19 Replies to “We Don’t Need No Stinking French Fry Grease”
It is unfathomable that government regulations would have affected a market economy in a negative way. If they just would have written “sunshine and lollipops” into the rules everybody would have been a lot better off.
What a terrible oversight that appears to now be costing everybody more money, with unforeseen consequences.
Being the owner of a largish recreational boat, there is another aspect to the ethanol issue. It kills marine engines. Marine engines, unlike those in cars, have fuel tanks vented to the outside. Ethanol attracts water vapour, which ultimately builds up in the fuel tank. There is nothing worse than being a hundred miles from nowhere off the BC coast and having your engine fail beause of contaminated fuel. And unlike a car engine, which may cost you $3K to replace, the almost identical marine engine will cost you about $10K.
Of course my comment is selve-serving because I have a personal interest, but the ethanol thing is just another example of the “green” policies gone mad.
It is absolutely inexcusable that the US’s federal government is pushing this while refusing, for example, to allow the proposed pipeline from Canada, or offshore drilling, or . . .
Iowa farmers are probably benefiting from this, but it stinks nonetheless.
Bruce “Ethanol attracts water vapour, which ultimately builds up in the fuel tank.”
Not so sure about that. Isn’t the cure for water in the fuel adding alcohol?
Scar I’m no expert but I don’t think so. Water and fuel of any sort don’t seem to mix. One floats on top of the other. I have in the past added fuel enhancements to the gasoline in my tanks, but that was just to boost the octane level. But again, I’m simply going by what I am being told by from some very smart people (I think) in the marine industry.
From Wikipedia re isopropyl alcohol …
“In significant quantities, water is a problem in fuel tanks, as it separates from the gasoline, and can freeze in the supply lines at cold temperatures. It does not remove water from gasoline; rather, the alcohol solubilizes water in gasoline. Once soluble, water does not pose the same risk as insoluble water as it will no longer accumulate in the supply lines and freeze.”
it’s not just marine engines, our business works on engines of all sizes, not only does ethanol kill two stroke engines (several local dealers of chain saws and weed whackers are bankrupt over warranty/replacement)
mining equipment with less than 1000 hours are in need of engine overhauls or new engine installs. this is equipment that runs $300,000 used or $3,000,000 new. bankrupting all mining and manufacturing of raw materials equally.
And. farmers need to apply more sulphur on fields, increasing their fertilizer inputs, because of sulpher used to be returned to the ground in the form of exhaust.
Good thing we had The Dildo and the farm orgs. making sure that Ontario corn-sourced ethanol is economically viable….right?
I mean, gravy trains run on for ever, don’t they?
neither water or alcohol “ruin” engines. There are race cars that run on pure alcohol, and water injected diesels have been around for bloody years (and yes U can water inject gas engines), its the acid build up in the crank case oil that is damning. If yer oil is brownish looking U probably have water in it!!!
Jamie, and yes windmills are also “viable” according to McDildo and the windmill owners, just not so much for the TAX payers:-))))
Millions of people could become destitute in Africa and Asia as staple foods more than double in price by 2050 as a result of extreme temperatures, floods and droughts that will transform the way the world farms.
What about high corn prices as a result of caaarrrrrrbon taxes?
NME One minor disagreement: a small amount of water won’t hurt an engine if the engine is designed to take it. Water has one side of the molecule with a slight negative charge and one with a slight positive charge. Hydrocarbons (other than …cohols) are usually neutral in charge from one side to the other. That’s part of why water and oil usually don’t mix. When alcohol is present you can successfully disolve some water in the fuel. The problem then comes up that water is needed for iron to rust (even if it’s part of a gas mixture). Those racing motors you referred to: iron block? It takes a while, but you’ll rust your motor from the inside out (if I remember right, that course was a long time ago) A second issue is that the hydrocarbons and the water can’t agree on a freezing temperature. It’s harder to get the water part to freeze out because it’s surrounded by hydrocarbons, but eventually you’ll hit the revised freezing point, and your vehicle will be trying to push a fuel slushy.
Not for me, thanks.
Millions face starvation as world warms, say scientists
Millions of people could become destitute in Africa and Asia as staple foods more than double in price by 2050 as a result of extreme temperatures, floods and droughts that will transform the way the world farms.
Millions will starve because of overpopulation and the simple fact that the 3rd world mega slums can’t feed themselves. The next pandemic will solve most of the peoblems.
What does corn ethanol have to do with french fry grease?
Actually during WW2 both sides used methanol/water injection to boost aircraft engine performance….I suspect the methanol function was antifreeze.
If you ever witnessed a B52 takeoff….those big black streams of exhaust result from water/methanol injection into the exhaust stream….for more thrust for takeoff….the weight is not a factor because most of the water is expended prior to rotation.
The black smoke from the F4 Phantom is poor combustion…newer engines burn cleaner and are more effcient…even diesels.
C-Minor
I won’t disagree with your post. I think it was F1 and/or indy cars that ran on pure alcohol. If you “dry” the engine out before shut down ( a PITA for family sedans) the rust problem doesn’t exist so much. I don’t think water injection is a good idea, just that it has been successfully and unsuccessfully done:-)))
as to your slushy comment, that is about the argument I had with one fool who wanted to invest in a research co. that was trying to effect an ICE that ran on water. There are fools born every day:-)))
See, I told you he’d take the bait before the night was over!
Yeah, I know. Fish in a barrel, eh? But a bet’s a bet. You owe me another pint, Glengarrian!
Nope, hate to disagree Jamie, but like the 12-pack on the back bumper, you’re not allowed to use bait.
You are right about two stroke engines failing with the use of ethanol blended gasoline, so people around here here are adding products like Sta-bil, which is an additive to counteract the effects of ethanol. Also, many people have switched to premium gasoline for their garden tractors and roto-tillers, etc.
I am not sure about what is happening to the Tier 3 diesel engines, but the ones in Volvo graders are bad news. Thanks to engine redesign to meet the new emission standards. The engines use more fuel and fail thousands of hours too early.
We better stay sober Jamie…the black swans are about to start flapping over farm country…
It is unfathomable that government regulations would have affected a market economy in a negative way. If they just would have written “sunshine and lollipops” into the rules everybody would have been a lot better off.
What a terrible oversight that appears to now be costing everybody more money, with unforeseen consequences.
Being the owner of a largish recreational boat, there is another aspect to the ethanol issue. It kills marine engines. Marine engines, unlike those in cars, have fuel tanks vented to the outside. Ethanol attracts water vapour, which ultimately builds up in the fuel tank. There is nothing worse than being a hundred miles from nowhere off the BC coast and having your engine fail beause of contaminated fuel. And unlike a car engine, which may cost you $3K to replace, the almost identical marine engine will cost you about $10K.
Of course my comment is selve-serving because I have a personal interest, but the ethanol thing is just another example of the “green” policies gone mad.
It is absolutely inexcusable that the US’s federal government is pushing this while refusing, for example, to allow the proposed pipeline from Canada, or offshore drilling, or . . .
Iowa farmers are probably benefiting from this, but it stinks nonetheless.
Bruce “Ethanol attracts water vapour, which ultimately builds up in the fuel tank.”
Not so sure about that. Isn’t the cure for water in the fuel adding alcohol?
Scar I’m no expert but I don’t think so. Water and fuel of any sort don’t seem to mix. One floats on top of the other. I have in the past added fuel enhancements to the gasoline in my tanks, but that was just to boost the octane level. But again, I’m simply going by what I am being told by from some very smart people (I think) in the marine industry.
From Wikipedia re isopropyl alcohol …
“In significant quantities, water is a problem in fuel tanks, as it separates from the gasoline, and can freeze in the supply lines at cold temperatures. It does not remove water from gasoline; rather, the alcohol solubilizes water in gasoline. Once soluble, water does not pose the same risk as insoluble water as it will no longer accumulate in the supply lines and freeze.”
it’s not just marine engines, our business works on engines of all sizes, not only does ethanol kill two stroke engines (several local dealers of chain saws and weed whackers are bankrupt over warranty/replacement)
mining equipment with less than 1000 hours are in need of engine overhauls or new engine installs. this is equipment that runs $300,000 used or $3,000,000 new. bankrupting all mining and manufacturing of raw materials equally.
And. farmers need to apply more sulphur on fields, increasing their fertilizer inputs, because of sulpher used to be returned to the ground in the form of exhaust.
Good thing we had The Dildo and the farm orgs. making sure that Ontario corn-sourced ethanol is economically viable….right?
I mean, gravy trains run on for ever, don’t they?
neither water or alcohol “ruin” engines. There are race cars that run on pure alcohol, and water injected diesels have been around for bloody years (and yes U can water inject gas engines), its the acid build up in the crank case oil that is damning. If yer oil is brownish looking U probably have water in it!!!
Jamie, and yes windmills are also “viable” according to McDildo and the windmill owners, just not so much for the TAX payers:-))))
Millions face starvation as world warms, say scientists
What about high corn prices as a result of caaarrrrrrbon taxes?
NME One minor disagreement: a small amount of water won’t hurt an engine if the engine is designed to take it. Water has one side of the molecule with a slight negative charge and one with a slight positive charge. Hydrocarbons (other than …cohols) are usually neutral in charge from one side to the other. That’s part of why water and oil usually don’t mix. When alcohol is present you can successfully disolve some water in the fuel. The problem then comes up that water is needed for iron to rust (even if it’s part of a gas mixture). Those racing motors you referred to: iron block? It takes a while, but you’ll rust your motor from the inside out (if I remember right, that course was a long time ago) A second issue is that the hydrocarbons and the water can’t agree on a freezing temperature. It’s harder to get the water part to freeze out because it’s surrounded by hydrocarbons, but eventually you’ll hit the revised freezing point, and your vehicle will be trying to push a fuel slushy.
Not for me, thanks.
Millions face starvation as world warms, say scientists
Millions of people could become destitute in Africa and Asia as staple foods more than double in price by 2050 as a result of extreme temperatures, floods and droughts that will transform the way the world farms.
Millions will starve because of overpopulation and the simple fact that the 3rd world mega slums can’t feed themselves. The next pandemic will solve most of the peoblems.
What does corn ethanol have to do with french fry grease?
Actually during WW2 both sides used methanol/water injection to boost aircraft engine performance….I suspect the methanol function was antifreeze.
If you ever witnessed a B52 takeoff….those big black streams of exhaust result from water/methanol injection into the exhaust stream….for more thrust for takeoff….the weight is not a factor because most of the water is expended prior to rotation.
The black smoke from the F4 Phantom is poor combustion…newer engines burn cleaner and are more effcient…even diesels.
C-Minor
I won’t disagree with your post. I think it was F1 and/or indy cars that ran on pure alcohol. If you “dry” the engine out before shut down ( a PITA for family sedans) the rust problem doesn’t exist so much. I don’t think water injection is a good idea, just that it has been successfully and unsuccessfully done:-)))
as to your slushy comment, that is about the argument I had with one fool who wanted to invest in a research co. that was trying to effect an ICE that ran on water. There are fools born every day:-)))
See, I told you he’d take the bait before the night was over!
Yeah, I know. Fish in a barrel, eh? But a bet’s a bet. You owe me another pint, Glengarrian!
Nope, hate to disagree Jamie, but like the 12-pack on the back bumper, you’re not allowed to use bait.
You are right about two stroke engines failing with the use of ethanol blended gasoline, so people around here here are adding products like Sta-bil, which is an additive to counteract the effects of ethanol. Also, many people have switched to premium gasoline for their garden tractors and roto-tillers, etc.
I am not sure about what is happening to the Tier 3 diesel engines, but the ones in Volvo graders are bad news. Thanks to engine redesign to meet the new emission standards. The engines use more fuel and fail thousands of hours too early.
We better stay sober Jamie…the black swans are about to start flapping over farm country…