Mon Oct 18, 2021 11:33 am
#1876824
This is more about vintage motorbikes than aviation, but I suspect that my answer may only be 'mogas from an airfield.
I've only just come alive to the danger that my winter-stored bikes are in from ethanol in unleaded. It was the introduction of E10 which prompted it.
Are there any forecourts left from where I can buy unleaded with no ethanol at all? I had heard that some Esso fuels are ethanol-free but after a little tour on Sunday, all I saw was E5 and E10
It seems that it is not *too* tedious to remove ethanol from modern unleaded (it might be an idea to remove the fag from your lips while you do this):
1. a few drops of food colouring in 2 litres of water
2. add to about 10/15 litres of ethanol ridden unleaded
3. shake like bu**ery
4. let it stand for 24 hours
The ethanol dissolves into the water and sinks to the bottom, the food colouring shows you how much liquid to siphon off. You should get 2litres of water back out, plus 1/20th or 1/10th of the volume of the original fuel.
I was also told that the remaining ethanol-free fuel might need an octane boost from a fuel additive, but I don't know about that yet.
Another thing mentioned was that old bikes left standing through winter might benefit from a little paraffin sploshed around the tank and allowed to run into the carbs to stop corrosion. Would diesel from the Audi have the same effect?
So. Is mogas ethanol free? Can I save this effort by getting a couple of jerry cans from a friendly airfield?
I've only just come alive to the danger that my winter-stored bikes are in from ethanol in unleaded. It was the introduction of E10 which prompted it.
Are there any forecourts left from where I can buy unleaded with no ethanol at all? I had heard that some Esso fuels are ethanol-free but after a little tour on Sunday, all I saw was E5 and E10
It seems that it is not *too* tedious to remove ethanol from modern unleaded (it might be an idea to remove the fag from your lips while you do this):
1. a few drops of food colouring in 2 litres of water
2. add to about 10/15 litres of ethanol ridden unleaded
3. shake like bu**ery
4. let it stand for 24 hours
The ethanol dissolves into the water and sinks to the bottom, the food colouring shows you how much liquid to siphon off. You should get 2litres of water back out, plus 1/20th or 1/10th of the volume of the original fuel.
I was also told that the remaining ethanol-free fuel might need an octane boost from a fuel additive, but I don't know about that yet.
Another thing mentioned was that old bikes left standing through winter might benefit from a little paraffin sploshed around the tank and allowed to run into the carbs to stop corrosion. Would diesel from the Audi have the same effect?
So. Is mogas ethanol free? Can I save this effort by getting a couple of jerry cans from a friendly airfield?