By: Mike Tritle
Since the effects of Hurricane Katrina caused gasoline prices to rocket skyward, the use of ethanol as a fuel extender has not only increased overall but so has the attending controversy! Driving a 14 mile per gallon pick up truck through the after effects of the storm on a business trip, I watched fuel prices jump $1.20 per gallon in just 8 hours. My curiosity was peaked and the mission was started in earnest to determine the viability of corn based ethanol as fuel for my hot rod as well as the non flex vehicles in my personal fleet.
I’ve already written several volumes on the subject of system tolerances and that is not the point of this particular article, however. Once again while perusing the internet recently, a new spate of anti ethanol sentiment has found its way to the top of the search results pages. From “facts” unproven to outright fibs, the motivation to share my research has once again hit like the results of low octane detonation on a piston top!
Most recently I came across an article speaking out against the initiative to increase ethanol content of mainstream fuel from 10% to 20%. Of all the “facts” in this article there was only one that I could agree with, that being the reduction in fuel economy with increased alcohol content. I have done a bit of testing on this and have found that any non flex vehicle will tolerate up to 40% ethanol content in fuel before triggering the dastardly MIL or Check Engine light. In nearly every case fuel economy in Miles per Gallon did suffer, however, depending on cost difference, Cost per Mile proved beneficial. This isn’t a complicated deal but it’s difficult (based on experience) for many to comprehend so I’ll save that explanation for later.
The big question due to the raft if misinformation is; won’t ethanol damage my fuel system, melt my gaskets, eat up the aluminum and deplete the food supply? If that’s true, I’m hitting the wagon cuz my Jim Beam is 40% ethanol!
The answers are this. No, no, no, no and no.
Using too much ethanol will void your warranty if a fuel system problem occurs and the system is found to contain a high percentage. The car companies are hedging their liability, that’s a fact.
The jar I filled with a high percentage denatured ethanol provided by TA/FC racer Mark Thomas is still sitting in my garage soaking a Holley power valve, needle and seat, Aeroquip hose sample, a piece of raw aluminum and some gasket material has been there since late 2005. None of the components has experienced any deterioration right up to today. Given that, I wonder how other fuel system components made of the same materials could be damaged by a lower percentage of ethanol content.
The article mentioned a high percentage of electric fuel pump failures due to moonshine content of fuel.
Recently I changed the fuel pump in my 2001 Dodge Ram 1500. This was not done due to failure but as a maintenance operation as I had the cargo box off the frame at the time. With 145,000 miles on it, to not change when it was too accessible would have been ignorant! This unit has pumped up to 85% for several thousand miles and the only effects of such “abuse” found were that the pump was clean as a whistle!
So, next time somebody tells you how bad ethanol blending will hurt your vehicle; ask them where they get their info. Bet it’s from the same sources that tell them how good the government runs itself!
More to come keep your eyes peeled here where I’ll share results on food depletion and costs along with that cost per mile thing.
Injectors Plus 
So you are telling us that your single car test is an accurate portrayal of what will happen to millions of cars, new and old, if we switch to high ethanol blends in non flex-fuel vehicles? You of course had emission equipment that monitored how your exhaust gasses changed with different blend levels to insure that you were not causing more air pollution, especially NOx, and you monitored your catalytic converter temperature and your ECU has a fuel map for all of the blend levels you tried.
The biggest myth in this article is that it is a scientific test. It is just anecdotal evidence that your non flex-fuel car may not have suffered any adverse effects from short term use of ethanol blending levels that it was not designed for, so far. And by the way you have admitted to breaking federal law by putting ethanol blended fuel higher than E10 in a non flex-fuel vehicle.
Don’t worry, be happy.
It’s been my experience that ethanol is not nearly as corrosive as many fuels used in racing. There are many70’s and 80’s vehicles that have been using this fuel type for years without problems. I have also experienced many 70’s motorcycles stored with this fuel type that had minimal issues, the same that are experienced with gasoline. At one time I thought poorly of ethanol, but after digging into the chemistry I have zero issues with it.
Now if you have scientific arguments to make stopethanol, I would love to hear them but until then, your opinion isn’t worth more than my experiences. Just my 0.02
Interesting comments. Interesting that they come based on a preview article of more to come.
Not one car. Four That’s three EFI w/pumps like the ones described in the previous article as being fatally damaged by ethanol plus a standard mechanical and a high performance electric one, all still chugging along as ever.
Lab testing? No, real world. You can prove anything in the lab. I’m just sharing my results.
Adding polution? There’s a lot of measured evidence out there that I’ll share in articles to come.
Remember, I only started out to determine the feasibility of ethanol based fuel and its octane and burn characteristics as an alternative to $4 plus dollar premium and/or race fuel. Curiousity motivated me to further the testing of the other three vehicles.
If you guys want to disparage my results, please wait for the “rest of the story.”
Thanks, Justin. More to come.
Excellent write up. I’ve been runnng e-85 exclusively in my 11 second daily driver for the third season with almost no issues. I use jiffy tight quick disconnect fittings on my carb and the have the green buna seals, that have deteriorated. No big deal but I have since read viton is more desirable. My main selling point is the hot weather crisp throttle response along with good power from $2.00 a gallon 105 octane fuel, it’s a no brainer! Look forward to more of your good reads.
Marty, thanks for joining the convo. Lookforward to more of your input…
– IP Jo
Also, want to shout out to Mike, who generously contributed to this blog, for his being featured on Mopar Muscle this week for “Saving Drag Racing A Quarter Mile At A Time” – check it out on Mopar at:
http://blogs.moparmusclemagazine.com/6619411/mopar-news/saving-drag-racing-a-quarter-mile-at-a-time/index.html
– IP Jo