Danger for fiberglass tanks

[domenic]

Here is one of many articals I have read about ethanol in fiberglass tanks:

Ethanol is a blend of gasoline and ethyl alcohol. Ethyl alcohol is an excellent solvent and is hydroscopic, that is it adsorbs water. Acting as a solvent, ethanol can damage the sealants used on older fiberglass fuel tanks. The dissolved sealants can be ingested by the engine which can cause damage and fuel leaking from a tank into the bilge is a fire hazard. Fuel tanks built of other materials are not immune to having a problem. Ethanol has a cleaning effect on tanks that releases fine metallic particles which will pass through most fuel filters. The dissolved metals will clog fuel injector nozzles and carburetors. Ethanol added to a fuel tank contaminated with water will cause expensive repairs. The water in the tank will combine with the ethyl alcohol to produce a noncombustible layer of liquid in the tanks that will stop most engines cold.

I understand plastic tanks, will fix the problem...but, ethanol can still harm an engine.

NOTE: You can find gas without ethanol...(check the net for local gas stations that sell gas without ethanol.) Over the next few years all gas may have ethanol.

[2dogsfishin]

Ethanol damage

Boat US insurance has reported they have paid for replacing many fiberglass tanks in older Bertram and Hatteras sport fishers. Ethanol eats fiberglass.

We recently had a seminar at our West Marine store in Pensacola regarding this issue and damage to fuel systems of older engines. In Florida, marine fuel stations are not required to sell 10% ethanol fuel due to the problems in our high humidity. Dec. 1, 2010 all land stations will be required to sell 10% ethanol. The advice we received is to purchase your boats gasoline at a marine fuel station and avoid all of the ethanol caused problems.

Our local expert, the owner of a servicing dealership stated that ethanol has caused his repair business to flourish. He said almost all boats brought in for service needed some ethanol caused remediation in the fuel system.

More info on request.

Tom

[Dave Neptune]

Repeat repeat!

A good idea!!!!! I have posted this a couple of times and this may be the best thread to get the idea out there.
As a matter of regular maintenance every 2~3 years I remove my pick up tube (which I shortened a bit) and insert a tube to the bottom corner of my gas tank and use a "squeeze bulb" to suck all of the muck out until I get to clear fuel then replace the pick-up tube. I have not had a fuel related problem since I started making this a part of my regular maintenance.

Now to stir things up a bit. The 6.5:1 compression of the venerable A-4 is very forgiving of fuel quality. We can't buy fuels rated for this low of compression anymore and regular grade has far more octane than necessary. I actually use up all of the old fuel I accumilate with my many water toys whether it is mixed for the 2-strokes or not and burn it up in the A-4. I have a guy that has recently moved off our dock that was a nut-case on fuel and he would drain his tank at the start of every season. I would take the gas can and dump it into the Volador's tank and he would say I was nuts. I would just smile and say thanx for the fuel, usually 6-8 gallons. This season I stared with just over ten gallons of 2-stroke fuel that was 3 years old and added 5 gallons of fresh gas at the same time~~~no problem except for a bit of 2-stroke smoke until the fuel was used up. I still got the same numbers as far as performance and that is something I deffinately track.

Dave Neptune