03-29-2011, 02:51 AM
I know NOTHING about boats, but I know a little about ethanol. And as far as I know, both 2 and 4 cycle engines have similar troubles with it.
Ethanol is an alcohol, of course, and like most alcohols attracts water, unlike gasoline which won't mix with water. When added to fuel it can attract condensation and prevent water in the fuel system from passing through the fuel system (where it would normally just be steamed away). It accelerates oxidation/reduction reactions, making rust faster.
Basically, this water can cause rust in tanks, lines, and eventually inside the cylinder and piston. Burning gas with dissolved rust or having rusty internal engine parts will crap up your engine fast. This is exacerbated by the fact that alcohol is a polar solvent and strips away motor oils, gas residue, and "varnish" that might otherwise protect steel and iron parts from the rust.
So, drain your tank when not used for long times, don't use gas with too much ethanol additive, use a gas line dryer like HEET (in the yellow bottle) which contains either methanol or isopropynol, use fuel stabilizer if need be, and try not to get any more water than necessary in your gas tank.
That's all I know. Works for cars and chainsaws.
[signature]
Ethanol is an alcohol, of course, and like most alcohols attracts water, unlike gasoline which won't mix with water. When added to fuel it can attract condensation and prevent water in the fuel system from passing through the fuel system (where it would normally just be steamed away). It accelerates oxidation/reduction reactions, making rust faster.
Basically, this water can cause rust in tanks, lines, and eventually inside the cylinder and piston. Burning gas with dissolved rust or having rusty internal engine parts will crap up your engine fast. This is exacerbated by the fact that alcohol is a polar solvent and strips away motor oils, gas residue, and "varnish" that might otherwise protect steel and iron parts from the rust.
So, drain your tank when not used for long times, don't use gas with too much ethanol additive, use a gas line dryer like HEET (in the yellow bottle) which contains either methanol or isopropynol, use fuel stabilizer if need be, and try not to get any more water than necessary in your gas tank.
That's all I know. Works for cars and chainsaws.
[signature]