Myths, Mystics and Magic of Ethanol!

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.