Lament of the plugged Quadrajet
Sung to the Gordon Lightfoot classic....
I think most of the problems we've encountered with using fuel blended with ethanol, is that in our 45 year old gas tanks, a layer of silt has sat for at least the last 40 years, solidifying, impervious to the passage of time, expecting to never be disturbed.
Then comes along that E3.
As expected, even as designed, that Ethanol begins to work at attacking all that red oxide and hydrocarbon residue at the lower corners of our big tank, then combines with it, bringing it to the pickup. To be sure some gets stopped by that fine pickup mesh (if that mesh still exists), but the finest of that red silt always gets by, and heads downstream, drawn towards the pump.
Now it's likely your original pump seals are already suffering and weak, since their old neoprene is incompatible with this strange blend, but heh, it keeps on working period, because it's an old school AC, and it's still strong enough to push that slurry up to your big Quadrajet, yes, the one that the previous owner decided it performed better without the integral filter in place, and you never checked.
It then passes across your E3 incompatible needle valve that's already suffering, then spills down into the float bowl meeting with 1/16 of a inch of sediment already at the bottom and hardening.
Friday! Your off to your favorite cruise night at 4:30, and then pull out at 8 when all's done, expecting to roll out strong you pound it... and then that's it... Boof, bog, Boof. Dead in the middle of main street, and right in front of the cool rodders. Being ultra cool, you call your bud (he's out) and then sweating, beg your lady to come, pull the breather and pretend to be cool to traffic. Eventually 3 rodders take pity and push your 4000 lb car uphill 100 yards into the McDonald's. Heh, it's a problem you can fix on your cool car. No probs! But you can't, she's toast, and the thing is... you know exactly what it is.
Its the [b]Red Death,[/b]
meaning,
New Gas tank,
New pickup,
Flush lines,
Rebuild carb,
Flush lines,
Mount carb. Better filter.
New pump.
Now, with all you've done, you'll probably be lucky as long as you live with this car, because all the fuel system is new and compatible, so it'll be fine to put Ethanol in the system, but you'll always try to avoid filling with it. You just hate it and always will. I do.
I think he most harm is done onto he old stock systems. I hear of corrosion issues with aluminum pumps and carb bodies, but most seals and the like seem to be fine with it these days.
Lament of the plugged Quadrajet
Sung to the Gordon Lightfoot classic....
I think most of the problems we've encountered with using fuel blended with ethanol, is that in our 45 year old gas tanks, a layer of silt has sat for at least the last 40 years, solidifying, impervious to the passage of time, expecting to never be disturbed.
Then comes along that E3.
As expected, even as designed, that Ethanol begins to work at attacking all that red oxide and hydrocarbon residue at the lower corners of our big tank, then combines with it, bringing it to the pickup. To be sure some gets stopped by that fine pickup mesh (if that mesh still exists), but the finest of that red silt always gets by, and heads downstream, drawn towards the pump.
Now it's likely your original pump seals are already suffering and weak, since their old neoprene is incompatible with this strange blend, but heh, it keeps on working period, because it's an old school AC, and it's still strong enough to push that slurry up to your big Quadrajet, yes, the one that the previous owner decided it performed better without the integral filter in place, and you never checked.
It then passes across your E3 incompatible needle valve that's already suffering, then spills down into the float bowl meeting with 1/16 of a inch of sediment already at the bottom and hardening.
Friday! Your off to your favorite cruise night at 4:30, and then pull out at 8 when all's done, expecting to roll out strong you pound it... and then that's it... Boof, bog, Boof. Dead in the middle of main street, and right in front of the cool rodders. Being ultra cool, you call your bud (he's out) and then sweating, beg your lady to come, pull the breather and pretend to be cool to traffic. Eventually 3 rodders take pity and push your 4000 lb car uphill 100 yards into the McDonald's. Heh, it's a problem you can fix on your cool car. No probs! But you can't, she's toast, and the thing is... you know exactly what it is.
Its the [b]Red Death,[/b]
meaning,
New Gas tank,
New pickup,
Flush lines,
Rebuild carb,
Flush lines,
Mount carb. Better filter.
New pump.
Now, with all you've done, you'll probably be lucky as long as you live with this car, because all the fuel system is new and compatible, so it'll be fine to put Ethanol in the system, but you'll always try to avoid filling with it. You just hate it and always will. I do.
I think he most harm is done onto he old stock systems. I hear of corrosion issues with aluminum pumps and carb bodies, but most seals and the like seem to be fine with it these days.