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Old 12-04-2008, 12:39 PM   #10 (permalink)
metromizer
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Tony Raine View Post
ok, i'm going to revive this thread instead of making a new one.

got me to thinking. my old truck has a carb, and a 23 gallon tank. would a 50/50 gas/alcohol mix eat all my seals?
I am not sure about 50/50 mix, but straight methonol will attack the die cast aluminum carb body, maybe ruin the accelerator pump diaphram, and if the float is plastic, might shrivel it up like a prune. I suspect the block mounted mechanical fuel pump diaphram would also be a problem, maybe parts inside the fuel tank like the sending unit. I would buy a carb rebuild kit, mix up a fuel brew of choice in a glass mason jar, and let some parts <accelerator pump diaphram> soak for a week, and see what happen to it.

When I crewed on my buddies blown alcohol <methonol> dragster, we always drained the fuel lines after each race day, and cycled WD-40 (mostly kerosene) through the entire fuel system. It's pretty well know among racers that if you don't, all of the aliminum fittings, the magnesium injector hat (read: $$$), would slowly pit and corrode. I've heard of the same problems <with using methonol> from a friend and his son who raced grand american modified dirt track stock cars <which use carbs> when they made the switch from gasoline to methonol.

Again, I'm not sure if you have the same issue if you mix in some gasoline. Hope that helps.
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