Recently I've read articles in many magazines from titles like Road and Track to more scientific titles like Popular Science, all discussing ethanol as a fuel.  I've also been running my boats, bikes and summer toys regularly for a few weeks now and seem to have gotten more questions than normal from friends about what gas and additives I use in my vehicles.  Here are a few thoughts regarding why I dislike the proliferation of ethanol, or diluting of gasoline with ethanol.

1.) In normal cars and trucks the standard E10 (10% ethanol mix with gas) that we have had for years decreases mileage anywhere from 3-12%.

2.) Energy content of E10 is about 1/3 of normal gasoline ... so basically you need to buy and burn more ethanol gas to go just as far as you would on a tank of normal gas.  How is this cheaper or cleaner?

3.) E15 has now been approved, which compounds the aforementioned problems.

4.) Ethanol attracts water, which can be catastrophic for engines and even more pronounced in motorsports including snowmobiles, ATVs, boats, watercraft and other vehicles that are more routinely exposed directly to water and moisture.

5.) Ethanol is a corrosive that can eat away vital rubber, plastic, or metal parts that were not originally designed to be exposed to today's levels of ethanol.

6.) Corn is our source of ethanol in the U.S. and the production of corn takes a lot of energy resources, and diverts a food source to instead be used as a subsidized fuel source ... helping to contribute to higher food prices.

So, we pay relatively the same dollar amount to travel the same distance, and it causes damage to our vehicles, and we divert food resources, and it is not proven that the amount of energy to produce the fuel is worth it, etc., etc., etc. Ok, now my little rant is over.

We work closely with many people who are very knowledgeable when it comes to fuel and Bill Lindsey from StarBright (makers of StarTron fuel treatment) weighed in with these important words to say on this issue.

Ethanol and gasoline cannot form a chemical bond. This is why in as little as 4 weeks the mixture begins to degrade as the light ends* evaporate. Gum formation results, which in turn clogs injectors and carb jets. Water and ethanol do form a very tight chemical bond. E10 can "hold" up to .5% water; if the amount exceeds .5%, the water and ethanol mixture can fall to the bottom of a fuel tank, forming a distinct layer. This is phase separation. The remaining gasoline now has a reduced octane level (ethanol provides  a few octane points) and when the engine draws in the water/ethanol mix, it obviously won't run right."

While we all tend to get a little carried away with this topic, admittedly, Mr. Lindsey also brought up some very good points regarding E15.

"Let's stop the Chicken Little effect of E15 right now. E15 can Only be used in cars & trucks manufactured in 2001 or later. The EPA waiver (not a mandate like there is for E10) does NOT allow it to be used in sleds, motorcycles, ATVs, boats, chainsaws, etc. E15 will also require dedicated tanks & pumps, so I doubt we'll see too much of it any time soon. It also will void most engine warranties (few engines are designed to run on more than 10% alcohol - FlexFuel engines that use E85 are an entirely different category), so there's another reason it may not be all over anytime soon."

What can you do about all of this?

1.) If you can find pure gasoline for your motorsports vehicles' engines, use it.

2.) Get some fuel additive such as Startron Enzyme Fuel Treatment and use it. Check www.mystarbrite.com/startron/

3.) Speak up and let people (a Congressman might be a good place to start) know that the approach we are taking to using ethanol is counter-intuitive.    

NOTE: * Fuels are made up of gas molecules that have a "light end" and a "heavy end." The light end of a molecule ignites easily and burns quickly at low temps. The heavy end does not light as easily, but  burns with a more intense heat. The heavy end of the gasoline molecule is responsible for the hotter, more powerful part of the combustion process, while the light end is the early, low temp fraction of the blend.