Canadian Yachting June 2019 - 19

D IY / T E C H

G a s o lin e C o n t a in in g E t h a n o l
C a n D is a b le Y o u r E n g in e
S to ry | A n d y A d a m s

F

o r m a n y y e a rs n o w , w e h a v e u se d g a so lin e in o u r c a rs
a n d tru c k s th a t c o n ta in s so m e a m o u n t o f e th a n o l, a
fo rm o f a lc o h o l, a n d ju st a s a fe w d ro p s o f w a te r c o m b in e a lm o st in sta n tly in y o u r S c o tc h , m o istu re fro m th e a tm o sp h e re c a n c o m b in e w ith th e e th a n o l in th e g a so lin e th a t is in
y o u r b o a t's fu e l ta n k .
Y o u r m o to r v e h ic le h a s a se a le d fu e l sy ste m to c o n tro l e v a p o ra tiv e lo sse s th a t a re a so u rc e o f a ir p o llu tio n . F u e l is m o v e d
in to th e e n g in e u n d e r p re ssu re a n d a n y d rip s th a t m ig h t e sc a p e ,
d ro p o n to th e p a v e m e n t. T h e e n g in e is o p e n to th e p a v e m e n t
b e lo w . In a n in b o a rd b o a t, th e h u ll is b e lo w th e e n g in e a n d a n y
d rip s w ill c o lle c t in th e b ilg e w ith p o te n tia lly e xp lo siv e c o n se q u e n c e s. F u e l c a n le a k a n d e sc a p e in to th e c a sin g o f y o u r o ld e r
o u tb o a rd to o , so th a t's n o t a so lu tio n .
In a m o to r v e h ic le , th e fu e l in th e ta n k is g e n e ra lly u se d u p
fa irly q u ic k ly. T h e ty p ic a lly la rg e r q u a n tity o f fu e l c a rrie d in a
b o a t m a y la st w e e k s b e fo re it's u se d u p . A n d , fu e l is g e n e ra lly le ft
in th e b o a t ta n k s a ll w in te r. T h o se ta n k s a re v e n te d to th e o p e n
a ir fo r sa fe ty (so p re ssu re d o e sn 't b u ild u p ) a n d th a t c o u ld le a v e
th e e th a n o l c o m p o n e n t six m o n th s o r m o re to a b so rb m o istu re
(w a te r in fa c t) fro m th e a m b ie n t a ir.
A t so m e p o in t, th e e th a n o l c a n re a c h its m a xim u m a b ility to
a b so rb th e w a te r a n d p h a se se p a ra tio n o c c u rs in sid e th e ta n k .
T h is is w h e re th e e th a n o l a n d w a te r th a t h a v e c o m b in e d , se p a ra te s fro m th e g a so lin e a n d it w ill fa ll to th e b o tto m o f th e ta n k .
Y o u h a v e se e n sp ille d g a s m a k in g ra in b o w c o lo u rs o n th e su rfa c e
o f th e w a te r rig h t? G a s a n d w a te r d o n 't m ix a n d g a s is lig h te r.
T h e w o rst th in g is th a t w h e n p h a se se p a ra tio n o c c u rs, th e
e th a n o l a n d w a te r c a n fo rm a h e a v y b lo b th a t d o e s n o t "fire " in
th e e n g in e . If th e fu e l p ic k u p in th e ta n k su c k s in a b lo b lik e
th is, th e e n g in e c a n b e d isa b le d . T h a t c a n le a v e y o u stra n d e d
a n d in tro u b le .
B u t th a t's n o t a ll. N e w e r e n g in e s a re b u ilt to w ith sta n d a
m e a su re o f e th a n o l b u t o ld e r o n e s w e re n o t. T h e g a sk e ts, ru b b e r
h o se s a n d se a ls th a t c a n b e fo u n d in o ld e r e n g in e s, w e re m a d e
to w ith sta n d e xp o su re to g a so lin e , b u t th o se m a te ria ls a re
a tta c k e d b y th e e th a n o l w h ic h is a n a lc o h o l. T h is c a n c a u se fu e l
le a k s a n d e v e n to ta l d e g ra d a tio n o f th e o ld se a ls a n d g a sk e ts th a t
th e n b re a k u p , c lo g th e fu e l sy ste m a n d sto p th e e n g in e .
L a st, th e w a te r th a t c o m b in e s w ith th e e th a n o l c a n a lso
c a u se ru st in sid e th e e n g in e .
E T H A N O L - F R E E M A R IN E G A S
T h e so lu tio n is sim p le - ju st m a k e su re y o u b u y y o u r b o a t g a s
fro m a m a rin a se llin g e th a n o l-fre e g a s.
R e a lize th o u g h th a t th e m a rin a se lls m u c h lo w e r v o lu m e s o f

fu e l th a n a h ig h w a y o u tle t, a n d b e c a u se th e re is n o e th a n o l to
lo w e r th e c o st o f th e fu e l, a n d o fte n b e c a u se th e m a rin a o n ly h a s
a sh o rt se a so n to se ll fu e l a n d e a rn th e m o n e y to p a y fo r th e
p u m p s, ta n k s a n d o th e r e xp e n siv e in fra stru c tu re (re q u ire d b y
g o v e rn m e n t re g u la tio n ), th e m a rin a fu e l w ill c o st m o re .
T h a t in c re a se in c o st is a b a rg a in c o m p a re d to th e c o st o f fu e l
sy ste m a n d e n g in e re p a irs a n d it's re a lly h a rd to c a lc u la te th e
c o st o f g e ttin g stra n d e d w ith a b o a tlo a d o f fa m ily o r frie n d s a s
d a rk n e ss fa lls.
T o su m u p - a lw a y s b u y e th a n o l-fre e m a rin e fu e l. If th a t's n o t
a v a ila b le , y o u c a n b u y a se p a ra te fu e l tre a tm e n t lik e S ta r-tro n o r
o th e r fu e l sta b ilize rs, b u t th a t c o sts m o n e y a n d y o u h a v e to a d d
it y o u rse lf in th e c o rre c t m e a su re s.
S ta rtin g th is y e a r, a fe w m a rin a s a re g e ttin g V a lv T e c t m a rin e
fu e l. H o p e fu lly th e a v a ila b ility o f V a lv T e c t w ill g ro w a n d m a k e
y o u r life e a sie r. T h e re w ill b e sp e c ia l sig n a g e a t th e se m a rin a s
a n d m a rin a s se llin g e th a n o l-fre e g a so lin e w ill a lm o st c e rta in ly
h a v e sig n a g e to p ro m o te th a t.
B u t th e b e st b e t is to a sk th e m a rin a b e fo re y o u fu e l u p . B e
sm a rt th is su m m e r. B e sa fe a n d b e w illin g to in v e st a fe w d o lla rs
m o re in th e rig h t fu e l. *
w w w .c a n a d ia n y a c h t in g .c a

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Canadian Yachting June 2019

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