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Aluminum fuel cell with alcohol? #1489652
08/24/13 12:05 AM
08/24/13 12:05 AM
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ar.
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bobs69 Offline OP
super stock
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ar.
Have you had any trouble running alcohol with an aluminum cell?

Re: Aluminum fuel cell with alcohol? [Re: bobs69] #1489653
08/24/13 09:01 AM
08/24/13 09:01 AM
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 1,142
Central New York
slippery440 Offline
Crybaby440
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Central New York
I have been running E85 for 3 years with aluminum lines with no problem. I leave the fuel in all winter.


If the MODS did their job I would not be hitting the notify MOD button. LOL
Re: Aluminum fuel cell with alcohol? [Re: slippery440] #1489654
08/24/13 10:04 AM
08/24/13 10:04 AM
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 28,312
Cincinnati, Ohio
Challenger 1 Offline
Too Many Posts
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Cincinnati, Ohio
Quote:

I have been running E85 for 3 years with aluminum lines with no problem. I leave the fuel in all winter.




Sorry but you will have problems sooner than later.

Methanol/ethanol will corrode the aluminum eventually. It's best to drain the cell after use.
I ran aluminum fuel cells for 20 years and drained it after every weekend.

Plus storing alcohol fuel in a vented fuel cell allows water to get into your fuel and then corrosion will be 10X worse.

Re: Aluminum fuel cell with alcohol? [Re: Challenger 1] #1489655
08/24/13 02:24 PM
08/24/13 02:24 PM
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oregon
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greendart408 Offline
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oregon
I have ran methanol for 4yrs now. Made a front mounted alum cell. I leave it full yr rnd and when parked and vent plugged. Have zero corrosion issue. I do run a top lube and store car in a zero moisture building fwiw.

Re: Aluminum fuel cell with alcohol? [Re: greendart408] #1489656
08/24/13 02:35 PM
08/24/13 02:35 PM
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 1,385
Ohio
rck850 Offline
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Ohio
Kinda side tracking but What about those new Holley Ultra HP carbs that are all Aluminum? How are they going to hold up? I know they make an Ultra HP E85 carb now but what about the standard on and this crappy pump gas we have?

Re: Aluminum fuel cell with alcohol? [Re: Challenger 1] #1489657
08/24/13 04:28 PM
08/24/13 04:28 PM
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 1,142
Central New York
slippery440 Offline
Crybaby440
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 1,142
Central New York
I hear all the horror stories but not had a problem. Took the carb apart after sitting all winter(2 years) and found it clean. I changed the filter and I do use a micron filter and that was fine(2 years). I did use a stabilizer in the fall.No problem with the fuel pump witch is also aluminum.My car sits in a unheated pole barn all winter.
I test the fuel and not found any differance from stored to new from pump.If e85 is going to effect aluminum we better switch back to iron heads and manifolds.


If the MODS did their job I would not be hitting the notify MOD button. LOL
Re: Aluminum fuel cell with alcohol? [Re: bobs69] #1489658
08/24/13 05:16 PM
08/24/13 05:16 PM
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 52,972
Romeo MI
MR_P_BODY Offline
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Romeo MI
Quote:

Have you had any trouble running alcohol with an aluminum cell?




With a vent on the tank/cell the alky/E-85 WILL
suck up moisture and moisture is what corrodes the
alum..
if you keep the air away the alky/E-85 wont do anything

Re: Aluminum fuel cell with alcohol? [Re: MR_P_BODY] #1489659
08/24/13 05:59 PM
08/24/13 05:59 PM
Joined: Dec 2003
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Here
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jcc Offline
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Quote:

Quote:

Have you had any trouble running alcohol with an aluminum cell?




With a vent on the tank/cell the alky/E-85 WILL
suck up moisture and moisture is what corrodes the
alum..
if you keep the air away the alky/E-85 wont do anything





Well yes and no, the moisture and alcohol combine to form an acid that corrodes the alum. Keeping them separate is the solution, but very difficult.

I think this best describes the reaction.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deprotonation

Last edited by jcc; 08/24/13 06:12 PM.

"When one’s appeal is emotional, it does not matter if there is no substance."
Re: Aluminum fuel cell with alcohol? [Re: jcc] #1489660
08/24/13 06:35 PM
08/24/13 06:35 PM
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 52,972
Romeo MI
MR_P_BODY Offline
Master
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Romeo MI
Quote:

Quote:

Quote:

Have you had any trouble running alcohol with an aluminum cell?




With a vent on the tank/cell the alky/E-85 WILL
suck up moisture and moisture is what corrodes the
alum..
if you keep the air away the alky/E-85 wont do anything





Well yes and no, the moisture and alcohol combine to form an acid that corrodes the alum. Keeping them separate is the solution, but very difficult.

I think this best describes the reaction.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deprotonation




I have 4 test samples still running(2 with E-85 and
2 with alky) 1 of each is air tight in alum the 2 others
are in a vented alum... the air tight shows ZERO corrosion
and the vented shows very little above the fuel level
(this has been 4 years now).. thats with topping
off both vented samples

Re: Aluminum fuel cell with alcohol? [Re: MR_P_BODY] #1489661
08/24/13 09:25 PM
08/24/13 09:25 PM
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 23,532
Here
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jcc Offline
If you can't dazzle em with diamonds..
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Posts: 23,532
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Well there is an explanation for everything, not sure I am sharp enough to explain your experiment's results so far. But since you have a technical background, how do you observe corrosion inside an airtight alum container?


"When one’s appeal is emotional, it does not matter if there is no substance."
Re: Aluminum fuel cell with alcohol? [Re: jcc] #1489662
08/24/13 09:38 PM
08/24/13 09:38 PM
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 52,972
Romeo MI
MR_P_BODY Offline
Master
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Romeo MI
Quote:

Well there is an explanation for everything, not sure I am sharp enough to explain your experiment's results so far. But since you have a technical background, how do you observe corrosion inside an airtight alum container?




All 4 alum tanks I made with a real short filler neck
and gas caps(production stuff) and 2 have vents..
I just open the cap and look in with a flash light..
then change the fuel and put the cap back on.. pretty
simple... (to keep it air tight, fill it all the way up)

Re: Aluminum fuel cell with alcohol? [Re: MR_P_BODY] #1489663
08/26/13 12:28 PM
08/26/13 12:28 PM
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 290
Norwalk Ohio
cudasteve68 Offline
enthusiast
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Norwalk Ohio
Quote:

Quote:

Well there is an explanation for everything, not sure I am sharp enough to explain your experiment's results so far. But since you have a technical background, how do you observe corrosion inside an airtight alum container?




All 4 alum tanks I made with a real short filler neck
and gas caps(production stuff) and 2 have vents..
I just open the cap and look in with a flash light..
then change the fuel and put the cap back on.. pretty
simple... (to keep it air tight, fill it all the way up)




I would anodize the tank. It is cheap to get done & you have a few choices of what colors you can get done. All of the race/street fuel fittings we make at work for customers are anodized for this reason. Mainly the import guys that run E-85

Re: Aluminum fuel cell with alcohol? [Re: cudasteve68] #1489664
08/26/13 01:27 PM
08/26/13 01:27 PM
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Oakland, MI
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dizuster Offline
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Oakland, MI
I know that the one time I left e85 in my carb for the winter it corroded like crazy in the bowls. Lots of guys don't have issues but I sure did.

Re: Aluminum fuel cell with alcohol? [Re: dizuster] #1489665
08/26/13 02:11 PM
08/26/13 02:11 PM
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 13,247
Mt. Vernon, Ohio
dartman366 Offline
I Live Here
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Mt. Vernon, Ohio
Quote:

I know that the one time I left e85 in my carb for the winter it corroded like crazy in the bowls. Lots of guys don't have issues but I sure did.


I would say some of it is where you live and race too, race in a higher humidity area then your system would be more likely to capture moisture if it wasn't well sealed from the humid outside air, if you live in a dryer warmer climate you probably won't have near the issues,,I know guys that in the winter their garage floors would become wet if the temps during the day would rise up past the freezing point, I keep mine heated in the winter and have no issues with that, I believe that has a lot to do with individual result's.


Light travels faster than the speed of sound,,,this is why some people seem bright untill you hear them speak.
Re: Aluminum fuel cell with alcohol? [Re: Challenger 1] #1489666
08/26/13 09:45 PM
08/26/13 09:45 PM
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 1,520
West Palm Beach, Florida
Copper Dart Offline
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West Palm Beach, Florida
Quote:

Quote:

I have been running E85 for 3 years with aluminum lines with no problem. I leave the fuel in all winter.




Sorry but you will have problems sooner than later.

Methanol/ethanol will corrode the aluminum eventually...............................

Plus storing alcohol fuel in a vented fuel cell allows water to get into your fuel and then corrosion will be 10X worse.






Common sense, the least common of all the senses.
Mom.

For fear of ridicule, society stifles creativity.
Ricky Valdes
Re: Aluminum fuel cell with alcohol? [Re: dizuster] #1489667
08/26/13 10:02 PM
08/26/13 10:02 PM
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 52,972
Romeo MI
MR_P_BODY Offline
Master
MR_P_BODY  Offline
Master

Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 52,972
Romeo MI
Quote:

I know that the one time I left e85 in my carb for the winter it corroded like crazy in the bowls. Lots of guys don't have issues but I sure did.




The first year I ran E-85 I left it in the carb and
had the same issue... because its vented.. since then
I run gas through the system and run it dry then pour
in some Stabilizer

Re: Aluminum fuel cell with alcohol? [Re: Copper Dart] #1489668
08/26/13 10:03 PM
08/26/13 10:03 PM
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 2,177
ill
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dennismopar73 Offline
top fuel
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ill
When sitting for time we drain rinse and repeat,
sorry thats shampoo! lol
we drain and fill with reg gas run motors till the die on fuel put away for the winter ,seams to work well!
as for venting all fuel cell are vented same for all carbs ! they all can draw moisture since even reg gas has at least 10% alcohol, just remember alcohol is a drying agent not your friend on rubber products ,

Re: Aluminum fuel cell with alcohol? [Re: cudasteve68] #1489669
08/27/13 12:54 AM
08/27/13 12:54 AM
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 43,902
Bend,OR USA
C
Cab_Burge Offline
I Win
Cab_Burge  Offline
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Posts: 43,902
Bend,OR USA
Quote:

Quote:

Quote:

Well there is an explanation for everything, not sure I am sharp enough to explain your experiment's results so far. But since you have a technical background, how do you observe corrosion inside an airtight alum container?




All 4 alum tanks I made with a real short filler neck
and gas caps(production stuff) and 2 have vents..
I just open the cap and look in with a flash light..
then change the fuel and put the cap back on.. pretty
simple... (to keep it air tight, fill it all the way up)




I would anodize the tank. It is cheap to get done & you have a few choices of what colors you can get done. All of the race/street fuel fittings we make at work for customers are anodized for this reason. Mainly the import guys that run E-85


You should have all of your fittings hard anodised , all of the aluminum lines done inside and outside as well as the cell inside and outside


Mr.Cab Racing and winning with Mopars since 1964. (Old F--t, Huh)
Re: Aluminum fuel cell with alcohol? [Re: Cab_Burge] #1489670
08/27/13 08:37 PM
08/27/13 08:37 PM
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 1,520
West Palm Beach, Florida
Copper Dart Offline
pro stock
Copper Dart  Offline
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Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 1,520
West Palm Beach, Florida
You think that just a little 10% or so shouldnt hurt! Think again, this is the second tank i'm having to replace.
REC90 is all i'm going to use if I have my choice.

7829946-MiniTub002.JPG (120 downloads)
Last edited by Copper Dart; 08/27/13 08:37 PM.

Common sense, the least common of all the senses.
Mom.

For fear of ridicule, society stifles creativity.
Ricky Valdes
Re: Aluminum fuel cell with alcohol? [Re: Copper Dart] #1489671
08/27/13 08:43 PM
08/27/13 08:43 PM
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 1,520
West Palm Beach, Florida
Copper Dart Offline
pro stock
Copper Dart  Offline
pro stock

Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 1,520
West Palm Beach, Florida
the float almost completely disolved!
you go ahead and take your chances with that BUNK science that ethanol is a good thing for the Earth.

I will be making me some spending money replacing
"others" classic cars tanks very soon.
Heck, I just might become a Spectra Dealer.

7829954-MiniTub003.JPG (108 downloads)
Last edited by Copper Dart; 08/27/13 08:44 PM.

Common sense, the least common of all the senses.
Mom.

For fear of ridicule, society stifles creativity.
Ricky Valdes
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