Posted on 02/07/2011 10:53:54 AM PST by thackney
...and he filled tanks feeding the boat’s 200 horsepower Mercury engine with gas that had been blended with 10 percent ethanol.
“I heard a station in Greenville had straight gas, but I just took it to the next one I could find. Within 10 minutes, my engine started failing,” Gray said. “(The ethanol) had crystallized and crumbled and had clogged my fuel line, and I had to tear out all of the fuel system.”
Gray saved hundreds of dollars by repairing it himself, but his troubles with the motor are nothing new to marine shop owners, lawn mower mechanics and car enthusiasts familiar with the additive’s apparent incompatibility with small engines and older car engines.
(Excerpt) Read more at fuelfix.com ...
Stop this madness.
Will someone wake up and end this fiasco?
The insanity continues
If your small engines are quite old they’ll run fine on naptha, otherwise known as white gas or Coleman fuel, but that’s pretty danged expensive to mow the grass with. One can also obtain ethanol-free gasoline at the local airport, again for a price premium.
bflr
Homebuilts with certain resin type(s) / fiberglass tanks have already had either emergency landings or percautionary landings because of it. It attacked the resin, made a gum, and clogged up the works. I know 2 individuals that it happened too.
Replacing rubber fuel lines with Tygon lines will help some.
One of the things I’ve learned to like about my ancient rear-tine tiller with the Clinton motor on it is that it’s got a fuel cutoff valve and a float bowl drain valve. When I’m done running the tiller for the year I’ll park it in the shed, turn off the fuel valve, and drain the float bowl dry with the little push-button drain. The carb stays good ‘til Spring that way.
Ethanol in marine engines is inappropriate. You need that engine to run to be able to point that boat into a storm or to run. This is ridiculous.
I buy premixed gas/oil for my 2-cycle weed whacker at Menards, maybe they have a pure gas version? (Again, too expensive for lawn mowers)
My twin engine fishing boat gets about 2 miles to the gallon. A small increase in fuel cost really hurts on a normal 100 mile round trip day on the water.
Where to buy non crappy real gas
http://www.msra.com/NonOxygenatedFuel/Non-OxyFuel.htm
The Minnesota Street Rod Association is pleased to offer the Non-Oxygenated Fuel List for those seeking locations that provide this fuel to the public. This information is updated on a regular basis for your convenience by the MSRA Legislative Committee.
“(The ethanol) had crystallized and crumbled and had clogged my fuel line,
One of the intended consequences. The liberals want everyone reduced to the lowest common denominator. You have a boat? Well, we'll make sure you can't afford to run it so that those who have been sucking on the welfare teat all of their lives will have their envy of your success gratified.
The critical components affected by ethanol are the elastomeric seals and gaskets - possibly including intake manifold gaskets and head gaskets, but certainly all fuel system components.
Especially for older systems not designed for use with ethanol.
Rubber fuel system engineers know this. But our world is run by politicians, voted in by a culture of irresponsibility.
I don’t have a boat but I do have a lawn tractor, an ATV and a chainsaw. Never had an issue with either of them because of this. Ever.
Yep, my next door neighbor is an all-purpose mechanic, and has been repairing his friends’ chain saws and weed eaters. Based on his experience, it is clear that the ethanol dissolves the internal rubber and plastic parts of a fuel system.
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