Matronics Email Lists :: View topic - Removing Ethanol from your car-gas?

Matronics Email Lists
Web Forum Interface to the Matronics Email Lists

Get Email Distribution Too! FAQ Search Memberlist Usergroups Register

Profile Log in to check your private messages Log in

Removing Ethanol from your car-gas?

Matronics Email Lists Forum Index -> RV-List

View previous topic :: View next topic

Author Message

recapen(at)earthlink.net
Guest

Posted: Sat Nov 24, 2007 5:44 pm Post subject: Removing Ethanol from your car-gas?

I heard a story the other day about removing ethanol from your car gas before using it in your plane.....no I haven't done this - I'm not even flying yet......



Based on the test to detect ethanol in your car gas.....



The ethanol absorbs the water that is poured in for the test and has a different specific gravity than the remaining fuel and 'layers' out.  If you use more water than the ethanol can absorb, it 'layers' out too.  Theoretically, take a large quantity of gasohol (or whatever it's called these days), pour in a bunch of water, let it settle, sump it out like you would if you were trying to get a few drops of water out of your airplane fuel tanks (of course - more to be safe), and go fly with the rest as the ethanol has been removed.



I'm not a petroleum engineer - I deal with trons.....but I would think that they call it blending for a reason - as in it shouldn't come apart that easy!



I guess if someone did this and tested the remainder for ethanol and didn't find any - it could (?) be safe to use.



Someone tell me I've had too much to drink tonite!  Or, better yet, someone with a petroleum engineering background tell us it'll work - then all we need to do is settle out a bunch of gas and not worry about how much corn they put in it.

- The Matronics RV-List Email Forum -

Use the List Feature Navigator to browse the many List utilities available such as the Email Subscriptions page, Archive Search & Download, 7-Day Browse, Chat, FAQ, Photoshare, and much more:

http://www.matronics.com/Navigator?RV-List

c.ennis(at)insightbb.com
Guest

Posted: Sat Nov 24, 2007 8:35 pm Post subject: Removing Ethanol from your car-gas?

The EAA sells an ethanol tester....works exactly as you say. It is 

graduated and gives you the percentage of ethanal contained in a given 

volumn of fuel. Around here (northern KY area) it runs in the neighborhood 

of 10 to 12 percent, that was 2 months ago. If auto fuel were at $3 a gallon 

that would be around 30 cents out of every gallon bought which would be 

unusable and disposed of. I guess you could dump it in your car if you could 

separate it from the water.

 It seems to me that avgas is better for your engine, you don't have to 

spend any time fussing with it to remove ethanal, you don't have to haul it 

to the airport in 5 gallon cans, you don't have to get rid of the unusable 

portion of it and you don't have to wonder and worry about what it may be 

doing to that expensive prop crank on the front of your airplane.

 As an added thought, what kind of container do you use to "settle" out the 

ethanal? Something would need to be built which would hold a minimum of 20 

gallons or so, or it would take hours to "unrefine" enough to be useful, in 

5 gallon batches ( you only get 4 1/2 gallons usable out of every 5 you 

buy).



 Of course, thats just my opinion. 

 Charlie Ennis

 do not archive

- The Matronics RV-List Email Forum -

Use the List Feature Navigator to browse the many List utilities available such as the Email Subscriptions page, Archive Search & Download, 7-Day Browse, Chat, FAQ, Photoshare, and much more:

http://www.matronics.com/Navigator?RV-List

ceengland(at)bellsouth.ne
Guest

Posted: Sun Nov 25, 2007 10:32 am Post subject: Removing Ethanol from your car-gas?

Ralph E. Capen wrote:

 	  Quote: 	
		   

 

 I heard a story the other day about removing ethanol from your car gas before using it in your plane.....no I haven't done this - I'm not even flying yet......

 

 Based on the test to detect ethanol in your car gas.....

 

 The ethanol absorbs the water that is poured in for the test and has a different specific gravity than the remaining fuel and 'layers' out.  If you use more water than the ethanol can absorb, it 'layers' out too.  Theoretically, take a large quantity of gasohol (or whatever it's called these days), pour in a bunch of water, let it settle, sump it out like you would if you were trying to get a few drops of water out of your airplane fuel tanks (of course - more to be safe), and go fly with the rest as the ethanol has been removed.

 

 I'm not a petroleum engineer - I deal with trons.....but I would think that they call it blending for a reason - as in it shouldn't come apart that easy!

 

 I guess if someone did this and tested the remainder for ethanol and didn't find any - it could (?) be safe to use.

 

 Someone tell me I've had too much to drink tonite!  Or, better yet, someone with a petroleum engineering background tell us it'll work - then all we need to do is settle out a bunch of gas and not worry about how much corn they put in it.

 

Isn't the alcohol used as a replacement for other, less eco-friendly 
	


octane enhancers?



Charlie

- The Matronics RV-List Email Forum -

Use the List Feature Navigator to browse the many List utilities available such as the Email Subscriptions page, Archive Search & Download, 7-Day Browse, Chat, FAQ, Photoshare, and much more:

http://www.matronics.com/Navigator?RV-List

bicyclop(at)pacbell.net
Guest

Posted: Sun Nov 25, 2007 5:59 pm Post subject: Removing Ethanol from your car-gas?

MTBE was the stuff getting into the groundwater and replaced by ethanol, 

but both are intended as oxygenators - supposed to reduce emissions - 

and neither do much for the octane rating.



Pax,



Ed Holyoke



 	  Quote: 	
		  >

>

 Isn't the alcohol used as a replacement for other, less eco-friendly 

 octane enhancers?



 Charlie

- The Matronics RV-List Email Forum -

Use the List Feature Navigator to browse the many List utilities available such as the Email Subscriptions page, Archive Search & Download, 7-Day Browse, Chat, FAQ, Photoshare, and much more:

http://www.matronics.com/Navigator?RV-List

Kellym

Joined: 10 Jan 2006
Posts: 1705
Location: Sun Lakes AZ

Posted: Mon Nov 26, 2007 9:07 pm Post subject: Removing Ethanol from your car-gas?

It would be nice if you checked your facts. MTBE was used as an octane 

enhancer long before the oxygenate use came about. Both MTBE and ethanol 

are well over 100 octane.



Ed wrote:

 	  Quote: 	
		   



 MTBE was the stuff getting into the groundwater and replaced by 

 ethanol, but both are intended as oxygenators - supposed to reduce 

 emissions - and neither do much for the octane rating.



 Pax,



 Ed Holyoke

- The Matronics RV-List Email Forum -

Use the List Feature Navigator to browse the many List utilities available such as the Email Subscriptions page, Archive Search & Download, 7-Day Browse, Chat, FAQ, Photoshare, and much more:

http://www.matronics.com/Navigator?RV-List

_________________
Kelly McMullen
A&P/IA, EAA Tech Counselor # 5286
KCHD

Display posts from previous:

	Matronics Email Lists Forum Index -> RV-List	All times are GMT - 8 Hours
Page 1 of 1

Jump to:

You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum
You cannot attach files in this forum
You can download files in this forum