Re: 10 Percent Ethanol
 

First let me introduce myself. Bought a 1976 cc 23’ about two years ago and I’m about half done with a total rebuild. I don’t pretend to be very knowledgeable about the rebuild process but I’m learning with the help of the search feature in this web site. If I was twenty years younger the boat would be done by now.
With the ten percent ethanol situation I do have firsthand knowledge and, it’s not pretty. When the changeover occurred up here in New England a couple of years ago anyone who had a small amount of water on the bottom of their tank, below the pickups, found that water being absorbed into the ethanol portion of their gas. If there is enough water, then you have phase separation. Combine that with the cleaning properties of alcohol and it made for a nasty mix on the bottom of the tank. Keep in mind that this new gas can absorb .5% water (about two tablespoons) per gallon before you have this phase separation. When it does separate, it essentially drops out, all at once, in a short period of time. If you buy gas from a station that has water at bottom of their tanks, then it will take even less water in your tank, to cause this phase separation. Because it happens so quickly and its ten percent of the fuel you have in your tank it gets picked up and quickly overcomes any water separation properties of your fuel filters. Any soluble crap in your tank, passes through even the best filter, and now sits in all the low points of your fuel system. In my case,when winterizing, the motor stalled, and didn’t restart and run well until the system was flushed out using the bulb with a remote tank with the injectors pulled. . The motor was then winterized using fresh gas with Stabil and Startron. What I didn’t know was, this nasty mix was still in the lowest points of the fuel system and over the winter months the soluble elements within this mix precipitated out into black granules that looked like fine coffee grounds. Needless to say, the whole fuel system had to be dismantled and cleaned, but not before getting stranded on the lake, replacing all the injectors, having them get clogged and stuck on the lake again. Very costly to say the least. Remove the water before adding ethanol fuel, MDR EZorb will do this and also eliminate phase separation if you can’t pump it out, but you have to agitate the tank for it to work. A ride on a trailer would work. They recommend pumping air bubbles into your tank to mix it. Not practical if you ask me. Pump it out if you can. The gas part of the phase separation I mixed with high octane gas and used in an old suburban without a problem (about 25 gals.). I wasn’t confident enough to put it in my wife's car. If you find yourself removing water alcohol mix from your fuel filter it means there is a lot more sloshing around under the pickup in your tank. It also means the fuel left is a lot lower octane. There is also talk of the mbte gas and new gas having a reaction that forms a gel like substance that clogs injectors as well. I can’t comment on that. I winterize now with stabil and a racing fuel that has no ethanol. There is a debate out there now on whether to keep the tank full or empty it out during a long layup. I would keep the tanks empty in the winter and when I started up in the Spring, use something like EZorb when filling up and use Startron religiously all summer if I was still using the main tank. I now use remote tanks and keep the gas very fresh. I’m running a Merc 115 on a 17’ boat and it’s all I need. I did pull the 17 year old aluminum tank last Winter. The inside was as clean and shiny as the day it was made thanks to the new gas. The Seacraft has new aluminum tanks and will be treated this way over the winter unless I learn something new between now and then. If you southerners are just starting to see this stuff take it serious. Even with a fuel stabilizer this new gas doesn’t hold up very well over long layups (2-3 months). I do envy your weather. As you can tell I have way too much time on my hands, seasonal business and, it’s too cold to work on the boat.