[Rhodes22-list] Three Ethanol Myths Clarified

[Rick]

Here's a more scarey picture of an ethanol corroded carburetor float bowl
taken from a marine engine.

Rick

On Tue, Nov 29, 2011 at 1:37 PM, Michael D. Weisner <mweisner at ebsmed.com>wrote:

>
> This may answer some of your questions about ethanol gasoline mixes and
> shed
> light on the problems we have had with the engines.
>
>
> Mike
>
> s/v Shanghai'd Summer ('81)
>
> Nissequogue River, NY
>
>
>
>
>
> Three Ethanol Myths Clarified
> <http://www.boatus.com/magazine/2011/december/ethanol.asp>
>
>
> By Bob Adriance
>
>
> It's time we get to the bottom of how E10 is affecting our engines
>
> In the few years since ethanol began to be widely used in the United
> States,
> a lot has been written about its properties, the problems it's created, and
> how to best cope with its possible effects. Some of the advice has been
> based on science, some on hearsay. While E10 is not an ideal fuel - and E15
> could cause serious problems for marine engines - at least a few myths
> about
> ethanol have arisen with the potential to do more harm than good:
>
> http://www.boatus.com/magazine/2011/december/assets/img/ethanol.jpg
>
>
> Myth #1: Ethanol-enhanced gasoline (E10) loses octane much faster than
> regular gasoline.
>
>
>
> Many mechanics believe that octane loss during winter storage could be
> great
> enough to damage an engine when it's run in the spring. These same
> mechanics
> will often recommend leaving the tank almost empty so that fresh gasoline
> can be added in the spring to raise depleted octane levels. While all
> gasoline loses octane as it ages, ethanol-enhanced gasoline loses octane at
> about the same rate as regular gasoline, according to Jim Simnick, a
> technical advisor at BP Global Fuels Technology, and Lew Gibbs, a senior
> engineering consultant and Chevron Fellow. The two men have over 75 years
> of
> combined experience working with gasoline and both agree that the loss of
> octane over the winter would not be sufficient to damage an engine. Note,
> however, to keep any gasoline, including E10, as fresh as possible; they
> said it's good practice to always add fuel stabilizer - an antioxidant -
> whenever the boat will be idle for long periods.
>
> The recommendation to leave a tank mostly empty is bad advice; it could
> significantly increase the amount of water that gets into the tank. When
> enough water enters through the vent, the ethanol will separate ("phase
> separate") from the gasoline. Leaving a tank mostly empty does three things
> to increase the chances of phase separation:
>
> It increases the volume of open space in the tank (its "lung capacity") so
> it can "breathe in" damaging moist air. An almost-empty tank leaves more
> space on tank walls for condensation to form. Leaving less gasoline in the
> tank means there will be less ethanol to absorb the condensation.
>
> It's interesting to note that in areas of the Midwest that have been
> dealing
> with E10 for over a decade, topping off tanks is common practice. (As an
> alternative, completely emptying the tank would eliminate any chance of
> phase separation.)
>
> If phase separation occurs, the highly corrosive ethanol/water mixture will
> settle to the bottom of the tank and remain there even after fresh fuel is
> added in the spring. The only way to remedy the problem would then be to
> drain the tank and add fresh gasoline. The best way to avoid phase
> separation over the winter (aside from emptying the tank) is to leave the
> tank 95-percent full (which allows for expansion) so that there's less
> moist
> air in the tank, less space for condensation to collect, and more gasoline
> to absorb whatever moisture does accumulate.
>
>
> Myth #2: E10 attracts water, so it's important to install a water separator
> to prevent the water reaching the engine.
>
>
>
> Mercury Marine, which recently hosted a Webinar on ethanol myths, noted
> that
> ethanol does not "grab water molecules out of the air." It is hydrophilic,
> which means ethanol holds water. With regular gasoline (E0) as well at E10,
> the primary cause of water collecting in tanks is condensation on tank
> walls. But unlike E0, which can absorb almost no moisture, E10 can hold up
> to half of one percent of water by volume, and the water molecules will
> dissolve in the fuel. The "solubilized" water will bypass the water
> separator and burn harmlessly through the engine. Only if phase separation
> were to occur would a water separator do its job, but by then the fuel
> itself would be the problem. The phase-separated water/ethanol mixture
> would
> settle on the bottom of the tank near the fuel pick-up and would quickly
> stall out or even damage your engine. And because ethanol is used to boost
> octane, the remaining (low-octane) gasoline at the top of the tank would
> also have the potential to damage your engine.
>
> Note, however, that a fuel filter (10-micron) is essential to keep gunk
> from
> reaching your engine. Ethanol is a solvent that dissolves resins, rust, and
> dirt that have accumulated on older tank walls. Especially when you first
> make the transition to E10, it's important to carry spare filters and a
> galvanized bucket to store used filters prior to disposal. Even in new
> engines and tanks, E10 will sometimes form a mysterious gooey substance
> that
> will also clog filters. Richard Kolb, the manager of Emissions and
> Regulations for Volvo Penta, believes the goo is caused by water mixing
> with
> one or more of the 108 approved compounds that can be used in gasoline.
> These compounds vary among suppliers, so one solution is to change to a
> different brand of gasoline. Another is to use carburetor cleaner, which he
> says has sometimes remedied the problem.
>
>
> Myth #3: Certain additives can prevent phase separation?
>
>
>
> Both Gibbs and Simnick said that the additives that eliminate water may
> work
> incrementally to protect against phase separation, but Joe Simnick stressed
> that no additives will stand up to a good slug of water. Lew Gibbs added
> that the best way to prevent phase separation in E10 is to "keep it dry,
> keep it dry, keep it dry." That means keeping the tank filled to prevent
> condensation. Mercury Marine has also noted that, contrary to statements
> made by some companies that produce fuel additives, there are no additives
> that can make stale or phase-separated gasoline usable.
>
> E10 is certainly not as trouble-free as E0, especially the first few
> tankfulls. But for newer engines, those built after about 1991, there's no
> reason the initial problems can't be overcome. No less an authority than
> Mercury Marine says, "After the transition period from E0, E10 may actually
> be a superior marine fuel as it tends to keep low levels of water moving
> through the fuel system, keeping the
> system 'dry.'"http://www.boatus.com/magazine/assets/img/StoryEnd.png
>
> Bob Adriance is Editor of Seaworthy, the BoatUS Marine Insurance
> damage-avoidance publication, and author of Seaworthy, Essential Lessons of
> Things Gone Wrong (published by International Marine/McGraw Hill, available
> at www.Amazon.com
> <
> http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/007145327X/qid=1137435438/002-5727410-9825
> 655>  and major bookstores).
>
>
>
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