Outboard fuel lines

C

Capn Jack

New member
I had to replace the fuel lines for both my outboards this season. :sad

The Gas only for the big engine had gotten brittle on the plastic end and the bulb was getting hard to compress.

The 2 cycle kicker fuel line had the same problem and a few years ago one of the plastic lines on the big motor just snapped off as I was changing tanks.

Most of my lines are rubber and they make everything black, but they don't get hard. I'm sure it has something to do with the ethanol in road fuel. :sad
 
I’ve been running regular E10 without problem. Most newer engines and fuel line are made to handle E10. But overtime fuel lines do deteriorate.
 
The EPA defines useful life as 10 years for boat fuel system components and five years for PWC fuel systems. My boat was built in 2007 and no Ethanol rated hoses were used. Mine have all been changed out. I try not to use any fuel with Ethanol in it. Not only is it bad for the fuel line but you get less HP and less fuel economy with it.
 
jkidd":3g5daeip said:
... My boat was built in 2007 and no Ethanol rated hoses were used. ...
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Seems odd that a boat built in 2007 would not have ethanol tolerant hoses in the fuel system.
 
The new USCG A1-15 fuel line standards became effective January 1, 2012 and all boat builders and boat importers must comply with them. I should say that the Motor had Ethanol rated hose. Just not the hoses from the tanks to motor and the vent lines. They were just general purpose fuel line.
 
In addition to Jody's excellent comments, ethanol fuel can case corrosion of damage to plastic, metal parts in the fuel system as well as seals and gaskets of various compositions.

I only ethanol laced fuel if I cannot get non ethanol fuel. Fortunately there are several ethanol free pumps within a few miles of my home and it is no problem to pick up a couple of 5 gallon fuel cans almost full when I am out and about.

States like California does not have non ethanol fuel even in the marine fuels, that I could find in S. Calif. I aviation gas is the only non ethanol fuel I could find there. It is not road taxed, but since it is used in a boat, that should not be an issue (I am not sure about that from a legal standpoint.)
 
thataway":3ixijbnq said:
States like California does not have non ethanol fuel even in the marine fuels, that I could find in S. Calif. I aviation gas is the only non ethanol fuel I could find there. It is not road taxed, but since it is used in a boat, that should not be an issue (I am not sure about that from a legal standpoint.)
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According to my dad, a general aviation pilot, avgas contains lead! I would not recommend using it in any boat with a modern engine.
Colby
 
colbysmith":3cgb6ccs said:
thataway":3cgb6ccs said:
States like California does not have non ethanol fuel even in the marine fuels, that I could find in S. Calif. I aviation gas is the only non ethanol fuel I could find there. It is not road taxed, but since it is used in a boat, that should not be an issue (I am not sure about that from a legal standpoint.)
Click to expand...

According to my dad, a general aviation pilot, avgas contains lead! I would not recommend using it in any boat with a modern engine.
Colby
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Back a number of years we worried about burning non leaded gas in the two stroke outboards
While some airplanes still use leaded fuel, unleaded fuel is far more common. Many small airplanes also run on unleaded fuel.
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It was 1986 when TEL was phased out of all car fuels. A number of The Hull truth run TEL laced fuel in their cars, snowmobiles, ATVs and outboard motors

So if forced to use ave gas certainly ask about the lead. Tom should know if he is not too involved with lake fishing...
 
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