MG Midget Forum

I was going to title this topic "I got bad gas", and then sit back and let the hilarity ensue, but this is serious. Finding ethanol free fuel around my home is difficult. The only place I know of to get it is at the local marina. So on a recent visit to South Carolina, I filled up a Jerry can with E-zero gas from a Shell station. I put this fuel in the 73Midget and started having problems.
It would start, run for a bit at idle, and then suddenly stop. I took it around the block but the engine ran rough. I had to keep blipping the revs up just to keep it running. When I got it back to the shop, I checked the plugs... Lots of carbon fouling. So I drained the fuel tank, flushed the ine, changed the filter, and cleaned out the float chambers, refilled the tank with new high test fuel. Took the car around the block again, problem solved.
So with the problem clearly isolated, there is no question that it was bad fuel.
What are your thoughts? Anyone had a bad experience with E-zero gas? The bad fuel looked like clear, unleaded fuel. It smelled normal and there was no obvious particulate or turbidity. What can be so wrong with apparently normal fuel that it won't run an old MG?

You got some bad gas. Ethanol free gas can be bad too. Almost sounds like you got white gas instead of auto gas.

We have ethanol free gas in Wisconsin and use it almost exclusively in both our TR6 and Midget. For a couple years we kept a fuel log for our TR6 it showed a definite mileage benefit with ethanol free gas.

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Tom Smith
1974 Midget
1976 TR6

James
I would look into the jerry can to see if was a bit of water or contamination in the can. Sounds like you got something that caused the float valves to stick resulting in a rich mixture. Check the can for rust as well. When I run into a suspected fuel problem I always pour some of the old gas into a glass jar and let it settle for a few minutes. If right away you notice the fuel looks hazy you prob have entrained water in the fuel. Letting it settle allows the water to coalesce and drop out to the bottom of the jar. You will be able to clearly see the water.
I never heard of E-zero gas before.

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Iceman

Atlanta GA

71 MG Midget

62 AH MKII
67 Midget
71 Midget

I'm with Larry; check the fuel you pulled out and the can. I run only ethanol free in all cars we have which includes a 73 Midget. I notice the Midget is not quite as peppy with gas that has ethanol in it. No stumbles or hesitation.

Mike