MTFCA Forum

While checking for something else on the original 26 delivery statement from my 1926 T, I was curious on the 8 gallons of Benzine the owner needed to pay for. I'm assuming it was a full tank with the car. Australia had to import all fuel. Benzine although a mixture of hydrocarbon compounds and used the same as Benzene as a cleaning solvent for soiled fabrics, they both come in about the same scale when distilling crude, at and around the same time as Naphtha in the process. Between gasoline and kerosene. I wonder if this would have created any warranty issues? Ford did stipulate that you could only use gasoline in the T.

Won’t find any restrictions in fuel use for the T’s factory 90 day warrenty But….All the Ford Owners manuals say to use gasoline.

However, Henry wouldn’t frown on that fuel. In the 30’s he recycled coke byproducts from his huge blast furnaces to provide this alternative auto fuel to citizens of Detroit.

I believe that benzene, benzen, benzol, and similar words have been applied to gasoline. Naptha is similar to "camp fuel" or "white gasoline" and a Model T will run just fine on it. It is of low octane, and has a higher vapor pressure than good motor gasoline. Cold weather starting might require a richer mixture and more aggressive choking. "Gasoline" has no specific formula. It is a mixture of various "light" hydrocarbon fractions ranging from naptha up toward butane.