Home » Public Forums » GMCnet » Ethanol tester
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| Re: Ethanol tester [message #140566 is a reply to message #140564] |
Mon, 22 August 2011 21:27   |
LNelson
Messages: 335
Registered: December 2008
Location: Springfield, MO
Karma: 0
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I will tell you that you can test for ethanol with any vessel you can put a mark on, or a piece of tape. I use an old pickle jar but some use a rain guage. You merely take such a vessel, put a mark on the outside, let's say, an inch up from the bottom. Put water in the vessel to the mark. What you have is a known quantity of water, right. The amount does not matter. Now put some fuel in and shake it up. If there is poison....errr....food products.....err, I mean ethanol in the gas, the level of "water" will appear to have increased. If the water (which settles to the bottom) remains in the same quantity as before you added the gas....you have no ethanol in the fuel. I burn car gas in my Cessna 195, it is approved for this and, yes, I have the STC (permission) to do this. We use all sorts of simple devices to test for ethanol. Some use a pop bottle, others use the rain guage, and I use a pickel or olive jar (tall and skinny). It's ain't rocket science.
Larry Nelson Springfield, MO
Ex GMC'er, then GM Busnut
now '77 Eleganza ARS WB0JOT
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| Re: Ethanol tester [message #140579 is a reply to message #140578] |
Mon, 22 August 2011 23:44 |
Ken Burton
Messages: 10030
Registered: January 2004
Location: Hebron, Indiana
Karma: 10
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It sure does. I use a graduated medicine bottle (free from the pharmacy). Add water to the first division mark. Then add gas to the 6th division. If the water appears to move 1/2 division, you have 10% alcohol. If it moves one complete division you have 20% water.
BTW, you do not have to wait 5 minutes. Put on the lid, shake it up, wait 10 to 15 seconds for the water/alcohol to settle out and read the results.
We test ALL auto gasoline before it goes in our airplanes. I also do not knowingly use alcohol fuel in my GMC because there will always be some left over and the coach sits all winter. I do not want that crap settling in the tanks.
Ken Burton - N9KB
76 Palm Beach
Hebron, Indiana
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| Re: Ethanol tester [message #140704 is a reply to message #140564] |
Tue, 23 August 2011 21:16 |
glacierfl
Messages: 444
Registered: June 2011
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Has anyone challenged the powers that be regarding the use of Ethanol in Gas. We have to foot the bill/s for damage done to our vehicles. What scares me is that people could die in fires/etc, caused by fuel lines damaged by the additives .....
Steve & Debbie
Monticello, FL
77 Palm Beach :- Aurora
EX G4WDT
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| Re: Ethanol tester [message #140706 is a reply to message #140579] |
Tue, 23 August 2011 21:31 |
bernie
Messages: 46
Registered: February 2008
Location: Montreal
Karma: 0
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Ken;
The method described by LNelson "surely does" NOT tell you the ethanol percentage,because he did not have a calibrated tube.He,himself,says it's to detect the presence of ethanol. Of course, if you have calibrated reference marks on a tube like yours, you have a free ethanol tester like the one I bought...to tell the ethanol PERCENTAGE, not only the ethanol PRESENCE,,,I don't understand your opening statement "It sure does" regarding my answer. Also,I'm sure you did mean 20% ethanol...and not 20% water if the water moves one complete division.(In your reply to my message)
Bernard
GMC Transmode 1977
Montreal,Canada
[Updated on: Tue, 23 August 2011 21:34] Report message to a moderator |
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| Re: Ethanol tester [message #140709 is a reply to message #140578] |
Tue, 23 August 2011 21:47 |
LNelson
Messages: 335
Registered: December 2008
Location: Springfield, MO
Karma: 0
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My method (not really MY method) does allow you to calculate the percentage of ethanol if you calibrate the vessel beforehand in a simple way, OR use a rain guage with marks already there. In aircraft, percentage is not important.....the very existence of the alcohol is a no-no. Our state (MO) has a 10% mandate, like most. We have exemptions from the mandate, including marine, premium, AG USE.....
Larry Nelson Springfield, MO
Ex GMC'er, then GM Busnut
now '77 Eleganza ARS WB0JOT
[Updated on: Tue, 23 August 2011 21:50] Report message to a moderator |
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| Re: Ethanol tester [message #140745 is a reply to message #140706] |
Wed, 24 August 2011 03:16 |
Ken Burton
Messages: 10030
Registered: January 2004
Location: Hebron, Indiana
Karma: 10
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There are graduation marks on the side of the pharmacy bottle. The ones I get have a capacity or 6 OZ. They also come in ml.
You fill up the bottle to the 1 oz. level with water and add 5 oz. (fill the bottle) of the suspect fuel to be measured. The water stays on the bottom. The alcohol if present combines with the water and raises the visual line from the one division line. If the line raises to the 2 oz. mark then you have 4 oz. of gasoline and 2 oz. of alcohol/water mix. Since you started with 1 oz. of water, then the second oz. to the division line is the alcohol removed from the added fuel. 1 oz. out of 5 oz. of fuel is 20%.
I hope I explained it better this time. I have a couple of bottles in the coach already filled with water to the 1 oz point. and capped. I use them when ever I suspect I may be buying alcohol contaminated fuel. You do not even have to turn on the station gas pump for a test. Usually there is already enough gas in the hose to get a 5 oz. sample.
I occasionally find 5% instead of 10% alcohol fuel in areas that are not required by the EPA to sell alcohol diluted fuel.
Ken B.
Ken Burton - N9KB
76 Palm Beach
Hebron, Indiana
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| Re: Ethanol tester [message #140755 is a reply to message #140745] |
Wed, 24 August 2011 07:15 |
LNelson
Messages: 335
Registered: December 2008
Location: Springfield, MO
Karma: 0
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Senior Member |
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Ken, you mentioned the hose. I always run at least one gallon in my car before filling my airport gas cans (for the 195). I don't want any of that crap in my shaky Jake.
Larry Nelson Springfield, MO
Ex GMC'er, then GM Busnut
now '77 Eleganza ARS WB0JOT
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| Re: [GMCnet] Ethanol tester [message #140776 is a reply to message #140770] |
Wed, 24 August 2011 09:29 |
Dolph Santorine
Messages: 1236
Registered: April 2011
Location: Wheeling, WV
Karma: -41
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I recently went through hell trying to get my pilot's medical renewed for purely bureaucratic reasons.
When I finally got through to the FAA on the phone, I was told "the administration does not want private pilots like you fouling the environment, so we are making it hard for you to fly".
That's how deeply this lie is engrained.
Unless, of course, you are headed to Martha's Vineyard to stay at a $50,000 per week Mansion... then, by all means, take two jets and two motorcades......
The rant continues......
Dolph
DE N8JPC
Wheeling, West Virginia
dolph@dolphsantorine.com
1977 GMC 26' Palm Beach
TZE167V100820
1976 GMC 26' Donor Coach
TZE166V101610
On Aug 24, 2011, at 10:13 AM, Matt Colie wrote:
>
>
> glacierfl wrote on Tue, 23 August 2011 22:16
>> Has anyone challenged the powers that be regarding the use of Ethanol in Gas. We have to foot the bill/s for damage done to our vehicles. What scares me is that people could die in fires/etc, caused by fuel lines damaged by the additives .....
>
> Hate to break this to you Steve, But . . .
> NOBODY IN THE RULING CLASS CARES IF YOU HAVE TO DIE to save the planet from a completely bogus boogie man. Air pollution is real, but automobile exhaust is not the only source and these days it is not even in the top five.
>
> As I have stated before, we ran tests that showed that there was no emissions improvement with ethanol loaded fuel when an engine was in good operating condition and tuned to specification.
>
> Just like asbestos - about 400 people a year contracted mesothelioma that were not also smokers. Only two of six types of asbestos are statistically linked to this disease and they are easily identified. So. . They killed about 6000 people doing asbestos abatement and another roughly 15000 in fires and other accidents related to the replacement of asbestos with an inferior material.
> <rant off>
> Thank You
>
> Matt
> --
> Matt & Mary Colie
> '73 Glacier 23 Chaumiere (say show-me-air) Just about as stock as you will find
> SE Michigan - Twixt A2 and Detroit
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| Re: [GMCnet] Ethanol tester [message #140827 is a reply to message #140761] |
Wed, 24 August 2011 19:54 |
Ken Burton
Messages: 10030
Registered: January 2004
Location: Hebron, Indiana
Karma: 10
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Senior Member |
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If you take a look at that site you will find one listed in Hamlet, In that I added a while back. Basically anything in north central Indian is alcohol free because the supplying terminal in Niles, Mi. does not have any alcohol mixing facilities.
Ken Burton - N9KB
76 Palm Beach
Hebron, Indiana
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| Re: Ethanol tester [message #153816 is a reply to message #140784] |
Tue, 20 December 2011 20:20 |
glacierfl
Messages: 444
Registered: June 2011
Karma: 0
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Senior Member |
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Hello,
I read this once
"Well lets water down the gas with ethanol and charge more for it....., we should make a fortune out of that."
Ever get the feeling you are getting Screwed...
cheers and beers
Steve & Debbie
Monticello, FL
77 Palm Beach :- Aurora
EX G4WDT
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| Re: [GMCnet] Ethanol tester [message #153821 is a reply to message #153816] |
Tue, 20 December 2011 20:44 |
Dolph Santorine
Messages: 1236
Registered: April 2011
Location: Wheeling, WV
Karma: -41
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Senior Member |
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It's more like "let's move the wealth from the drivers to the corn farming corporations and screw the drivers out of it".
The ethanol is more expensive than the gasoline, and is NOT TAXED on it own. It's also subsidized. Go figure.
In some states, like West Virginia, motor gasoline without ethanol is charged a tax at the same percentage as the ethanol content in regular gasoline..
Meaning, it's a 10% surcharge.
You know, it's all so far fetched, I could not make this stuff up.
Dolph
On Dec 20, 2011, at 9:20 PM, steve & debbie wrote:
>
>
> Hello,
> I read this once
>
> "Well lets water down the gas with ethanol and charge more for it....., we should make a fortune out of that."
>
> Ever get the feeling you are getting Screwed...
>
> cheers and beers
> --
> Steve & Debbie
> Monticello, FL
> 77 Palm Beach :- Aurora
> EX G4WDT
> _______________________________________________
> GMCnet mailing list
> Unsubscribe or Change List Options:
> http://temp.gmcnet.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/gmclist
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