[Public-list] Ethanol detrimental to plastic fuel tanks

[J Bergquist]

CB-

Actually, as George pointed out, it appears that the conventional wisdom on
winter storage for fuel tanks may be changing because of ethanol. As it
turns out, gasoline with ethanol additive separates at low temperatures.
This occurs because ehtanol is LESS soluble in gasoline at low temperatures.
The result of such separation would be that half your tank would be pure
gasoline, and the other half pure ethanol (or some other ratio depending on
how much ethanol is in the gas that you buy). In addition, ethanol is water
soluble (unlike gasoline), so it will readily dissolve in water.

Ethanol is an alcohol just like ethylene glycol (antifreeze), or drinking
alcohol, which means it's a polar molecule and will dissolve in water (which
is even more polar). Gasoline is pretty non-polar, which is why it will NOT
dissolve in water. Ethanol is somewhere between gasoline and water in terms
of polarity, which means that in practice it will dissolve in both, but I
think (and I could be mistaken on this), that it is actually MORE soluble in
water than in gasoline, which is why it may separate. The basic rule of
solubility is 'like dissolves like' and the main thing to compare is
molecular polarity.

Sorry for the chemistry discussion. The bottom line is you should probably
NOT assume that you should keep your tank full this winter. I have read a
lot of press indicating that this may not be a good idea. You should at
least check up on the subject and do some research to determine what is the
right thing to do. Also, your point about not being sure that MD is adding
ethanol to gas is a good one. I don't know what is going on but I know there
are some pumps in Annapolis that sell E85, which is 85% ETHANOL!!!! One of
the biggest reasons ethanol has been a problem for boaters that has been
widely reported in the boating press is that often there is absolutely no
pumpside indication whether or not gas you are buying is blended with
ethanol.

I just last week received my seaworthy magazine which is put out by BoatUS
insurance company (who insures my boat). Inside there was an article about a
congressman from AZ who had to have the tanks hauled out of his boat and
replaced after ruining both of his engines (this was a Bertram 36 or
something) by mistakenly filling them with 50% ethanol gasoline mix on a
trip from San Diego to Phoenix. The total repair was in excess of $10 grand.
This is not an issue to take lightly.

In that same magazine, there was also an article about emptying your tank
for the winter, in contradiction to the previously held conventional wisdom
of keeping it full to prevent condensation.

I don't claim to be an expert on this, but everybody who has a gas engine
should not take this lightly because if you are not careful this issue will
at least cause you to spend some down time, and at worst it may cause some
folks engine trouble.

Later,

J Bergquist

On 9/11/06, C.B. Currier <cbcurrier at spinrx.com> wrote:
>
> All,
>
> I nkow that Infinity #57 has a Poluester Based Fiberglass Gas Tank. What I
> thought was that at this time Maryland was not dispensing Ethanol base gas
> but I have neither confirmed or denied this.
>
> However Yes there were some A30s that did get fiberglass Tanks. So be sure
> to check.
>
> Also Andrew:
> Be sure to Store your tank FULL over the Winter! The Stabilizer stuff
> helps but during the winter with a low or empty tank you have a very high
> likelyhood of getting water vaopr into your tank and thus increasing the
> headache you will have in the spring.
>
> The less room in your tank to breathe the better off your fuel will be in
> the spring. Also alcohol should help not hurt the situation with water so
> fill her up.
>
> --
> C.B. Currier
> Infinity #57
> Dauybreak #458
>
>
> George Dinwiddie wrote:
> > edward schroeder wrote:
> >> Have the Alberg owners with gasoline engines read the article "Some
> >> Boat Owners with Gunky Motors Sing Ethanol Blues" by Robert Tomsho?
> >> The article describes what ethanol does to plastic fuel tanks and
> >> what the results of that reaction does to gas engines.
> >
> > I don't think it affects polyethylene tanks; just polyester
> > (fiberglass).  I don't think any Alberg 30's were made with fiberglass
> > fuel tanks.
> >
> > It will, however, absorb water from the air and can then separate from
> > the gasoline.  I think the recommendations are to winter with the tank
> > empty rather than topped off.
> >
> >   - George
> >
> > --
> >   ----------------------------------------------------------------------
> >    When I remember bygone days                         George Dinwiddie
> >    I think how evening follows morn;            gdinwiddie at alberg30.org
> >    So many I loved were not yet dead,           http://www.Alberg30.org
> >    So many I love were not yet born.
> >                 'The Middle' by Ogden Nash
> >   ----------------------------------------------------------------------
> >
> >
> >
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