Right… implied in “know how” is making it an energy positive process. Otherwise you’re just wasting energy by converting it instead of using the converted solar energy from the plant.
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Looks like you might have to leave the area to buy some ethanol free gasoline. It’s apparently a requirement that gasoline in the area have ethanol added.
http://www.nacsonline.com/YourBusiness/FuelsCenter/Documents/2016/US-Gasoline-Requirements-Map.pdf
I can’t find the laws to back this but I’d be curious to see them.
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MTBE had problems with infiltrating into groundwater, where in surprisingly low concentrations it can introduce an unpleasant taste that lingers for quite some time. Otherwise, it’s an anti-pollution additive much like 10% Ethanol.
That’s what the EPA said when they banned it, anyway. Y’know, about a decade after they claimed it was the ONLY way to fix pollution. Weirdly, now the ethanol enema is also being retracted, albeit more slowly than MTBE. I wonder what “we” will ban next…
It was an anti-pollution additive that was added to a number of seasonal blends in various regions. In that role it no doubt that it served some measurable purpose. The groundwater contamination link was slowly discovered over time - perhaps also revealing an unacknowledged reality about the state of underground storage tanks everywhere. At about the same time we had likely already started to encourage ethanol production, seemingly at the behest of an emergent farm lobby under the guise of biofuel production, but it conveniently offered some of the same anti-pollution benefits of MTBE.
Clearly, we’re going to ban fun next.
There’s always something that’s threatening the existence of older cars or engines - be it changes to the fuel, changes to regulations, the declining availability of parts and skill to maintain them, or the tragedy of time. My father has a decent Sthil chainsaw that’s nearly 20- years old that he had a devil of time getting repaired a few years ago due to the latter 2 factors; I suspect that next time it fails he’ll just have to replace it.
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Already trying (again):
The alleged benefits of MTBE to pollution levels is argued, so there is doubt.It was implemented widely by the EPA in 1990 with the Clean Air Act. And the ethanol lobby has been going strong since at least the 1970’s with the gas crisis. If you didn’t see it, check out the article previously linked by @DanielHooper about Al Gore’s Epiphany. Just below the photo of Al, it discusses how the Carter administration was looking at “gasahol”.
I have a relative who had a chainsaw (I think it was a Stihl) which my grandfather used as a young man. He ended up laying it to rest this year as the cost of the carb. parts needed exceeded the cost of a new Stihl. He purchased the new one, and he can only hope runs for as many years. He is the one who pointed out that you can still buy non-ethanol fuel (in some places) and how prudent it is for small engines…
One thing I did not know until recently that once corn is used for ethanol, what remains is distiller’s grain. It goes into animal food, because it is better for them than corn would be, higher protein and less sugars to cause farting
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Speaking of distiller’s grain, start the podcast at 25:40…
For small 2-stroke engines, you can buy ethanol-free pre-mixed fuel at Lowes or Home Depot. I use it for my string trimmer, after ruining the carb in one with pump gas. It’s not cheap, but luckily the little 25cc engine doesn’t use much.
http://www.homedepot.com/p/TruSouth-Trufuel-50-1-Pre-Oil-Mix-6525638/202532877
They also sell it for 4-sroke.
http://www.homedepot.com/p/TruFuel-4-Cycle-Ethanol-free-Fuel-6527238/203571144?MERCH=REC--irg_aic-1--202532877--203571144--N
This topic is a bit stale, but here’s a good search engine to find your nearest station. There are some out in Gainesville.
I’m pretty sure a tall chromatography column would do the trick
Lots of it in Oklahoma - easy to find. But is the same cost as premium or about 30-40 cents more a gallon. I see most of the people buying it are for older marine engines (see lives near Lake Texoma) or classic/30+ year old cars mainly.
I’d like to see more earth “friendly” bio diesel sources
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I missed this thread earlier. I haven’t seen much difference in MPG with 10% ethanol fuel, so I’m kind of agnostic on its use as an additive.
What I really, really hate about it is the stupidity of using food to make fuel.
Ethanol added to fuel doesn’t do anything positive for the consumer/driver of the vehicle at all.
Bio diesel made from waste veggie or cooking oil is what I was asking for.
Not technically 100% true, since it DOES raise octane, though what all drivers of what all cars for which that is positive is certainly debatable. However, if you drive a forced induction vehicle, which is increasingly prevalent, it will make more power than the same gasoline without the ethanol. See above posts/links re: racers.
And obviously, the argument from the gub’ment is that it benefits the entire world by oxygenating the fuel, which makes less smog (I find these claims massively dubious, at best, but they seem to comprise the majority of the “official” argument in favor of “oxygenated” fuels).
The destruction and or damage to fuel systems (or premature failure) and failure to increase mileage is a poor excuse ( to to mention the impact on the “environment” by added car problems/ parts and added supply chain parts required for more shoddy knee jerk solutions) by our gov / the worthless EPA for a “feel good” for the touchy feeling public. Plus Ethanol at higher percentages is more corrosive…
Jast - the amount of octane raised is debatable on how significant if at all it positively effects normal everyday cars’ performance. It has been a while since I read credible research on the topic. Mainstream automobiles are not optimized for ethanol.
Just look at how many car manufactures put the label “flex fuel” on - was that an bandaid to build confidence that a Yukon’s fuel pump wouldn’t shite the bed prematurely from ethanol blended garbage…
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It substitutes for the previous anti-polluantion/oxygenated/octane booster/seasonal blend additive MTBE. Regardless of its merits in that role, ethanol at least doesn’t contaminate groundwater like MTBE did.
The way it was marketed struck me as a way to divert some attention from the Japanese manufacturers’ early lead in hybrid cars. I was struck by the stupidity of the campaign and still snicker whenever I see one of those logos - usually on a giant pickup truck.
I believe that my Ranger is E85 capable; I am in no hurry whatsoever to make a definitive determination nor try it if it happens to be compatible.