Rob---I honestly don't think a blend with 85% ethanol will keep the TR
engine running, unless one was to either re-jet the carbs or re-needle
them. Grain alcohol just doesn't have the energy per pound that gasoline
does. I believe it was meant to dilute gasoline to make it go farther.
Sort of the "Hamburger Helper", for the energy program, if you will.
(Probably burns cleaner than some of the stuff now added to reduce
emissions)
If I'm wrong about this blend %, please let me know.
Dick
From: robp@ncsa.uiuc.edu(Rob Pennington) Date: Tue, Sep 13, 2005,
4:11am (PDT+3) To: tr6taylor@webtv.net (Sally or Dick Taylor) Cc:
6pack@autox.team.net Subject: Re: E85 gasoline in a TR6
Dick,
I live in corn country (central Illinois) and E85 is 85% ethanol, which
is a good combination from a local viewpoint. I hadn't heard about the
possibility of aluminum bits not liking it but was wondering more about
the rubber bits, such as the diaphragm in the carbs and the fuel pump.
I like your suggestion of dropping the bits in glass jar and will try
that before I experiment on the car.
Hmmmm. The other crop that grows here is soybeans, I wonder about
biodiesel in a TR6....
Rob
At 11:05 PM -0700 9/12/05, Sally or Dick Taylor wrote:
Rob---There were a few times while traveling cross country that I had
filled up the tank with a formulation that said "15% alcohol" on the
pump. If this is what you mean, there are no changes that were made to
burn the stuff. It is said that prolonged use may harm aluminum parts
(such as our carburetors) but I don't know if this is true, or how long
it would take to show up. If you can avoid this formula, do so. At best,
get a gallon of it and put some in a glass jar, and drop in a hunk of
aluminum. Wait as long as you can (months?) to see what happens.
Alcohol doesn't have the power of gasoline, so mileage may be down when
using this 85/15 blend. On the otherhand, alcohol is colder, and it is
used to raise the octane level. Think pro-stock drag cars.
Dick
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