This man demonstrates how to displace ethanol from blended gasoline using water to protect older engines.
Key effects on older engines:
⏺️ Degrades fuel system components: Ethanol attacks and swells/cracks rubber hoses, gaskets, O-rings, seals, and carburetor parts (like diaphragms and floats) made from non-compatible materials. This leads to leaks, fuel delivery problems, and eventual failures. It can also dissolve old varnish/deposits, which then clog filters, jets, and lines.
⏺️ Causes corrosion and rust: By pulling in moisture, it promotes rust in metal fuel tanks, lines, and pumps. If water mixes in, it can trigger phase separation—where the fuel splits into gasoline and an ethanol-water layer that sinks to the bottom, leading to misfires, stalling, or engine damage when that layer gets sucked in.
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⏺️ Reduces performance and efficiency: Ethanol has about 30% less energy per gallon, so you get worse fuel mileage (typically 2-5% drop) and sometimes rough idling, hesitation, or slight power loss. Older engines without modern sensors may run leaner, raising combustion temperatures.
⏺️ Worse with storage or infrequent use: Fuel with ethanol degrades faster (weeks to months), exacerbating all the above issues in stored classics, seasonal equipment, or rarely driven vehicles. news.eng