Classic/Antique Car Repair: gasahol, vintage triumph registry, roadster factory

Question
Howard, thanks for your in depth answer. Looks like I found a real expert. I feel somewhat uneasy to learn that fuel can cause any harm to my equipment. I've done some experimenting. Oxygenated gas vs conventional gas makes absolutely no difference in the emissions from my modern computerized auto. Thanks EPA for nothing. Also, I found that two cycle oil does not mix,at all, with pure ethanol but, now it's been five days, it hasn't separated at all from 10% gasahol so I may use it for two cycle applications where I generally run out the fuel at day's end anyway. My cheap lawn mowers I won't worry about. The tractor,(thirty year old B&S 18 hp) I just installed a gas cut off and will run out the fuel after snow plowing. The thirty-five year old 5 hp B&S tiller - have to drain after use. I won't worry about the 23 hp two year old Kawasaki engine on the Z turn mower as 10% ethanol is approved. The TR-6 will continue to get conventional fuel trucked in from PA, while it's available, just as during the MTBE years. I belong to several clubs (Six Pack, Vintage Triumph Registry, BMCSNJ) and am a customer of The Roadster Factory. As time goes by I'll question their experience rather than experiment with my car. In time I may have to rebuild my "original"
fuel system with more modern materials. Possibly 10% ethanol will prove to be harmless. I can hope.

While I have you there's another problem. My right rear brake tightens up, doesn't actually freeze, after a few miles. Every few miles I get out to feel the temperature of the wheel. If I tighten up and loosen the adjuster it runs free. The rear shoe rubs somewhat on the back plate which I lubricated with brake grease - limited result. I probably should rebuild the rear brakes. The limited experience I have with the braking system is replacing the master cylinder, front calipers and bleeding. Can I do the job myself? Do I need special tools and what trouble can I get into? I have all the manuals. How difficult is replacing the springs and the cylinders with those clips? When bleeding do you start with the farthest from the master and work forward? An experienced mechanic told me just the opposite?

Thanks again for your time and ,by the way, nice website. I'll be checking it for further developments on the alcohol front. Hmmm,maybe today I'll mix some Marvel's Mystery Oil with gasahol!
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The text above is a follow-up to ...

-----Question-----
I'm the original owner of a 1970 TR6 with 57K mi but this is a more general question.  Here,in New Jersey, the've changed over to 10% ethanol gas.  Beside my car I have lawn equipment, generators, etc. All well maintained and functional but purchased back in the 70's and 80's. How concerned should I be about using gasahol? How can I minimize damage other than to bring conventiional gas in from PA, at some risk and inconvenience? Do I have to run out all gas after each use?  What about 2 cycle engines?  I'm told oil doesn't mix with alcohol?  Thanks for your time and keeping those Brittish cars on the road.
-----Answer-----
Hi Oliver,
Actually, ethanol alcohol performs better than gasoline in high compression engines. However, alcohol effects some rubber and plastic parts in older engines.
In 1980 I received a grant from the US Dept. of Energy to build a ethanol alcohol still and convert a car to run on straight alcohol. I converted a Tri. TR-7 to run on straight ethanol. In the process I found that ethanol alcohol effected some of the rubber parts and some it didn't. The newer rubber fuel lines were not effected but the older ones were. I tried to get info from a local manufacture who made rubber parts for the auto industry but they acted like I was spying and they gave me a run around acting like they had some secrete rubber that I was trying to steal. So I started to pickle various rubber and plastic parts from several British cars in jars to see if there were any short term damage. The Stromberg carb floats are plastic but I did not note any short term damage but did note some damage to the inside of the float chamber walls of the carbs. I had read and knew that alcohol will damage aluminum but the carbs are more zink and I believe it was the zink being affected. I believe only 10% alcohol content will take a very long time to show any affect. I would replace all of the fuel flex hoses. I did not test the diaphragms in the carbs nor the diaphragm or valves in the fuel pump so I can't comment on that. You might make it a procedure to open up the fuel pump every 6 months and examine the rubber and plastic parts to be sure. The engine itself should not be affected other than you may be able to run a little more ignition advance thus improve performance.
Since I was running straight alcohol with no additives I worried about valve seat ware and an upper cylinder lub and I found oil would not mix with my alcohol. I did find that castor oil (the medication)(not Castrol)does mix well with ethanol alcohol so I added a few teaspoons per gallon to my car. I liked the smell anyway. Castrol the brand did have a castor based oil at one time called "Castrol R" oil.
I was told that the synthetic oil will work with a 2 stroke but I did not get that far in my tests.
Gasohol is only 10% alcohol and is 200 proof. I doubt you will have much trouble in the short term with any of your equipment but you should try to contact each manufacture and put the question to each with the model number of each piece of equipment. They will know what, if any changes might be needed.
Read my web page on Alcohol in my TR-7 Triumph on http://mg-tri-jag.net Scroll down to "Alcohol" in the menu.
I hope this helps a little.
Howard

Answer
Hi Oliver,
Sounds like you have a handle on it. We here in TN had gasohol for a while but stopped. I seen first hand that a lot of running problems were blamed on it when I knew better. I believe the 10% would take a long time to affect any components. It would take a long term study to see what was affected and what was not. I doubt anyone did any study on it. The adding of 10% alcohol was not just for the environment, it was a message sent to OPEC. A 10% reduction in gasoline is still a good reduction in oil purchases and that is a large message.

No special tools needed to do the rear brakes, just remember how the springs were located on the shoes. There are "Brake" tools available to make installing springs easier but they are not necessary to do the job. Just be sure to use DOT 4 fluid. If any DOT 3 was in the system be sure to flush the complete system.
All cars bleed the furthermost wheel first. Some cars had a very odd sequence like old Volvos but you still need to get the air out of the longest line first so you don't bring air by a junction that was already bled.
Howard