Association Forum - E-10 Again

Assn Members Area · Join

Home.

Association Forum

Ships Store

Cruising

Racing

Technical Tips

Photo Gallery - New

Boat Search - Updated

Manuals & Brochures

Swap Meet

Links

Officer Flag Line & Staff

Bylaws & Constitution

Members Area

Join the Association

Notice:
The advice given on this site is based upon individual or quoted experience, yours may differ.
The Officers, Staff and members of this site only provide information based upon the concept that anyone utilizing this information does so at their own risk and holds harmless all contributors to this site.

Association Forum

Username:	Password:
Save Password
Forgot your Password?

All Forums

Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

General Sailing Forum

E-10 Again

New Topic

Topic Locked

Printer Friendly

Author

Topic

Dave5041
Former Mainsheet Editor

Member Avatar

USA
3758 Posts

Initially Posted - 11/16/2011 : 12:41:20

The current issue of BoatUS magazine has a great myth debunking article on E-10. Read it at your own risk if you blame E-10 for your woes or insist on E-0.

edit: BP, Chevron and Mercury Marine all had input. It could, of course, be a giant corporate conspiracy to ruin our engines so we buy new ones every few years.

Dave B. aboard Pearl
1982 TR/SK/Trad. #3399
Lake Erie/Florida Panhandle

Edited by - Dave5041 on 11/16/2011 12:45:05

Stinkpotter
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

Djibouti
9081 Posts

Response Posted - 11/16/2011 : 15:44:03

http://www.boatus.com/magazine/2011/december/ethanol.asp

With all due respect, I detected some contradictory statements... like, you don't need a water separator because "ethanol doesn't grab water out of the air". Then they warn against water buildup due to condensation in the tank, and suggest a filter for the junk that ethanol dissolves and "cleans" out of the tank. A Racor separator, for example, does both--it lets water settle out and filters the fuel. Plus, at least one article I've read by reputable sources said that E-10 does indeed capture water vapor (humidity) at the surface, and can suspend condensation from the tank walls until the temperature drops to the point that the ethanol has less capacity for holding water, at which point the water phase-separates and ends up in the bottom of the tank where the pick-up is.

I'll stick with my Racor. But my tank is 110 gallons, and stays full over the winter.

Empty 6-gallon tanks are less of a problem off-season.

Edited by - Stinkpotter on 11/16/2011 15:57:09

OJ
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
4382 Posts

Response Posted - 11/16/2011 : 16:06:44

Interesting how ethanol is not used in aviation fuel.

Maybe I can buy gas at the county airport next spring . . .

Edited by - on

Stinkpotter
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

Djibouti
9081 Posts

Response Posted - 11/16/2011 : 20:36:05

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by OJ
 Interesting how ethanol is not used in aviation fuel. Maybe I can buy gas at the county airport next spring . . .<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">...for probably around $6+ per gallon now--probably higher then. (But how many gallons do you need?)

Edited by - on

pastmember
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

2402 Posts

Response Posted - 11/16/2011 : 21:00:15

Water and Alcohol are miscible. Water and ethanol, for example, are miscible since they mix in all proportions. So much so that the whole of the solution's volume is less than the sum of the two separate volumes. If water is available to the ethanol its hydrophilic characteristic will be delighted to assist. I have never worried about a water filter but now that I have a new motor it seems a good time to go with one. What model interfaces with an outboard?

Edited by - pastmember on 11/16/2011 21:01:11

Dave5041
Former Mainsheet Editor

Members Avatar

USA
3758 Posts

Response Posted - 11/16/2011 : 21:14:04

ETOH is not truely hygroscopic, but it will absorb condensed water and the water/alcohol mix is soluble in gasoline. Yes, they do recommend a filter for the gunk that can be freed up until a tank is cleaned out by the alcohol, but it isn't for water nor is it contradictory. Water doesn't settle out of E-10 until it gets high enough for phase separation, normal amounts are in solution and pass through the engine with no problems as opposed 10 E-0 that will collect water in the bottom of the tank. A Racor is a fine product if you want to use one, but they are saying that just taking reasonable care of you fuel will work fine. Lower atmospheric pressure, as in an airplane, could result in differing evaporation rates of gas and alcohol and drop you octane rating. Probably not a good thing at 10,000 feet. Throw money at E-0 if you want, but Mercury Marine said "E-10 may be a better marine fuel".

Edited by - on

dlucier
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

Virgin Islands (United Kingdom)
7583 Posts

Response Posted - 11/17/2011 : 06:52:42

[url="http://www.mercurymarine.com/media/mercury/documents/2011_Fuel_Care_Webinar-2011-08-25.pdf"]The Myths of Ethanol and Fuel Care with Mercury Marine[/url]

Edited by - on

Joe Diver
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
1218 Posts

Response Posted - 11/17/2011 : 08:38:22

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Stinkpotter
 <blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by OJ
 Interesting how ethanol is not used in aviation fuel. Maybe I can buy gas at the county airport next spring . . .<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">...for probably around $6+ per gallon now--probably higher then. (But how many gallons do you need?)
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

I've seen 100LL at $7.50 a gallon.....

Edited by - on

OLarryR
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
3467 Posts

Response Posted - 11/17/2011 : 11:33:27

Don,

Thanks for Mercury brief !

Edited by - on

OJ
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
4382 Posts

Response Posted - 11/17/2011 : 16:37:12

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by pastmember
 What model interfaces with an outboard?
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">http://www.catalina-capri-25s.org/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=21899&SearchTerms=racor

Edited by - on

OJ
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
4382 Posts

Response Posted - 11/17/2011 : 16:40:26

Edited by - on

redeye
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

3476 Posts

Response Posted - 11/18/2011 : 06:14:58

Do you think West Marine could be a shill for big business?

Hmmm... Gee Whizzz Dorothy...

Edited by - on

Stinkpotter
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

Djibouti
9081 Posts

Response Posted - 11/18/2011 : 08:35:10

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by redeye
 Do you think West Marine could be a shill for big business?<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">No different from CVS...

Edited by - on

rrick
Captain

Members Avatar

USA
261 Posts

Response Posted - 11/18/2011 : 17:49:36

Did they recently take the lead out of Aviation Gas? I was going to buy some 110 octane for a hot cam motorcycle in 2005 but walked away when I learned I'd be burning tetraethyl lead and purchased race gas instead. Today, a local gas station sells E-0 for about 0.50-1.00 dollars more (big warnings on the pump re:the price), and it powers all my lawn equipment, the outboard and is the source for my winter top-offs. The 2007 jet ski manual says drain the fuel tank in winter. In pre-ethanol days (as I'm recreating), the idea was to fill the space with alkane fuel so condensation would be minimal. The quote from the Mercury Marine saying E-10 is "an acceptable fuel for everyday use" is acceptable by me; I just want it all burned out in time for storage (pretty much exempts jugs of lawn gas sitting around for months, winter storage fill-ups, and the 5 gallons the sailboat will use over 3 months).

Edited by - on

Dave5041
Former Mainsheet Editor

Members Avatar

USA
3758 Posts

Response Posted - 11/19/2011 : 09:43:08

It's funny, but I have been topping off the tanks in my lawn tractor, other maintenance equipment, and Miata without a problem for many years in the least hospitable conditions for fuel storage. Southern Ohio winters bounce from sub-zero to thaws regularly, so I do add a shot of stabilizer for winter storage.

Edited by - on

Topic

New Topic

Topic Locked

Printer Friendly

Jump To:

Association Forum

Notice: The advice given on this site is based upon individual or quoted experience, yours may differ.
The Officers, Staff and members of this site only provide information based upon the concept that anyone utilizing this information does so at their own risk and holds harmless all contributors to this site.