Read one article about ethanol gas and immediately changed my fueling habits

I used to just grab whatever regular gas was cheapest for my 1972 Chevelle, never thought twice about it. Then I stumbled on an article from Hagerty last week that said 10% ethanol gas can actually absorb water from the air and cause corrosion in carburetors that sit for more than a few weeks. I had no idea ethanol was that bad for older fuel systems, especially the rubber seals. Now I'm only running ethanol free gas from the Shell station across town, even if it costs 50 cents more a gallon. Has anyone else switched and noticed their carburetor floats lasting longer?

2 comments

2 Comments

thomas8627d ago

Yeah I used to think ethanol gas was totally fine for older cars, but after seeing what it did to my own carb seals I switched over too and haven't had any issues since.

parker_foster536d ago

Totally fine for older cars" is what I used to think too, until I had to replace a fuel line that turned into soft gummy rubber. @thomas862 you're right that the carb seals are the first thing to go, but I've also seen it eat away at fiberglass gas tanks on some old boats. The ethanol just attracts moisture and causes all sorts of corrosion problems over time. I won't run anything with ethanol in my small engines or classic vehicles anymore, it's just not worth the headache.