Take steps to prevent E-10 damage

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September 04, 2008

By Mark Freeman

Mail Tribune
776-4470
mfreeman@mailtribune.com

The threat of damage to marine engines from ethanol-blended gasoline makes it more necessary than ever to winterize powerboats, authorities say.

The 10-percent mix of ethanol in gas that is now mandatory for vehicles in Western Oregon attracts water, causes separation and can suck enough H20 and solvents into your engine to ruin it, experts say.

With the Labor Day weekend marking the end of the summer boating season, members of Oregon's marine industry are reminding people to follow the winterizing steps needed to protect their investments.

"If you winterize properly you shouldn't have a problem, but we don't know what to expect," says Ashley Massey, who is tracking problems with blended and nonblended gasoline for the Oregon State Marine Board. "This is our first off-season with it.

"You could cost yourself a whole lot of money and cause yourself a whole lot of problems in the spring," Massey says.

Besides being a magnet for moisture, ethanol will dissolve some components, such as fiberglass fuel tanks and rubber parts, such as gaskets.

One way to curb ethanol's problems is to store boats with gas tanks either completely empty or 95-percent full — essentially leaving enough room for expansion but not too much for moist air, according to BOAT-U.S., the country's largest pleasure-boat organization that has followed the ethanol woes for years.

Boaters also can install water-separating filters in fuel lines, carry spare filters in case they get clogged while on rivers or lakes, and add non-alcohol fuel stabilizers to any gas that won't be burned any time soon.

Boat operators and off-road vehicle enthusiasts initially cried foul when Western Oregon fuel stations were required to sell only ethanol-mixed gas for vehicles as a way to curb air pollution.

Those with older boats experienced problems right away. Later, the solvents began to eat through fiberglass tanks.

"That's probably been my number one call the past six months — E-10," says David Richardson, owner of Superior Marine in Medford.

Richardson believes the long-term solution is for boaters to band together and file a class-action lawsuit against the Environmental Protection Agency to ban E-10.

In the meantime, boat owners need to adhere to their preventative maintenance schedule whenever possible and to "preserve the integrity" of their boats' fuel systems — especially when stored during the off-season, Richardson says.

"Everyone should be winterizing their boats, but your winterizing process better include dealing with E-10 now because it's going to get worse before it gets better," Richardson says.

Reach reporter Mark Freeman at 776-4470, or e-mail mfreeman@mailtribune.com.

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