Ethanol and plastic tanks beware

[TigerT]

I have mentioned this before but my mechanic mentioned my tank is distorting and he has seen this on a few plastic tanks now and it's becoming an issue. I spoke to a chap who deals with a lot of classic bikes and the issue of Ethanol is becoming quite a problem with fibreglass tanks, seals and rubber hoses. He gave me this info

Galvanic corrosion occurs when metals that are electronically dissimilar are immersed in a liquid that conducts electricity. (like ships). Petrol does not conduct electricity, so the fact that brass (carburettor jets) and zinc or alluminium alloy (carburettor bodies) are electronically dissimilar is irrelevant. Ethanol however is a good conductor of electricity (about the same as water) and therefore given time it will lead to corrosion of the carburettor and jets.
 
Garages that include Ethanol
 
BP 5% at all UK sites
BP Ultimate (super unleaded) does not have Ethanol
 
Esso 5%
Super Unleaded no Ethanol except in the South West
 
Texaco 5%
Super Unleaded no Ethanol
 
Total No Ethanol except in North West and South East
 
How can the petrol companies know where Ethanol is included?
 
Because they don't add it to their storage tanks because it rots them so it is only added in the delivery tanker

Have you noticed plastic tanks were a bit of a fad and Triumph have gone back to metal? Where does this leave us Tiger owners?

[BigDan]

It leaves me with a 40,000 mile old tank that doesn't seem fussed.

What is the actual issue here? Is your tank leaking? Is anything engine related corroding due to ethanol?

Also, you don't have carbs on girlies.


Try not to worry until you have an actual problem mate :)

[Mustang]

feh .....stateside we got 10% minimum ethanol some times more but average is 10 %. what it doesn't like to do is sit standing in the float bowls for more than a few weeks before the water in the corn squeezins makes a mess on the inside of your carbs .

ethanol doesn't seem to bother the plastic tanks as bad as just plain ol' old age does .
They are actually made from nylon and it shrinks over time .
Take any of the plastics off a ten year old tiger and let them sit on the bench over the winter months . They will be a bitch to get back on as the plastic (nylon )has shrunk .

[iansoady]

^^^^^^

What he said.

Ethanol is blamed for all sorts of problems which are actually caused by other things - petrol these days does have a lot of other additives eg benzene.

Some of us remember Cleveland Discol which actually was sold on the basis it contained ethanol (or simply alcohol as we knew it then).

[TigerT]

The issue with my tank is that is the paint has bubbled up and the tank has distorted and is a pig to get off and on. The guy I know who runs a bike garage has seen a few plastic tank issue recently and is pretty sure that it is to do with additives in the fuel. If you read some of the classic bike and old bike owners club magazines it is a serious issue. Until I came across this I presumed it was just my tank that had reacted with a chemical maybe in a polish or similar.

[iansoady]

If you read some of the classic bike and old bike owners club magazines it is a serious issue.

That is true. However, they said just the same sort of thing when we moved to unleaded which has in reality caused very few problems.

JOOI I pulled my A10 out of the garage yesterday - it hasn't been started for well over a year for various reasons and if you believed what you read in those magazines the petrol would have "gone off", "gummed the jets", "rotted the fuel pipes" and all sorts.

It started second kick and ran beautifully (dynamo isn't charging but I don't think that's anything to do with fuel.....)

[Bixxer Bob]

+1

Took the cover off the little Yam first time for 6 months, fresh battery, tickled her a bit, 2 kicks, ringadingdingding burrrbububurrrrrrrrr etc etc