Lesson's from Ethanol's Freshman Year

[Skools Out]

Read this whole section starts on page 46, scary stuff there guys.


http://www.proboat-digital.com/proboat/20070607/

[Bygracealone]

You boys with fiberglass tanks better forget about using them. The author of this article said that the resin used in those tanks will pretty much melt right into the gas and then glue your valves, etc. together. Also, the fiberglass will eventually weaken to the point that it gives.

According to the author, even aluminum tanks will have problems before long... :-/ :-/ :-/ :'( :'( :'(

I don't understand how the guy can end the article with an optimistic attitude???

By the way, he also says to not top off your tanks for winter, but to do the opposite. Run them dry. This new gas won't last to Spring. You'll have to throw it out anyway, so don't bother putting it in for storage...

Thanks for the article Skools. Any advice???

[macojoe]

Well thankfully none of us have fiberglass tanks and they are mostly in older boats.

There was a guy here when this first came out with a Bertram size? But to tear up the teak deck and replace the tank was $10,000!! :o

As far as the gas not lasting all winter, I started my boat and it is fine so far!! My friend filled his tank added stabil and used it all with out any issues?

But I have always tried to get rid of all my gas before winter, for 15 years now!!

Any who the biggest problem with this gas IMO is that it mixes with water and there for makes your water separator useless! Unless you have a ton of water.

[76GMC1500]

10,000 to tear up the deck and replace the tank? You should just save the 10g and repower with diesel, if your tanks haven't deteriorated yet.

[tsubaki]

If it's that damageing to the tanks, what is the possibility of deterioration of the fuel lines in older boats. This may be the reason for the grey colored gas lines and not the older black ones. ???

[macojoe]

76 that wasn't my boat, it was a guy from a near by mariner.

tsubaki, yes it its all the old hoses up! Thats why you shoul replace all your hoses ASAP if you have any problems.

[tsubaki]

Any who the biggest problem with this gas IMO is that it mixes with water and there for makes your water separator useless! Unless you have a ton of water.
Now my question is. If the newer gas mixes readly with water, will this increase the possibility of an engine running too lean?

[Skools Out]

um if it's this rough on boats think of your cars and lawnmowers plus our antique cars on man they will be doomed

[76GMC1500]

Current marine hoses are rated for alcohol. In fact, I just replaced all of my hose last night. It was 3.09/ft for 3/8ths inch inboard hose. The gray vs. black might be an outboard vs. inboard thing. I used inboard hose, it was black. The gray outboard hose might have better UV resistance.

[tsubaki]

I cut open a piece of 5/8 USCG approved hose the same type of the 3/8 you got (pretty red stripe and all) and the interior is lined with the same material as the grey hose.
I know one thing the black hose really absorbes the heat from sunlight. While installing some yesterday at about 80 degrees laying on the deck the hose was too hot to hold in your hand, next to it was the grey and it was as cool as the deck.

[macojoe]

Yea as soon as I have to or can I will be replacing the line to the motor with a gray hose just for that reason! all the rest will be fine in the boat away from the sun.

As for your question about the water, I sure its not going to be good for it!!

My fix for this is, I have 3 tanks, I am going to fill and then rotate run each tank dry everytime then refill, this way I know I am getting eveything out of it.
In winter I will run tanks empty each trip and not refill them to get the least gas I can in one tank.

Keep extra filters with you and you should be fine!!

[Stillrunning]

I have heard so much about this E10 gas that I really don't know what to believe. I did see a test on fiberglass tanks and yes it does break down the glass in the older boats. When I switched over to the E10 all I did was to drain my seperator very often and found *good amounts of water in it for the first two tanks. I would even drain it while out in the boat to keep it running good. After about two tanks of doing this I have had no other issues and when I drain my seperator I find very little water in my gas. When I started using the E10 the water I was getting out was probably already in the tank and the E10 was just cleaning it out. I also keep an eye on my glass filter and it is still very clean. With all these stories I hear I wonder how many of them just blame the E10 when it was not even the real reason for the problem. I know that I would probably blame the E10 if right after switching over to it I had a problem.