[T3] Cylinder Performance

[Jim Adney]

On 19 Jun 2011 at 15:39, Adriel Rowley wrote:

> > From: jadney at vwtype3.org

> > It doesn't matter whether the brush is round or straight, hand or
> > powered. If it has metal bristles it will leave metal tracks on the
> > porcelain.
> >
> What do you mean by tracks?  Had a ceramics class, and thought porcelain
> was only able to be scratched by a very course abrasive. 

It is not glazed, so it is not smooth. That leaves it quite hard, but 
also somewhat abrasive. Rub a bit of metal against it and you will 
see a dark smudge where some metal got worn off and left on the 
ceramic.

> This is the problem with California: they have been cramming down our
> throats extreme Environmentalism, which at times is needed because
> Capitalism is sometimes slow or lacking on taking action, and at times
> produced great results.  I have heard stories about how El Cajon
> Valley and especially L.A. Basin were soup bowls full of smog. 

I worked in SoCal for a few months in the early '70s. One weekend I 
decided to take a long ~60 mi bike ride. 30 mi out I noticed that the 
sky was brown in every direction, then I realized the stuff I was 
breathing was probably the same. Took me days for my lungs to 
recover.

> We should though have a choice of whether we want pure gasoline, 
E10, or E85. When I went to Iowa and could get pure gasoline, the 
Mercury ran better, so then rather use that until I have the money to 
get an auto that is more Environmentally friendly,    

The Merc should run just fine on E10, but E85 would be completely out 
of the question. The E10 probably gives slightly poorer gas mileage, 
but not enough for most people to ever notice. Nevertheless, the jury 
is still out on whether gasohol is an environmental benefit, simply 
because it may take more energy to make a gallon of it than we can 
get out of it.

> > Alcohol certainly makes gas more hydroscopic, but "fuel dryer" is
> > also alcohol, nothing more. It just gives the gas somewhat more
> > capacity to take water into solution. Water that's in solution is not
> > much of a problem; water that's free, floating along the bottom of
> > our tank, can cause big problems.

> I did not see an alcohol on the list, but interesting that it would be: 
> makes since as just adding to the ability to hold more water.

Look for methanol, ethanol, isopropanol; anything that ends in -ol. 
These are all things that will mix completely with both gasoline and 
water.  

> What kind of problems?

rust

> > I've never had a problem with old gas. I've had cars that have sat
> > for years and started up right away, once I put a good battery in
> > them.
> >
> Interesting.  I have read many articles how it turns into a substance that
> gums things up.  Why has this not happened to you?

If is allowed to almost completely evaporate, the heavier components, 
the additives, will be left behind. This is what people will tell you 
that "gas turns into." Yes, it's gummy, but it was there in solution 
all along. The key is to limit the rate of evaporation. A good gas 
cap helps, as does a full tank, which has less surface area exposed 
to the air. That boundary layer is the only place where evaporation 
can take place.  

-- 
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Jim Adney, jadney at vwtype3.org
Madison, Wisconsin, USA
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