cheap gasoline

[skeeter@ccia.com]

Ok with the gas prices and the loss of MPG me and those I have talked to have been dealing with something was amidst here. I figured this out. News flash: Crude oil cost up again due to supply and demand. China using more crude. Another reason for our price at pump to rise overnight. Supply and demand. Well lets figure that one out. It isn't all china after all.
When you put fuel in your car, look on side of fuel pump, see sign saying is 10% ethanol. Corn alcohol. Alcohol does not have the energy that gasoline has. So the 10% of the gallon you pumped is less octane than standard gallon of gasoline. I have lost a good 5 or 6 MPG in my cars. Others have done the same and we have checked this numerous times. One guy out of the blue had told me he has taken his new car back to garage few times because sticker says at least 17MPG and he is only gettin at most 12MPG. See ..the loss of 5MPG....This is what people aren't checking..Pulling things in my truck I noticed loss of energy pulling hills...a Dodge He-mi...so this is what I got.
A loss of 5 MPG in a 20 gal gas tank = loss of 100 miles per tank full......100 miles per tank full...so now we need to stop more often and fill up again...oh..now we are using more gasoline to get point A to B.....adding to problem of supply and demand. Now the other problem is this...alcohol destroys plastic and rubber O rings etc it contacts so we are killing our motors and fuel system in our vehicles....motors are blowing up left and right around here....people are saying ...I don't understand..all the motors going in all these cars.....well..that is a lot of the problem...you can't put alcohol or E-85 in these motors that aren't set up to handle them.... E-85 is an alcohol fuel mix of up to 85% fuel ethanol and gasoline mix again..ethanol has less energy and thus the lack of MPG
News media has yet bring this to attention of Americans... a loss of 100 miles per tank full...people are parking their cars and staying home because of gas prices but the price is only a pinch of problem...if we even got back the 100 lost miles per tank full by using real gasoline instead of the reformulated crap, we would not notice the $4.00 per gall pinch that much...so lets check your mileage out...see if you also have not lost a significant amount of MPG....and this is part pf the problem....yes we need alternative fuel....but not added to extent it is helping kill our economy...gotta bring this to attention of news media so they can investigate it....and also our reps....rid the 10% ethanol ..give us back our 100miles for our 4 bucks.
...This is the hidden scam from oil companies....use more charge more...big secret till caught at it.

[skeeter@ccia.com]

Oh another thing I missed but is important here. I hope it helps out fellow HC members. I have 'fixed' more lawn mowers, chain saws, weed whackers this year alone that I have had a supply from the trash day ride around picking them up at the curb..I just put 2 on porch last night in fact..will have running today..people are just tossing to trash and gettin new ones because theirs won't ' start'.....It is mostly due to poor octane in the gas you mix oil with....yes..oil mixed with the already energy depleted gasoline...and ....no fire...I have just dumped out the gasoline and added high octane gas to these trashed items and they fire right up..I have given back 4 chain saws to owners just this yr alone for example after they said...junk, won't start anymore..worn out..well....I get them running in about 5 min and they crap...good example of poor energy at fuel pumps....won't even run mowers...so word to wise here...for the gallon gas you put in mowers, whackers, chainsaws...spent the extra but make sure you run the highest octane you get at pump...is only a gallon or so...

[LoneWolf]

I'm pretty sure that Ethanol is a higher octane than even super unleaded gas. You are correct though in it takes more fuel with ethanol. It is 25% less efficent than pure gas, and it will corrode fuel lines and ruin injectors.
As for why the E85... your government at work. If it was pure ethanol (ie: alcohol) it would then be subject to Alchol tax.
15% gas keeps the taxman away, and all the idiots that would drink it

For what its worth, I really never expect the current form of Ethanol to catch on or solve any problems. I also heard that it is more pollutive in combustion than regular gas.

[skeeter@ccia.com]

E-85 is an alcohol fuel mix of up to 85% fuel ethanol and gasoline mix again..ethanol has less energy and thus the lack of MPG

[DogYeller]

A gallon of ethanol contains approx. 80,000 BTUs. A gallon of unleaded regular contains about 119,000 BTUs. As a result, a standard barrel (42 gallons) of ethanol is worth about 28 gallons of gasoline.


Octane in gasoline is not a measurement of energy, but is a measurement of resistance to pre-ignition. Gasoline is made up of HC (Hydrocarbon) molecule chains and those HC chains having 7 carbon atoms are called Heptane and those that have 8 carbon atoms are called Octane. Gasoline fuel rated @ 87 Octane contains 13% Heptane HC chains and 87% Octane HC chains.

Some information on different fuels.
http://www.eere.energy.gov/afdc/pdfs/fueltable.pdf

[skeeter@ccia.com]

What I drive to beat the gas prices....on dry days that is anyhow. Any other bike riders ?

[GoodOlBoy]

Which is one of the reasons I have considered doing a propane conversion on my new car. But thats just me.

I get around 40 miles to the gallon at 55mph in the new 2008 Chevy Cobalt I purchased to replace my 17 miles to the gallon truck. At the rate gas prices are climbing I will need to conversion just to be able to go to work. I drive 62 miles one way each day to get to work. We looked at moving closer, and we honestly cannot afford the move at this point. Not including the cost of land, septic, electic, water, etc moving my double wide the distance would cost us are $23K. Why? Texas passed a law that mobile homes, magna homes, modular homes (like mine) etc can no longer be on blocks. If they are purchased new OR moved they have to be put on concreted runners ($9K of the price mentioned above) or a concrete slab (you don't want to know that price). Homes in the area are staggeringly overpriced because it is a college town (We are talking $150K for a RUN DOWN 1100 square foot on a lot in a neighborhood outside of town. It would take around $20K worth of work to make the place liveable and thats the BEST deal I have found.)

GoodOlBoy

[Bret Andrysiak]

Oh yea been scooter trash for years here. 96 dyna at present.
Glad to see other riders here.

[DON WALKUP]

if oil companies can afford to pay ceo's in the eight figures yearly, they're certainly making profit.

i gave up the scoots after fouty one years...(started off on an indian scout 45 incher) i laid my "beemer" down and nearly ripped my right foot off...

[Swift]

Originally posted by DON WALKUP
if oil companies can afford to pay ceo's in the eight figures yearly, they're certainly making profit.

No doubt!