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brian_from_boston

Contributing Member
"Another coin flip. 1988 29 B

"Another coin flip. 1988 29 Blackfin twin 454 crusaders. Boat has 1 main tank and two saddle tanks. All aluminum. I have used only the main tank this year. last year my season ended early before I could even use my saddle tanks. So Saddle tank fuel is atlest 1-2 years old. It was stabilized and I put 2 cans of Sea Foam in each before a 3-4 hour run a few weeks ago. (2 cans of Sea Foam into each 38 gal saddle tank) How bad can it be to run off the saddle tanks to see if the fuel is ok? Is there any way to test it? I do not have access to the tanks to pull senders and a sample. If it is bad and I have to change back to main tank, will I need to drain the bowl, fuel lines back to selector, fuel filters, change plugs??? I just want to be prepared incase she dies on the old fuel and I need to get her up and running without a trip to land. Thanks as always guys, Brian."
 
buy a case of fuel filters and

buy a case of fuel filters and run the gas out. you'll be fine! i had same boat and same prob.
 
I'd be careful. The fuel r

I'd be careful. The fuel relies on the ethanol for octane. The ethanol seperates and your octane drops. I would get rid of the fuel. Stu
 
"I would put some extra filter

"I would put some extra filters and racors on board, and run the boat near your local port. Try to run the tanks down to half, then refill, That should take care of the lower octane. I would not worry about it too much."
 
"Brian..I had to dump 180 gals

"Brian..I had to dump 180 gals of bad gas last season. My fiberglass tank beaking down added to the problem. Something to think about. Ethanol seperates from gas, absorbes water, the sits at the bottom of the tank. Whats the first thing your fuel tank pick-ups get ??????? Now your flooding your water sep/fuel filters, water gets into the carbs...and bingo a massive problem and expense. This ethanol/gas is a real problem...not only that....stabilizers only slow down seperating process.....one it happens, thats it. How do I know...it happened to me. First carb was rusted internally...I was there at carb shop when the carb-guy opened it up. I,m going to try to get some av-gas (no ethanol), add stabilizers to it and winterize engines and genny that way. I would highly recomend not using that old fuel, and hooking up and fuel pump to the gas tank pick-up and see what comes out. I think you'll be suprised...just my 2 cent."
 
"Hi Chuck, Thanks for that lin

"Hi Chuck, Thanks for that link....a very good description of the situation....I hope everyone gets to read it. I hate to be "doom and gloom" but I think this is just the tip of the iceberg w/this ethanol in gas. Guys w/newer FI engines better pay heed and take the nessary precautions, FI systems are even more suseptable to water-in-fuel damage, and man I bet they cost a lot more than a carb. to repair of replace. Thanks Ken"
 
"Ok so I guess the fuel wasn&#

"Ok so I guess the fuel wasn't bad because we made the trek down from Lynn to Cohasset with the port motor running on the old saddle tank fuel and the starboard on the main tank. No problems on the way down so I ran both motors on their saddle tanks on the way home. I burned the port down to empty can't have more than a couple gallons left in the tank and will work down the starboard this saturday. Anyone have anything against working them down to almost empty and leaving them this way to keep the weight down unless going on a long trip? Thanks guys for the advice, I guess I was being a little too nervous about the E-10 fuel."
 
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