Boater sues over ethanol-laced gasoline's effect on fiberglass fuel tank
04-14-2008, 10:49 PM
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Boater sues over ethanol-laced gasoline's effect on fiberglass fuel tank
Buddy of mine sent this to me today.....
Boater sues over ethanol-laced gasoline's effect on fiberglass fuel tank
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He says oil companies should have warned owners that the additive could cause damage. The oil companies say ethanol's effect on fiberglass has been known for a long time.
By Elizabeth Douglass
Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
April 15 2008
Something was wrong with Sally Ann. (paragraph) For months, she sputtered and choked, and Barry Treahy's remedies weren't working. He kept changing her fuel filters. Then he rebuilt her carburetor. Finally, he cut into her gas tank, cleaned out the mysterious caramel-colored gunk and patched her up -- twice.(paragraph) Disaster struck on a summer day in San Diego, when Treahy's beloved 20-foot fishing boat was parked street side with the outer hull plug open to drain any residual water. The boat's 55-gallon gas tank failed and gasoline streamed into the bilge and down the street. (paragraph) "I wasn't smart enough to figure it out at first," Treahy said of Sally Ann's chronic troubles. Finally, he found the answer in a boating magazine. Ethanol-laced gasoline was dissolving his boat's fiberglass fuel tank, sending bits of resin to clog filters and ultimately eating a hole all the way through the tank. (paragraph) Years of adding ethanol to gasoline to reduce air pollution and foreign oil dependence has had a nasty side effect: The stuff appears to damage boat fuel tanks made of fiberglass. And California is a floating testing ground for the ethanol effect.
The complete article can be viewed at:
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-f...,2271802.story
Visit latimes.com at http://www.latimes.com
Boater sues over ethanol-laced gasoline's effect on fiberglass fuel tank
--------------------
He says oil companies should have warned owners that the additive could cause damage. The oil companies say ethanol's effect on fiberglass has been known for a long time.
By Elizabeth Douglass
Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
April 15 2008
Something was wrong with Sally Ann. (paragraph) For months, she sputtered and choked, and Barry Treahy's remedies weren't working. He kept changing her fuel filters. Then he rebuilt her carburetor. Finally, he cut into her gas tank, cleaned out the mysterious caramel-colored gunk and patched her up -- twice.(paragraph) Disaster struck on a summer day in San Diego, when Treahy's beloved 20-foot fishing boat was parked street side with the outer hull plug open to drain any residual water. The boat's 55-gallon gas tank failed and gasoline streamed into the bilge and down the street. (paragraph) "I wasn't smart enough to figure it out at first," Treahy said of Sally Ann's chronic troubles. Finally, he found the answer in a boating magazine. Ethanol-laced gasoline was dissolving his boat's fiberglass fuel tank, sending bits of resin to clog filters and ultimately eating a hole all the way through the tank. (paragraph) Years of adding ethanol to gasoline to reduce air pollution and foreign oil dependence has had a nasty side effect: The stuff appears to damage boat fuel tanks made of fiberglass. And California is a floating testing ground for the ethanol effect.
The complete article can be viewed at:
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-f...,2271802.story
Visit latimes.com at http://www.latimes.com
04-15-2008, 06:20 AM
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ethanol
Just had both tanks redone on my skater.I was lucky and did it while the boat was being completely overhauled.Can you imagine ripping apart a sport fish.
I am on here 3x a day and read every magazine I can find,the effects of ethanol were well published according to the gas companies??I never heard anything about it till I bought one,absolute BS. Another slick move by oil companies should be the title.
Remember when they put polybutelyne piping in houses??
They are still ripping that **** out 20 trs later(class action)
this will be next.
Funny story they are replacing the fiberglass with aluminum,and I heard it eats that too!
I am on here 3x a day and read every magazine I can find,the effects of ethanol were well published according to the gas companies??I never heard anything about it till I bought one,absolute BS. Another slick move by oil companies should be the title.
Remember when they put polybutelyne piping in houses??
They are still ripping that **** out 20 trs later(class action)
this will be next.
Funny story they are replacing the fiberglass with aluminum,and I heard it eats that too!
04-15-2008, 06:48 AM
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I for one think the government should force the gas companies to post how much if any ethanol is in the gas. Ga. requires nothing and I have absolutely no way of knowing if I am buying ethanol free gas.They also need to make ethanol free gas available if it isn't.
I hope it's not gonna take a bunch of boats blowing up and killing people before something is done.
I hope it's not gonna take a bunch of boats blowing up and killing people before something is done.
04-15-2008, 07:04 AM
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I for one think the government should force the gas companies to post how much if any ethanol is in the gas. Ga. requires nothing and I have absolutely no way of knowing if I am buying ethanol free gas.They also need to make ethanol free gas available if it isn't.
I hope it's not gonna take a bunch of boats blowing up and killing people before something is done.
I hope it's not gonna take a bunch of boats blowing up and killing people before something is done.
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04-15-2008, 07:43 AM
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And think of what is happening to the fuel tanks under ground at the gas stations. If you think that they are not being eaten away by this stuff , b.s. They first said it does not effect new polyester resins that is a crock of sh-t. Have any of you noticed how slow the pumps at the gas station are sometimes. Thats because it is clogging the filters more frequently... With what . you be the judge ..
04-15-2008, 08:58 AM
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VA (and I assume the opther states as well) require the 10% ethanol stickers on the pumps. Some areas are 100% ethanol and you have no choice unless you drive out of state. If I drive 20-30 minutes outside the city (into rural counties) then they have "regular" non-ethanol fuels in their tanks. I've seen articles about ethanol and it's effect on tanks for 2 years...since it was first reported that ethanol was going to be in our state.
I remember seeing a similar story from a Congressman in CA that had an older boat with fiberglass tanks. His tanks were eaten up...he was pizzed that no one warned him what it would do to his older sport-fisher.
Unfortunately there has been plenty of information (and some mis-information) about ethanol floating around, I don't think this guy has a leg to stand on in his suit regarding the lack of warning.....what's worse is depending on where you live, non-ethanol fuel could be totally un-available.
I remember seeing a similar story from a Congressman in CA that had an older boat with fiberglass tanks. His tanks were eaten up...he was pizzed that no one warned him what it would do to his older sport-fisher.
Unfortunately there has been plenty of information (and some mis-information) about ethanol floating around, I don't think this guy has a leg to stand on in his suit regarding the lack of warning.....what's worse is depending on where you live, non-ethanol fuel could be totally un-available.
04-15-2008, 09:07 AM
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VA (and I assume the opther states as well) require the 10% ethanol stickers on the pumps. Some areas are 100% ethanol and you have no choice unless you drive out of state. If I drive 20-30 minutes outside the city (into rural counties) then they have "regular" non-ethanol fuels in their tanks. I've seen articles about ethanol and it's effect on tanks for 2 years...since it was first reported that ethanol was going to be in our state.
I remember seeing a similar story from a Congressman in CA that had an older boat with fiberglass tanks. His tanks were eaten up...he was pizzed that no one warned him what it would do to his older sport-fisher.
Unfortunately there has been plenty of information (and some mis-information) about ethanol floating around, I don't think this guy has a leg to stand on in his suit regarding the lack of warning.....what's worse is depending on where you live, non-ethanol fuel could be totally un-available.
I remember seeing a similar story from a Congressman in CA that had an older boat with fiberglass tanks. His tanks were eaten up...he was pizzed that no one warned him what it would do to his older sport-fisher.
Unfortunately there has been plenty of information (and some mis-information) about ethanol floating around, I don't think this guy has a leg to stand on in his suit regarding the lack of warning.....what's worse is depending on where you live, non-ethanol fuel could be totally un-available.
04-15-2008, 09:11 AM
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And think of what is happening to the fuel tanks under ground at the gas stations. If you think that they are not being eaten away by this stuff , b.s. They first said it does not effect new polyester resins that is a crock of sh-t. Have any of you noticed how slow the pumps at the gas station are sometimes. Thats because it is clogging the filters more frequently... With what . you be the judge ..
