| In 2008 we began to receive letters about the effects of ethanol in petrol and early in 2009 we appealed for members to report problems to us. Very few did so at that time but the numbers, and the levels of concern, have increased in 2010.
In December 2008 the Federation were invited to contribute to a consultation on Renewable Transport Fuel Obligations from the Department for Transport about the variable rates of duty applicable between conventional petrol and biofuel and our response was as follows: The Federation of British Historic Vehicle Clubs would welcome a requirement for suppliers to ensure that gasoline blended with ethanol includes suitable anti-corrosion inhibitors to prevent corrosion in fuel systems of vehicles.
At concentrations of less than 5% there was, and still is, no obligation for the petrol pumps to be labelled at point of sale. Ethanol is hygroscopic so manufacturers should have been adding corrosion inhibitors to it before blending with petrol. Ethanol changes the volatility of the fuel which while possibly providing a slight benefit to cold starting may increase vapour lock and hot start problems in susceptible vehicles. Corrosion could be a problem if inhibitors are not
used.
For the future diesel fuel will be permitted to contain more than 7% bio-diesel component, provided it is labelled but currently no labelling is required if less than 7% bio-diesel is added to the fuel.
In the autumn of 2009 the picture was becoming clearer although more worrying.
<p>The Federation was represented by Matthew Vincent at several Stakeholder Meetings held at the Department for Transport
(DfT) during the whole of 2009. Fuel production today is a very big business, with an ever-decreasing number of filling stations selling larger and larger volumes of fuel in order to stay competitive. The dream would be to have one pump on every forecourt selling specialist historic fuels for Federation members. However, the economics of distribution to a relatively small number of specialist users make it almost impossible to produce and supply bespoke fuel products which are freely and widely available in every town from Cornwall to the north of Scotland. In short, Federation members generally have to use the standard fuels produced by Big Oil for modern engines.
As the majority of Standard members do not have a Diesel engined
car, I have not reproduced the Diesel Guidance here, If you want
to read it click here
PETROL Permitted ethanol content in petrol to rise from 5% to 10% in 2013
There will be a requirement to continue to offer fuels with a limit of 5% ethanol until 2013. (It is assumed that after this date such fuels will be harder to find and may disappear).</p>
A number of difficulties have already been experienced by Federation members, most notably in respect of petrol tanks. Some types of sealing compounds react adversely to the presence of ethanol in the petrol, resulting in sticky deposits being washed through into the fuel system. While this is distressing for the victim, there are sealing compounds on the market which are compatible with petrol containing ethanol. It should be possible to re-seal the affected tank with a compatible product, after thorough cleaning to remove all traces of the non-compatible material.
(This sounds totally impossible in a sealed tank to me - webmaster)
The current level of volatility in petrol will not change, but will be adapted (downwards) to accommodate the increased volatility caused by adding ethanol.
In theory, this should mean that drivers will not notice any difference in operation with fuels containing ethanol, but this may not be a safe conclusion. Experience from use over time will be helpful. Measures taken to overcome vapour-lock problems in the past may need to be reinforced. Some who have not suffered from problems previously may find that operational difficulties are experienced.
Consultation on draft regulations which amend the Motor Fuel (Composition and Content) Regulations 1999 to implement European Directive 2009/30/EC with respect to Fuel Quality
In June 2010 the Federation replied to this Consultation thus:
"The FBHVC recognises that major policy directives on fuel quality cannot reasonably be resisted by a minority group whose principle fuel demand is linked to specialty interest activities. Nevertheless there are some points which the Federation wishes to establish as part of the consultation process:Petrol containing ethanol is potentially harmful to the fuel systems of the majority of vehicles operated by FBHVC members. The dangers of corrosion and degradation of materials used in the fuel systems of historic vehicles have been highlighted by the CONCAWE organisation. There are no benefits to FBHVC members from the inclusion of ethanol in petrol, and in general, the higher the ethanol content the greater the concerns.
Contrary to the assertion contained in the DfT consultation document that cars with carburettors can be expected to disappear quietly over the next few years, so that by 2013 there will no longer be a problem, the number of historic vehicles covered by the Federation is not expected to reduce over time. The Federation wishes to put on record that it does not accept that problems caused by the enforced inclusion of ethanol in petrol in the UK are not, or will not, be an issue in the future in vehicles it represents.
( Note that the Government expects all carburettor fitted
vehicles to disappear from the roads after 2013 - that's you and
me, and we are not going away - webmaster)Recommendations for Materials Considered for Use in Ethanol and Ethanol/Gasoline Blend Applications
| Material |
Recommended |
Not
Recommended |
| Metals |
Carbon steel with post-weld heat treatment
of carbon steel piping and internal lining of carbon steel
tanks
Stainless steel
Bronze
Aluminium |
Zinc and galvanised materials
Brass
Copper
Lead/tin coated steel
Aluminium (may be an issue for E100) |
| Elastomers |
Buna-N (hoses & gaskets)
Fluorel
Fluorosilicone
Neoprene (hoses & gaskets)
Polysulfide rubber |
Viton Buna-N (seals only)Neoprene (seals
only)
Urethane rubber
Acrylonitrile-butadiene hoses
Polybutene terephthalate |
| Polymers |
Acetal
Polypropylene
Polyethylene
Teflon
Fibreglass-reinforced plastic |
Polyurethane
Polymers containing alcohol groups (such as alcohol based
pipe dope)
Nylon 66
Fibreglass-reinforced polyester and epoxy resins
Shellac |
| Others |
Paper
Leather |
Cork |
This list is not comprehensive and the quality of the material must be appropriate for the intended application. It is strongly advised that the manufacturers of these products are consulted before ethanol or ethanol/gasoline blends are introduced.Fibreglass fuel tanks
We have been contacted by a number of motorcycle clubs, and in particular the Greeves Riders Association, whose members have been experiencing problems with fibreglass fuel tanks on their machines thought to be caused by using biofuel. Some composite tanks are compatible with petrol containing ethanol, while others are not. A CONCAWE report, number 3/08, covers this issue and has indicated that fibreglass reinforced polyester and fibreglass reinforced epoxy resin materials are not compatible with petrol containing ethanol. However, tanks made from fibreglass reinforced plastic are compatible with petrol containing ethanol.
One suggestion that has been received concerns the use of a tank sealant to protect the fibreglass. Great care must be taken using tank sealants, of course, as it is known that they are not all compatible with ethanol in petrol. In October 2010 while certainly not advocating that anyone did try this, we did ask if anyone has already had first-hand experience of using such a product in their fuel tank to combat this problem but have had no replies so far.
At the present time (October 2010) replacing the fuel tank with a remanufactured item in a compatible material is the only guaranteed long term solution.Effects on tank sealants etc
Any tank sealant manufactured in USA should not be affected by ethanol (e.g. the Frost brand) as ethanol has been in USA petrol for some time. To be sure of avoiding problems customers should check that any such product does indicate it can be used with fuel containing ethanol. The Federation contacted four suppliers of tank sealants early in 2009 to ask about compatibility issues but only three replied, (one with a ‘yes’ and two with ‘don’t know’) and the situation has not improved a great deal since then.
Many seals have a ‘memory’ and may leak when introduced to ethanol when they are old. The same type of seal may not leak when new.
Particles resulting from the breakdown of tank sealants and moving through the fuel system may also cause problems, although this would be for a finite time (until it has all been washed through). A solvent is available to remove existing tank sealant from steel tanks (but not aluminium or GRP), Epoxy Remover made by Tank Cure and supplied by LB Services. However the active ingredient in this product is methylene chloride, aka paint stripper, which it is feared may be the subject of a proposed ban itself.
ADDITIVES FOR USE WITH BIOFUELS
Additives are available to protect against the main problems likely to be encountered for petrol and diesel fuelled vehicles (corrosion inhibitors, stability improvers and biocidal products).
A product for use with petrol has been designed to be added to the tank when re-fuelling to prevent degradation in storage in the fuel tank. It provides excellent protection against the possible corrosion through increased acidity which can occur when petrol containing ethanol is stored for any length of time. One bottle should provide a season's protection - although this is obviously dependent on the vehicle and amount of usage.
A similar product for bio-diesel fuel (e.g. containing rapeseed methyl ester) has also been developed. There is no corrosion issue here but one of fuel filter blockage, injector fouling etc. It is also designed to be dispensed from a plastic bottle (with graduated optic) at refuelling time.
These products existed but did not have a commercial outlet and in the summer of 2010 the FBHVC requested that companies interesting in selling these products should make contact, when they were introduced to the manufacturer.
The FBHVC is currently (October 2010) looking into a test programme for corrosion inhibitor additives; products that pass this test will be endorsed by the Federation in a similar fashion to the endorsements given to lead replacement additives.
STUDY INTO MATERIAL COMPATIBILITY AND CARBURETTOR ICING
An investigation was commissioned in the summer of 2010 by the DfT, and undertaken by Stephen Wall, Senior Scientist at the Fuels and Lubricants Centre, QinetiQ, based in Farnborough, to investigate the effects of petrol containing up to 10% ethanol. Specifically this investigated vehicle fuel system material compatibility and carburettor icing as well as other aspects such as drivability issues.
The FBHVC submitted a great deal of evidence as well as statistics on the size and economic effect of the historic vehicle movement in the UK.
The report was finished in October 2010 and is due to be in the public domain at the end of October. Early indications suggest that the situation is extremely worrying for any vehicle over ten years old.
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