Eastwoods fuel system additive for ethanol? Duke?

[Edward J.]

This may be a question for Duke, but your input is welcome, Eastwood now has a additive to help with the use of ethanol is our older cars.I have yet to experience anything yet but I have seen many issues posted about with carburetors and fuel pumps and anything made of rubber.

Anyway how many of you have been preventive with the newer fuels and what do you think?

[Duke W.]

Re: Eastwoods fuel system additive for ethanol? Duke?

What is it supposed to do?

I have yet to find a fuel additive that is something other than snake oil other than maybe Chevron's Techron.

You say you're not having any problems.

...ever heard the old adage: If it works don't fix it!?

Cars suffer from various fuel system elastomer failuires and their owner's always blame it on "ethanol". When I ask how old the component is, they usually haven't got the foggiest idea, and the concept that an elastomer can actually wear out seems foreign to them.

If elastomeric components are over 20-25 years old they're subject to degradation and failure even if the car is rarely driven.

This stuff doesn't last forever, and new elastomeric components should be more durable and more resistant to degradation from both thermal effects modern fuel blend solvency.

Duke

[Edward J.]

Re: Eastwoods fuel system additive for ethanol? Duke?

Duke, sounds like it may just be something as you say maybe snake oil.

[Michael W.]

Re: Eastwoods fuel system additive for ethanol? Duke?

Maybe it's fortunate that there was no internet back in the 70's when unleaded gas was introduced- the predictions of impending doom and disaster were just as out of control then and just as unfounded.

This subject is deja vu all over again.

[Edward J.]

Re: Eastwoods fuel system additive for ethanol? Duke?

Mike, there were a few things that the older cars did need that unleaded couldn't supply( Lead and octane), but there were no driveabilty problems with unleaded, We survived ,As for the most part the ethanol is the same, the only thing I hear is there seems to be a miles per gallon drop w/ ethanol.

[Michael W.]

Re: Eastwoods fuel system additive for ethanol? Duke?

Getting rid of the lead couldn't have come soon enough. Many people still falsely believe that octane levels were higher in the 'good old days'. Today's 93 is equivalent to yesterday's 98. It has been proven time and time again that engines did not suffer in any other way once lead was discontinued. The 'burned valve' hysteria was unfounded as far as Corvettes are concerned.

[Edward J.]

Re: Eastwoods fuel system additive for ethanol? Duke?

Mike , In the 60sand 70s the Sunoco prem. fuel I Think it was around 103 if I remember correctly. I think the lead part certainly had nothing to do with burnt valves but more with the seats the lead was a cushion for the seats. and your correct on the octane rating todays 93 worked great with the lower compression engines but those 11 to 1 or higher needed that little extra.

I guess those days are gone. I Haven't even looked at pumps octane in years, I guess that because most of the cars burn regular today.

[Duke W.]

Re: Eastwoods fuel system additive for ethanol? Duke?

the only thing I hear is there seems to be a miles per gallon drop w/ ethanol.

E10 gasoline - 10 percent ethanol - which is the current federal statutory maximum has about 3 percent less energy than a pure hydrocarbon gasoline, but it has about three percent oxygen by mass, so if the WOT A/F ratio is 13.5:1 or less, there is no significant difference in the WOT torque/power curves.

On a 30 MPG highway car, that's about 1 MPG less than a pure hydrocarbon blend. On a 15-20 MPG car the difference is noise level, but there are defiinite fuel economy benefits to tuning the spark advance map for maximun economy, and the engine will also be more responsive due to greater low end torque.

A lot of you guys worry way too much. Much of what you read on the Web is myth and misinformation.

Duke

[Michael W.]

Re: Eastwoods fuel system additive for ethanol? Duke?

Ed,

I'm not going to debate this with you, I doubt you'll change your mind. Very few cars, including all but the most exotic Corvettes required more than 98-99 octane when new. Excess octane was wasted money. Still is. No street driven Corvette ever suffered valve seat damage from lack of lead.

Simply myths and misunderstanding that won't die- like the ethanol saga is bound to be.

[Duke W.]

Re: Eastwoods fuel system additive for ethanol? Duke?

Mike , In the 60sand 70s the Sunoco prem. fuel I Think it was around 103 if I remember correctly. I think the lead part certainly had nothing to do with burnt valves but more with the seats the lead was a cushion for the seats. and your correct on the octane rating todays 93 worked great with the lower compression engines but those 11 to 1 or higher needed that little extra.

I guess those days are gone. I Haven't even looked at pumps octane in years, I guess that because most of the cars burn regular today.

Duke

[Stuart F.]

Re: Eastwoods fuel system additive for ethanol? Duke?

Ed;

Go with what works best for you in your application. Take all that you hear from the self proclaimed internet experts with a grain of salt. The lead nay sayers rank right up there with the global warmers.

Stu Fox

[Jim D.]

Re: Eastwoods fuel system additive for ethanol? Duke?

We've had E-10 in the NorthWest for 30 years and haven't had any problems. I hope it's not too late to start using that snake oil crap.

[Michael G.]

Re: Eastwoods fuel system additive for ethanol? Duke?

I think the use of ethanol in older drivers is a much bigger issue than the use in older Corvettes. An old fuelie that won't start is a good thing when the potential pilot's got a too much ethanol in him....

[Loren S.]

Re: Eastwoods fuel system additive for ethanol? Duke?

Still waiting to hear the economical solution (i.e. other than race gas at $7 a gallon) to the fuel percolation issue in fuelies caused by the lower boil-off temperature of today's gas.

[Joe C.]

Re: Eastwoods fuel system additive for ethanol? Duke?

Still waiting to hear the economical solution (i.e. other than race gas at $7 a gallon) to the fuel percolation issue in fuelies caused by the lower boil-off temperature of today's gas.

I don't think that there is any solution to the high partial vapor pressure of gasolines containing ethanol. The ethanol component will boil off before the septane and other components, regardless. The only solution is to run pure race fuel or avgas, neither of which contain any ethanol.

Regarding some of the above posts re: leaded gas..........Lead Free Amoco was American Oil's high octane gasoline. It was sold in the Eastern and Southern USA alongside its leaded regular gas from the 1920's through the early 1970's.

Most if not all of Eastwood's products are snake oil. They have novel marketing ability and a penchant for using different packaging for many products which are essentially the same formula.