[Farmall] Water (or something) in gasoline

Tim Brown - Waynesville, Ohio tsbrown5 at embarqmail.com
Mon Aug 15 07:24:34 PDT 2011


Unless I missed it, I haven't seen the cover mentioned. If it's not made from a breathable fabric, could it be causing additional moisture from sweating?

Tim
Waynesville, Oh

Sent from my Verizon Wireless Phone

Tim Savelle <tim.savelle at gmail.com> wrote:

>Yes, I've completely drained my tank, several times, to a completely dry
>state.  Whatever is happening is either coming in with the gas, or is the
>result of some reaction or something else.  Once I thought it was
>condensation, so I filled the tank completely full to the top and kept it
>full.  The problem still occurred.  I keep coming back to the presence of
>ethanol in the gas.  It seems to me that something is going on involving the
>ethanol in some way.
>
>
>
>On Sun, Aug 14, 2011 at 7:16 PM, Tommy Wilson <t17wilson at comcast.net> wrote:
>
>> As someone who works in the fuel supply industry, you generally only
>> find issues with water at the time that either the station or the
>> piece of equipment is converted to ethanol blended gas. Stations go
>> to great lengths to be sure their tanks are water free and change
>> their type of pump filters at the time of conversion. What you are
>> describing sounds like it could be that you had water in your tractor
>> tank that the ethanol has attached to and small bits or it are coming
>> through at different times. Have you drained your tank completely?
>> Switching to a premium grade should make no difference so don't waste
>> your money since your tractor does not need the extra octane.
>>
>> Tommy
>>
>> At 10:46 AM 8/14/2011, you wrote:
>> >Tim, several of us have had problems such as you describe in our old
>> >tractors and in our small equipment engines.  We figure that we've
>> >been dealing with ethanol problems.   Our solution, and it has
>> >worked so far, is to use gas without ethanol in it.  Some places
>> >here in Georgia sell it and sometimes we have to get marine
>> >fuel.  You can find places that sell ethanol free gas by going to
>> >http://pure-gas.org/  .
>> >
>> >There are also some additives for use with ethanol gas.  Not sure
>> >how well they work.  Stabil & Star Tron both make additives for
>> >ethanol gas.  The problems we had were milky/cloudy clumps that
>> >clogged up filters and carbs after fuel sat for a while in the
>> >tanks.  Have read several theories that indicate ethanol attracts
>> >water and after sitting a while (?) the ethanol begins to separate
>> >from the gas & forms those cloudy clogs.
>> >
>> >Anyway, we have resolved out problems by using ethanol free gas and
>> >treating it with stabil like we used to do.
>> >
>> >Good luck, H. Fry
>> >
>> >
>> >On Aug 14, 2011, at 10:01 AM, Tim Savelle wrote:
>> >
>> > > The tractor has to stay outside because I don't have a shed large
>> > enough for
>> > > it, but I do keep a custom-fitted cover over it.  I purchase most of my
>> gas
>> > > from a local Texaco/Chevron convenience store.  I also purchase some
>> from a
>> > > Shell station, again a local convenience store.  All of this gas
>> contains
>> > > 10% ethanol.
>> > >
>> > > I have tried draining off the bottom of the tank.  It works for a few
>> > > minutes, and then water again shows up on the bottom of the bowl.
>>  Once, I
>> > > disconnected the fuel line at the carburetor, put a hose on it, opened
>> the
>> > > pitcock, and drained the gas into a bucket.  I wanted to see what the
>> gas
>> > > looked like flowing into the bowl.  I was cloudy at first, then cleared
>> up,
>> > > but then I watched it for a few minutes.  It would run clear, and then
>> a
>> > > "puff" of cloudy liquid would appear, and then clear again.  If I
>> > turned off
>> > > the pitcock and let it sit, the water layer would reappear at the
>> bottom of
>> > > the bowl.  This is after I had drained out a couple of gallons of gas,
>> and
>> > > it continued until the gas tank was empty.  Twice I've had to
>> completely
>> > > drain the tank, and push a towel into the tank to soak up the remaining
>> > > water in the depression at the bottom of the tank where the fuel
>> valve/bowl
>> > > assembly attached.  This is a replacement gas tank that I got and had
>> > > painted by an auto body shop.  There aren't any cracks in the top where
>> > > water could get in.  I ordered and use one of the tall vented gas caps
>> to
>> > > replace the original for safety reasons.
>> > >
>> > > Nobody is adding water to the tank.
>> > >
>> > > Could the gas I purchase have water in it like this?  Could throwing
>> Stabil
>> > > into the gas/ethanol mix cause problems like this?
>> > >
>> > > This has gotten to be such a pain that when I run the tractor weekly, I
>> put
>> > > just a little gas in the tank, drive it around enough to get it hot,
>> and
>> > > then drain the tank and fuel line.  I'm at a loss to know what's
>> causing
>> > > this and what to do about it.
>> > >
>> > > Thanks for the reply, Barney.  Any additional thoughts or questions?
>> > > Anyone?
>> > >
>> > >
>> > >
>> > > On Sun, Aug 14, 2011 at 8:49 AM, Barney Van De Weert
>> > <bbvande at yahoo.com>wrote:
>> > >
>> > >> Do you keep the tractor inside or outside? Where do you buy your gas?
>> That
>> > >> is a lot of water to be showing up from condensation or even if
>> > your tractor
>> > >> sits outside. Ethanol draws moisture but also absorbs it so it should
>> help
>> > >> your problem not compound it. You should be able to let the
>> > tractor sit and
>> > >> drain the bottom of the tank off- you shouldn't have to dispose
>> > of your gas.
>> > >> Water and Gas do not mix and will separate when left alone for a
>> while.
>> > >>
>> > >> Also is there any way someone could be adding water to it when you are
>> not
>> > >> around? Kids Grandkids etc?
>> > >>
>> > >> Barney Van De Weert
>> > >>
>> > >> From: Tim Savelle <tim.savelle at gmail.com>
>> > >> To: Farmall/IHC mailing list <farmall at lists.antique-tractor.com>
>> > >> Sent: Saturday, August 13, 2011 9:45 PM
>> > >> Subject: [Farmall] Water (or something) in gasoline
>> > >>
>> > >> I've got a 1949 H.  I'm having a perpetual problem with what appears
>> to be
>> > >> water in my gas.  I've tried keeping the gas tank full at all times,
>> and
>> > >> also tried Stabil.  Nothing seems to help.  After about 3 or 4 weeks
>> > >> following a fresh tank of gas I notice a water layer collecting at the
>> > >> bottom of the fuel bowl after I start it.  Twice I've had to drain the
>> > >> entire gas tank and dispose of the gas.  Here in my part of
>> > Georgia all the
>> > >> gasoline is 10% ethanol.  Could this be an ethanol-related issue?  I
>> can't
>> > >> imagine that much condensation inside the tank when I keep the gas
>> tank
>> > >> full
>> > >> to the top.  It just seems like the gasoline "goes bad".  Is
>> > that possible?
>> > >> Anyone got any insight or suggestions?  Thanks, Tim
>> > >> _______________________________________________
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>>
>> Tommy Wilson
>> Warrenton, VA
>> 1948 IH Cub
>> 1950 IH H
>> 1950 JD AR
>> 1951 Ford 8N
>> 1951 JD B
>> 1952 IH SC
>>
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