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Date:         Tue, 10 Dec 2002 12:45:32 -0500
Reply-To:     Marc Perdue <marcperdue@ADELPHIA.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Marc Perdue <marcperdue@ADELPHIA.NET>
Subject:      Re: Water deliberately added to gasoline?
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii

The concept of adding water to gas is insane; I can't believe that at all. This is more of an issue when you're considering gasoline/alcohol blends. First, pretty much all gasoline that has detergents in it has alcohol in it. The detergents won't mix properly with gasoline alone; the alcohol helps hold the whole mix together. Second, any gasoline that has alcohol in it is more susceptible to problems from water because, as you say, alcohol readily absorbs water and then separates from the gasoline. Only 200 proof alcohol can be used for mixing with gasoline, specifically because of the problems caused by having any water in the mix. How do I know these things? I used to run an ethanol fuel plant in a former life and quality control in drying the alcohol to 200 proof was essential. In addition, we couldn't let the 200 proof alcohol sit in the tanks any length of time because it would absorb moisture from the air if the tanks weren't sealed properly. As soon as we had a truckload ready to go, it was shipped out.

As an aside, I always had old-timers from the area coming out wanting to "test" our product and see if it was anywhere near as good as what their "Pap" used to make! (No, I didn't let them.) :^) It sure did smell good though . . .

Marc Perdue

Robert Keezer wrote:

> On my recent trip to Oregon, I asked a Texaco attendant if their fuels had alcohol in them, and he said just the mid-grade and premium. Regular he said is alcohol-free. > > I told him that when I was at the Arco station in Springfield a few days earlier, I asked the Arco pump man if they had any alcohol-free fuel, and he said all Arco grades have 10% alcohol. Thinking that my cutting out may be related to water in the gas, and knowing alcohol absorbs water, or is soluble with it, I decided to stop using Arco and go with Texaco and others. . > > The Texaco attendant, at a station about 15-20 miles north of Eugene , told me something else that flipped my lid. > > He said that Arco "put" more water in their tanks than Texaco did. At least, that's what he had heard. I asked him twice- yes, he said, the stations add water to their gas. I asked the reason and he said the stations were "allowed" to add water to the gas, but he had heard that some Arco stations added more . > > Then he told me of a customer that had to be towed in to have the tank drained-the reason it stalled: water in the gas from a valley Arco station. > > Are these company indoctrination myths or have I been in seclusion too long and all of you are thinking "where have you been"? Everybody knows that! > > Put water in the tanks? I am left to think that perhaps this part of Oregon is within the boundaries of the Twilight Zone. I have never heard or read that gas stations or companies deliberately ad water to the tanks. > > Honest, I did'nt bump my head or make this up to liven up the list discussions. > > Robert > > 1982 Westfalia > > Robert > > 1982 WestfaliaHolen Sie mehr aus dem Web. Unter http://explorer.msn.de/intl.asp#de gibt es einen KOSTENLOSEN Download von MSN Explorer.


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