Testing MoGas

For those of us who use car gas, the advent of ethanol has been a real
pain. Although we don't test every tank full, we have used the
"water/gas/shake" test to verify that there is no ethanol present. I
find this method to be rather imprecise and quite a pain, since you
have to have water around to perform the test. (Not easy, in an
unheated hangar, in winter.)

As ethanol spreads like a cancer, we're becoming more certain that we
SHOULD be testing at each fill, now, even though the pumps here in Iowa
are clearly labeled. Well, a guy on a Cherokee 235 mail group has come
up with the following method to test for water AND alcohol at the same
time -- tell me what you think of this:

1. Put fuel in cup.
2. Add 1/4 of an alka-seltzer to fuel
3. If no fizz, no water OR alcohol is present.

I really like this method, as it's portable and doesn't require the use
of water. I plan on testing it on our next tank-full of car gas.

I'm no chemist, so I've got to ask: Does this method pass muster,
scientifically?
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

.. Well, a guy on a Cherokee 235 mail group has come
up with the following method to test for water AND alcohol at the same
time -- tell me what you think of this:

1. Put fuel in cup.
2. Add 1/4 of an alka-seltzer to fuel
3. If no fizz, no water OR alcohol is present.

Sportys sold a kit which consisted of a chemical that when added to the fuel
turned color if alcohol was present. I bought a number of kits some time
back and test each and every load. Very easy to do. I tested some gas while
in California that I knew had alcohol. Sure enough the fuel with the reagent
added, turned a deep purple letting me know the kit does work as advertised.

Unfortunately I don't see it advertised anymore.

Paul
N1431A

Jay Honeck wrote:
[snip]
even though the pumps here in Iowa
are clearly labeled. Well, a guy on a Cherokee 235 mail group has come
up with the following method to test for water AND alcohol at the same
time -- tell me what you think of this:

1. Put fuel in cup.
2. Add 1/4 of an alka-seltzer to fuel
3. If no fizz, no water OR alcohol is present.
[snip]
Jay,

Sorry if this is obvious, but...

Get some ethanol enhanced gas from a labeled pump and try it. If it
reacts to known alcohol and dosen't to know good gas, then it ought to
be OK.

John Stevens
(muttering: What do they teach in those schools...)

Jay Honeck wrote:
Get some ethanol enhanced gas from a labeled pump and try it. If it
reacts to known alcohol and dosen't to know good gas, then it ought to
be OK.

John Stevens
(muttering: What do they teach in those schools...)

I'm curious to know if the alka-seltzer method is chemically valid, and
why it works -- not just that it works.

Anyone know?
--

I've got my doubts. AlkaSeltzer fizzes because it contains primarily
citric acid and sodium bicarbonate and these disassociate in the water
and generate carbon dioxide (and sodium citrate). I don't think they'll
disassociate in either gasoline or ethanol. Any fizzing in the
ethanol is probably due to water dissolved therein.

Call a high school or college chemistry teacher.



"Jay Honeck" wrote in message
oups.com...
| Get some ethanol enhanced gas from a labeled pump and try
it. If it
| reacts to known alcohol and dosen't to know good gas,
then it ought to
| be OK.
|
| John Stevens
| (muttering: What do they teach in those schools...)
|
| I'm curious to know if the alka-seltzer method is
chemically valid, and
| why it works -- not just that it works.
|
| Anyone know?
| --
| Jay Honeck
| Iowa City, IA
| Pathfinder N56993
| www.AlexisParkInn.com
| "Your Aviation Destination"
|

Jim Macklin wrote:
Call a high school or college chemistry teacher.

I bet they won't know, either. My son used to come home from
High School with all sorts of mistaken stuff he learned in Science
Class, from electricity to metallurgy.

Dan

I should have said, competent
wrote in message
oups.com...
|
| Jim Macklin wrote:
| Call a high school or college chemistry teacher.
|
| I bet they won't know, either. My son used to
come home from
| High School with all sorts of mistaken stuff he learned in
Science
| Class, from electricity to metallurgy.
|
| Dan
|

Jay:

In a previous life I was a chemistry major, and in fact went to graduate
school and worked as an chemist before moving on.

Your premise regarding the alka seltzer doesn't make much sense chemically.
In fact, the addition of the ethanol may increase the solubility of water in
the mix, since it is more polar than the normal hydrocarbons contained in
gasoline. However, it's been a long time, but if I find some Alka Seltzer we
can try it in my lab.

JN

Your premise regarding the alka seltzer doesn't make much sense chemically.
In fact, the addition of the ethanol may increase the solubility of water in
the mix, since it is more polar than the normal hydrocarbons contained in
gasoline. However, it's been a long time, but if I find some Alka Seltzer we
can try it in my lab.

The difference between theory and practice is that in theory there is no
difference.

In practice, there is.

Jose
--
The monkey turns the crank and thinks he's making the music.
for Email, make the obvious change in the address.

Hopefully we won't need too much Alka Seltzer after the party. BTW, do you
recommend getting a rental car?

JN


"Jay Honeck" wrote in message
ups.com...
Your premise regarding the alka seltzer doesn't make much sense
chemically.
In fact, the addition of the ethanol may increase the solubility of water
in
the mix, since it is more polar than the normal hydrocarbons contained in
gasoline. However, it's been a long time, but if I find some Alka Seltzer
we
can try it in my lab.

Well, if you bring the alka-seltzer to the pool party Saturday, we'll
have some fun! (And, no, you may NOT drop a bunch of that stuff in
the pool, no matter HOW cool it looks...)

:-)
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"