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10% Ethanol ....are you worried ?


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When 10% becomes the norm in UK ....even using BP Ultimate, etc .....will it also be adviseable to add an octane booster and additive such as Millers ?

I have changed all fuel hoses to resist Ethanol .   I am about to also change hoses to radiator for Silicone type.     I have an alloy radiator with uprated water pump ...and use pink coolant ...should I go back to blue ....but why ?

Wisdom from Roger and others awaited.

Thanks,

Chris.

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14 hours ago, Chris Glasbey said:

When 10% becomes the norm in UK ....even using BP Ultimate, etc .....will it also be adviseable to add an octane booster and additive such as Millers ?

I have changed all fuel hoses to resist Ethanol .   I am about to also change hoses to radiator for Silicone type.     I have an alloy radiator with uprated water pump ...and use pink coolant ...should I go back to blue ....but why ?

Wisdom from Roger and others awaited.

Thanks,

Chris.

Hi Chris

I changed my mech. pump diaphragm to one for higher percentage ethanol 2 or 3 years ago, because of my visits to France where 10% is the norm now. All my fuel lines are copper except the joiners to the float bowls which I must change this weekend now I have the correct tubing sent from TR Bitz.

DAve

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13 minutes ago, BlueTR3A-5EKT said:

It's a brave man who uses OAT (AKA Dexcool /Deathcool in USA) in place of EG antifreeze...

https://mgaguru.com/mgtech/cooling/cool_121.htm

Peter W

Read this about copper radiators (+ head gaskets?) and OAT (pink coolant.)

https://www.hemmings.com/blog/2014/08/01/tech-101-the-colors-of-antifreeze/

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I always thought that orange anti- freeze was not recommended or suitable for our engines & that several fuels in uk are 5% or less Ethanol & therefore ok @ the present time. Has anything changed yet?

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Esso Synergy 97 I believe is free from ethanol except in certain areas..

“Esso super unleaded petrol (Synergy Supreme+ Unleaded 97) is ethanol free (except in Devon, Cornwall, the Teesside area and Scotland) and we have no current intention to add ethanol to Synergy Supreme+ in other areas of the UK.”

Kevin

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Nothing changed yet but I think 10% is due in 2020 ?  (someone will confirm).  My engine is modified ....steel gasket, not copper.  It is RED coolant that I have been using for a few years.  IF I am touring and can only obtain ordinary unleaded 95, then I will add Millers VSPe Power Plus.  As part of preventing fuel vapourisation my fuel line goes around back of the engine bay, behind battery, connecting to Weber 45s ....this is braided hose.

Thanks for comments so far.

Chris.

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The important thing for the antifreeze is not the colour, but the type. For TRs it should not be OAT (Organic Acid Technology) or HOAT (Hybrid OAT) which is normally, but not always,  coloured orange - as that will attack the brass radiator and solder joints.

Older cars need the inorganic 'silicate' type which is normally coloured blue, but these do not last as long in service.

It appears there is no standard for the colour of the dye so you cannot use that as a the sole guide.  It's what the bottle says that is important.

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I have just checked the bottle of coolant .....it does say OAT  (conforms to BS6580  2010).  Does having an alloy radiator help .....I have used this coolant type probably for the last 10 years (can be left in system for up to 5 years).     Thanks Rob , Monty & Peter .....not panicking yet.

 

Chris.

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11 hours ago, stillp said:

I'm not sure what your radiator hoses and coolant have to do with the ethanol content of your fuel.

Pete

We had a big back and forth on this a few years back and the subject was well covered. So far as I remember...

The increased ethanol content means that some hose materials will be attacked by the fuel.. It will also go after some metals as used in our carbs and so on. In view of the fact that about 1/3 of uk car fleet and pretty well all petrol machines like lawnmowers, strimmers chain saws etc are incompatible with 10% ethanol I doubt that it will ever be exclusively available.

Mike

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12 hours ago, Chris Glasbey said:

I have just checked the bottle of coolant .....it does say OAT  (conforms to BS6580  2010).  Does having an alloy radiator help .....I have used this coolant type probably for the last 10 years (can be left in system for up to 5 years).     Thanks Rob , Monty & Peter .....not panicking yet.

 

Chris.

Chris,

It is possible  this type of coolant will "eat" the sealant around the F-O-8 seals, so keep an eye on your coolant level and pssible oil/water mix.

Geoff

 

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16 hours ago, MikeF said:

We had a big back and forth on this a few years back and the subject was well covered. So far as I remember...

The increased ethanol content means that some hose materials will be attacked by the fuel.. It will also go after some metals as used in our carbs and so on. In view of the fact that about 1/3 of uk car fleet and pretty well all petrol machines like lawnmowers, strimmers chain saws etc are incompatible with 10% ethanol I doubt that it will ever be exclusively available.

Mike

Yes Mike, but the fuel won't contact the coolant hoses!

Pete

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Pete you are right, but the original question was concerned about effect of 10% ethanol additives in fuel [rather than additives in coolants] and that's what I was answering.

Mike

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