Hi Steve -
I tend to generally agree with Bob here.
Next time your car is warm and has failed, listen to your fuel pump.
If it is pumping like crazy, then it is vapor lock. If not, then it's
something else.
I would also check for vacuum leaks in your intake manifold and carbs,
what you describe sounds like a vacuum leak that manifests itself when
the car is hot. Check the carb throttle shafts, wiggle them when the
car is failing and see if rpms improve... If so you need a complete
carb rebuild.
Good luck -
Alan
On 9/4/11, Steve B. Gerow <steveg at abrazosdata.com> wrote:
> Geez Bob, according to the link you sent, there are 4 stations in California
> that sell non-ethanol gas - the closest one to me is in Ridgecrest, 150
> miles - hardly a solution.
>
> If you'd actually read my post below, you would see that I didn't say my 8%
> ethanol gas was over-mixed, I only said there's an incentive for
> distributors to over-mix ethanol into gas. It may indeed be over mixed for
> Healeys, though. Do you know what the ethanol percentage was of the gas we
> were typically running, say, a year or two ago was?
>
> What I'm saying here is my car and those of others I know are running
> somewhat badly now and I suspect the gas may be the problem.
>
> Just because 10% is allowed, which was presumably arrived at in coordination
> with the current car manufacturers, doesn't mean it will run in our old
> carbureted cars without problems.
>
> --
> Steve Gerow
>
>
>
>> -------Original Message-------
>> From: Bob Spidell <bspidell at comcast.net>
>> To: Steve B. Gerow <steveg at abrazosdata.com>
>> Cc: healeys at autox.team.net <healeys at autox.team.net>
>> Subject: Re: [Healeys] Bad running due to ethanol in gas?
>> Sent: Sep 03 '11 17:51
>>
>> Let's see ... my car runs bad, my gas has ethanol; therefore, ethanol is
>> the cause of the bad running. I know science
>> is unpopular these days, but that doesn't mean it doesn't still apply.
>> Try this: empty your tank as much as possible,
>> then buy a tank of gas that doesn't have any ethanol--it's still
>> available: http://pure-gas.org/. If your car stops
>> running badly, you've proved your hypothesis; if not, time to look
>> elsewhere for the cause of the problem.
>>
>> The vapor pressure of gasoline--it's measured by Reid Vapor Pressure
>> (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reid_Vapor_Pressure)--varies during the
>> course of the year; lower in summer, higher in
>> winter (usually). It's closely monitored and controlled to reduce vapor
>> loss and hence smog and, yes, the formulators
>> consider its effect on combustion (that's why the VP is higher in the
>> winter).
>>
>> 10% ethanol is allowed; how is 8% 'over-mixed?'
>>
>> FWIW, the oil industry people I've heard espouse on the subject hate
>> having to put any ethanol at all in their
>> gasoline--they want to sell petroleum, not moonshine.
>>
>> Bob
>>
>>
>>
>> On 9/3/2011 5:17 PM, Steve B. Gerow wrote:
>> > Lately I've been experiencing bad running - loading up on taking off
>> from a stop sign. Better in cool weather, worse in hot weather. It's like
>> the fuel is now more volatile and vapor-locks at a lower temperature.
>> >
>> > A number of other collector-car drivers have mentioned similar
>> problems.
>> >
>> > I did online research and bought an inexpensive kit which reveals the
>> percentage of ethanol in the gas.
>> >
>> > My last tank, Unocal 76 Regular, which ran badly, turned out to be 8%
>> ethanol.
>> >
>> > Pictures of the test, the kit and a link to the supplier's website
>> which has lots of information on ethanol in gas, and how tax breaks are
>> incentivizing suppliers to over-mix to a higher percentage of ethanol than
>> is allowed by law.
>> >
>> > http://www.pbase.com/stevegerow/healey_tech
>> >
>>
>>
>> --
>> *******************************************************************
>> Bob Spidell San Jose, CA bspidell at comcast.net
>>
>> *******************************************************************
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