The Problems With Ethanol

[gride300]

also, what does the christian thing have to do with the ethenol statement.

**Post edited by Admin**

[ers906]

I agree re: big business v big gov.

[core-rider]

http://pure-gas.org/
Use this site to help you find stations in your area. It gets updated by users so if you see errors fix them for everyone out there. I don't see any reason why you can't add marinas well, just list accordingly.

[DealsGapCobra]

This is all good information. I have been seeking out ethanol free gas stations for a few years now. Once you find one to use just remember to keep checking as many end up switching with. I would also recommend sending the station owner a letter telling them that you are buying your gas there because it is ethanol free. It's important that they get the feedback.

One more thing, some states require stations to indicate if there is ethanol in their fuel but not all.

[cedarcreek216]

This makes a lot of sense and was probably the issue with my problems I posted in a thread about fuel issues. I was so frustrated that the dealer could not figure it out and all the ever did was changed a clogged fuel filter and it fixed the problem, but could never diagnose the problem. It so happens the marina I go to, when I fill up on the lake, has ethonal free gas. I filled up there out of laziness the past two time, $3.75 a gallon vs $2.54 a gallon and surprisingly have had no problems with the way the boat's been running lately. If I can't find a ethonal free station near the lake, I'll pay an extra $60 a tank to not have problems no question.

[Bimmerboyz]

In Utah I think it has to say if it has ethanol.
I buy Sinclair gas. Some stations have ethanol some don't.

I have been staying away from ethanol like it's the plague. In the last 2 years I have driven over 70k miles. I know that ethanol makes my 86 BMW 535i lose 2-5mpg. My other car 08 BMW 335i loses 2-3.

Blame the global warming myth for ethanol. I agree on the nuclear power plants.(I have built a few power plants all natural gas). However Carter signed a bill that we can't recycle nuclear waste and the 9 billion spent on the waste storage in NV "yucca mountain" was a giant toilet to flush money into.

[SkiTower]

i'd rather have "big business" at work anyday over big government.

amen!

[SkiTower]

also, what does the christian thing have to do with the ethenol statement.

**Post edited by Admin**

If you really want to go there, what they are probably saying is that they are honest, hardworking people and not the political scum that is causing this mess. There is too much of a focus on 'what benefits me' instead of focusing on the greater good in this country.

[FatBoy]

If you really want to go there, what they are probably saying is that they are honest, hardworking people and not the political scum that is causing this mess. There is too much of a focus on 'what benefits me' instead of focusing on the greater good in this country.

Agree 100%.

[KenG]

also, what does the christian thing have to do with the ethenol statement.

**Post edited by Admin**

Its nice to see a business that is not ashamed to point out that they are a Christian company. (Also gride300 thanks for bringing it up a second time in the thread.)

[FatBoy]

Its nice to see a business that is not ashamed to point out that they are a Christian company. (Also gride300 thanks for bringing it up a second time in the thread.)

I will tell you what kind of business White Lake Marine is. I spent all of last week at the Georgia Mountain Fly-In at Lake Chatuge (spelling) in north Georgia and on the last afternoon my impeller went out. After I got home I called them on Monday morning and asked if they could repair it along with service it as it was time for an oil change. They were preping for the boat show in Raliegh NC this weekend and would not be working in the shop Thursday - Saturday so they were tight on time. I dropped the boat off monday afternoon at 4:45 and picked it back up with all work complete yesterday afternoon 24 hours later. They had a lot of stuff going on this week but MADE TIME FOR ME as they knew I wanted to be back on the water this weekend.

As I have told everyone before it is not as much the brand (although I love Correct Craft) as it is the dealership and the service they offer. I have bought many boats over the years (8 to be exact) the last three from White Lake Marine and as long as they remain in business, they are the only one's I will every buy from again.

[SkiTower]

Maybe if BO and all the other politicians had the same values as this dealer (and CC as a whole), we wouldn't be in this mess....

[gride300]

the marine ethanol is 89 i'm pretty sure. is that ok?

[SkiTower]

the marine ethanol is 89 i'm pretty sure. is that ok?

I believe 89 is "mid-grade", which is what's spec'd in the manual. So yes, it should be okay. I'd think at this point low grade without ethanol is better than mid grade with.

Wonder how much for a case of Sta-Bil?

[DanielC]

A different opinion

I am going to have to express a different opinion on this.

First of all, I have nothing to sell or gain, or lose, with whatever you use to use for fuel or additives in your boat.

I live in western Oregon, and we have had ethanol in our gas for many years. I have also used "land gas" (gas not bought at a marina) almost since my boat was new. It is usually way cheaper than marina gas.

Oregon does not have the humidity and heat that many of states in the rest of the USA has. When it is humid here, it is usually cool, maybe mid 70 degree, in the summer. When it gets hot, (90's or very occasionally low 100's) the humidity is 20 to 30 percent, or lower. These weather factors may contribute to my lack of problems with E-10 gas.

I have a 1997 Ski Nautique. It has the GT-40 engine, and has over 2279 hours on it. Obviously, I use my boat on a regular basis.

When I lay my boat up for the winter season, I fill the gas tank, and use twice the normal amount of Sta-Bil, the red stuff. I do not use the marine version. It was not available when my boat was new, and I used the stuff recommended by PCM, for my engine, at the time. I saw no need to change when the marine Sta-Bil came out.

I have had no problems with using E-10 in my boat, or tow vehicles, or lawn mowers, or tractors. E-10 is used in millions of vehicles every day, with no problems.

I have noticed this, in boats running E-10, that I service. There is no water in the fuel filters.

Having said all that, E-10 can cause problems if your fuel tank, or system already has water in it, or is old. The first time you put E-10 in your tank, if you have previously only been running non-alcohol gas, the alcohol will try to dissolve the water, and it will dissolve some dirt or gunk in your fuel system, that gasoline will not dissolve, and try to run that through the engine. Alcohol can damage older fuel lines, but if that is the case, you probably need new fuel lines anyway.

There was a claim that alcohol washes oil off the upper cylinder walls. So does gasoline. The next time you are cleaning and repacking your trailer wheel bearings, use some gas to clean them. You will find gasoline is probably one of the most effective solvents for removing old grease. Dangerous to use, because of it's flammability, but it is a good solvent. It is not recommended you use gasoline, because of the dangers, I only bring this point up, to prove my point about gasoline washing oil off cylinder walls.

It was mentioned that alcohol reduces the amount of power an engine produces. It does, because it does not have as much potential chemical energy, per unit of volume, as gasoline. This can cause a slight reduction in the power, or mileage of an engine. This is one of the factors that allow a diesel engine to get better mileage than a gas engine. The fuel simply has more energy per gallon than gasoline. The fuel is also used more efficiently, because a diesel engine has higher compression, but a significant part of the mileage increase is from the energy density of the diesel fuel.
I could also point out that many racing applications use alcohol as a fuel. Indy cars. Alcohol funny cars, and dragsters. Model airplane engines run on alcohol.
These engines generally produce more power than the gasoline counterpart, but they are using a greater volume of alcohol, and a richer fuel to air ratio, to produce the greater power.

But the biggest factor affecting fuel mileage is how the engine is driven. If I suggest to you that some engine change will increase your fuel mileage, it usually will, because it changes the way you drive, consciously, or subconsciously. This is why "cow magnets" (as seen on TV!) you put on the fuel line, or "super flow tornado air boosters" (also as seen on TV!) you put in the air intake pipe of your engine seem to increase fuel mileage. You think they improve the mileage, and you aware of this, and you drive differently.

So, in short, if your fuel system is clean, fairly new, and has no or very little water in it now, you should not have any problems with E-10.

I am not a member of the "corn lobby", not a wacko environmentalist, and generally vote for the more conservative political party. I think we should pursue a lot more domestic sources of energy.

But since the most economical 89 octane fuel I can obtain for my boat is 89 octane Arco E-10 gasoline, that is what I use. I have experienced no problems with it. In over 2279 hours of operation.