We've all heard the problems with ethanol in the gasoline we put in our boats. While at our neighbor's boat building shop the other day (replacing house batteries on Wild Blue), I came across this...
I asked if he would mind if I posted it... "Go for it. Let everyone with a boat know about this."
They also had two clear bottles with stuff in it that they had drained out of a customer's boat - one from the fuel tank, the other from the engine... completely stratified layers, with water on the bottom, a sludgy goo in the middle (with rust particles suspended), and fuel on top. The customer had the boat tuned up about a month ago, including a carb rebuild. They also replaced fuel lines and filters. What was floating in those bottles was startling.
When we are home, we buy fuel at the only place that doesn't have ethanol. When out and about, that is harder to find. I was encouraged to change fuel filters every 90 days and use Seafoam every few fill-ups. I specifically asked about the blue Sta-bil, and was told they don't use that (I do); they had a shelf of red Sta-bil that he said I was welcome to take. I was told that stuff reacts badly with ethanol, producing some of that goo I saw.
I know we have had the ethanol discussion here from time to time. Boat shops are seeing increasing repair work, due to what the ethanol is doing to the fuel lines and tanks.
Keep an eye on those filters.
Jim B.
I asked if he would mind if I posted it... "Go for it. Let everyone with a boat know about this."
They also had two clear bottles with stuff in it that they had drained out of a customer's boat - one from the fuel tank, the other from the engine... completely stratified layers, with water on the bottom, a sludgy goo in the middle (with rust particles suspended), and fuel on top. The customer had the boat tuned up about a month ago, including a carb rebuild. They also replaced fuel lines and filters. What was floating in those bottles was startling.
When we are home, we buy fuel at the only place that doesn't have ethanol. When out and about, that is harder to find. I was encouraged to change fuel filters every 90 days and use Seafoam every few fill-ups. I specifically asked about the blue Sta-bil, and was told they don't use that (I do); they had a shelf of red Sta-bil that he said I was welcome to take. I was told that stuff reacts badly with ethanol, producing some of that goo I saw.
I know we have had the ethanol discussion here from time to time. Boat shops are seeing increasing repair work, due to what the ethanol is doing to the fuel lines and tanks.
Keep an eye on those filters.
Jim B.
