Dry gas, or gas line driers, are usually either ethanol (ethyl alcohol) or
methanol (methyl, or 'wood' alcohol). Methanol is much cheaper, as it's a
byproduct of the wood industry, can be synthesized easily and cheaply from
natural gas or flare (LP) gas, but it can break down most common plastics
over time, and even weakens neoprene. Ethanol is what's in your Jack Daniels,
it has a high affinity for moisture, so it works well, it raises your
octane rating (though lowers the power output too). Another alcohol you're
likely to see is isopropyl (branched-chain propyl alcohol), which is also
cheaply made from petroleum, good at binding water, and is reasonably nice
to your fuel system.
Any of these, mixed with gasoline, make gasohol, which is infamous for lowering
the power output of your truck (at least up north in Montana it was). It is
the ultimate oxygenated fuel though. Note that commercial gasohol, as sold
during the gas [gov't induced market] crisis, was about 10 % alcohol, a lot
higher percentage than a tank of pump fuel and a bottle of drier.
I have no clue now whether all the additives I pumped into the truck prior
to changing the O2 sensor did any good. I'd put Chevron's Fuel Injector Cleaner
Plus in it, and a bottle of Redline synthetic injector cleaner. Maybe if my
mileage returns to better than before February, I'll have some indication...
Anyone else have data with a better baseline?
Jim
The "Assault Weapons" ban is drive-by legislation. The target: Crime;
the victimized innocent bystander: the lawfully armed Citizen.
~*~*~ Tyranny Insurance by Colt's Manufacturing Cos. ~*~*~
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Fri Jun 20 2003 - 12:07:24 EDT