Joined: Mar 2015 Posts: 5,193 Threads: 223
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Location: Scotchland
I see the FBHVC are asking about our cars and the introduction of E10 fuels here: https://paulc1.typeform.com/to/Bt7HKS
My own experience is that I used E10 exclusively for our tour around France this summer - the car ran perfectly on it for 2500 miles and returned 35mpg despite the weight it was carrying (GW of just under a tonne). I have used petrol containing ethanol in all the Austins since it was introduced and have never suffered any issues. 4 years ago I undertook a trip to Switzerland in the Pearl alternating 98 and E95 octane fuel each day. It misfired (almost pinked) on the 98 so much in the heat that after 4 days I reverted to E95 exclusively. I have asked several times on Forums if anyone can attribute issues in use of their A7 exclusively to the addition of ethanol but have yet to hear any replies. Plenty of worry about the potential issues but nothing, as yet, which is substantial. Has anyone here suffered something in their A7 which they can evidence back to Ethanol - genuinely interested?
Joined: Aug 2017 Posts: 3,215 Threads: 100
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Location: Darkest Bedfordshire
I think 'evidence' is the key word there Ruairidh. Like most of us I have a few concerns, not just about E10, but about the bigger picture (what is the real environmental impact of adding ethanol to petrol? And what will come next?) Personally though I have no real issues to report, certainly nothing I can attribute scientifically and without doubt to ethanol.
Joined: Aug 2017 Posts: 114 Threads: 8
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Location: NE England
Like Chris, I think the key thing is a certainty of a link between things going wrong and use of a specific fuel. We've all had fuel system problems at some time and some may have a perception of a link but can we narrow the cause down to the fuel only? My only recent 'fuel' related problems have been with the perishing of rubber components, older original ones especially. On all my cars I've reviewed what's in the fuel system from the filler cap to the inlet manifold and worked out older stuff before they crack and perish. Flexible hoses are the obvious thing attacked as they also move a bit and open up cracks but pump diaphragms and carb components are also in the list. The less obvious one I found was a perished sleeve connector on the filler neck. Old age was definitely a factor in this but I suspect, and I've no clear evidence, that modern fuel is another factor.
Dave
Joined: Mar 2015 Posts: 5,193 Threads: 223
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Location: Scotchland
I only have one A7 with a mechanical fuel pump (the Pearl) - this was fitted to the car in 1999, as was the rubber fuel line between it and the SU Carb (these were recently swapped over from the old engine along with the Whatmough Hewitt cylinder head). Both are still working, despite their age and some 80000 miles of use.
I have an SU pump that was fitted (brand new) to the Ulster in 1990, it to has a rubber pipe connecting to the SU carb - again no issues since with 96000 miles of use.
All my other Sevens (and Twelve) have copper pipes and brass connectors - again, no issues.
I have noticed that fuel goes off quicker, but this only seems to affect (in my experience) s/d carbs.
Joined: Dec 2017 Posts: 1,132 Threads: 66
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Location: Nottinghamshire. Robin Hood County
Car type: Austin Ruby Mk1 1935
I too only use petrol contains ethanol which I get from my local supermarket. I have had none of the reported problems previously reported on this forum about rotting rubber seals on fuel lines etc. I do however have one of the new red coloured fuel pump diaphragms and new rubber washer seals on all the fuel line unions. The only thing I do find with ethanol petrol (all though no scientific evidence) is that it has quite a short shelf life in that if left in the car for over 6 weeks without use you may have starting problems with a cold engine due to poor vapourization.
John Mason
Joined: Mar 2018 Posts: 682 Threads: 33
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Location: Lot region FRANCE
Rotting fuel pipe. Not that our RN has any, but on the 2CV a rotted pipe dropped 22 litres of fuel on the driveway with fuel pipe which was only 6 yers old. Its aggressive stuff, I wonder what it does to your insides if you get some when syphoning off a bit of fuel? I must avoid it.
BobH
Joined: Mar 2015 Posts: 5,193 Threads: 223
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Location: Scotchland
When lead was removed from fuel sulphuric acid (I think) was added - I stopped syphoning fuel, without a pump, at that point!
Joined: Aug 2018 Posts: 26 Threads: 2
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I think I'm of the same thinking as most here, the only issues I have encountered is the Rubber hoses being destroyed or perishing. I'm not sure if this fuel can also ruin diaphragms, etc. I also have had issue where the fuels lifespan to ignite is poor too. I don't use my cars much during the winter months, and have had to drain the tank in spring when I quite frankly couldn't even light the fuel with a flame.... Mechanical wise I've not used my cars enough, certainly seven, to be able to give an honest opinion on performances or lack of. But I had 6 cars over a period of 12 months that had fuel related issues, all either fuel lines, or dead fuel..... nothing mechanically bad... Yet!
Joined: Aug 2017 Posts: 3,215 Threads: 100
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Location: Darkest Bedfordshire
It's surprising how little inhaled/ ingested petrol it takes to kill you. It's certainly very unpleasant. The way to siphon petrol is to poke two tubes in, seal the opening with a rag, blow down one and it comes out the other... Learned the hard way!
I've experienced 'stale' petrol, but this did occur with leaded too.
Joined: Aug 2017 Posts: 848 Threads: 22
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Location: Near Cambridge, UK
Car type: 1928 tourer (mag type), short chassis Gould Ulster
16-08-2018, 11:36 AM
(This post was last modified: 16-08-2018, 11:57 AM by Robert Leigh.)
Stale petrol has always been a problem, but modern petrol goes stale very much more quickly. I have had a problem with the carburettor having a whitish jelly in the float chamber after I had left the car possibly more than a year, so the system needed cleaning out before I could get it running. The other problem I have experienced in recent years is vaporisation, both in side draft and up draft carbs: keep moving and there is little problem, but get stuck in traffic for more than a few seconds and pulling away again can be difficult. I have found the petrol boiling in the float chamber when I was using an up draft on the Chummy. In my experience the biggest problem with modern fuel is vaporisation, but presumably the more volatile components evaporate first, leading to the stale syndrome on cars which have not been used. Leaving the tank full can help, or emptying it if the car is to be left unused for a long time. I have had synthetic rubber pipe give up with modern fuel, after being no problem for many years.
It was vaporisation which led to my cutting out the hotspot connection on side draft manifolds, to try to reduce problems.
Whether any of these comments are related to ethanol I don't know; it may well be other components of the fuel which have been changed in recent years.
Stale petrol has always been a problem, but modern petrol goes stale very much more quickly. I have had a problem with the carburettor having a whitish jelly in the float chamber after I had left the car possibly more than a year, so the system needed cleaning out before I could get it running. The other problem I have experienced in recent years is vaporisation, both in side draft and up draft carbs: keep moving and there is little problem, but get stuck in traffic for more than a few seconds and pulling away again can be difficult. I have found the petrol boiling in the float chamber when I was using an up draft on the Chummy. In my experience the biggest problem with modern fuel is vaporisation, but presumably the more volatile components evaporate first, leading to the stale syndrome on cars which have not been used. Leaving the tank full can help, or emptying it if the car is to be left unused for a long time. I have had synthetic rubber pipe give up with modern fuel, after being no problem for many years.
It was vaporisation which led to my cutting out the hotspot connection on side draft manifolds, to try to reduce problems.
Whether any of these comments are related to ethanol I don't know; it may well be other components of the fuel which have been changed in recent years.
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