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A erious Ethanol Problem

fastjeff

fastjeff

Gold Medal Contributor
This was year # 3 for my inboard boat with 10 % ethanol gas. The results are in, and they are NOT good.

The negative effects of ethanol gas are apparently cumulative, for I had far more problems this year. And that makes sense, for the White Gook left over (unburnt) from year # 1 adds to the new batch created in year # 2, and now were in year # 3. Several times this year I had to use the Fastjeff Ethanol Recovery Method to get out of my slip. (To wit: With the motor idling best as it can, shut off the fuel delivery system--close a valve, or pull the fuse with electric pumps. Then run the carb dead empty, pumping the gas madly as the motor dies to burn up every drop. Then turn the gas back on. Works great--until the White Gook returns.)

So what's the solution to our ethanol pollution debacle (other than firing all of the government jackasses who stuck us boaters with this crap)? Assuming the problem will get even worse next summer (and it will), then I'll have to run my tanks dead empty and then drain the tanks fully--get every drop of 'liquid' out of them. I can then start all over again, getting a few years out of it until the White Gook builds up again.

Suggestions?

Jeff

PS: For those of you who have never seen the liquid that forms when ethanol and water meet, here's a photo of it (and the bottom of the container). No known additive will make that White Gook burn.
 

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fastjeff said:
This was year # 3 for my inboard boat with 10 % ethanol gas. The results are in, and they are NOT good.

The negative effects of ethanol gas are apparently cumulative, for I had far more problems this year. And that makes sense, for the White Gook left over (unburnt) from year # 1 adds to the new batch created in year # 2, and now were in year # 3. Several times this year I had to use the Fastjeff Ethanol Recovery Method to get out of my slip. (To wit: With the motor idling best as it can, shut off the fuel delivery system--close a valve, or pull the fuse with electric pumps. Then run the carb dead empty, pumping the gas madly as the motor dies to burn up every drop. Then turn the gas back on. Works great--until the White Gook returns.)

So what's the solution to our ethanol pollution debacle (other than firing all of the government jackasses who stuck us boaters with this crap)? Assuming the problem will get even worse next summer (and it will), then I'll have to run my tanks dead empty and then drain the tanks fully--get every drop of 'liquid' out of them. I can then start all over again, getting a few years out of it until the White Gook builds up again.

Suggestions?

Jeff

PS: For those of you who have never seen the liquid that forms when ethanol and water meet, here's a photo of it (and the bottom of the container). No known additive will make that White Gook burn.
Click to expand...

Ayuh,... Seein's ya posted this twice in 2 forums,...
This is what I said in the other 1,...

Ayuh,.... I just carry spare fuel filters, 'n freezer baggies,...

When the motor starts stutterin',...
I pop off the filter, drop it into a baggie, 'n screw on another 1,...

Repeat as necessary,...

Last Spring, I built my own "Fuel Polishin' system"
An ole electric fuel pump, 'n a gallon sized Mack 2ndary fuel filter,...
I pull the fuel line off the boat's fuel filter, 'n cycle it through the polisher, back into the tank, 'n toss that Big filter when done,...
 
Ayah.. I like the polisher idea! May try that.

Jeff

PS: On the other posting, I spelled "Serious" correctly! Just wanted to get that in.
 
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I suffered from the "brown crud" problem this year. Ethanol is eating away at my 35 year old aluminum tank. I had the fuel polished by a local outfit called "Fuel Solutions". They used a custom fabricated rig that they bring right down to the dock. They access your fuel sender hole and "sweep" the bottom of your tank with a stainless steel tube that pumps the fuel through a 2 micron filter, a centrifuge, and finally a secondary polishing filter.

This treatment would get rid of your white gunk problem.

After this treatment my fuel problems were solved. The only thing you can do to maintain a clean tank is to BURN THAT FUEL. The days of storing large amounts of fuel from season-to-season are over. Burn the fuel you have and don't refill those tanks unless you plan on leaving the dock.

-JJ
 
They quote the job relative to the tank size and how much fuel you have. My single 220 gallon tank had about 80-90 gallons in it. They charged me $375. The process took about 3 hours. They turned the contents of the tank over about 3 times and went through three 2 micron filters.

The first 2 micron filter was full of chunks of brown garbage. It was unreal. The second 2 micron filter had a lot of brown fines but no chunks. The third filter looked clean by the time they were finished.

Thanks,
JJ
 
fastjeff said:
Great info. Do you recall what they charged you?

Jeff
Click to expand...
Hi Jeff,

Do you come down 83 south out of PA?

I built a complete fuel polisher system with a Raycor 9000 turbo fuel/water separator. I works great. I was able to pull 5 gallons of water out of one of my tanks when the Admiral put a water hose in the fuel tank. It will vacuums all the crap out of the bottom of you tanks.

If you are up to the task, I will let you borrow it. I live in Sparks Glencoe, Maryland. That is just above Hunt Valley along rt. 83.

Let me know.

Ed Dippel
 
Like we don't have enough to do with getting the boat ready for the season and then maintaining it through out the season. My tanks are 40 years old and I know it's only a matter of time before they go. I used the "Fastjeff Method" last year and it worked great (thanks again jeff). It seems no matter how many filters we put on our boats, crap for ethanol will always be there to mess up our Summers.
 
It's a sad fact, but that White Gook will go right through any separator or filter, for it's a liquid (and not "heavy" enough like water to be separated out).

Now, there's an area where some smart company could make a fortune: Design a separator discriminating enough to separate the White Gook from gas!

Jeff
 
Probably would'nt matter, I thought the "gook" forms when fuel sits in the carb. bowl or tank for an extended amount of time. The only why to get around this is to use the boat daily and I don't have that kind of $$ !!
 
White Gook requires ethanol, water and time to form. Unfortunately, it appears to build up over the years regardless of what one does or uses. That's what happened to me this summer.

Jeff
 
fastjeff said:
It's a sad fact, but that White Gook will go right through any separator or filter, for it's a liquid (and not "heavy" enough like water to be separated out).

Now, there's an area where some smart company could make a fortune: Design a separator discriminating enough to separate the White Gook from gas!

Jeff
Click to expand...

Jeff,

I'm affraid we disagree on this one. From your pictures it looks like that goop sinks right to the bottom. I bet my NAPA 3225 filters (12 micron) would trap it. I think you're using old perkos which is basically just a mesh strainer, correct?

I bet if you added a paper filter element that goop wouldn't make it to your carbs.

-JJ
 
A filter won't "trap" it unless it has congealed into a blob big enough to be trapped in the filter....and even racor's will let the fine stuff dissolved in water thru though they will block the bulk of the water....

The "best" way to stop the goop is to eliminate the ethanol....but then you alter the fuel to the point where it doesn't behave like gasoline ..... so I vote that the best way to minimize it is to burn the fuel ASAP....and treat it with stabilizer if you can't...
 
I like the last option the best! Unfortunately....

If 10 % ethanol gas weren't bad enough, gas stations in the Philadelphia area are selling 15 % (with others around the country soon to follow). The ONLY way we the people can fight this crap (since out elected "representatives" don't represent US) is to NOT buy it!

By law, each gas station MUST also sell the 10 % crap since only the newer cars can run 15 % without warrantee issues. Therefore, if no one buys the 15 % crap the market for it will die. THAT is our only way to get rid of it. And if this requires going to another station--or paying more for 10 % (it could happen)--then this is what we must all do.

Jeff
 
a good water filter will trap most of it but some will get thru....and the filter on the motor will look good and you can blow thru it and it will still be bad...the way to tell is if it has a little stickiness to your finger..just lightly touch it with one finger and see if it is slightly sticky...actually when running ethanol you should have a spare filter in the boat...i got burned when i had a blown motor and ate up time trying to save it and by the time i gave it up and bought a new one the gas was bad...had a built in tank so i added bew gas to top tank off...2nd trip out i got the system contaminated and was lucky enough to be able to get in at 2k rpm after dumping water filter and checking what i thought was a good motor filter.. the water filter had trapped a lot of it...was amazed at the dirty white stuff in it...still had to have the system cleaned and went to portable tanks...it was a new motor so let dealer do it..the old gas had stabil in it but didnt help..have since gone to treatment sold by merc...and either have full tanks or completely empty tank when boat in stored...
 
i live in south louisiana so the boat sets up less than you guys up north..... if you have to store a boat 4-5-6 months a year then you have a problem that needs attention during the winter..to ignore the gas problem and just park it with half full tanks is asking for a problem...you also need to run it on muffs at least once a month..one thing to remember is on a 2 cycle is that you could also blow a piston in the spring with a screwed up carb etc because of lack of lubrication caused by the e10 problem...the fall when putting a boat up is a great time to do maintenance on a boat...then prepare it for storage properly...there are many articles on boat storage in the archives on here...i am 75 years old and have boated all my life..i also have also made every mistake known to mankind in my life...and they all cost me money....cleaning up the yard can wait til i take care of my boat..or anything else my spouse wants done...
 
I was using Startron also until the left motor started skipping due to sludge in the carb. Then I tried using BioBor EB last season. I made it half way through the season and Skip...Skip...Skip. The only thing that saved me was Jeffs " pump the hell out it" method !! I'll continue to use Sunoco 93 octane and BioBor EB and hope for best !!


http://www.jamestowndistributors.co...d=97417&engine=adwords!6456&keyword=biobor_eb
 
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Not old. I fill from half at the end of the season and go through around 200 gallons a season so its only a couple of months old at the end of the season. When I dump the fuel seperators there's only few drops of water in them.
 
The "White Gook" is most likely Sodium Sulfate. It is formed when Sea Water(salt Water) gets into the fuel system. There is only one way to cure a chronic problem like this. You have to drain the fuel tank and then add a gallon of Spray-nine to wash it out. After a few good rinses of the tank, add a gallon of Salt-away. Then a few more good rinses. Purge your fuel system right up to the carbs, replace the vent on the side of the hull and make sure you loop the vent line up as high as you can. Replace the anti siphon valve and go boating.

I also have a gasoline fuel polisher and have corrected a number of these problems. The sea water will stay suspended in the ethanol as long as it is not pulled into a vacuum. Once it is pulled into a vacuum the "White Gook" forms plugging up everything.
 
..."The "White Gook" is most likely Sodium Sulfate. It is formed when Sea Water(salt Water) gets into the fuel system."

Not in MY case, for the boat is in fresh water.

Jeff
 
fastjeff said:
..."The "White Gook" is most likely Sodium Sulfate. It is formed when Sea Water(salt Water) gets into the fuel system."

Not in MY case, for the boat is in fresh water.

Jeff
Click to expand...
If you are in fresh water, I would pull the fuel sender and get a borescope and take a look at the inside of the fuel tank. Ethanol will eat the inside of the tank, especially the top.
 
Thats another reason why I'm trying that BioBor EB its supposed to have corrosion protection in it ??


** Merry Christmas Everybody **

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