Ethanol ?
 

I know this has been talked about before but need some info on it.Was there a article in Powerboat about it ? D o we have to stand clear of it in a marine engine? Any info would help.Thanks in advance.

Re: Ethanol ?
 

They Did Have A Write Up On It In One Of The Mags. I Will See If I Still Have The Issue.

Re: Ethanol ?
 

Well I Found It Right In Front Of My Face:d

Its The Feb Issue.

Re: Ethanol ?
 

hope this works

Re: Ethanol ?
 

Basically you can run it fine....just don't leave it sitting in your tank for more than a few weeks. And definitely don't leave it in your tanks over the winter. It breaks down fast and absorbs water....so make sure you change water seperator filters often and keep spares.

Thanks but Whipple told me not to run separtors so I didn't.

Doc were you able to read the email?

Great news...I filled up prior to winter layup. I am not sure it had ethanol in the fuel then. Should I just burn of the fuel and keep changing filters or should I drain and start fresh?

As I understand it, in approx 90 days the fuel will turn into 83 octane with some amount of water in the fuel. You decide, but I wouldn't burn it in mine if it had ethanol in it.

Thanks for the info...do you think some booster could bring it back up safe enough to burn off the winter fuel? Maybe half tank then, dump some fresh in it?

Sorry Rich not trying to steal the thread..

I can't answer that and don't take my posts as gospel. This info is related to what Rich asked about besides, he's running on paddles at the moment :eek: :drink:
I keep stating this is how I understand it based on everything I've read but even I'm not convinced I have all the info. I was told that gasoline as we used to know it is now made at 83 octane and the ethanol is mixed in just before delivery to bring it up to the desired octane (I think I remember that correctly anyway). Based on this I'm not willing to run low octane water mixed fuel through an engine that costs alot more than a tank of fuel.

If adding octane boost and water absorbers works to safely allow an engine to run old ethanol fuel please pass that info along to me too. My tanks are already empty and I plan on dumping the 10-15 gallons of generator fuel I've kept around too this spring.

i am just going to add 10 gallons of 110 race gas in april:rolleyes:

Yes I was and I found my mag and read it.Thanks

ethanol will not improve with octane booster. if you have a skater or another brand of boat with fiberglass tanks , it WILL eat away at them and you will have problems with de-lam. after winter 99 drain it and have a big ol camp fire or have fun grenading your engine.
doc i have quad rotors in the 42 with big water sep/ fuel filters. no probs. no filter will cause you probs , no doubt . call dustin and ask him again.
this is the filter. made by ramco performance

That I believe is for Gasahol, which is 90% 83 octane and 10% 102 octane Ethanol. What most gas stations carry is 98% 87 octain and 2% Ethanol. Gas pumps should specify which you are running. The Gasahol is suposed to be clearly marked.

I know the gasahol we run is 90 octane and I leave my tanks as empty as possible for the winter. With some stabilizer in it. I use Seafoam. There are some new ones made just for Gasahol. In the spring I fill my tanks up, bring the boa back home and run it on a hose for a while letting it warm up real good while checking eerything out. Then I replace the water seperator. I have not had any troubles with fuel or filters during the boating season this way.

Everything around here is 10% ethanol as of last summer....not sure if my 83 octane example applies. My source is someone that would know...unfortunately I'm not certain I have the info correct as I heard it.

Hey BIG DADDY nice set-up, did the filters really help you out alot ???????? my old filters clogged hourly and yours are friggin huge , and how often do you clean them out?
thnx Bro

Some interesting discussion on the topic of Methanol and Ethanol gas blends: http://yarchive.net/car/methanol.html
It would seem that if the seperation occurred in your tanks the first problem would be all the water in the bottom of the gas tank where the fuel pickup is typically located. If you get past that hurdle then maybe the loss in octane would be in play.

Now marina gas is a different matter since once the seperated water is pumped into someone's boat (or filtered out) the next boat gets the reduced octane fuel.

The culprit condensation can not happen if there is no air space in the fuel tank since without air movement in and out of the tank the humidity can not be brought in to condense. Keeping tanks topped off (and with gas stable for its seperate benefits) during year around storage on a Hydra Hoist has worked for me. I check the contents of the water seperating fuel filter every fall during winterization and have found no water using this practice. I do not use marina gas and only high sales volume gas stations.

Thnx Rage for the info , i was hearing to drain the tanks for the winter storage mos , and guys out west are runnin 100 octane to elominate the ethanol .Even chris at SKATER seemed surprized i had the tanks full of fuel

Up here in the Northlands 10% Ethanol is pretty much the norm. I just have a carbed 454 making around 400 horse on 87 octane at 8.7 compression so I'm sure my motor is a lot more forgiving than what some of you are running, but this has always worked for me. The last few times out for the season I start dosing the tank with Stabil and on the way to be winterized I add another big dose of Stabil and top the tank as full as I can to minimize air circulation and condensation. It sits outside all winter. Come spring it always starts up no problem. The first few times out I am careful not to load the engine any more than what I need to get on plane and then just cruise easy (3000 RPM or so) until the tank is as empty as I dare. This is pretty easy to tolerate because the upper Mississippi in springtime is so full of floating "speed bumps" you'd be crazy to go very fast until the water recedes enough to beach at least the big stuff. Topped off with new gas I will hit it a little harder but I still won't hold her open until the third tank. By that time all the old gas is long gone and life is good. I don't know about blower motors but it seems like even if it runs crappy you shouldn't do any damage as long as you take it easy, and it doesn't take long for a big block to burn through a tank of fuel. Just my $.02

Just as long as they are full.

Draining the tanks for winter and filling with 'fresh' gas next season will also work but you will have as much condensation collected in the empty tanks as you can get given whatever thermal cycling and humidity that goes on during the period. So you need to purge that before filling up or all your efforts will be in vain. Additionally there will be no Ethanol in the tank to assit in pulling the available humidity out of the air so you would gain there as well.

Good thread. Everybodys situation is a little different. I always dump STP fuel treatment or stabil into the tank along with octane boost into older boats that I pick up that have not been run in a while and I top off the tanks with 103 low lead from the airport or 114 blue lightning sonnoco. We have a pump for that gas down here. I use the high test gas to bring the levels of the other gas up to a tolerable level and to fight detonation.

You never know what is in these tanks when you pick up an old boat, and draining the tanks is not allways practical.

103 lowlead and the sunnico fuels dont have any ethanol in them, and they also are still leaded gases that is softer on the valves. Your find that with the absence of road tax, the price of avgas is about the same and sometimes slightly cheaper than the crappy 93 you are buying at the pump.

Just a little info, It got warm here last weekend allmost 80. Just thought I'd rub that in. :evilb:

It got warm here last weekend allmost 80. Just thought I'd rub that in. Yeah RUB this u lil Biotch :evilb: Jeff so your saying leave them full ???? or pump them dry ??? i have elec fuel pumps so i can pump it back out in the 1000 gallon tank we fill her with ... from your post your talkin about losing octane or eating the fiberglass tanks ???
ROCK ON !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Rage condensation ???????????? with the boat inside at 68 to 70 degrees the condensation problem is minute ?????

Never had one with fiberglass tanks, so I don't know. I have just heard that it is not good for fiberglass tnaks. DAMN SKATERS.

You guys on your way down yet?

Whats not good for glass tanks ??? stabil ? octane boost ? leaving them full in the winter ??? Yeah Leon called saturday from the boat show and said he was sellin the crap out of stuff and weather was awesome ... we just finished the paint/clear touch ups yesterday , my carpet from 12/17 arrived yesterday ,and went to put in a gps that was phuched up and have to wait for the new one to get here tomorrow .. stumbled on a problem and waiting it out a few days or gonna do a pressure check . smells like _ _ _ :p

what have we been talking about?



ETHANOL

Just don't smoke in the boat :cool-smiley-011:

If gas tank temperature is constant, no thermal cycling, no air transfer, no condensation. It is a function of thermal cycling and humidity.

We're not worried about smokin a few in the boat , the BIG guy up stairs must be lookin out for me if we ran last year with a leaky tank and gas runnin along the stringers :evilb:

In english RAGE condensation is only happening outside or when its just filled with gas
ROCK ON !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Dump 10 gallons of purple degreaser before every run and add enough water to slosh around. Can't burn that way.

:party-smiley-004:

Change your screen name to BURNINGUP RACING:evilb:

OUCH !!!!!!!!!
BURNINGUP RACING ??? and i thought you were riding with us in texoma ???????? just keep one burnin and we'll be fine .:cool-smiley-011:

Depends on how soon you come down. I have to go up that way and pick up a set of heads from Leon whenever they get finished. Probably 2 weeks.

[QUOTE=jeff1000man;2442228]Dump 10 gallons of purple degreaser before every run and add enough water to slosh around. Can't burn that way.

:party-smiley-004:

Hey BIG DADDY whats the purple ????? tried simple green before and did'nt work for chit ... Leon should be callin me in about 26 mins i'll tellhim to get your chit done LOL .. i guess hes swamped and the dallas show they sold alot ... did you go and see those 3000 hp puppies ????:evilb:

[QUOTE=RunninHotRacing158;2442289]I don't know. I jsut get it at walmart, or home depot, or Oreily.

Home depot sells an industial type in 5 gallon buckets. You have to mix it 1 part in 40 I think. Keep it away from your aluminum parts because it is corrosive.

The stuff from oreily and wal mart is pre diluted so it is OK.

I guess it takes a SKATER to get him to call you back.

[QUOTE=jeff1000man;2442325]
UT-OH i know he's been super buzy , but we've had a few lenghthy convs about your fellow texan LLoyd Ccando essex

[QUOTE=RunninHotRacing158;2442344]HUH?

[QUOTE=jeff1000man;2442351] WTF can you explain HUH :cool-smiley-027:
send me a p.m.

tt