Mandatory 10% Ethanol

[89 Speedy]

Hawaii recently passed a bill calling for a mandatory 10% Ethanol in fuel by 2006. Any idea how this will affect the 3.2's?

[Rot 911]

As long as the octane is still where it needs to be you will be just fine. Ethanol in that low percentage will not hurt a 3.2 engine. Slight, probably unoticeable drop in power as alcohol produces less hp than gasoline when you compare equal amounts.

[Early_S_Man]

In operation the effects will be minimal ... it is storage and infrequent use that will cause some MAJOR headaches with bare steel parts of the FI system! Unlike gasoline, ethanol absorbs moisture right out of the air, and that absorbed moisture can cause major corrosion problems if the car is used infrequently!

Are there any spots in Hawaii that don't have high humidity present most of the time?

I predict that extremely well-sealed, year-round air-conditioned garages will become the mandatory household 'upgrade' for Hawaiian P-car owners!

[RoninLB]

that ethanol bs is an issue in NY. We're using it now but the issue is that with modern FI the ethanol has become a hand job to Senator Daschle. A furious campaign is in motion right now to put him in the tank.

[Brother]

I'll second that motion.

Unless Hawaii starts growing corn, it will probably cost more, but I suppose your gas is pretty pricey already.

[Jesset100]

Your mileage will drop also. I lossed about 1 to 1 1/2 miles per gallon. That doesn't sound like much but I drive 174 miles a day.

[radcon]

Humidity shouldn't pose a problem. Compared to Florida and the rest of the Southeast, Hawaii doesn't have any humidity! I trully miss the weather in Hawaii....I wish we could import some of those tradewinds to Florida. The hurricanes have a little too much wind and too much moisture content.

[Jesset100]

89 Went out whit a girl that lived in Kailua. I forgot what her name was. Pretty hapahaole.

[Nitrometano]

My friends like methanol to race in drag racing and have 7 secs. 1/4 mile rotary cars. My neighbor inject methanol into his Ford Cobra Mustang air intake and gain 60hp because it drops the temperature from the air coming into the engine. Other friend use methanol into his street legal Camaro Yenko and makes 9.14 on the 1/4 mile drag racing. I never have use methanol on my '72 street Porsche, but VP C-16 (130 octane) racing fuel put a lot of power into the engine and drops the temperature dramatically.

[Brother]

alcohol in racers is for safety

[RoninLB]

alcohol keeps CHT down. I don't have a CHT prob.. I have a alcohol fuel prob.

[Randy Webb]

This is the farm lobby at work - in HY it will be sugar cane, not corn growers. Expect more of this...

[beepbeep]

Originally posted by Nitrometano
My friends like methanol to race in drag racing and have 7 secs. 1/4 mile rotary cars. My neighbor inject methanol into his Ford Cobra Mustang air intake and gain 60hp because it drops the temperature from the air coming into the engine. Other friend use methanol into his street legal Camaro Yenko and makes 9.14 on the 1/4 mile drag racing. I never have use methanol on my '72 street Porsche, but VP C-16 (130 octane) racing fuel put a lot of power into the engine and drops the temperature dramatically.

I think you mixed up methanol with ethanol. Methanol is extremly corrosive, ethanol is not. I drive my car on 85% pure ethanol and 15% gasoline (E85). It runs better then ever. There´s nothing wrong with ethanol as long as your engine can detect slightly changed A/F and richen it up. Stochiometric A/F for ethanol is 9:1 compared to 14.7 for gasoline... 10% ethanol will move that down to something like 14.0:1.

[Wil Ferch]

Not true....this will effect 3.2's ...mileage as noted....corrosive by helping water collect..... AND.....attacks the peculiar rubber and elastomers of older ( including 3.2's) Porsche's. Later models, I gather, have synthetic rubber compounds in their fuel systems that are more tolerant of ethanol content.

Pet peeve...Oh yeah...methanol vs ethanol.... all of us posters better bone up on the topic we're about to post on....it ends up being in the archives for posterity for all to see...and we often don't have the luxury of someone else coming into the discussion later to fix. Not a slam..it's happened to me too....let's just be more careful out there...huh?

---Wil

[Wavey]

In our area we've had 10% ethanol in our fuel for about a decade and I've never had any problems with it in any of our cars.

[MotoSook]

Yep, ethanol has been in our gas in the corn belt for years, and I have not noticed any ill effects. The refineries are required to added it around here, up to 10%.

Just like any gas you might store or have sit in your tank for an extended period of time, you should treat it.

I think I'll run for office and bring some technical knowledge to the capital. Will you vote for me Dave?

[Early_S_Man]

Well, when Brazil went to 20% Ethanol in their gasoline years ago it did cause major problems with older vehicles, and all of their mfrs had to redesign the fuel systems to cope with the effects ...

Senators Daschle has even worse plans in the works ... paid for by the taxpayers, of course ... he doesn't have the text of the bill listed, nor the 'S' number so diligent voters can check out his pork barrel plans ... my guess he is trying to top Senator Byrd's abysmal record!!! His rhetoric sounds good to the farmers and corn lobby, though!

http://www.tomdaschle.com/tom/index.php?id=36

[Randy Webb]

Actually, Warren, An ethanol mix reduces our need to import oil (and to export troops) and helps clean up air pollution. There are a lot of benefits to society at large. It just happens that our archaic cars don't do all that well on it under certain conditions. I will be less philosophical if it kills off my rebuild....

[Schuey]

Originally posted by Randy Webb
Actually, Warren, An ethanol mix reduces our need to import oil (and to export troops) and helps clean up air pollution. There are a lot of benefits to society at large. It just happens that our archaic cars don't do all that well on it under certain conditions. I will be less philosophical if it kills off my rebuild....

I agree...I wish more places would start carrying 85% ethanol 15% gas (most new autos can run on this)...85% less money for the car bombing army as well...

[Randy Webb]

Get all your friends to buy hybrids - pollution and oil needs both decline. And support mass transit and bike commuting, work-live areas nearb each other...

Fewer dead people, less liklihood of greater regualtion for our cars, more money for Toyota and Honda, less traffic on the roads....