Increased Ethanol %

[Duffster]

Sorry, can't resist putting this one up.

RFA - The Industry - Biorefinery Locations

Hmmm...some corn producing states seem to have a plethora of refineries.

Note, they do not indicate what refineries are actually "producing" ethanol, just which ones are completed.

Kind of makes sense to put a corn ethanol plant in a corn producing state, doesn't it?

 

[jimmyj]

Very interesting debate fellas. I am certainly not clear on the pros or cons of ethanol but I'm more educated now because of your posts.

The only think that seems certain to me is that if we want to be more in synch with the envioronment we should find ways to be more efficient with the energy we use. Better mileage, etc.

Sorry to be a bit off topic.

 

[patrick_g]

Very interesting debate fellas. I am certainly not clear on the pros or cons of ethanol but I'm more educated now because of your posts.

The only think that seems certain to me is that if we want to be more in synch with the envioronment we should find ways to be more efficient with the energy we use. Better mileage, etc.

Sorry to be a bit off topic.

No apology needed. Efficiency is important. You can increase efficiency by what you choose to drive and how you choose to drive it and or by batching trips so you don't make a separate trip for every errand. I have 2 diesel PU trucks, a gasser PU, a street legal dune buggy and... When I don't need the attributes of a diesel truck and just need to get from point A to B then I drive our 2004 Prius. I have averaged as good as 52.8 MPG on a tank of gas. We tend to batch our errands so we don't make a round trip to town as often. (Town being 25-28 miles away in 4 different directions.)

I'm not fanatical about mileage or running errands but I try to not be stupid about it either. I avoid gasohol as much as is practical which is nearly all the time since so many of our stations are putting out signs bragging there fuel is alcohol free.

Pat

 

[DANOCHEESE]

Ahh THey jsut opened anpother plant about 50 miles away. Soemone must want this stuff. the plant burning coal to cook corn can't run hard enough.

What about the juice being shipped to California for poluution control efforts. The tree huggers msut love us corn farmers for saving there air in Califronia.

Ran 50-50 blend this tank, dropped 1.7 miles per gallon. Not too bad for 67 cents off a gallon. We can't get anyhting but juiced up gas here. **** my diesel has two percent soy in it. Darn farmers are really making the cash now. You should see the combine the neighbor just bought $420,000 and he only drives it three weeks a year.

Anyone want a 1/4 of beans The submarine can't get to them. Left the fence up

 

[Patches]

Danocheese; I have no problem with a farmer buying a $400,000 combine; god bless 'em. I do have a problem with the gov. subsidizing a wasteful industry that does nothing to alliviate the petroleum issue, while at the same time creating myriad issues for fuel users

 

[Duffster]

. I do have a problem with the gov. subsidizing a wasteful industry that does nothing to alliviate the petroleum issue,

What is a wasteful industry?

 

[Patches]

What is a wasteful industry?

Apparently, you haven't absorbed the gist of most of this post, at least not as well as your ethanol absorbs water. This boondoggle of the Bush (read oil man)administration does absolutely nothing to alliviate the dependance on foreign oil while causing users more than a little grief; you wouldn't expect a true oil man to pee in Exxon's Cheerios, now would ya I'm not a petroleum engineer, but it doesn't take a rocket scientist to see through this "feel good" effort; or lack there-of

 

[Duffster]

Apparently, you haven't absorbed the gist of most of this post, at least not as well as your ethanol absorbs water. This boondoggle of the Bush (read oil man)administration does absolutely nothing to alliviate the dependance on foreign oil while causing users more than a little grief; you wouldn't expect a true oil man to pee in Exxon's Cheerios, now would ya I'm not a petroleum engineer, but it doesn't take a rocket scientist to see through this "feel good" effort; or lack there-of

Ohhhh...It's all Bush's fault.

You're one of them, enough said.

 

[Patches]

It happened on his watch, so who do you think should shoulder the blame;I voted for him the first go-round. But it makes no difference who happened to be in office, it's a bad program with no redeeming value for the American consumer and should be, hopefully,abolished

 

[Hardscrabbble]

In central Illinois (corn country) I do not know of a station that offers gas without ethanol. The state must mandate the ethanol additive or something. I have just gotten use to using it. So far no problem with any of my vehicles either on road or off road. I do use fuel stablizer in all my off road vehicles, tractors, etc.

 

[FlaDon]

I think you do have a horse in this race.




There is nothing stopping a competing source of ethanol or other fuel.

We grow corn and have oil and gas wells and still say corn based ethanol is wrong.

Actually there is. The US gov't import tariffs on cane based ethanol from Brasil. Adds $.50 to a gallon of it making corn based cheaper in the US.

 

[brin]

We have bad problems with E-10 down here. It not only eats the seals in Non highway equipment, but it also settles out due to moisture. Marinas, lawn mower shops, county/state/federal agencies all have seen it. Humidity and ethanol don't play well with engines. And it will eat the potmetal carbs.

I have a log splitter I had not use since last year and had to clean the carb and empty the old gas...I went to the gas station to get some fresh gas and noticed on the regular gas pump they had a sign saying it contained 10% ethanol but on the next higher octane blend it did not so I bought the next higher blend with no ethanol and then I added some STP gas treatment...just a thought..to stop using regular gas in your small engines and move up to the higher octane with no ethanol if you can get it where you are.

 

[Jstpssng]

I have a log splitter I had not use since last year and had to clean the carb and empty the old gas...I went to the gas station to get some fresh gas and noticed on the regular gas pump they had a sign saying it contained 10% ethanol but on the next higher octane blend it did not so I bought the next higher blend with no ethanol and then I added some STP gas treatment...just a thought..to stop using regular gas in your small engines and move up to the higher octane with no ethanol if you can get it where you are.

I was going to start a thread to ask what gas additive people found works best, but first did a search and found this thread. E-10 made it's way to this state just a year ago. I had just bought a new Echo chainsaw, and the warrantee is void if I use any ethanol mix gas.
The first experience many people had was when they took their snowsleds out of storage and the engines blew with thier first tankful of gas. For years we've been told not to run ethanol in small engines as it causes problems.

JMHO, but if an additive is needed because of what the oil distributors are doing it seems that it should be dumped in at the distribution point. I put gas in my ATV this summer from a small station which apparently doesn't sell much gas; within 3 weeks the engine wouldn't run and I had to drain the tank and flush the system.

All gas I can find here in Maine now has ethanol. Furthermore, if you are buying 89 oct that's merely a blend of high and low test; so you are still getting ethanol.


Much of this discussion reminds me of the "Wind" topic here in Maine; although we are broke the state is giving incentives and tax breaks to big business to erect windmills to generate electricity to send out of state.

Personally I've known for years we need to decrease our fuel consumption but as long as we have polititians and lawyers that will never happen.
I thought it was sad when my tired '87 GMC 4x4 got the exact same mileage (16.6mpg) as my company '07 Chevy Silverado; but when I started running E-10 those numbers dropped to around 15. Now they bought me an '09, and I'd be glad to see 15mpg again.

 

[ccsial]

I was going to start a thread to ask what gas additive people found works best, but first did a search and found this thread. E-10 made it's way to this state just a year ago. I had just bought a new Echo chainsaw, and the warrantee is void if I use any ethanol mix gas.

I'm surprised Echo doesn't allow E10. All my Stihl saws are OK with it. I leave gas in the saws during the wood cutting season and then run them dry for storage.

I'm surprised you got E10 only last year. Maine is a very liberal and environmental state. I'd of thought you guys would have had it long ago. You guys have Olympia Snow.

I run E10 in my Honda quads, motorcycles, weed wackers and chain saws for years now with no trouble. The only additive I use is Stabil for the off season. The chain saws and weed wackers I just drain and run dry.

There are a few stations in Illinois that have gas without ethanol. Wisconsin has none that I can find.

 

[Jstpssng]

... You guys have Olympia Snow...

Is that our biggest claim to fame?

 

[ccsial]

Is that our biggest claim to fame?

Yeah, and guess what ours is in Illinois.....And it ain't all the ex guvnors in jail.

 

[Ken45101]

Personally I've known for years we need to decrease our fuel consumption but as long as we have polititians and lawyers that will never happen.
I thought it was sad when my tired '87 GMC 4x4 got the exact same mileage (16.6mpg) as my company '07 Chevy Silverado; but when I started running E-10 those numbers dropped to around 15. Now they bought me an '09, and I'd be glad to see 15mpg again.

Yes, isn't it interesting that government and the environmentalists demand better fuel economy while they keep shoving junk down our throats which ruins fuel economy.

Ken
politics defined:
- poly=many
- tics= little blood suckers

 

[redka]

Do all three octane selections at the gas station pump contain 10%(or more) ethanol?

 

[Ken45101]

Do all three octane selections at the gas station pump contain 10%(or more) ethanol?

I think it depends on the state. Some states mandate ethanol for everyone and signs must be posted. Other states mandate ethanol and no posting.

I've heard the only way to get pure gasoline is to buy avgas at an airport. There is one station here that lately has had a sign up "100% gasoline". I haven't checked it out yet. It's a station that's been there for years but never has any customers (?).

Ken

 

[ccsial]

I think it depends on the state. Some states mandate ethanol for everyone and signs must be posted. Other states mandate ethanol and no posting.

I've heard the only way to get pure gasoline is to buy avgas at an airport. There is one station here that lately has had a sign up "100% gasoline". I haven't checked it out yet. It's a station that's been there for years but never has any customers (?).

Ken

I'd be careful about Avgas in cars. The 100 octane contains lead and will ruin your catalytic converter. The 100 is supposed to be discontinued for that reason but no substitute is yet available.

The 80 octane might be OK if your compression ratio is not too high. It only contains .5 grams of lead per gallon. I don't know how much a catalytic converter can take.

It would be fine I suppose in tractors and small engines. I could have my FBO fill a few cans when they fill my plane but I have never done that.