What is it with the fuel these days.

[406 Q-ship]

Is it just me that is having a ton of issues with the fuel now. For the last few years my truck has had get water in the fuel tanks or rotting out the new fuel lines. Since moving to Florida it is only getting worse. I put a water separator on the truck about three months ago and the fuel line is coming apart already plugging up the filter. My next thing is to replace all the fuel line in the truck with Teflon line braided line, yes expensive but worth it if the neoprene hose keeps ending up in the filters. All I have to deal with after that is the alcohol in the fuel that sucks the water out of the air. Either that or I am going to sell the truck and go later model, put fuel injection on, or install a later fuel injected engine.

Today's fuel is absolute cr@p.

[Special-Ed]

yup... the problem is the ethanol and the additives they put in for emmisions...

sonoco by me has 100% gas at some pumps...

otherwise you have to use fuel addives to keep the fuel from soaking up the humidity and turning to junk

and the new fuels will destroy old carbs and fuel lines... its a mess

[71swb4x4]

Have you had new hard lines go bad? I would replace the neoprene with a hard line.

[406 Q-ship]

Originally Posted by 71swb4x4

Have you had new hard lines go bad? I would replace the neoprene with a hard line.

Except that the alcohol and water creates an acids that rust the steel hard lines, that is why all the new vehicles have plastic tanks and nylon fuel lines. At the shop I work at we replace the tanks of any vehicle that sat for more than a year that has fuel in it, because the tanks will be rusty. So hard lines is not the answer either.

[chip46wis]

Quite some time ago i posted a warning about regular fuel line use nowdays---i had regular fuel line on my 69 step for a few weeks and it literally was soft and mushy!
You MUST use ethanol rated fuel line---you can see the coating inside easily.
I assure you this will end that part of the problem.

[Leinie]

Are you like me, and run with the tank between 1/2 and E most of the time ?

If you are, try running between full and 1/2 tank. Less air in the tank means less moisture to be absorbed into the fuel.

Does it sit for long stretches without running ? If so, you need to find a source for fuel without alcohol in it. You can separate it yourself if your really desperate. May need to add octane booster after you remove the alcohol.

[special-K]

What I don't understand is why "we" have to put an additive in to keep moisture from being absorbed into the fuel "they" put ingredients in that cause this problem. Seems to me "they" need to add that one more ingredient. You'd think with what fuel costs (and the huge profits it earns oil companies) the cost could easily be covered.

I heard a good one on the news. "Well,with spring on it's way the cost of gas is rising." Ok,so they just gave us the reason for the rise in cost...springtime. And we are trained to accept that one as the way it is already,just like diesel going up in winter. But wait,as with tradition,the oil companies feel the need to provide us a supposed reason (lie) for the rise (other than we want to make more money). This time they figure they'll use the excuse that it's the rising cost of ethanol! Really? Then take it out!! I'd be willing to do without ethanol watering down my fuel,dropping my MPGs,and causing issues if it meant saving money. Wouldn't you?

[cst69]

Speaking of gas prices, I was at a station Sunday and noticed the huge difference in price between grades. Reg. Unleaded was $3.31, Mid grade was $3.61 & premium was $4.01. Wow, that's 70 cent more per gallon for premium. Time to cut back on that compression ratio. Was this just this one station or have you noticed it also?

[special-K]

The spread on one grade to the other these days is as much or more than what a gallon of gas cost when I started driving.

Ok,so the price of gas goes up when warm weather comes because of higher demand and price of diesel goes up in cold weather because of heating oil demand. So,why is diesel going up every time I look when winter is over?

[TJ's Chevy]

Gas is at $4 here for 92 octane. The ethanol in fuel is terrible..these old motor hate it.

[GOPAPA]

It Must be a regional thing Tim because opposite of what you say of your area about prices being higher in the winter is that the price of gas and diesel here in Idaho was lower through the winter and now this spring diesel jumped up higher that ever,,and gas went back up also ,,..I read that they did their seasonal shut downs,,maybe they are making up for the down time.? who knows ? I also read that the demand in the summer makes the price go up to keep up with the demand ,,more running time for the refiners.. again who really knows?

[cdowns]

souinds to me like your using cheapo swimming pool grade rubber hoses// use the quality ethanol safe rubber hoses available at automotive parts stores// it is a bit more expensive but for a quality fuel system you need but 2feet total for the short pieces needed forthe flex joints

[68C15]

isn't ethanol great?

[nate_g_2003]

I have to drive almost 200mi ONE-WAY to get ethanol-free Premium (what the Burb drinks). Luckily, it's a stop on the way to my brother-in-law's house, so it isn't totally inconvenient.

I'm sure it's been shared before, but check out pure-gas.org for a country-wide list of stations selling gas with no ethanol.

And a bit of a side-note: it isn't totally oil companies' fault. The US government makes more money on a gallon of gasoline than the oil company does (not revenue, but profit).

[Spartan]

Oil companies.
Billions in profit.
Pay less taxes than I do (rate wise).
And they aren't even really American companies.
Angry - yes. But I am still fortunate to live where I do so I suck it up and try to live best I can.

Really, if you want to know why prices are higher for everything get a good book (on tape) about economics and "quantitative easing"

It's shocking. Maybe it will open your eyes to the big picture and why the NSA is really spying on citizens.

Or not

Cheers

Oh and ethanol kills engines that aren't made for it and we're pretty much stuck with it. Sucky oil companies...

[special-K]

Larry,to me that just proves it's all BS. They tell you in the NW one thing and us in the east another.
So we are paying for overtime in warmer weather? Makes you wonder how prices stayed so stable for decades prior to the '73 fuel embargo. Back when families drove cross country in station wagons to visit the national parks and tourist attractions. These days vacation time means more jet fuel than back then. I'm not sure all that there's significantly more pump gas sold in warm weather either.
I don't believe the prices are supply and demand. Of it is then the demand is profit. There is a constant demand. We re absolutely dependent on fuel,they know it,and it's a gotcha by the you know what situation. Do we have an option? How does paying more more create more supply? I know I spend about the same on fuel 12 months a year.

[davischevy]

Originally Posted by special-K

What I don't understand is why "we" have to put an additive in to keep moisture from being absorbed into the fuel "they" put ingredients in that cause this problem. Seems to me "they" need to add that one more ingredient. You'd think with what fuel costs (and the huge profits it earns oil companies) the cost could easily be covered.

I heard a good one on the news. "Well,with spring on it's way the cost of gas is rising." Ok,so they just gave us the reason for the rise in cost...springtime. And we are trained to accept that one as the way it is already,just like diesel going up in winter. But wait,as with tradition,the oil companies feel the need to provide us a supposed reason (lie) for the rise (other than we want to make more money). This time they figure they'll use the excuse that it's the rising cost of ethanol! Really? Then take it out!! I'd be willing to do without ethanol watering down my fuel,dropping my MPGs,and causing issues if it meant saving money. Wouldn't you?

Humans are so easily brainwashed.

[franken]

The methanol content of our gas is determined by congress. I was going to say our congress, but it seems it's lobbyists and therefore big business's congress.

Diesel used to be way cheaper than gas. I don't remember the excuse for it becoming as, or more expensive than gas. Seems like lower octane should be less money...

Rumor has it that it costs more to produce and deliver ethanol in gas than refining the gas. Also its subsidized by our tax dollars. Yay. I guess the theory is the subsidy encourages investment in making ethanol cheaper. Sadly, if all farmland in the US was converted to switch grass (supposed most efficient source of ethanol) we still couldn't come close to independence. Sorry treehuggers.

Since ethanol is (or was in the dark ages when I read about it) largely made of corn, which is not well suited to making ethanol (but is well suited to the corn farm lobby), and is used for other fun stuff like feed, it artificially raises the price of corn.

Here, we have new and creative ways of doing the wrong thing, in the wrong way. Government in action...

[special-K]

Yeah,corn goes up and along with that goes the price of feeds with price of foods following. I'm pretty sure anything you burn creates pollution. Isn't that why many places don't allow trash burning,brush burning,or even wood heat in some areas. No lobby profits from wood heat. I believe diesel went up to match,or pass,gas prices once diesel began being used by consumers in personal vehicles on a larger scale. Back when it was basically only used to move products and construction,the cost was lower since it adds to the bottom line. Now all products cost more partly due to high fuel cost. That's how this economy works. Once consumers find a cheaper way,the cost goes up to as much or more than what was previously used. When people started wearing tee shirts and blue jeans anything cotton became more expensive than synthetics. A pair of jeans and tee shirt can cost more than dress slacks and white collar shirt. Same with sneakers and dress shoes It's not supply and demand,it's taking advantage of demand despite plentiful supply. Maybe it should be called demand and supply because the supply and demand principle begins with supply and today's pricing is based on demand

[davischevy]

The overall use of petroleum has dropped over the last several years. RE: ethanol, instead complaining here, we should be on our representatives websites with an email voicing our opinion. I send my Congressman and Senators messages regularly. Don't just complain, do a few minutes research to support your case, whatever it is. Throw him some facts.

If the consumer wanted ethanol, they would be willing to pay for it, but government subsidizing it does nothing but let special interest groups dip in the till.

I just read an article about the electric car manufacturer, Tesla. Each Tesla sold costs the taxpayer $45,000. If the consumer wants a Tesla, let them pay the price, I don' care to pay for it for him.