Study To Determine The Effects Of Ethanol On Classic Cars

Kettering University has initiated a study to determine the effects of ethanol blended fuels on the fuel systems and engine components of classic automobiles. The study will be conducted by Dr. Craig Hoff and Dr. Greg Davis, both professors of Mechanical Engineering and Dr. Chuck White of Kettering's Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering Department.

The study is being funded by Hagerty Insurance Agency.

Hagerty insures more than 600,000 collector cars and a number of vintage boats, and they have funded a $50,000 study with Kettering’s Advanced Engine Research laboratory (AERL) to explore the effects of bio-fuels on older engines.

“We serve the hobby in many ways, so we felt it was important to ascertain the impact of ethanol-blended fuel on collector cars and boats,” Hagerty CEO McKeel Hagerty was quoted as saying in the on-line edition of AutoWeek.

There have always been rumors of failures in older vehicles run on ethanol blended fuels. Hopefully this study will provide a clearer picture of the areas of concern and identify measures that owners of older cars can take to avoid problems.

Source : Kettering University