Hudsons and Ethanol in gasoline experience

Courtesy Man

With ethanol in the nearby gas pumps I wonder the effects it is having or if possible buying non-ethanol gas is best. I know there have been individual articles about damage and repairs - I have seen a fuel additive that is said to diminish or eliminate the effects. Living in the past I recall buying a Hudson out of State and with minimal R & R of fluids and spares on hand would drive it home not having the money or desire to have it hauled.  Those days are gone I guess - are they?  Can you run an old car on Ethanol added gas ? Can you find non-E if on a trip ? Since some time has gone bye I wanted to ask. Gert Kristiansen - member since March 1968.

Glowplug

Gert there are online resources  identifying ethanol free gasoline stations across the US.  Walmart stores with fueling stations sometimes sell ethanol free gasoline.  I have been running my cars mostly ethanol free for two years.   I have noticed the previously observed problem of hard white deposits affixed to the internal components of the carburetors was not present with I pulled the tops off the carburetors this spring.  Does it help... to me yes.   Can you use the ethanol blend gasoline in your Hudson when cross country driving... for me the answer is yes. I have had to use this fuel on several occasions in the past two years.  I suspect; . no actual proof, other than what I have seen in the past, the evaporation of the ethanol in the carburetor will cause deposits which create problems.   Good Luck and drive that Hudson ... everywhere!  

Kdancy

Ethanol is the devil to carburetor motors. The longer it sets, the more ethanol will corrode it. I pulled a 1000.00 race carb apart that ethanol had been left in for 9 months. Looked like cocaine had been packed in the fuel bowl. Carb had to be totally rebuilt. Also remember that ethanol does not have the power of non ethanol. I use nothing but non ethanol in  my log splitter, mower, chain saws and old cars. 
"On the downside, ethanol is less energy-dense than gasoline – meaning that there’s more energy in a gallon of gas than there is in a gallon of ethanol. In general, ethanol has about 33 percent less energy than gasoline. So, the more ethanol in the fuel, the worse the fuel economy you’re going to get. Gasoline with 10 percent ethanol yields about 3 percent less fuel economy than straight gas."
  Bottom line for me- if you have to run it on a trip, ok, but after the trip dont leave any in the tank or fuel lines or carb.

jjbubaboy

www.puregas.org

Listed by state for ethanol free fuel, and if its regular or premium.

Jon B

I've been using 10% ethanol in my Terraplane since they came out with it.  No problems that I know of, except for the fact that the gas evaporates from the carb if the car sits for a week or so without being driven.  I did have the carb rebuilt by Daytona, maybe 10-12 years ago, and possibly they installed some ethanol-friendly components.

BigSky

I have the PureGas app on my smart phone & one can use it to find ethanol free gas.  

In my 37 Hudson I decided I would only run ethanol free high octane gas.  While the re-fresh of my Hudson’s engine can handle ethanol if I’m in a pinch, I also have a bottle of Star-Tron that I can toss in with the ethanol gas to counteract its effects if needed. 

I guess one other thing to consider is the cost of a tow if an issue from the ethanol gas occurs.   

railknight

I've been driving my Hudsons fueled with 10% ethanol gas for, it seems, at least 20 years and still no issues (Twin-H carbs and fuel pump have modern gaskets/seals to withstand the detrimental effects of ethanol).  Besides, the closest service stations with non-ethanol gas are at best 40-50 miles away (none in the Chicago area).  But lately, when out on the road, I will fill-up with non-ethanol gasoline if it's necessary and convenient.  Also, I always add Marvel Mystery Oil to every tank fill as an upper cylinder lubricant and Sta-bil gas preservative specifically made for ethanol fuel.    

Uncle Josh

I've been running a 212 in my Hudson truck for 10 years or so, and a 262 in the 49 commadore for 16 years.  87 Oct with no problems.  Yes I do have the right gaskets in the carb and fuel pumps.  No additive.  Turn them off in the late fall, squirt a little gas in the carb and fire them up in the spring.  

cheyenne7271

Drive them year round, even in the dead of winter, not meaning in inclement weather. I would start missing the Hudson drive after a week or so of not driving them, couldn’t wait until spring. 

7XPacemaker

I see that many haven't had bad results running Ethanol fuel. I am not one of them. Ethanol LOVES aluminum. It likes to corrode it rather quickly. It makes rubber fuel lines hard and brittle. I know that they specifically have rubber hose available for this, but are you running it? Ethanol dries out cork and causes it to shrink as well. Ethanol wicks moisture into the fuel as well. Most manufacturers recommend draining the fuel from the fuel systems because of all of these issues. I guess it's all a matter of opinion. I run Marvel in my fuel with every tank. I am not saying that I haven't run it when I have to, I just try not to. I think that it was stated earlier that it doesn't produce the amount of power that non ethanol does. (jumping off of my soap box!)

tigermoth

I have been using ethanol for over 20 years in my t-plane. No issues at all. I use Stabile over the winter..fires right up in the spring. 

Regards, Tom

50C8DAN

The only problem I had was my NOS fuel pump in my C8.  About a year after installation it started leaking badly.  I rebuilt one from Dale Cooper with alcohol resistant rubber solved the problem.

JACK356

ethanol makes condensation in reservoirs and eats it away. Word of depanneur

Old Fogey UK

In the latest ROC Bulletin there's a pic of an inlet manifold with the bottom rusted out.
 I wonder if that might have been due to "green" fuel ?

JACK356

Well, it's possible. A gangrene even for modern vehicles