Ethanol Blends and Carby issues

Suby Wan Kenobi · Post by **Suby Wan Kenobi** » Tue Dec 09, 2008 12:35 pm

First up this post is not here to bag out ethanol blended fuels or start a debate on the use or none use of those fuels but just to relate how a stubborn problem was remedied

Recently i have been having issues with the carby on the 89 L series and for the life of me could not figure out what was going on, i put 2 different overhaul kits through it and even re bushed the throttle plate and intalled new metering jets.

After the 2nd kit went in i had narrowed it down to an issue with the accelerator pump, but couldnt figure out what. I had pulled the Carb apart again, I pulled the plunger out to check it all out again and then when refitting i couldnt get it to go back in properly it was then i noticed how big it was in comparison to the plunger out of the first kit and wondered why.

After much thinking (alot as it was a simple thing to negate) the only thing i thought of that was different to when the problem started was the use ethanol blended fuel. Previously i had not used it as habit had made me always pull up at the PULP pump, it was only that a mate in the car had said to use the cheap fuel in the car as it was a non turbo.Anyway as a lets see thing i soaked the large one in PULP and the other in the stuff from the tank over night and a bit of day.

The one in the ethanol had expanded and become flimsy, i know this is not supposed to happen but with these kits it did once the carby was reasembled and running on ULP the trouble has gone away.

This may not be the cause of everyones problems and it should not have presented a problem with the carby or the kit at all but it did.

Talking to a mate in the lawn mower repair buisness he said it was common for brushcutters to fail due to the use of etanol blends, the rubber used expands and the gaskets stop working as intended.

Storm · Post by **Storm** » Tue Dec 09, 2008 12:42 pm

I have seen this often. I used to own an American Muscle car and my sister owns an Australian Muscle car and both cars have had great difficulties with Ethanol blended fuels. My sisters car is better now after fitting a new (not new-old stock but brand spanking new) good quality (read very expensive) carby rebuild kit.

Wilbur · Post by **Wilbur** » Tue Dec 09, 2008 2:47 pm

And the solution is...buy a Hilux and run it on whatever

Opal, ethanol, contaminated petrol (traces of diesel). Will keep it in mind though if I ever go for a webber conversion on it.

Gannon · Post by **Gannon** » Tue Dec 09, 2008 3:17 pm

I had issues with starting when i used ethanol when my car was carby.

Ive been running E95 for a while in the EA82T with no issues (although i have recently switched back to normal 95prem cos its cheaper now)

OKsubaru · Post by **OKsubaru** » Tue Dec 09, 2008 6:39 pm

It may easy to remember a guide issued by BP as far as Subaru goes - do not use it in pre 1990 models BP does not recommend it

Suby Wan Kenobi · Post by **Suby Wan Kenobi** » Tue Dec 09, 2008 8:16 pm

As regards to EFI have not had an issue with ethanol blends in EFI engines even the EA82Ts. Last time i played with a Carby engine Super was still in use, and why would you buy a friggin Hilux unless you wanted to go no sides? (LOL)

discopotato03 · Post by **discopotato03** » Tue Dec 09, 2008 9:39 pm

Early carburettors don't really like ethanol blended fuels , not only are the rubber components not always compatible but ethanol attacks unprotected aluminium .
Late EFI cars suitable for ethanol blend fuels have a rubber like film coating on everything aluminium that comes into contact with the fuel ie ally fuel rails etc .
Luckily many 80's EFI engines inc EA82's use steel fuel rails so no real issues there .

For me a carbutetted L series was never going to be an option , I've had my days of fiddling with carbies and am over them well and truly .

Cheers A .

rubisubi · Post by **rubisubi** » Mon Oct 26, 2009 10:39 am

On the weekend the QLD boys did a run out to Bald Rock. As an experiment i thought id give ethanol a go to see how it compares. Basically i have been using Ron95 in a 85 Brumby EA81 manual with the timing set at 10 degrees. I filled up on wednesday night and the tank was pretty much empty and the car sat full for 3 nights. Firstly the car started fine with no hiccups. It actually ran like a dream and i used 3rd gear for most of the hill climbs to the destination which i was really happy with considering it runs the 27 nankangs. All up we did maybe 150kms off road and on the way home it nearly ran out of fuel. I rolled into the mobil which was literally by my side and topped the car up. It took 50.2 litres and i did 556km. So it worked out that i got 9l/100 kms which i thought was very good considering the hill climbs and off road section. The ethanol i used was E10 Ron91. If anything it may have run a touch warmer but still within comfortable driving temps. As for performance, well there pretty slow at the best of times but i really couldnt feel any difference. Im doing a run up to rainbow beach this weekend on 95 premium to see how it compares so im now curious as to the figures which it will return. So basically im more than happy to run it occassionally on longer runs but leavng it sitting in the tank for a long time im not so sure about ie does it do any long term damage. As for preformance and economy, i really couldnt fault it at this stage.

twilightprotege · Post by **twilightprotege** » Mon Oct 26, 2009 11:55 am

that's because E10 ron91 is actually about ron94-95 - well the shell one is. they just take out 10% of the ron91 and replace it with ethanol. because it's a far higher ron than petrol, it takes the overall mixture to about ron94 or ron95.

best of all it's cheapest! lol

phillatdarwin · Post by **phillatdarwin** » Mon Oct 26, 2009 2:20 pm

i run my L on ethanol blend 95 and i get around 650km in town if i do not go over 80km so is ok and i are running a carbie on my car and u have to remember is that with ethanol in the fuel it is carrying some oxygen with the fuel that is y is is so good .

rubisubi · Post by **rubisubi** » Mon Oct 26, 2009 2:41 pm

I agree that it runs well and you can still get good mileage out of it. My only concern is long term i.e. will gaskets etc start to corrode causing drivability issues.

twilightprotege · Post by **twilightprotege** » Mon Oct 26, 2009 3:04 pm

not with such a small %.

anyway, from what i can gather, ethanol doesnt eat away at rubber - that's methanol. ethanol eats away at metal (eek), but as i said 10% is no where near enough to bother anyone

phillatdarwin · Post by **phillatdarwin** » Mon Oct 26, 2009 7:54 pm

just like biodiesel it eats rubber and cleans out all the cluds from your tank blocks filters when u first use it untill it cleans the tank and lines .