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Dan,

 

Your message quotes someone who says California fuels include “methanol.”  Can you confirm that?  Methanol is a lot more corrosive, isn’t it?  I’ve never heard of it being used as a fuel additive in auto fuel in the U.S. I don’t think.

 

Ethanol is the alcohol that’s normally used in auto fuel in the U.S.

 

I’d not use alcohol containing fuel in a Coupe without determining it’s safe – that that’d be a fairly high hurdle.

 

First, you’d have to confirm that there’s no sloshing compound.  Simple auto fuel can attack aviation sloshing compounds.  (I’ve heard a fuel tank person say that our Coupes are not really allowed to have sloshing compound.  He said the tanks should be sealed without any sloshing compound.  I have no personal knowledge of the legality.)

 

Next, you’d have to check all the non-metallic portions of the fuel system from the fuel lines to the varnish on the cork fuel gauges to the diaphragm in the fuel pump for alcohol compatibility.

 

You can easily test for alcohol and, if you search, maybe you’ll be able to find some sources of non-alcohol.  If it’s really not available, I’d stay with the “high-priced spread” for the foreseeable future.

 

(Note:  a technical discussion like this is appropriate for the TECH group but let’s not move it now.)

 

Ed Burkhead

http://edburkhead.com

ed -at- edburkhead???.com          (change -at- to @ and remove "???")

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