"Richard Casady" wrote in message
...
On Fri, 03 Apr 2009 09:37:39 -0400, wrote:

On Fri, 03 Apr 2009 07:22:26 -0500, Richard Casady
wrote:

On Thu, 02 Apr 2009 12:36:01 -0400, wrote:

Storing gasoline above ground in a small tank (car, lawnmower,
outboard motor tank, etc) greatly increases the rate at which
moisture is absorbed. The underground tanks maintain a pretty constant
temperature.

Moisture has no particular effect on the formation of gum, which is
the issue under discussion.

Casady

The subject, stated on the subject line, is bad fuel. When talking
about problems with storing gas for long periods, water is a bigger
problem than formation of gum. You can retard or prevent the foramtion
of gum. You can't do much about phase separation of water in fuel.

Good fuel that happens to be in the same container as water is still
good fuel, you can start a new thread about separating water from fuel
if you like, but good fuel floating on water is still good fuel. This
is normally found in all tankers and most storage tanks. They strain
out the dead shrimp before it gets to you tank.

As for preventing gum, they mostly do all that needs doing at the
refinery. We have been leaving gas over the winter in the same
runabout for fifty years without a trace of gum. No problems with
water either. The only gum I have ever seen was in a lawn mower from a
thrift shop, and for all I know the varnish and gas were thirty years
old. The mower was that old.

You might not want drain valves for gasoline possibly dripping into
the bilge, but Diesel tanks should have quick drains, same as all the
light airplanes. [I presume heavy planes have them as well.]

The references to phase separation that I have found refer to water
washing the ethanol from fuel. When you then remove the water layer,
in numerous ways the boating community seems not to use,
the gasoline will be a point or so lower in octane since ethanol rates
100+ octane, [as do methanol, propane, toluene, acetone, 2,2,5
trimethyl pentane]. That last I threw in because it is the reference
fuel for the octane scale.

Casady

My BIL took in an 8hp shredder to have it fixed, as it had sat for a couple
of years. The mechanic said that "the carburetor was so gummed up, he had
to replace it." And he did kindly with a USED one, which he charged $125
for including labor. I believe I could have soaked and brushed it into
usability.

Steve

On Sat, 4 Apr 2009 09:49:31 -0600, "SteveB"
wrote:

My BIL took in an 8hp shredder to have it fixed, as it had sat for a couple
of years. The mechanic said that "the carburetor was so gummed up, he had
to replace it." And he did kindly with a USED one, which he charged $125
for including labor. I believe I could have soaked and brushed it into
usability.

Replacing the carburetor is common practice in my experience.
Cleaning an old one is labor intensive and there is some risk that it
may take more than one cleaning/rebuilding to get it right. That's OK
if you are doing the work yourself and have lots of spare time but the
guys making a living at it like to turn the work around quickly and
get it right the first time.

On Sat, 04 Apr 2009 12:25:03 -0500, wrote:

The EPA may have also banned the chemical they used in the carb "hot
tank". Back in the olden days a few hours in a hot tank would make
them look like brand new and all the varnish, gum or whatever was
gone. Blow it out with a little shop air, put a "kit" in it and you
were good to go.

The hot tank I know about is lye and is used by engine rebuilders to
soak the engine blocks and other parts. It will dissolve many non
ferrous metals, especially aluminum. I use the same stuff to dissolve
aluminum to make hydrogen for the UFO balloons. The stuff used for
carbs is similar to many paint removers, except it is not a gel.
Smells similar. Maybe methylene chloride, but I don't really know.
Used at room temperature. Some evil ****, whatever it is.

Casady

"Richard Casady" wrote in message
news
On Sat, 04 Apr 2009 12:25:03 -0500, wrote:

The EPA may have also banned the chemical they used in the carb "hot
tank". Back in the olden days a few hours in a hot tank would make
them look like brand new and all the varnish, gum or whatever was
gone. Blow it out with a little shop air, put a "kit" in it and you
were good to go.

The hot tank I know about is lye and is used by engine rebuilders to
soak the engine blocks and other parts. It will dissolve many non
ferrous metals, especially aluminum. I use the same stuff to dissolve
aluminum to make hydrogen for the UFO balloons. The stuff used for
carbs is similar to many paint removers, except it is not a gel.
Smells similar. Maybe methylene chloride, but I don't really know.
Used at room temperature. Some evil ****, whatever it is.

Casady


UFO balloons?
Do you have a secret hobby?

Eisboch

On Mon, 6 Apr 2009 09:04:54 -0400, "Eisboch"
wrote:



UFO balloons?
Do you have a secret hobby?

You put the stuff in dry cleaning bags. About 1.2 oz of lift per cubic
foot. A one cell mag lite bulb, like the keychains size uses. Looks
like a grain of wheat with two wires sticking out. AAA Cell.three
inches of very light wire. It will look like a satellite, in the
unlikely event anyone notices.

Casady

Richard Casady wrote:
On Mon, 6 Apr 2009 09:04:54 -0400, "Eisboch"
wrote:


UFO balloons?
Do you have a secret hobby?

You put the stuff in dry cleaning bags. About 1.2 oz of lift per cubic
foot. A one cell mag lite bulb, like the keychains size uses. Looks
like a grain of wheat with two wires sticking out. AAA Cell.three
inches of very light wire. It will look like a satellite, in the
unlikely event anyone notices.

Eisboch has a new hobby.