worntorn said:
I just toured 4830 kms thru Washington, Idaho, Montana and Wyoming and was able to find Ethanol free fuel ( labelled as such at pump) for about 80% of my fuel ups. All of the Exxon stations had it as well as some Cenex.
Also on the Canadian portion of the trip I filled up at Chevron startions, all had ethanol free Supreme 94 octane.
Three years ago I did a similar trip and could not find any ethanol free fuel in the US.
Long term storage with ethanol type fuel seems to be the big issue . I can't imagine that quickly running thru the occasional tank of e10 while out on tour will do harm. I was refuelling after about four hours of running, surely the FG tanks would handle 4 hours of E10 in there on a very occasional basis?
Making sure the bike is full of ethanol free fuel before putting it away is relatively easy with all of this ethanol free fuel now available, at least here in the west.
Things are changing.
Glen
Glen
Glad you enjoyed your ride. I have become more involved in the last 3 years on E-10 research. Spurred on by my recent involvement with OPE Outdoor Power Equipment. A few issues have more recently come to light in addition to old issues.
Old issue:
Long time ago...I made a fastback tank from resin that was supposed to be E-10 approved. Inside became tacky and believe was releasing resin into the gas then run through the engine and coating the intake port and more.... I no longer made any tanks and research started.
RECENTLY:
Poulan chainsaws (90's vintage)
fuel tank cap would swell to the point of almost not being able to get them out without destroying them. It be came routine to buy a spare cap and swap them out to give them a "rest" and breath where they shrunk back down again.
TYGON 4040A fuel lines. two part story :
Installed 1995 on my 75 command which stayed flexible, was still good but I put a new piece last summer prior to the Ashville rally last summer. so 20 years... I ran E-10 You would think that would give some confidence.
OPE/poulan put new 4040A in my saw which goes through the tank wall to the weight/filter. Now the tubing is now inside AND outside in contact with E-10. well in less than 2 years the fuel line broke off at the wall of the tank. the line was mush. Talking to the engineers at St Gobains Pennsylvania headquarters I found out that the fuel line is two layers and only the thin liner is E-10 proof and the outer is a different blend which lost strength and quickly died INSIDE the tank being constantly soaked in E-10.
Similar with my Pioneer Farmsaw (vintage Canadian chainsaw). The plastic fuel cap on a metal tank would swell with E-10 and almost not come out except using channel lock pliers. Pull it out and let it outgas the E-10 and after a few weeks it would go back in the hole OK.
Almost every one of my 32 chainsaws required carb rebuilds due to the rubber diaphragms getting stiff from the E-10.
So needless to say I no longer use E-10 in any OPE. Much newer saws may have rubber components that can tolerate ethanol.
My research has turned up that some chemicals called E-10 compatible are actually for occasional contact and NOT long term storage. These chemicals have been offered as slosh liners for our GFRP tanks. Eventually they all seem to fail. So I avoid them totally and have pursued making totally new tanks that are using UL 1316 approved and I will still test them myself before I am satisfied.
For product liability reasons I doubt I will make them to sell.
I have studied all aspects of E-10, the aging process, all kinds of additives, material damaging and it is a totally comprehensive discussion which there also is a TREMENDOUS amount of misinformation. I have no intention of addressing any of that here.
I just want to get my 68 Norton Dunstall (built & sold) Atlas back on the road, for which I need a new E-10 proof tank.
Specific gravity closer to 1.05 yes heavier than water
