This was a problem when ethanol first appeared in large percentages for a few years until proper materials were included in engineering specifications for thing

This was a problem when ethanol first appeared in large percentages for a few years until proper materials were included in engineering specifications for things like fuel pumps & hoses. Some conventional wisdom about not putting alcohol into your gasoline does go way back to the Model T days, it was widely regarded as safest just to not do it, since you can't be sure how much water is in the alcohol.