Gotta hate ehtanol.........

[Jon G]

As soon as I started work on the boat about three weeks ago I smelled gas the minute I stuck my head yunder the tarp. #$%%^#$$%# the gas tank In my boat is only three years old and every piece of the fuel system from the vent all the way to the engine was the best I could buy. Heck the first tank and hoses siad 1974 right in them not bads I only want to do this once right? Thank fully I put two plastic access covers in my tank hatch after I recored it. One in the back right ofer the fill hose connection and pick up line, the other right over the sender in the front under the front seat. I unscrew the sender access and there it is the gasket is all piiched out and gas is weeping right by it, so I bought another gasket I asked the boat yard what was best and they gave me neoprene the same type that was leaking, oh well, I took the old gasket to work and showed the Master tech and he took one second and said ethanol. The only thing I put in that tank since new was mobil gas and stabil in the fall when I topped it off. All the injector cleaner and majic potions I feed her goes in a small portable tank a couple of times a year. He said that I will probably be replacing the new one too soon enough, he said wait till the E85 hits the pumps and watch what happens. I asked him what the best gasket was for this and he said neoprene like the marina. Its the best out ther right mow but it does not like the new fuels. He said ethanol has been in the fuel of a couple of major supliers for a couple of years because it used to be cheaper than gas and they could leagally add 10% by volume so they were making more money. He said he had some "special" stuff we could make one out of and try but he was scaring me a little with the "try" part. At least the whole job of replacing the gasket was only fifteen minutes because of the Round access's I installed, I would have been bent having to remove my console and pry up my hatch with fresh 4200 sealing it now I get to go fill her back up tommorow I had to drain ten gallons out to change the gasket. My truck fill up was $113 today