The Ford Barn

oldspert · 07-21-2023, 06:17 PM

Last week I put gas in my car. Bought from a major oil company. Saturday morning I was supposed to go to a local car show. On the way, my car started bucking and snorting like it was very lean. Did not make the show. Started investigating for reason to act like that. Found the electric gas shutoff was the problem. The orifice had swollen shut and as soon as the carb ran dry the engine went lean. Got rid of the shutoff. Today saw gas dripping on the floor under my car. The drip was coming from the glass filter on the outside of the firewall. Found the rubber gasket between the bowl and the housing had swollen so much it was making the bowl leak. Long story short version, be careful with the gas you buy if your car has any rubber gaskets or seals exposed to the ethanol mix gasoline. Normal 10% ethanol seems to be fine but I suspect the gas I bought had more than the 10% the pump said was the maximum amount. I will not buy that brand again.

J Franklin · 07-22-2023, 01:10 AM

Ethanol is also damaging to terne plating in gas tanks.

rotorwrench · 07-22-2023, 08:52 AM

It's actually not the ethanol that is hard on the lead/tin/antimony OEM tank lining but the moisture that is absorbed by the ethanol. That stuff will form into a fuzzy ball that rolls around on the bottom of the tank and eventually becomes acidic over time.

Most of the old tanks likely don't have a lot of terne plate left in them by now.

Nitrile rubber (Buna-N) can hold up OK to modern fuel but fluorocarbon (Viton) or fluorosilicone elastomer is better. Most stuff was generally Nitrile rubber for many years but with a lot of off shore manufacturing, it's hard to say what type it might be now.

oldspert · 07-23-2023, 07:37 AM

Up date... The swollen rubber gasket for the glass filter bowl shrunk back to its normal size after drying out for a day or two. I still will not use it nor buy gas at the same place ever again.

mcgarrett · 07-23-2023, 02:33 PM

oldspert,
The cork composite gasket for the glass sediment bowl seems to work best overall. I think I have a few extras if you need one.

oldspert · 07-26-2023, 09:11 AM

Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements)

I had a cork gasket for this and while installing it, I dropped the glass bowl and broke it. Got on the phone to Bert's and ordered a new bowl with a new gasket, a new under the tank shutoff valve that leaked and other stuff I have been needing. Life of a Model A owner.

07-21-2023, 06:17 PM	#1
oldspert Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2012 Location: Texas Posts: 228	Ethanol Last week I put gas in my car. Bought from a major oil company. Saturday morning I was supposed to go to a local car show. On the way, my car started bucking and snorting like it was very lean. Did not make the show. Started investigating for reason to act like that. Found the electric gas shutoff was the problem. The orifice had swollen shut and as soon as the carb ran dry the engine went lean. Got rid of the shutoff. Today saw gas dripping on the floor under my car. The drip was coming from the glass filter on the outside of the firewall. Found the rubber gasket between the bowl and the housing had swollen so much it was making the bowl leak. Long story short version, be careful with the gas you buy if your car has any rubber gaskets or seals exposed to the ethanol mix gasoline. Normal 10% ethanol seems to be fine but I suspect the gas I bought had more than the 10% the pump said was the maximum amount. I will not buy that brand again.

07-22-2023, 01:10 AM	#2
J Franklin Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Oregon Posts: 5,969	Re: Ethanol Ethanol is also damaging to terne plating in gas tanks.

07-22-2023, 08:52 AM	#3
rotorwrench Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: San Antonio, Texas Posts: 16,445	Re: Ethanol It's actually not the ethanol that is hard on the lead/tin/antimony OEM tank lining but the moisture that is absorbed by the ethanol. That stuff will form into a fuzzy ball that rolls around on the bottom of the tank and eventually becomes acidic over time. Most of the old tanks likely don't have a lot of terne plate left in them by now. Nitrile rubber (Buna-N) can hold up OK to modern fuel but fluorocarbon (Viton) or fluorosilicone elastomer is better. Most stuff was generally Nitrile rubber for many years but with a lot of off shore manufacturing, it's hard to say what type it might be now.

07-23-2023, 07:37 AM	#4
oldspert Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2012 Location: Texas Posts: 228	Re: Ethanol Up date... The swollen rubber gasket for the glass filter bowl shrunk back to its normal size after drying out for a day or two. I still will not use it nor buy gas at the same place ever again.

07-23-2023, 02:33 PM	#5
mcgarrett Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2013 Location: Waxahachie, Texas Posts: 950	Re: Ethanol oldspert, The cork composite gasket for the glass sediment bowl seems to work best overall. I think I have a few extras if you need one.

07-26-2023, 09:11 AM	#6
oldspert Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2012 Location: Texas Posts: 228	Re: Ethanol Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements) I had a cork gasket for this and while installing it, I dropped the glass bowl and broke it. Got on the phone to Bert's and ordered a new bowl with a new gasket, a new under the tank shutoff valve that leaked and other stuff I have been needing. Life of a Model A owner.