Striper Talk Striped Bass Fishing, Surfcasting, Boating - View Single Post - Ethanol

Sweetwater · 05-23-2006, 12:21 PM

I realize there has already been a thread started that relates to this (see Fuel Issues), but I wanted to get comments and feedback from anyone who actually has experience with using ethanol (ethyl alcohol) blended fuel in their boat, since it is being widely introduced in Massachusetts. I have some info and Team Rock On posted a good link from Mercury Marine in the other thread.

This is what I know so far. Ethanol:
- Is highly corrosive, especially for aluminum and brass
- Can degrade certain materials, especially fiberglass gas tanks and some hoses and components
- Mixes easily with water which can be introduced through your air intake and from simple humidity.
- This can cause problems during long periods of storage.
- Existing water in a tank (after years of running 100% gasoline or MBTE mix) can be “taken up” by the ethanol
- Can cause the ethanol to separate from the gasoline dramatically reducing octane levels and even cause the engine to stall or fail (and not restart).
- (Note, this isn’t a problem in cars due to the fuel being a “closed” system and the fact that you burn most the fuel out of the tank more often).
- Many marine engine manufacturers recommend a 10 micron filter
- Blends over 10% ethanol are almost always NOT recommended
- Methanol is a more of a problem than Ethanol

I have some questions that I hope some of you can answer.
- Are there any additives, such a dry gas, which can be used to remove the water or prevent separation of the ethanol from the gasoline?
- What preventative measures are you taking to ensure you don’t develop engine problems at sea?
- Is there a way to test your fuel to determine if you have excess water or separation problems?

Would appreciate any feedback and comments.

05-23-2006, 12:21 PM	#1
Sweetwater Ruled only by the tide iTrader: (0) Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Truro Posts: 801	Ethanol - Is it a problem? I realize there has already been a thread started that relates to this (see Fuel Issues), but I wanted to get comments and feedback from anyone who actually has experience with using ethanol (ethyl alcohol) blended fuel in their boat, since it is being widely introduced in Massachusetts. I have some info and Team Rock On posted a good link from Mercury Marine in the other thread. This is what I know so far. Ethanol: - Is highly corrosive, especially for aluminum and brass - Can degrade certain materials, especially fiberglass gas tanks and some hoses and components - Mixes easily with water which can be introduced through your air intake and from simple humidity. - This can cause problems during long periods of storage. - Existing water in a tank (after years of running 100% gasoline or MBTE mix) can be “taken up” by the ethanol - Can cause the ethanol to separate from the gasoline dramatically reducing octane levels and even cause the engine to stall or fail (and not restart). - (Note, this isn’t a problem in cars due to the fuel being a “closed” system and the fact that you burn most the fuel out of the tank more often). - Many marine engine manufacturers recommend a 10 micron filter - Blends over 10% ethanol are almost always NOT recommended - Methanol is a more of a problem than Ethanol I have some questions that I hope some of you can answer. - Are there any additives, such a dry gas, which can be used to remove the water or prevent separation of the ethanol from the gasoline? - What preventative measures are you taking to ensure you don’t develop engine problems at sea? - Is there a way to test your fuel to determine if you have excess water or separation problems? Would appreciate any feedback and comments.
	Three-fourths of the Earth's surface is water, and one-fourth is land. It is quite clear that the good Lord intended us to spend triple the amount of time fishing as taking care of the lawn.