Dealing With Ethanol Fuel Boat Problems

As the fuel crisis forces more boaters to switch to


ethanol fuel mixtures, there have been reported


problems that are linked to the gasoline blended with


ethanol. However, with a little work on your boat you


can avoid these ethanol fuel related boat problems.





Until now many of the new initiatives to help improve


the quality of the air have had no negative impact on


boaters. Recently the U.S. Environmental Protection


Agency started requiring the use of an oxygenated


gasoline in order to help improve the quality of the


air. Most started use Methyl Tertiary-Butyl Ether or


MTBE, however this had its own environmental problems


so now ethanol is replacing it as the standard in


boating fuel. However, the recent use of ethanol fuel


in boats has led to many problems including fiberglass


fuel tank failure, blockage of the fuel system, damage


to the engine and an increase in fuel contamination.





So how does the problem happen? Basically ethanol fuel


is a mix of gasoline and ethyl alcohol. This ethyl


alcohol is a solvent that adsorbs water. This means


that if you have an older fiberglass fuel tank the


ethanol fuel can damage your sealants. After the


sealants are dissolved they are then ingested by the


engine, which can cause damage, not to mention that


when you have fuel leaking from the tank into the


bilge you have the added fire hazard.





Fuel tanks that aren't made of fiberglass still


have problems with ethanol fuel, but they aren’t


as complex. The ethanol fuel can release fine metallic


particles into the fuel system, which pass through the


filter. This causes the metal to clog fuel injector


nozzles or carburetors.





No matter what fuel tank you have if the ethanol fuel


mixes with any water that has contaminated the fuel


tank you will have expensive repairs to do. When the


ethyl alcohol and water combine they cause a


noncombustible layer to develop which will stop all


engines completely.





So how can you protect your boat and avoid these


complicated problems? While there still is no plan


available for ethanol fuel use you can do some things


to help protect your boat until a solution is found.


First if you boat was built before 1984 then you


should replace the fiberglass fuel tank with a modern


version before adding ethanol fuel. This can help


reduce some of the more difficult problems related


with older fuel tanks and their components.





With ethanol fuel it is important to completely empty


your fuel tanks in the winter and then clean them


thoroughly before you use them in the following


season. When it comes to fuel filters you should have


a good one that can separate the water and carry


several spare cartridges when you are out on the


water.





When it comes to the fuel itself you should avoid


mixing fuel types. Before adding ethanol be sure you


use up all your old gasoline and clean the tank


completely. Then when you add ethanol, be sure to


limit the fuel you have onboard to only what you need


for two weeks. This is because ethanol fuel has a very


short shelf life when compared to other fuels.