The Boat Spot – Ethanol Issues
I’m excited to bring you a new feature for Fisherman’s Post Newspaper that will cover issues affecting nearly every boater out there. In the coming series of articles, I hope to not only answer questions you may have concerning your boats, but also raise your awareness of potential trouble spots before they become a problem.
Unless you have been living under a rock for nearly the past decade you are aware that ethanol has made its way into gasoline in a big way. Without getting too political, the reasons ethanol was introduced in the first place was to try to reduce our dependency on foreign oil and provide a fuel that had cleaner emissions when burnt. What the government wasn’t aware of is the havoc which would be wrecked on gasoline burning boat engines all over the country. The problems arising from ethanol were threefold: ethanol degrades older fuel lines and tanks, it absorbs water, and it produces less power resulting in worse fuel economy.
The old style rubber hoses and fiberglass fuel tanks in some boats are susceptible to degradation from ethanol because it is more of a solvent than pure gasoline. These old fuel lines and tanks will create a sludge build-up in fuel filters, clog injectors and carburetors, and lead to excess carbon build-up internally on pistons and valves as the ethanol breaks down the chemicals that they are made of. One option is to replace old fuel lines with newer hoses designed to be ethanol resistant and replace old fiberglass fuel tanks with one which can withstand the ethanol.
The problem with water absorption can be remedied easily enough by installing an inline fuel/water separator. Fuel/water separators will remove the water, leaving clean fuel traveling to the engine to be burnt (as long as it is checked often enough). Make changing the filter element part of your normal spring time maintenance so that it doesn’t become too saturated and pass water through to the engine. Depending on the application, a fuel/water separator can be bought for as little as $25. Ask your local marine professional if you are unsure of what type to use, or intimidated with the installation
The problem with poor fuel economy associated with ethanol can only be remedied by using ethanol-free fuel. Since I don’t have a fuel flow meter on my boat, I recently did an experiment with my truck using ethanol-free fuel. I used ethanol-free fuel for a month, and then filled up with it again before going on a 200 mile trip. The window sticker in my truck claimed 22mpg hwy (a number not often achieved). On this trip with ethanol-free fuel I calculated nearly 30mpg hwy when I filled up again! A 36% increase in fuel economy is nothing to scoff at. Even with the additional cost of ethanol-free fuel (about 30 cents per gallon more), it turned out to be cheaper because of the better economy.
Most marinas now offer ethanol-free fuel on account of the problems associated with ethanol. However, if you are trailering your boat and don’t fill up at a marina, it may be well worth your time to go out of your way to fill up at a station offering pure gasoline. Not sure where to find the good stuff? Try using www.pure-gas.org to find the station nearest you.
Have a boat related question or story idea for a future article of “The Boat Spot”? E-mail it to me at theboatspot@gmail.com.
Paul Winchell is the lead instructor for the “Boat Manufacture and Service” program at Cape Fear Community College. The program consists of Marine Electrical and Plumbing Installations, Engine Installation, and Fiberglass Boat Building and Repairs. For more information about the program, contact him at (910) 362-7361 or pwinchell@cfcc.edu.
