Posts: 32800
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | 4amuskie - 3/31/2019 5:00 AM
E10 fuels are fine. The problem is phase separation. It is why marine engines have water separation fuel filters. You dont see these on cars. The marine environment promotes water contamination in fuel tanks. Constant temp changes and wet environments cause condensation. .5% water will cause phase separation at 60 degrees. This number drops when it gets colder. Most fuel contains some water and it varies. It may not take much in a marine environment to get to the separation point. Be careful and check your filters especially when buying fuel from above ground tanks like LOTW. They have filters on their tanks too. For water.
I would highly suggest a search on fuel phase separation for all and watch how phase separation occurs and why. Controlled E10 fuels are perfectly safe but they are not all controlled. Fuel cleanliness varies from station to station and tank to tank. Ethanol content can not exceed 10% but it can vary anywhere from 0-10%. Water in these fuel also varies. It does not take much water to contaminate fuel. When phase separation occurs both the ethanol and water separate together from the gas leaving the gasoline at a much lower octane rating. Both the ethanol/water and the gasoline in phase separation are bad and can quickly destroy an engine.
Be careful.
Nope. It's literally impossible for e10 to absorb enough water to phase separate in your boat fuel tank and highly unlikely in any storage tank, see the other thread as to the science. That's total bunk and is propaganda, and you have the propaganda mixed together a bit.
Sure, introduce water into the fuel system from a malfunction, accident, or other anomaly in a large volume, and it's possible, but the e10 is your friend in that case as it will, once water contacts the ethanol, absorb and harmlessly burn it off until there's so much in the system to cause what you described as apparently commonplace. If you have ethanol free fuel and that amount of water is introduced, pure H20 has already been run through your cylinders and the damage from that already done.
In other words, un-mix your post using the science, and look at logic. Water in an ethanol free fuel tank ends up in it's pure form in your boat fuel tank, and all of it if you have the misfortune of being the first to fill up after water was introduced. And it would take very little in that tank opposed to an awful lot in the e10 tank. Keep in mind ethanol doesn't attract water in any way, and only absorbs water when it's introduced.
What does one add to fuel to take care of introduced water, according to the data sheet on the additives?
Alcohol.
What's one of the most stabil chemicals in today's gasoline? Ethanol.
What other chemicals are added to today's ethanol free gasoline that are corrosive and are solvents, cancer causing and dangerous? Once I get the complete list tomorrow from our gasoline expert source I'll post it. And it changes seasonally and regionally.
Today's fuel is good for a few weeks at best without stabilization, unlike the gasoline of the past. Your boat fuel's enemy is not ethanol, it's the fact the fuel is not lasting long at all before beginning to break down without stabilization, which is why may small engine manufacturers suggest a stabilizer be added, and most conveniently have one available and a crazy high price. Your boat fuel's biggest issue is age. Don't buy gasoline from low turnover tanks.
I've never seen a fuel/water separator on a resort fuel tank. Maybe I missed it. I'll take a look around next time I'm at a resort.
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