The Lemon Fool

Info from DVSA on the introduction very soon of the new blend fuel rated at E10, and stuff wot we need to know, along with a vehicle checker to see if your motorised personal transportation device (two wheels as well as four) is compatible:

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/e10-petrol-explained

MoTMork

Somehow I suspect my 1935, 7 litre, 44bhp, Kelvin K2, petrol-start diesel engine that ticks over at 170rpm will start fine on it...

Mike4 wrote:Somehow I suspect my 1935, 7 litre, 44bhp, Kelvin K2, petrol-start diesel engine that ticks over at 170rpm will start fine on it...

I'm sure it will, but will it damage any seals?


I understand that ethanol is harmful to the fuel lines and priming bulbs used in petrol-engined garden machinery.


Julian F. G. W.

Will this ethanol make my car louder and cause it to wander from side to side?


Julian F. G. W.

jfgw wrote:

Mike4 wrote:Somehow I suspect my 1935, 7 litre, 44bhp, Kelvin K2, petrol-start diesel engine that ticks over at 170rpm will start fine on it...

I'm sure it will, but will it damage any seals?


I understand that ethanol is harmful to the fuel lines and priming bulbs used in petrol-engined garden machinery.


Julian F. G. W.

There is always a trade off with any change.
When we changed to unleaded fuel, engines needed hardened valve seats.
You can always use the optional E5.

jfgw wrote:

Mike4 wrote:Somehow I suspect my 1935, 7 litre, 44bhp, Kelvin K2, petrol-start diesel engine that ticks over at 170rpm will start fine on it...

I'm sure it will, but will it damage any seals?


I understand that ethanol is harmful to the fuel lines and priming bulbs used in petrol-engined garden machinery.



Julian F. G. W.

Lol my engine is not that sophisticated!

The carburettor looks like a brass teapot (only simpler) and weighs about 5kg. There are no seals involved. One pours 1/4 pint of petrol into it, starts the engine (by hand if one wishes) and when that petrol runs out after about two minutes of warming up, one swings a big brass lever over to change to running on diesel.

The government list is hardly comprehensive. Neither my (newish)motorcycle nor my kids car are on it. Fortunately the manuals are explicit that they can run e10. Whether you want to is another issue, for rarely run machines it will be drain the tanks. As said e5 will still, for a time, be available in the form of the various Super-Unleaded fuels that are currently in the pumps, but at a considerable price premium. Proper leaded 4* was available at a local garage to me until about 7 years ago, which was really useful for those of us with ancient vehicles. So I would guess we have a few years before SUper goes to e10. Hey ho, theres always 100LL avgas

airbus330 wrote: Hey ho, theres always 100LL avgas

Avgas? Pah. Try the fuel my mate has to use in his bike. Costs about 30 quid a gallon But then it is rated as 116 Octane race fuel, and he has had to de-tune his bike down to around 450 bee haitch pee because he keeps killing his clutch plates. Mind you, running 8.1 seconds at 168mph for a standing quarter mile will do that

DragBikeMork

MonsterMork wrote:

airbus330 wrote: Hey ho, theres always 100LL avgas

Avgas? Pah. Try the fuel my mate has to use in his bike. Costs about 30 quid a gallon But then it is rated as 116 Octane race fuel, and he has had to de-tune his bike down to around 450 bee haitch pee because he keeps killing his clutch plates. Mind you, running 8.1 seconds at 168mph for a standing quarter mile will do that

DragBikeMork

Shhhhh! Keep it quiet or the fun police will come and close him down

Mike4 wrote:Somehow I suspect my 1935, 7 litre, 44bhp, Kelvin K2, petrol-start diesel engine that ticks over at 170rpm will start fine on it...

You might want to be wary of using 10% ABV petrol in that. Ethanol is hydroscopic and, it is suggested, could result in corrosion:

Ethanol absorbs water from the atmosphere which can be taken into the engine causing corrosion in brass, copper, lead, tin and zinc

https://www.hagerty.co.uk/press-release ... assic-car/

Julian F. G. W.

jfgw wrote:

Mike4 wrote:Somehow I suspect my 1935, 7 litre, 44bhp, Kelvin K2, petrol-start diesel engine that ticks over at 170rpm will start fine on it...

You might want to be wary of using 10% ABV petrol in that. Ethanol is hydroscopic and, it is suggested, could result in corrosion:

Ethanol absorbs water from the atmosphere which can be taken into the engine causing corrosion in brass, copper, lead, tin and zinc

https://www.hagerty.co.uk/press-release ... assic-car/

Julian F. G. W.

Thanks for pointing this out but I don't think it will have any impact. One pours the sixth of a pint of petrol in, then runs the engine until it has been all used up and the engine falters... then wham it over onto diesel! So there ought to be no petrol left at this point - or only a trivial amount which will evaporate away in a few minutes in the now-hot running engine.