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      01-29-2023, 03:25 PM   #11
bigjae1976
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Ethanol is actually about 116 octane. The downside is the energy density is lower so it requires more fuel.

Ethanol absorbs moisture and can cause brittle fractures or stress corrosion cracking in steel. Particularly in welds that were not adequately shielded during the weld process. It would be a concern with aftermarket parts with welds.

The only downside is fuel economy goes down and it works your fuel system a little harder. The upside is ethanol is cheaper AND you can use a lower octane fuel and then blend in 116 octane ethanol to get the octane back up. If you have E10 91, its actually 87-89 octane gasoline that is blended up to 91 with ethanol.

The biggest difference in E10 or no ethanol fuels other than octane is the detergent additive. In the US, the EPA mandates additive levels in fuel. Specifically, EPA mandates higher levels of additive in fuels branded "top tier". It's a compliance requirement that the EPA audits. I'd check the clean air act laws in Australia to see if they regulate fuel detergency and additives for emissions purposes.
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