I did a search for water in gas tank and found a post by Rob in Hell. I thought that it was a good idea and was planning to run to the hardware store and get some methanol tomorrow and give it a try. When I mentioned the idea to my retire jet engine mechanic father. He said it would damage the fuel pump and injector. Any ideas what if any damage may come to the fuel system with using Methanol. I have no idea of how much fuel is in the tank so I don't know how much to add. Is there a certain ratio to mix the methanol to gas to stay on the safe side as far as the fuel system goes?

Link to thread with RIH's info:
_ web page

<small>[ July 04, 2003, 07:46 PM: Message edited by: Hambone ]</small>

Methanol is corrosive.

Use Ethanol and you'll be fine. <img border="0" title="" alt="[Wink]" src="images/icons/wink.gif" />

BTW, every chevy avalanche made, will run on E85 (85% ethanol, 15% standard gasoline) from the factory. Same is true of several other new American vehicles.

Ethanol has a higher octane than gasoline by far, but unfortunately octane is not the measure of "power" in gasoline. That would be BTU's and Ethanol has a far lower potential for BTU's than gasoline, also its stoich ratio is quite different.

What i mean to say is, your vehicle won't run great on a combination of fouled gas, water, and ethanol..

however it should run sorta and you shouldn't have any problems.

edit: another note - RIH referred to Methanol as "denatured alcohol" .. this isn't an entirely accurate statement. "Denatured" basically means it has been made unfit to drink using a denaturant. A denaturant can be anything that makes it impalatable.. generally they use something that bitters drastically, and/or invokes the gag reflex. ]

Well, methanol is kinda denatured from the get-go because that really isn't something you want in your body. Ethanol can be denatured using an industry standard bitterant - which is required for all non-beverage ethanol and definitely anything you make in a still in your back yard (by law)

All modern vehicles are designed to be "safe" to use ethanol in... in fact they PUT ethanol into gasoline 4+ months out of the year in many states. (when they're not poisoning you with methyl tertiary butyl ether - MTBE )

Use 10-20% volume along with your gas, and possibly add a bit of fresh gas to increase the BTU's

<small>[ July 04, 2003, 10:10 PM: Message edited by: Eric D ]</small>

Thanks for the reply Eric, but were does one find ethanol?
TIA

Any hardware store that sells paints <img border="0" title="" alt="[Smile]" src="images/icons/smile.gif" />

(home depot, ace, coast to coast... )

I always just use drugstore rubbing alcohol, or you can buy gas drier from the auto parts. Test for water first by pumping a little gas out into a jar from the fuel pump. The water will form "beads" in the bottom of the jar - dead obvious. You can't drain the tank and get all the water out, even if you pull the tank! There is a raised lip around every opening that keeps everything from draining, and the water is at the bottom...

I came across this in a search and noticed the post about rubbing alcohol -- i just wanted to clarify for anyone else who stumbles into this thread that rubbing alcohol isn't the greatest idea for this - first the normal stuff from the store is already 30% water, (you can buy stuff that's only 9% water, which is preferrable) and second iso is slightly corrosive, and not good for your fuel hose linings.

One good thing about iso, it's slightly less likely to knock built-up varnish off the inside of your tank than ethanol is

anyhow the important thing is, if you're going to run iso, either get the product made for cars "Iso-HEET" or get the 91% isopropyl rubbing alcohol, not the 70% stuff. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/kewl.gif" alt="" />

Eric sure seems to know his stuff- I had to use methanol and denatured alc. every day in my coatings business. Do not put methanol through any rubber, vinyl, plastic, etc., hose, fitting, pumps, etc. It will attack many types of rubbers and plastics making them swell. When they dry up of course they are useless. I used the denatured exlusively for cleaning those parts and to dissipate moisture from surfaces being coated.
I found I was able to find the 9% stuff at the auto body paint supply place.

Hmmm, I once did a case for Ford with some kind of blended fuel back in the early 80's. If I remember right their particular mix of alcohol and gas was eating the insides of the aluminum carbs and FI units..as well as some of the pliable stuff.. I'd want to be dead sure on this I think.

seer <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/kewl.gif" alt="" />

I used to have a problem with water getting in my tank on my motorcycle and I usually used that Heat stuff, and it seemed to work great. I should probably say that had to fuel pump or injectors though. and sometimes I had to do little adjustments on the carb