The gas in my sediment bowl is separated like oil and water. What would cause this?? Water? Would my cowl tank be creating condensation? Running original banger motor. Thanks.
One hamber in gas business, said he had seen station owners topping off the underground tanks with a garden hose. I believe he said x-amount of water can be absorbed by the gasahol, before it seperates
That's why they put those things on small engines and farm equipment, so that they can see if there is water in the gas. Condensation or the result of buying gas at that "quaint old gas station" that you also took a photo of the car in front of.
Take the bowl off and see what the top layer actually is. A taste test will work. Bottom layer looks like crud.
Looks like dirty water, (Gas is on top) I've been told I filled the gas tank on my mothers car directly from the mud puddle, when I was 3. Got any young children around? Or non-friends?
Google Phase Separation. It is tied to Ethanol gasoline and the problems associated with it. Startron and some other treatments are made to help keep it from separating. Don
How long has it been since you ran the car? Todays ethanol laden gas is so crummy that this can happen over a short time, like a month or 2. SinglefingerSpeedShop.com
Mr48chev>>>so that they can see if there is water (and crud) in the gas.>>> Yep. Looks pretty normal to me. Just clean it out before the bottom layer gets too close to the top. Or shit can happen. 8^) Jack E/NJ
I've been running it at least once a week lately, if not more. I noticed it after if filled it up. So weird! I'll empty the bowl and see if it does it again. Maybe drain the tank if I feel up to making a mess.
I have a good friend who recently retired from one of the major oil companies. He had been with them for ages. He said today's gas has a shelf life of 30 days if you are lucky. He says night and day difference from what it used to be.
That is Urban myth BS. The station would be out of business from all the callbacks after fill ups. I only see water in station tanks (I handle a 100 or so tanks) from bad fitting or broken lids and storm runoff. Out of all the stores I handle there is only one with any water and it is a small indy store that I have no control over.
Some of the guys here in W. Texas believe that Shell gasoline is formulated differently and is better...true???
I don't know about Shell but I have had the daily hooked up to a scanner and can see a difference in Exxon vs. Sinclair. Exxon has a proprietary additive package. Most the others we haul us generic additives.
i have found the same thing on my tractor, [international super A], but it sits out in the weather most of the time. i never thought about the gas/alcohol absorbing water from the air, but it makes sense. i thought it was just condensation from the cooler temps inside the tank.
Pour some gas in a bowl and watch it. It will start to turn cloudy with a slight surface swirl. In a half hour you'll have "balls" of water collecting on the bottom. Good ol' ethanol.
There is a product that is a water probe indicator that a station can use to test their tanks for water. It is a vaseline-like paste that you smear on the long wooden stick and dip into the tank...it turns red if there is water present. By the way, the sample looks like my urine test last week.
Ethanol will mix with both water and gasoline until the ethanol is saturated with water, then they will separate out. To better understand read here; http://fuelschool.blogspot.com/2009/02/phase-separation-in-ethanol-blended.html http://epa.gov/otaq/regs/fuels/rfg/waterphs.pdf
======================= Condensation happens whenever there is any moisture in the air and the air temp drops below its "dew point" temperature. The problem with tanks vented to the atmosphere is as the temp changes they "pant" inward when the temp drops and outward when temps rise, creating an "engine" to exchange the air, and sometimes continuously fresh source of (new) air with moisture ready to condense all over again the next time the temperature drops. I "reclaim" gasoline for use in the lawnmower by adding a little isopropyl drygas until murky gas clears, and skimming the clear gas leaving the separated water behind. I figure the clear gas is really right on the verge of being saturated with water again so try to use it right up.
I live near a station that sells non-ethanol gas. Look for one in a rural area, and fill 'er up there.
And this is why I use non-oxygenated 91 octane "off-road only" gas in my old cars and lawnmower...I run ethanol gas in my daily driver because I don't care about it, but anything that sits for more than a few days gets the good gas without ethanol so I know it will run when I go back to start it next time...my mower will barely even function with ethanol gas in it, it'll bog out constantly while mowing, yet with the non ethanol 91 octane gas it'll shoot a rainbow of grass and dog shit out the chute and never once bog out...
http://blog.hemmings.com/index.php/...ng-ethanol-content-in-gasoline-to-30-percent/ all part of not being reliant on oil rich counties right, we are going to show the mid-east oil countries a lesson , right?
Nope gas won't cause that by alcohol will. Don't sweat it its just a sign of the times, if it still runs drive it and don't fix it if it aint broke. Nope got that wrong if it aint broke fix it til it is. Someone help me out here which one is correct.
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