Ugly Hedgehog - Photography Forum
Home Active Topics Newest Pictures Search Login Register ☰
General Chit-Chat (non-photography talk)
Filtering gasoline
Page <<first <prev 3 of 4 next>
Apr 29, 2016 11:01:14   #
lsaguy Loc: Udall, KS, USA
 
Lee, keep in mind that modern gasoline formulations, even without ethanol, start to break down in 60 days even when kept in a sealed container. Your yearly schedule is fine for engines that can handle the lower octane rating of degraded fuel but if the engine is on the line where 87 octane is the lower limit you might see signs of pre-ignition or detonation. Two strokes are a little less finicky because their actual compression ratio is lower due to the open ports during part of their operating cycle. I have an old chain saw that I assumed was junk because it sat for 12 years with gas in the tank. Just for grins I went through the starting cycle one day and it fired right up. On the other hand I carefully drained the float bowls and sealed the four stroke engine on my trike and stored it for two years. I had to clean the idle circuit on one carb four times before the engine ran smoothly when I put it back in service. Go figure.

Reply
Apr 29, 2016 11:17:51   #
JCam Loc: MD Eastern Shore
 
The 'best' funnel type fuel filters are felt and can be used for both gas or diesel. Think about the small "Coleman" gasoline filters that were used for gasoline camp stoves, but larger.

A 'good' hardware store should have a collection of them or try a marine supply store if there is one near you--if not try Amazon.com or BoatUS.com. They will be more expensive than your coffee filters but should last "forever' and cheaper than a carburetor rebuild. You can flush them by pouring gas backwards through the filter.

Reply
Apr 29, 2016 11:28:26   #
buckbrush Loc: Texas then Southwest Oregon
 
llamb wrote:
Can paper coffee filters such as the type used in Mr. Coffee machines be used to filter gasoline?

Will the gasoline break-down the make-up of the filter and lead to more impurities?

Thanks,
~Lee

Lee,
While not being able to say anything constructive about your 'coffee filter' use I can say using a chamois was the way we filtered all gas being put into our helicopters when we were up on the North slope in the Alaskan bush years ago.
It was the 'normal' thing to do as we couldn't be sure that even unopened gasoline cans might have been contaminated by moisture or rust when stock piled in the bush for over a year before we used it.
Of course, once used for filtering gas the chamois wasn't used for anything else.
One other thing; we put the chamois inside a bigger metal funnel. A plastic funnel should work just as well and using some spring clips at the funnels edge would keep the chamois in place.
Alex

Reply
 
 
Apr 29, 2016 12:00:57   #
John_F Loc: Minneapolis, MN
 
llamb wrote:
Thanks, Jay. With clipping and sawdust and other airborne impurities I just don't want to take any chances. I have to get another funnel with a fine screen; my ex-son-in-law used mine and kept it but returned my daughter. I hope the ESIL gets dirt in HIS carburetor. ;-)

Dirt in a carburetor is like dust on a lens or mirror.

~Lee


Did the ex demand a return of the bride price.

Reply
Apr 29, 2016 12:17:12   #
John_F Loc: Minneapolis, MN
 
Sirsnapalot wrote:
The real cost of ethanol!!
http://www.delawareonline.com/story/news/local/2014/08/02/real-cost-ethanol/13534077/


I always refuted the environmental sales pitch (less carbon dioxide) on technical grounds. Ten percent ethanol gas is a volume based percentage, when this is converted to a mass basis by means of soecific volumes you find no difference in the number of carbon atoms. So any reduction on CO2 must come from incomplete combustion. One must examine the detailed physical chemistry.

Reply
Apr 29, 2016 12:48:37   #
rrforster12 Loc: Leesburg Florida
 
llamb wrote:
Can paper coffee filters such as the type used in Mr. Coffee machines be used to filter gasoline?

Will the gasoline break-down the make-up of the filter and lead to more impurities?

Thanks,
~Lee


A far better approach would be to use a piece of Chamois cloth.
It will last for years and filter out even the smallest contaminate.
Good Luck

Reply
Apr 29, 2016 14:06:01   #
Marionsho Loc: Kansas
 
John_F wrote:
I always refuted the environmental sales pitch (less carbon dioxide) on technical grounds. Ten percent ethanol gas is a volume based percentage, when this is converted to a mass basis by means of soecific volumes you find no difference in the number of carbon atoms. So any reduction on CO2 must come from incomplete combustion. One must examine the detailed physical chemistry.

Interesting.
And to think, they use our tax dollars to subsidize the ethanol plants!

Reply
 
 
Apr 29, 2016 14:36:35   #
shelty Loc: Medford, OR
 
llamb wrote:
Can paper coffee filters such as the type used in Mr. Coffee machines be used to filter gasoline?

Will the gasoline break-down the make-up of the filter and lead to more impurities?

Thanks,
~Lee


I would recommend using a chamois cloth for filtering

Reply
Apr 29, 2016 14:46:52   #
drivered Loc: Capital District, NY
 
llamb wrote:
Jack,

Long answer:

I have eight cans for gasoline. Some for my tractor, two more for mowers - one in my garage, another in my shed in the back yard. I keep a standby can near our backup generator. Three different two-cycle mixes.

Every year (or so) I like to completely empty the cans and refill with fresh gasoline - real gasoline, no ethanol. The cans do not play nice and refuse to keep in sync so I empty the cans into the tractor and drive the 30 miles to a place that still sells the real-deal.

When the cans are empty I blow-out any debris with my Nikon compressor (I might be wrong about the compressor's brand) ;-) I treat all the gasoline with Sea Foam and rarely have fuel related problems - cleanliness is next to carburetorness.

Now, onto the answer! The bag that holds my paint/gasoline filters was left open and dust from my sanders (garage serves as my woodshop) found its' way in and soiled them. I was tempted to use the coffee filters but let this batch go without filtering.

Short answer: I am curious.

~Lee
Jack, br br Long answer: br br I have eight ... (show quote)

I use the old gas I store for my snow blower and lawn tractor and up it in my pickup. Never had a problem.

Reply
Apr 29, 2016 14:52:29   #
Thruxton Loc: Indiana / California
 
We used to use a real chamois to strain AV Gas as 'Back Brush' recommends here and never a problem, but chamois "cloth" is not the same. It may not pull water from the fuel.

Reply
Apr 29, 2016 15:09:19   #
llamb Loc: Northeast Ohio
 
sb wrote:
Paper filters are used in chemistry labs to filter both aqueous solutions (in water) and those in organic solvents. Herbalists who make tinctures with grain alcohol use coffee filters to filter their tinctures. They should do just fine for gasoline.

The pure gasoline seems to work better, and I know the plastic tubes in some of my older lawn equipment got stiff and fell apart when I had to use gasoline with ethanol in it. In my car I get 3 or 4 more miles per gallon with pure gasoline than with the ethanol mix. It costs about 40% more, though, so is not worth it. I wonder if the reduced pollution of the ethanol really makes up for the reduced efficiency...
Paper filters are used in chemistry labs to filter... (show quote)


Plastic and rubber hoses hardened and cracked for me too. Gas pick-up lines in tanks were the usual first victims.

When I fill my gas cans I also fill the car. The car runs a lot better with the gasoline as opposed to the alcojunk. I used to race stock-cars, sports-cars and gas drag - I can tell the difference when I put my ancient foot down.

~Lee

Reply
 
 
Apr 29, 2016 15:15:59   #
jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY
 
Sirsnapalot wrote:
The real cost of ethanol!!
http://www.delawareonline.com/story/news/local/2014/08/02/real-cost-ethanol/13534077/

Right. It's great for the corporate farmers and the politicians they support. It's also good for automakers because they can produce "FlexFuel" trucks. That lets them make more vehicles that get low mileage without incurring penalties. There are lots of FlexFuel trucks around here, but no ethanol to burn in them.

I used to like corn on the cob, but now it's fifty cents an ear. We're feeding our food to cars and paying higher prices for food. We don't have to use the corn itself to make ethanol, but that's what they want.

Reply
Apr 29, 2016 15:17:56   #
llamb Loc: Northeast Ohio
 
flathead27ford,

Your user name brought back fond memories of my '53 Ford flathead. I raced it at a local speedway back in the mid-'60's. When it idled you could actually differentiate each blade of the fan. What a wonderful machine.

~Lee

Reply
Apr 29, 2016 15:27:51   #
Marionsho Loc: Kansas
 
jerryc41 wrote:
Right. It's great for the corporate farmers and the politicians they support. It's also good for automakers because they can produce "FlexFuel" trucks. That lets them make more vehicles that get low mileage without incurring penalties. There are lots of FlexFuel trucks around here, but no ethanol to burn in them.

I used to like corn on the cob, but now it's fifty cents an ear. We're feeding our food to cars and paying higher prices for food. We don't have to use the corn itself to make ethanol, but that's what they want.
Right. It's great for the corporate farmers and t... (show quote)


Yes, they can use switch grass to make the same alcohol.

Reply
Apr 29, 2016 15:35:22   #
jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY
 
Marionsho wrote:
Yes, they can use switch grass to make the same alcohol.

Brazil somehow managed to give their people both corn and ethanol.

Reply
Page <<first <prev 3 of 4 next>
If you want to reply, then register here. Registration is free and your account is created instantly, so you can post right away.
General Chit-Chat (non-photography talk)
Home | Latest Digest | Back to Top | All Sections
Contact us | Privacy policy | Terms of use | DMCA
UglyHedgehog.com - Forum
Copyright 2011-2024 Ugly Hedgehog, Inc.