1991 240 estate fuel filter

[ksmi]

Evening All,The reason I favour using methanol,is because it is a fuel in itself, used in Speedway and Grass- track engines. This is added to the diesel tanks on commercial vehicles in very cold weather to stop any water in the fuel system freezing and blocking the the fuel supply to the engine. You would possibly be surprised at the amount of water that collects in the bottom of petrol and diesel storage tanks at filling stations!

Regards,Keith.

[Clifford Pope]

Methanol not ethanol?
That's surely harder to obtain than good old meths (ethanol with a dash of methanol plus dye)?

[Stephen Edwin]

Thanks both, that's interesting.

The typical suggestion in 700/900 section is:

[with the tank part filled] .... about 1/4 tank or less, go to Toolstation and buy a 2L bottle of methylated spirits, add it to the petrol tank and maybe a gallon of petrol from a can (unless you're not embarrassed by putting £6 worth in at a garage!) to help wash it down the filler neck and take it for a drive

Whether that means methylated spirits or methanol I don't know. I would think yes meths.

I understand there is also a Wynns product to give the fuel occasional maintenance treatment. I can't remember if that is based on meths or methanol.

EDIT: Wynn's Dry Fuel. The active stuff in it seems to be mainly Propan-2-ol with some 2-butoxyethanal.
End of EDIT.




In general, I do hope methanol is not easy to obtain. Years ago, a chief scientist who had been one of my bosses hospital laboratories developed and managed to hide an alcohol addiction and moved on to methanol. Rest her soul.



.

[Stephen Edwin]

Originally Posted by ksmi

Evening All,The reason I favour using methanol,is because it is a fuel in itself, used in Speedway and Grass- track engines. This is added to the diesel tanks on commercial vehicles in very cold weather to stop any water in the fuel system freezing and blocking the the fuel supply to the engine. You would possibly be surprised at the amount of water that collects in the bottom of petrol and diesel storage tanks at filling stations!

Regards,Keith.

Keith. Are you favourng methanol...."as opposed to meths" or eg the Wynn product? I am very much learning as best I can here.

James. I don't want to divert your thread, sorry. I take your point that your current problem pre dates the six years out of use.

Self interest: my annual mileage seems to be about 800. I'm wondering if say the Wynn treatment applied regularly might be good for the car?


.

[ksmi]

Evening Stephen,My preference for methanol is probably because I am addicted to the smell! plus Castrol R . Do you recall the add,for Bisto? two? urchins? sniffing the air-"Ah Bisto" one of them could be me. Joking apart, it doesn't do any damage to internal combustion engines,very clean running,helps to stop water in fuel freezing,mixes readily with water/miscible. What are the disadvantages?.can be found on Ebay. Your local motorcycle shop will probably know where to obtain it cheaper.

Regards,Keith.

[Stephen Edwin]

Thanks Keith.

I'm at a very low ebb tonight and feeling thick.

Simples now please. Do you favour methanol over and above methylated spirits and over and above say Wynn's product?

Thanks.



P.S. EDIT.

Castrol came in glass bottles or pumped from a tank via mesuring jugs. XXL, XL and Castrolite. Bisto was after my time, and, the product was/is a poor substitute for real stock .....


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[james lomas]

I have no problem whatsoever with my original thread being diverted, in fact the question I asked was answered within the first few replies, and I'm grateful to you for that.

The diversion has led to the actual problem I've got with my 240 being addressed. I'm reading each comment with great interest and I feel that the solution is round the corner.

I'm having my fuel filter replaced on Tuesday, by prior arrangement.

So maybe that will resolve the problem and maybe not.

If there is water lurking at the bottom of my 27 year old petrol tank, currently holding 5-6 gallons of petrol, can I ask a few questions ......

1/Is there any way of knowing that it is there by inspection ?

2/Might it be a good idea for me to take the car to a quiet country road and do a bit of relatively hard braking and cornering in order to get the fuel mixed up a bit in the tank before it starts its journey via the fuel pump ie inviting the problem to re-occur ?

3/Would anyone recommend that I start at the beginning by having my petrol tank emptied, cleaned and then new fuel added - so hopefully removing bad fuel from the possible cause of the problem ?

Thanks,

James

[Stephen Edwin]

Originally Posted by james lomas

I have no problem whatsoever with my original thread being diverted, in fact the question I asked was answered within the first few replies, and I'm grateful to you for that.

The diversion has led to the actual problem I've got with my 240 being addressed. I'm reading each comment with great interest and I feel that the solution is round the corner.

I'm having my fuel filter replaced on Tuesday, by prior arrangement.

So maybe that will resolve the problem and maybe not.

If there is water lurking at the bottom of my 27 year old petrol tank, currently holding 5-6 gallons of petrol, can I ask a few questions ......

1/Is there any way of knowing that it is there by inspection ?

2/Might it be a good idea for me to take the car to a quiet country road and do a bit of relatively hard braking and cornering in order to get the fuel mixed up a bit in the tank before it starts its journey via the fuel pump ie inviting the problem to re-occur ?

3/Would anyone recommend that I start at the beginning by having my petrol tank emptied, cleaned and then new fuel added - so hopefully removing bad fuel from the possible cause of the problem ?

Thanks,

James

Hello. I don't know the answers but this is my surmise from posts I have read so far as I can remember.

First: the 1/4 tank is on someone's calculation of how much meths to use. I think it has been said that Wynn's Dry Fuel goes in to a full tank. I'm sure you can work out a way to add meths or Wynn's to your tank if you want to.

1/ I suppose a laboratory inspection by a sampling tube perhaps. The only advice I have seen in the forum is try the meths and see if it helps.

2/ I have no idea.

3. I have seen it said that draining the fuel tank is quite a procedure. It is said that meths does work.

*****

I confess that I have been thinking....sorry about that. Anyway my car does a low annual mileage, a lot of standing still. I'm thinking of using Wynn's Dry Fuel once or twice a year as a precaution. Unless anyone advises me against that?

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[james lomas]

Once again thanks for your comments.

As well as having a new fuel filter installed tomorrow I'll also be hoping to talk to the mechanic about the other possibilities mentioned by the forum.

I'll report back shortly.

James

[Antz]

Fuel filters should be replaced regularly, just like an oil filter....yet no one ever does it. More fool them.