ethanol gas

In the latest BoatUS mag (now owned by West Marine) there are a few more than usual articles on ethanol formulated gas (E-10) that may have some bearing on those of us with OBs and Atomic 4s.

Let me summerize using an "Advertorial" of West Marine's "We make boating more fun!" The subject is serious:

"Ethanol acts as a detergent..." It acts as a solvent loosening any sediments and debris in the tank. "This crud clogs fuel filters... Replace fuel filters frequently while burning the first few tanks of ethanol fuel."

"...ethanol removes resin and plasticizers from some plastic and rubber materials." Fiberglass tanks can begin dissolving and leaking. Hoses can get brittle, O-rings loose their seal, and primer bulbs disintergate.

"Ethanol is hygroscopic - it absorbs water, AND WILL MIX MORE EASILY WITH WATER THAN WITH GASOLINE." (Caps are mine.)That means the alcohol comes out of solution with gasoline. Because water and gas don't mix they are layered in the tank and when the alcohol combines with the water it will lurk on the bottom of the tank where the fuel pickup is. The gas on top will have become low octane.

WM sells fuel filters that separate water out when you fill.
They also sell Starbrite's Star Tron a water absorber.
One assumes your engine will be happy burning the recombined liquid.
They also sell Sta-bil, a fuel stabilizer for off seaon tanks. I wonder is there is a reason to run this stuff in the tank all the time???

Comments? :eek:

Quote:

Originally Posted by ebb

I wonder is there is a reason to run this stuff in the tank all the time??? Comments? :eek:

Stabil is only good for something like 3-6 months by witch time you either add more (or will have used the fuel).

Bill, I meant that if you are using ethanol gas,
why not use Sta-bil as an additive/preventative
at all times. Not only when the motor is in storage
for the winter, but thruout the seasons, to keep
the fuel from separating.

I don't know the stuff, or the problem.
But the problem is extraordinary. Dangerous
on boats because of the loss of power. Will
a dollup of Sta-bil every weekend or whenever
you put gas in the tank insure that the OB
or the engine will start and keep running?

__________________________________________________ _____________________________

(Just came back from their site. One ounce of
Sta-bil treats 2 1/2 gals for six months. It treats
ALL fuels including diesel and gas/oil mixed. If
it works as advertised, seems like cheap insurance!)

I have no interest in this product, this is merely
information. Make of it what you will.

As I understand it, Sta-bil is designed to prevent gasoline from turning into shallac. I'm not sure that it would be of benefit to ameliorate the problems of ethanol. When gasoline was reformulated in the 1990's (dropping lead, etc) one of the side effects was melting rubber fittings and gaskets in older vehicles' fuel systems. The solution was to replace the old rubber products with "new" as additives did not seem to work as a fix for the problem. Maybe the plastic fuel tank industry will need to coat the interior of their products with something to prevent failure brought on by ethanol additive fuels.

BTW - latest Consumer Reports has a good article on the "Ethanol Myth."

I installed a Racor 10 micron spin on filter on my 6 hp Nissan ,Tohatsu, et al outboard. Now the engine cuts out after it runs for 15 or 20 minutes. When I switch the fuel line to one with no filter, the engine runs fine again. Diagnosis anyone? I'm using a new EPA 3 gallon fuel tank which has the new cap that has an integral vent that is supposed to allow pressure equalization, but I don't know how much of a reduction in the tank pressure is required to open it. I haven't tried to switch gas caps to the old type which have the screw vent in the cap or left the EPA cap loose. Should the 6 hp be able to draw fuel through the setup (I replaced my fuel pump last year) or is it too much of a pull? The new filter is intended, among other practices, to address ethanol issues. Oops, I realize this post belongs in technical, not off topic, but I'm not savy enough to move it!