so I can keep an eye on the external condition at least, but I have no doubt they won't last anywhere near as long as the originals.
>>  
>> If standard here goes up to 10% - fortunately pumps are now required to be labelled clearly on the pump as well as the nozzle itself - I'll run the V8 on high octane as well, as that has been designated 'petrol protection grade' for older vehicles for the foreseeable future.
>>  
>> PaulH.
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> Last week 95 octane fuel has to be 10% bio-ethanol, which makes even post-modern cars vulnerable for this nasty fuel additive.
>> So I’ll change the type of fuel for my mopeds to a special one. The BGT will get the 98 octane fuel, which contains 5% bio-ethanol.
>> 
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