Ethanol... Good Or Bad For Ze Rotary?
06-20-2003, 10:56 PM
#1
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Join Date: May 2003
Location: Fountain Valley, CA
Posts: 260
I picked up a pamphlet today from Shel when I was getting gas explaining how good ethanol is for engines. Does the same apply for rotary engines? I know that 76 serves gas with ethanol in it (no more MTBE) so is it good or bad for the rotary?
06-21-2003, 01:20 AM
#3
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Posts: 3,108
not so fast... true ethanol has a higher octane rating and cleaner burn but it may not be for all cars.
First off ethanol is a solvent and it will dissolve all the varnish in your fuel system and could lead to messed up fuel rails and injectors and maybe other bad things.
Second, alchol is more corosive, it may damage certain rubber seals or lines or other non metalic parts it will come into contact with.
Use with disgression... when in doubt... use what u know works... gasoline.
First off ethanol is a solvent and it will dissolve all the varnish in your fuel system and could lead to messed up fuel rails and injectors and maybe other bad things.
Second, alchol is more corosive, it may damage certain rubber seals or lines or other non metalic parts it will come into contact with.
Use with disgression... when in doubt... use what u know works... gasoline.
06-21-2003, 01:48 PM
#8
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Location: fredneck MD
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Originally Posted by j9fd3s' date='Jun 21 2003, 12:11 PM
expect all the rubber to live a shorter life 
mike
mike
06-22-2003, 11:32 AM
#9
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If you're going to run pure ethanol you have to revamp the fuel system to handle it. There's no lubrication so you have to either add it, or get fuel components that will stand up to the abuse. Usually you have to run a different fuel pump as well with a regulator or you'll get all sorts of nasty spikes and drops in the fuel pressure. If you try to run it on a normal system it'll chew up the rubber. Plus octane and timing are usually different.
In terms of the apex seals I'm guessing you would want to run extra oil or do the above premix to keep them from dying a quick death. There's also the fact that head tempratures will creep on a piston engine car, I don't know what would happen on a rotary.
I'm sure somone has done it.
As far as the ethanol mixes you see in places like Iowa, it's not enough to matter.
In terms of the apex seals I'm guessing you would want to run extra oil or do the above premix to keep them from dying a quick death. There's also the fact that head tempratures will creep on a piston engine car, I don't know what would happen on a rotary.
I'm sure somone has done it.
As far as the ethanol mixes you see in places like Iowa, it's not enough to matter.
06-22-2003, 01:26 PM
#10
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Join Date: May 2003
Location: Frederick, MD
Posts: 114
Whoah, did you say Shell puts ethanol in all their gas, and that'll make my fuel system and engine die quicker? If Shell is bad for me, are there any other brands of gas that do bad things also? I think Texaco puts some sort of cleaning additive in their gas.