The biggest load of bs car advice, fearing for the future of auto knowledge

A couple of weeks ago I took my 79 300 with a 360 for a drive here in Phoenix with the temp at around 40 degrees. It started bucking and farting so bad I was ready to turn around and head home before I got stranded. As it got a bit warmer it got better. It ran great when it fully warmed up. Not sure what would've happened if it was colder!
 
A couple of weeks ago I took my 79 300 with a 360 for a drive here in Phoenix with the temp at around 40 degrees. It started bucking and farting so bad I was ready to turn around and head home before I got stranded. As it got a bit warmer it got better. It ran great when it fully warmed up. Not sure what would've happened if it was colder!
Your issue sounds like some moisture (water) in the fuel. It wouldn't hurt to dump a bottle of Iso-heat or gas-line antifreeze in with a fill up. Even at 40 degrees you can get moisture buildup. I buy a dozen bottles when they are on sale and add one every once-in-a-while when the weather get cold. Maybe you can't even get that stuff in Phoenix but it is a necessity in my neck of the woods.
 
A couple of weeks ago I took my 79 300 with a 360 for a drive here in Phoenix with the temp at around 40 degrees. It started bucking and farting so bad I was ready to turn around and head home before I got stranded. As it got a bit warmer it got better. It ran great when it fully warmed up. Not sure what would've happened if it was colder!
Choke adjustment or choke pull off not working.
 
Your issue sounds like some moisture (water) in the fuel. It wouldn't hurt to dump a bottle of Iso-heat or gas-line antifreeze in with a fill up. Even at 40 degrees you can get moisture buildup. I buy a dozen bottles when they are on sale and add one every once-in-a-while when the weather get cold. Maybe you can't even get that stuff in Phoenix but it is a necessity in my neck of the woods.
The gas line anti-freeze is made from either methanol or ethanol, with the better versions made from ethanol. The idea is that water mixes with the ethanol and burns with the gas.

That was great and I always dumped a can in my winter drivers about every month as a preventive. But that was before the gas was laced with ethanol, making dry-gas just about obsolete.

In other words, you don't need it any more.
 
The gas line anti-freeze is made from either methanol or ethanol, with the better versions made from ethanol. The idea is that water mixes with the ethanol and burns with the gas.

That was great and I always dumped a can in my winter drivers about every month as a preventive. But that was before the gas was laced with ethanol, making dry-gas just about obsolete.

In other words, you don't need it any more.
You may be right about the additive not needed in ethanol gas but I have had a problem with my 05 300 sputtering in the winter with the ethanol **** in it so I still add some from time to time in both my car and my wife's Durango. Around here in the winter snow blows around and gets into the pump nozzles at gas stations and try as I may, not to allow it in my tank, it seems to find it's way in. I've seen tanker trucks filling the underground tanks in heavy snow storms and you know some is getting into the underground tanks as well so I will keep doing what I'm doing. It is cheap insurance. As for my comment regarding azblackhemi's issue, IMO, a 79 300 shouldn't be using ethanol gas to start with. I don't put that **** in anything with a carburetor. Not even my lawn mower or snow blower.
I didn't mean to change the subject of this thread so Sorry for that. I'll shut up now.
 
You may be right about the additive not needed in ethanol gas but I have had a problem with my 05 300 sputtering in the winter with the ethanol **** in it so I still add some from time to time in both my car and my wife's Durango. Around here in the winter snow blows around and gets into the pump nozzles at gas stations and try as I may, not to allow it in my tank, it seems to find it's way in. I've seen tanker trucks filling the underground tanks in heavy snow storms and you know some is getting into the underground tanks as well so I will keep doing what I'm doing. It is cheap insurance. As for my comment regarding azblackhemi's issue, IMO, a 79 300 shouldn't be using ethanol gas to start with. I don't put that **** in anything with a carburetor. Not even my lawn mower or snow blower.
I didn't mean to change the subject of this thread so Sorry for that. I'll shut up now.
I just looked it up and I was incorrect about ethanol, although still right about methanol. The main ingredient on the "better" dry-gas is Isopropyl alcohol. Still, ethanol will absorb water.

That said, living in Syracuse, we don't get the cold like you guys in Wisconsin, but we do get a ton of snow (usually average 10 feet per season) and all the precautions about getting rain and snow in your tank while filling still apply. My Dad used to say to "never buy gas in a rain storm" and that is still good advice, although most places now have covered pumps so I don't know as it's that important. Still... I haven't bought dry-gas in years now, never having a problem. I think the high pressure pumps for fuel injection also doesn't let a little frozen spot stop the fuel flow.

Funny, we had a driver working for us that always buying dry gas for the shop van. I could never convince him not to and he just went ahead and did it after I told him not to. It never hurt (obviously) and he was real close to retirement, so I let it slide.... Picking my battles... LOL.

But, we've hijacked this thread enough! :lol:
 
A couple of weeks ago I took my 79 300 with a 360 for a drive here in Phoenix with the temp at around 40 degrees. It started bucking and farting so bad I was ready to turn around and head home before I got stranded. As it got a bit warmer it got better. It ran great when it fully warmed up. Not sure what would've happened if it was colder!
Check the following Choke spring opening rate, choke pull off both oper. and adjustment. EGR operation. Unplug the EGR on cold start and note any improvement. EGR operation was problematic in 78-79 Cordoba Mirada Magnum and 300 cars. Lastly is this a Lean Burn 360 or not. Some cars converted had drivability issues.
 
you also need the right weight engine oil.

Amen. The typical old school Rotella 15W-40 cranks so very slowly or not enough at the right temp, 10W-30 is exponentially thinner, good enough for here, then there's thinner even weights yet for new rigs, the synthetic stuff is like water.

I've seen tanker trucks filling the underground tanks in heavy snow storms and you know some is getting into the underground tanks as well so I will keep doing what I'm doing.

Never EVER ever gas up during a fuel delivery, avoid it and avoid things like frozen fuel lines.

As resident purveyor of solid/gospel information BJ rightly pointed out, the methanol - do not drink! - in gasolines today will "move water" absorb it into the fuel, theoretically.

And certainly to the point that buying fuel line deicer should be a thing of the past.

Should be, unless you fuel up during "fuel drops".

No no.

When I worked for Ryder Truck, a nationwide rental fleet plus lease work for EZ Loader boat trailers, USPS carriers, etc, we had our own fuel tanks and my job every morning - besides changing the station to from Country to Rock while the air compressor kicked on and my boss couldn't hear it happening - was "sticking" the fuel tanks.

Like this.

You take this graduated ten foot pole, and you put something like talcum powder on the end, the 1st foot, and then you stick the tank, and you pull the stick out, and it gives you TWO readings.

Ones is the overall height of the fuel which translates into volume, and the other reading at the bottom is the water at the bottom of the tank, and for us, it was usually around a foot of water.

And what happens when the fuel man makes his drop, is that presumably the force of the incoming stream of fuel will take all of that water at the bottom of the tank, and put it in suspension.

Wise drivers don't do it.

Was dating a gorgeous countergirl at Schucks/Kragen/Reilly (how many parts counter girls have you dated?) and her Honda was running weird/dying all the time no one could figure it out, it turned out she had like 3 gallons of water at the bottom or gas tank. Once drained, problem solved. It would slosh going around corners, go through the engine, make it run like crap and make it die at the worst times, risking frozen fuel lines in winter, way to much for any alcohol to absorb and move.

You can analyze your gas in a clear jar, drain a small engine float boat and look for droplets of water, or worse, lots of water = rust & corrosion, yech.
 
Amen. The typical old school Rotella 15W-40 cranks so very slowly or not enough at the right temp, 10W-30 is exponentially thinner, good enough for here, then there's thinner even weights yet for new rigs, the synthetic stuff is like water.



Never EVER ever gas up during a fuel delivery, avoid it and avoid things like frozen fuel lines.

As resident purveyor of solid/gospel information BJ rightly pointed out, the methanol - do not drink! - in gasolines today will "move water" absorb it into the fuel, theoretically.

And certainly to the point that buying fuel line deicer should be a thing of the past.

Should be, unless you fuel up during "fuel drops".

No no.

When I worked for Ryder Truck, a nationwide rental fleet plus lease work for EZ Loader boat trailers, USPS carriers, etc, we had our own fuel tanks and my job every morning - besides changing the station to from Country to Rock while the air compressor kicked on and my boss couldn't hear it happening - was "sticking" the fuel tanks.

Like this.

You take this graduated ten foot pole, and you put something like talcum powder on the end, the 1st foot, and then you stick the tank, and you pull the stick out, and it gives you TWO readings.

Ones is the overall height of the fuel which translates into volume, and the other reading at the bottom is the water at the bottom of the tank, and for us, it was usually around a foot of water.

And what happens when the fuel man makes his drop, is that presumably the force of the incoming stream of fuel will take all of that water at the bottom of the tank, and put it in suspension.

Wise drivers don't do it.

Was dating a gorgeous countergirl at Schucks/Kragen/Reilly (how many parts counter girls have you dated?) and her Honda was running weird/dying all the time no one could figure it out, it turned out she had like 3 gallons of water at the bottom or gas tank. Once drained, problem solved. It would slosh going around corners, go through the engine, make it run like crap and make it die at the worst times, risking frozen fuel lines in winter, way to much for any alcohol to absorb and move.

You can analyze your gas in a clear jar, drain a small engine float boat and look for droplets of water, or worse, lots of water = rust & corrosion, yech.
Yes, bad to buy gas while the big tanker is there!

I can't help but wonder if that foot of water on the bottom of the tank still exists with the ethanol laced gas. I don't know anyone in the gas business (anymore) to ask that question.

Never dated a parts countergirl though... There was a crazy girl that worked at a Papa Johns that was around for a while.... But when I was dating my wife, I had to explain to her daughter's drunken ******* boyfriend about dry-gas and running around with a near empty tank wasn't exactly good for the pump in the tank of his Buick after it became stranded in the driveway on a below zero night. He became my drunken ******* son inlaw for a while and now is my step daughter's drunken ******* ex husband.
 
Amen. The typical old school Rotella 15W-40 cranks so very slowly or not enough at the right temp, 10W-30 is exponentially thinner, good enough for here, then there's thinner even weights yet for new rigs, the synthetic stuff is like water.



Never EVER ever gas up during a fuel delivery, avoid it and avoid things like frozen fuel lines.

As resident purveyor of solid/gospel information BJ rightly pointed out, the methanol - do not drink! - in gasolines today will "move water" absorb it into the fuel, theoretically.

And certainly to the point that buying fuel line deicer should be a thing of the past.

Should be, unless you fuel up during "fuel drops".

No no.

When I worked for Ryder Truck, a nationwide rental fleet plus lease work for EZ Loader boat trailers, USPS carriers, etc, we had our own fuel tanks and my job every morning - besides changing the station to from Country to Rock while the air compressor kicked on and my boss couldn't hear it happening - was "sticking" the fuel tanks.

Like this.

You take this graduated ten foot pole, and you put something like talcum powder on the end, the 1st foot, and then you stick the tank, and you pull the stick out, and it gives you TWO readings.

Ones is the overall height of the fuel which translates into volume, and the other reading at the bottom is the water at the bottom of the tank, and for us, it was usually around a foot of water.

And what happens when the fuel man makes his drop, is that presumably the force of the incoming stream of fuel will take all of that water at the bottom of the tank, and put it in suspension.

Wise drivers don't do it.

Was dating a gorgeous countergirl at Schucks/Kragen/Reilly (how many parts counter girls have you dated?) and her Honda was running weird/dying all the time no one could figure it out, it turned out she had like 3 gallons of water at the bottom or gas tank. Once drained, problem solved. It would slosh going around corners, go through the engine, make it run like crap and make it die at the worst times, risking frozen fuel lines in winter, way to much for any alcohol to absorb and move.

You can analyze your gas in a clear jar, drain a small engine float boat and look for droplets of water, or worse, lots of water = rust & corrosion, yech.
For all the reasons you just related to........IMO, the need for the Iso-heat will never go away. Just because you didn't witness a fuel tanker in the area surely don't mean you are safe to refuel. Like I said before, Because of my past experiences, I add a bottle to every other tankful in the winter. I have not had water or frozen fuel line issues since. Same with putting ethanol laced fuel in anything with a carburetor. Like my dad used to say. "If it hurts, quit doin' it!"
 
I can't help but wonder if that foot of water on the bottom of the tank still exists with the ethanol laced gas.
It is still present in today's gas. I had to stick tanks at a couple of places I worked at 30 years ago. Never did use talcum powder though.
 
I can't help but wonder if that foot of water on the bottom of the tank still exists with the ethanol laced gas. I don't know anyone in the gas business (anymore) to ask that question.

Was wondering the same thing myself...

I also avoid tiny hole in the wall gas stations where the tanks are 80 years old, and there's not as much traffic, so fuel sits around a lot longer.

Much better to go to high turnover gas station, the same one every time, same gas, same results.
 
It is still present in today's gas. I had to stick tanks at a couple of places I worked at 30 years ago. Never did use talcum powder though.
Thinking about it... and remembering watching videos on how to remove ethanol from modern gas, now I wonder if that's a bad thing... Of course, that would lower the octane slightly.

Random "removing ethanol" video:

 
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