Silvertip
Supreme Mariner
- Joined
- Sep 22, 2003
- Messages
- 28,771
Re: Ethanol added fuel
This is an excerpt from a Boat U.S. study on this topic.
Tar-like substance
Boat U.S. has learned of more than 50 cases of fiberglass fuel tanks - many of them manufactured before the mid-1980s - that produced an engine-killing sludge or began leaking after being filled with 10% ethanol gasoline.
The number of incidents could be higher because there's no reporting procedure for the problem, said Chuck Fort, associate editor of Seaworthy, a Boat U.S. publication.
A Boat U.S. investigation is ongoing, but it appears that gasoline with 10% blends of ethanol might be attacking the resin used in older fiberglass gas tanks, creating a bad chemical reaction.
"The engine damage appears to be a tar-like substance - possibly from the chemical reaction between the resin and ethanol - causing hard black deposits that damage intake valves and pushrods, ultimately destroying the engine," Boat U.S. wrote.
Fiberglass tanks have been standard equipment on some large, high-end boats. They also were used on some smaller watercraft.
"The good news is there really aren't many boats with fiberglass fuel tanks, maybe in the tens of thousands or less," Fort said. "The bad news is, if you have one of those, you are likely to have your boat pretty seriously affected."
This is an excerpt from a Boat U.S. study on this topic.
Tar-like substance
Boat U.S. has learned of more than 50 cases of fiberglass fuel tanks - many of them manufactured before the mid-1980s - that produced an engine-killing sludge or began leaking after being filled with 10% ethanol gasoline.
The number of incidents could be higher because there's no reporting procedure for the problem, said Chuck Fort, associate editor of Seaworthy, a Boat U.S. publication.
A Boat U.S. investigation is ongoing, but it appears that gasoline with 10% blends of ethanol might be attacking the resin used in older fiberglass gas tanks, creating a bad chemical reaction.
"The engine damage appears to be a tar-like substance - possibly from the chemical reaction between the resin and ethanol - causing hard black deposits that damage intake valves and pushrods, ultimately destroying the engine," Boat U.S. wrote.
Fiberglass tanks have been standard equipment on some large, high-end boats. They also were used on some smaller watercraft.
"The good news is there really aren't many boats with fiberglass fuel tanks, maybe in the tens of thousands or less," Fort said. "The bad news is, if you have one of those, you are likely to have your boat pretty seriously affected."