[TR] Fuel

[glemon at neb.rr.com]

Michael, thanks for reminding me of one of the best goverment acronyms of all time LUST, Leaky Underground Storage Tank act.

Greg Lemon, TR250

---- Michael Porter <mdporter at dfn.com> wrote: 
> On 7/30/2017 7:41 AM, Don Hiscock wrote:
> > Try this link for Costco's top tier gas:
> > https://www.costcoauto.com/automotive_articles/fuel_economy/top_tier_gas_nozip.aspx
> >
> 
> This notion of "bad gas, cheap gas" always confuses me, since the 
> refinery system in this country has been pretty stable and unchanging 
> for many decades (with one small caveat--Valeo has made quite a bit of 
> money converting closed refineries to take heavy crude feedstock and 
> producing gasoline and diesel, along with a #6 fuel oil fraction).  The 
> brand-name refineries, just like the independents, sell to everyone.  
> Now, the name brands have their own formulas (which mostly involve how 
> much of a detergent load is added or the mix of octane improvers used), 
> but, gasoline is gasoline. All the refineries tailor the end product for 
> seasonal changes (which pretty much is dependent upon how much drip 
> gas--the high fractions of natural gas that condense in the lines--is 
> added).
> 
> Many people think by buying brand-name gas, they're not getting ethanol, 
> but in almost every case, even the name-brand blends have some ethanol 
> in them (a few percent, on average), because it's a relatively cheap 
> octane improver (ethanol is 110 octane).  What matters most is how the 
> gasoline is transported and stored, and what the turnover is.  Short 
> illustration:  when I worked in a Toyota dealership in Florida, a Navy 
> lieutenant had brought in his Celica for yet another free carburetor 
> job, and I smelled something wrong. I said, "I think your problem is the 
> location you're buying your gas."  He was indignant, saying that the 
> owner had "guaranteed" that his tanks were certified.  I told him we'd 
> drain the tank, and take a quart sample mid-stream, and if the gas was 
> clean, he'd get another carb, but if it wasn't, he was on the hook for 
> parts and labor.
> 
> I mean, hey, this was Florida, I couldn't be far wrong because area 
> tanks flooded all the time and many of them were old.  Took the sample, 
> and the guy exclaimed, "see, it's fine."  It looked a little cloudy, so 
> I said, um, no, let's just wait a minute and see what settles out.  In a 
> minute or so, it had separated into about one-fifth fine Pensacola 
> red-clay silt, about 60% gasoline and about one-fifth water/alcohol 
> mix.  "That's what you've been running through your carburetor and 
> engine."  He was horrified.  And contrite.  And ready to commit mayhem 
> on the guy selling him gas.
> 
> Most of the really old tanks are now gone, after fed and state EPAs 
> cracked down on the leaky ones in the late `80s and early `90s, in 
> accordance with the Clean Water Act, so this problem with storage isn't 
> as great as it once was.  But, gasoline is gasoline, and if the refiners 
> are on the up-and-up on their octane ratings, it's going to work pretty 
> much the same.
> 
> Not sure what to say to the fellow who ended up with a hole in an 
> exhaust valve, because that's passing strange.  Exhaust valves usually 
> erode from the edges inward or develop radial cracks.  That sounds more 
> like a material defect than from gasoline.
> 
> 
> 
> Cheers.
> 
> -- 
> 
> 
> Michael Porter
> Roswell, NM
> 
> 
> Never let anyone drive you crazy when you know it's within walking distance....
> 
> 
> 
> ** triumphs at autox.team.net **
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