Ethanol worries

[Gsx750f boy]

Anyone know what fuel make ie shell,bp etc has no ethanol in the super unleaded type fuel .. for our carb fitted bikes etc its not good ..

[Bianco2564]

I've run normal 95 supermarket and branded fuel in my carbed R1 for 3 years and 10000 miles without a problem.

What's your concern?

[ThePhatomfart]

I think the talk is that it's going from 5 to 10 percent Ethanol

[Bender]

The number on the pump tells you the percentage now e5 etc b is for biodisel additive but obvs not really relevant for bikes, had best get it tuned to like it because it's only going to get worse

[Gerontious]

Only problem i have with Ethanol is there is only 40% in most single malts.

[Mississippi Bullfrog]

The only issue with ethanol is in 1970's or earlier. Mainly corrosion scares but I ran classic cars with no issues using ethanol fuel. Most things running with carbs will benefit because the ethanol removes water in the fuel. I remember the days we had to add some meths to absorb water before it gathered enough to cause problems. Not had to do that for ages now.

Water and petrol won't mix so you get droplets of water in the system which is a pain in carbs. But meths or ethanol will mix with the water which will then form an emulsion with the petrol which can be burnt in the engine.

I think some super unleaded fuels used to be lower in ethanol but it's a while since I checked.

[Pie man]

I thought petrol forecourts have been using ethanol for many years, it is only this year, that they have had to tell you, and by how much ethanol is in their fuel.

[Bender]

I thought petrol forecourts have been using ethanol for many years, it is only this year, that they have had to tell you, and by how much ethanol is in their fuel.

 

Yup

[Beans]

Esso: Esso super unleaded petrol (Synergy Supreme+ Unleaded 97) is ethanol free (except in Devon, Cornwall, the Teesside area and Scotland). We would therefore advise anyone who has concerns about the presence of ethanol in petrol to use Synergy Supreme+ – providing they do not fill up in Devon or Cornwall, the Teesside area or Scotland.

[fastbob]

Esso: Esso super unleaded petrol (Synergy Supreme+ Unleaded 97) is ethanol free (except in Devon, Cornwall, the Teesside area and Scotland). We would therefore advise anyone who has concerns about the presence of ethanol in petrol to use Synergy Supreme+ – providing they do not fill up in Devon or Cornwall, the Teesside area or Scotland.

 

Are you making this up for a laugh ?

[fastbob]

39,000 miles on a carburettor GSXR 1100 on whatever petrol was available with no issues .

[Gsx750f boy]

My concern is more for my 1957 mobylette moped I have due to tin / soldered float and all brass jets and cork seals ....e10 would eat them all I heard and want it to run OK in future as only one of that type road legal and 1 of 3 known in UK and left since batch imported in 57

[Beans]

Esso: Esso super unleaded petrol (Synergy Supreme+ Unleaded 97) is ethanol free (except in Devon, Cornwall, the Teesside area and Scotland). We would therefore advise anyone who has concerns about the presence of ethanol in petrol to use Synergy Supreme+ – providing they do not fill up in Devon or Cornwall, the Teesside area or Scotland.

 

Are you making this up for a laugh ?

 

No

https://www.esso.co.uk/fuels-faqs#collapse-fuels-faqs-faq-5

[Jerry1111]

We have similar problem with boats and ethanol based petrol. My last RIB had a 200L under deck fuel tank, so taking it out and emptying its contents could only happen with an angle grinder, so we've got to be careful.

There are 2 problems with ethanol in petrol:

1. Some old fuel lines (you probably can't buy these any longer) will swell from ethanol and can starve engine of fuel at higher revs - not good offshore. Had a problem once, 6m of fuel line only let enough petrol for 1500rpm.

2. When you leave petrol in the tank for winter, ethanol/water mix will with time separate from petrol and form a layer. My understanding is that if ethanol soaks up moisture from the air then this happens easier/faster (which is why I used to winterize the boat with a full fuel tank to minimize amount of trapped air). That's why also I was always adding StaBil for winter - never had a problem.

[fastbob]

Esso: Esso super unleaded petrol (Synergy Supreme+ Unleaded 97) is ethanol free (except in Devon, Cornwall, the Teesside area and Scotland). We would therefore advise anyone who has concerns about the presence of ethanol in petrol to use Synergy Supreme+ – providing they do not fill up in Devon or Cornwall, the Teesside area or Scotland.

 

Are you making this up for a laugh ?

 

No

https://www.esso.co.uk/fuels-faqs#collapse-fuels-faqs-faq-5

 

Crikey , no you're not making it up , my apologies . I still can't find out why these regions should be different from the rest of the UK but there it is . Weird .

[Gerontious]

Are you making this up for a laugh ?

 

No

https://www.esso.co.uk/fuels-faqs#collapse-fuels-faqs-faq-5

 

Crikey , no you're not making it up , my apologies . I still can't find out why these regions should be different from the rest of the UK but there it is . Weird .

 

Because they're on the periphery. Probably.. Too far from the refinery that produces this particular grade of petrol. It's rather more odd that this is specific to Esso and not Mobil as well.

[Mr Fro]

Ethanol will shrink and harden old/poor quality hoses (there's an experiment I did on here somewhere). I also recently found that it can do the same to some old plastics.

If you want to remove ethanol from fuel then get a container with fuel in it and add a bit of water. Give it a little mix and the ethanol/water mix will drop to the bottom which can be removed. Presto, ethanol free fuel. Beware that removing the ethanol will reduce the octane rate of the fuel.

[Gsx750f boy]

thanks everyone for the sound advise....hopefully petrol stations will inform off e10 in pumps saving any possible issues with vintage machines etc ..

[Guest]

When you next fill up If you check then on ALL pumps in UK they should display a small sign, this is now a legal requirement in UK

AND to disappoint a lot of people including some of my mates Ethanol is now an additive in all UK petrol I believe.

see below

[Snod Blatter]

I thought Shell V-Power was 0% ethanol but apparently not..

Anyway, hopefully it will be like the rest of Europe where 95 RON is mostly E10 and the Super stays as E5.

[smallfrowne]

If only enough MPs rode shitty old bikes.

[Mississippi Bullfrog]

If only enough MPs rode bikes.

 

I'm sure that's what you meant say.

[smallfrowne]

Nah, I meant what I said. If they rode proper bikes (ie shitty old bikes with old bits of rubber hose and float valves) then they'd understand. If they were out and about on new MT10s and whatnot they might still not understand. Anyway it's a bit moot as it is

[Mnbrennan]

My dad had a cobra kit car and the fuel in the lines caused the rubber to go all soft and gum up... Thanks to ethanol