MACTIME

What recommendations does any have to resolve ethanol side effects? I have been told that gasoline containing 10%ethanol or more will absorb water and loose as much as 3-6 octane pts in as little as 2-4 weeks. Plus it will deteriorate fiberglass gas tanks.
Boaters in the Chesapeake bay are beginning to experience all sorts of problems now that this has been introduced to the marinas. Boats are running rough from clogged fuel filters and high performance engines appear to be doomed.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.

boomer

Read Here

http://www.boatus.com/news/e10_0706.htm

berns29scarab

this really sucks...im having a fuel/water issue as we speak. smart craft has never gone off until last week 2 times show water fuel seperater issue

Panther

Teague was talking about this in Powerboat Magazine this month. He said they have been increasing jet sizes on carbureated engines by 2-3% to account for the Ethanol.

Payton

So change your filter. You should at least once a year anyway. How old is your boat? What kind of tanks? I have been using e10 in everything I own for the last 3-4 years. My boat has aluminum tanks I buy marina fuel all season except for the initial fillup. that is E10 out of my tank on the farm.The first tank usually is in the boat for 6 weeks before I need to fillup again. I change my fuel filters in everything I own at least once a year. I have never had a filter plug, let alone a carb jet.

Boomer, that article is full of half truths or old information.

Payton

btw the subsidies for the Ethanol industry is the same as it was for MTBE.

CigDaze

That was a great article, I just read it a few days ago in my print edition.

Sadly, the almight and wise EPA did little to consider the ramifications of their far-reaching and whimsical change from MTBE to Ethanol. It's not just boats, it's going to effect power equipment, generators, etc.

Payton, I'd love to take your word for it, but the fact is that people nationwide are beginning to experience problems in their equipment.

Payton

Maybe it's my gas supplier. They make their own blend. They take 87 octane add the 10% ethanol and it makes 90 octane. We have some engines (one an old 1950s backhoe) where the gas will sit for 6-12 months. I know they use a stabilizing additive in all farm fuels just for that reason I understand peoples frustation, but I would think with a little preventitive mantenance, it shouldn't be much of an issue.

fund razor

Wish that I had seen that article before I added street gas to my tank this spring to bring up the octane after storage. I don't think that I have water but I do think that I have a "blend" of bad gas. Can't think of any other difference since last fall when I put it away with september 2005 gas in it.

Boat runs ok at full throttle but try to back her down and idle and forget it.
Both sides.

Guess I am gonna have to figure out how to drain that beyotch.

Tried to burn as much as I could last night (can you say WOT all the way down the river and back? I knew you could. ) but still have approx 60 gallons in the tank.

I would keep running her hard as possible to burn that gas but getting it back in the slip with stalling engines can be well, embarrassing.

Last night the boat hook saved me and luckily nobody was looking.

Think I am gonna pull her and figure out how to drain her.

fund razor

Yeah... but "a little preventative maintenance" now includes draining tanks and rebuilding carbs after each winter layup?

Great.