I found one gas station here in St Augustine that provides e/f fuel.. Been running my 67 E Type on it for a few weeks now, and this is the smoothest it has run in years. Very strong and easy starting...I'm convinced!! I'm also hoping that it will help ameliorate the leak potential from the carb diaphragms!!
Cheers,
Fredo on FL.

Submitted by silver007@shaw.ca on Wed, 10/19/2011 - 01:57

Good info for sure. .......... now if I can find time to fix my new , but unreleasable clutch.. perhaps I can have another shot at a better time.... It seems I am just too busy helping others and do not have time to help myself...... Oh well, helping others is a great feeling.......
Slowly yours Art............

Submitted by bonnettoboot@e… on Tue, 10/18/2011 - 23:43

I would just add this about rarely driven cars and fuel. Contrary to what many think, the tank should ALWAYS be kept full, right up to the filler neck, and this is particularly important if using high grade or piston aircraft fuel. All fuels separate continually, that is, the lighter components separate and evaporate. A vehicle, left stored long enough with little fuel will end up with only dry crude sludge. By reducing the surface area of the fuel in the tank exposed to air, the evaporation will be kept at a minimum. And of course the higher the octane the higher the rate of evaporation. Always remember though that a tank can be overfilled, if filled to the top and stored in a hot climate there may not be enough expansion space,this could lead to tank pressurisation or overflow. By the way, I have never experienced any problem with ethanol mixtures even in my VW Combi! By the way the Carrera Pan America starts on Sunday heading North from the Guatamalan border.

Submitted by stevejag@sbcgl… on Tue, 10/18/2011 - 14:11

Actually, Jim, I wouldn't be so quick to poo-poo the idea someone my perceive an improvement in the running of their older car. The issues with ethanol in gasoline are different in collector cars than in recent model daily cars.
First, older fuel systems were constructed with absolutely no regard to ethanol because it wasn't present in fuels then. Consequently fuel systems were built with materials that are unfortunately attacked by ethanol.
Second, ethanol also has a terrible affinity for moisture, THAT is the real problem for collectors. Unlike daily driven cars, ours spend much more time sitting and have opportunities for condensation to collect and be absorbed in the gas/ethanol mix; plus moisture is even absorbed from the atmosphere to boot. All that collected moisture can make a perceptible difference in performance when run through the engine. With straight gasoline any moisture just collects in the bottom of the tank and is rarely carried through with the fuel. In daily cars the fuel is used up and replenished way too often for the same to occur with them. On top of that, because of the ethanol, current fuel systems have long been built with materials that can tolerate the stuff.

I'll also relate this, a friend and fellow Club member had a conversation about ethanol last night. He has a large collection of cars and says he has long bought aviation gas to use in his because he is certain it contains no ethanol. He did it to prevent aged fuel tanks from corroding while they set and leaking gas everywhere. He has had little trouble with that since.

Works for me!

Cheers,

Submitted by mortoncjc@mind… on Tue, 10/18/2011 - 12:21

Jason

Two issues here. Everybody seems to think ethanol-free makes an engine run smoother, but you are OK if you cannot find it. Leaded fuel went away, escept in piston aircraft, because it coats the surfaces of the catalyst and makes them inoperable. And spark plugs no longer get a lead build up on them.

But the lead coating on valve seats used to serve as a cushion when the valve closed which was good. The XK engine, with relatively soft aluminum head, has hard steel valve seat inserts so that resolves the issue. To the best of my knowledge there is on problem in using unleaded fuel in the XK engine.

Submitted by jason.rudd@gmail.com on Mon, 10/17/2011 - 15:48

Hi Fred and Ginger. I'm on board with this; ethanol-free gas is something that can be found once looked for. What do you do about leaded gas though? Do you simply use ethanol-free high test, or do you use an additive, and what Octane do you use? I have a 69 E Type that is currently being re-born and I want to treat it right once it gets home. Thanks for your advice.

-Jason

Submitted by cordag@aol.com on Mon, 03/14/2011 - 11:33

Good luck indeed! We're fortunate enough to have one within a few miles of home . I think the next closest is at a marina in a neighboring town.

Here's a list of locations for those folks who are interested.

http://pure-gas.org/