The 10% Problem For the Bio-Fuel User.

A metal fuel tank that takes Ethanol based Bio-petrol, diesel or a derivative of these will, as you know cause the problems of rust and its destroying nature. These modern fuels can also cause problems with fibreglass/composite tanks, as the polyester resins and plastics are susceptible to attack by the solvent chemicals put into the lead free petrol. 

Currently most pumps are providing 91 'Octane' with Ethanol at 5%. We are now moving to 10% which will cause the same problems but will speed up the effects as it can attract more water/moisture from the air. It will also be more injurious to the engines of older vehicles.

It can also cause detonation in the combustion chamber and damage to the piston and other parts of the engine.

The rusting inside a fuel tank will weaken the structure of the tank and can cause loose particles of rust. which will choke the fuel line, carburettor or fuel management system. Also the added MTBE (methyl-tertiary-butyl-ether), which is being increasingly added to improve the anti-knock performance of the petrol, which Lead previously offered. This group of chemicals work to enable the petrol to burn more cleanly. 

[An octane rating, or octane number, is a standard measure of a fuel's ability to withstand compression in an internal combustion engine without detonating. The higher the octane number, the more compression the fuel can withstand before detonating. Octane rating does not relate directly to the power output or the energy content of the fuel per unit mass or volume, but simply indicates gasoline's capability against compression. In broad terms, fuels with a higher octane rating are used in higher-compression gasoline engines, which may yield higher power. Such higher power comes from the fuel's higher compression by the engine, and not directly from the gasoline.

In contrast, fuels with lower octane (but higher cetane numbers) are ideal for diesel engines, because diesel engines (also called compression-ignition engines) do not compress the fuel, but rather compress only air and then inject fuel into the air that was heated by compression. Petrol engines rely on the ignition of air and fuel compressed together as a mixture, which is ignited near the end of the compression stroke by electric spark plugs. Therefore, high compressibility of the fuel matters mainly for gasoline engines. Using gasoline with lower octane may cause engine knocking.] (Researched from Wikipedia, the free encyclopaedia)

At AGR we have remedies for the rust and solvent attack but being bikers and work with our machines, we also need to know the Burn and Detonation of the fuel. As this information is not in our toolkit we look to the internet for answers in overcoming these problems. One site that we have found interesting and informative that has been coping with 10% ethanol and higher is Harry Klemms site at www.klemvintage.com  This site should not be missed if you are tuning your own engine or even for casual reading.  

What's On

If you enjoy the fast moving life of Motorcycle Racing and the Shows and Auto-Jumbles that go with it, please book some of these events in your diary and join the vast number of people who share your interest.

There is a wide selection from the 250 stalls, locations including many undercover, and the show enjoys a busy market atmosphere as soon as the gates open. Among the hustle and bustle of the jumble, the friendly vibe at the show creates a highlight in the social calendar within the vintage motorcycling fraternity. 

July 16 @ 7:45 am - 3:00 pm,

Having just worked on a Norton Commando tank I thought a page out of my scrap book would be in order - Hope you enjoy it.

Call Jeep on: 07778 265726

Email: jeep@anythinggoesracing.co.uk

Location:  Waterlooville, Hampshire.