I have t-320 crusaders 5.7 efi's and am wondering with this ethanol issue how they should be stored...I keep the boat in the water all winter and everything is winterized and shrink wrapped but I am questioning what is the best for the engines and the gas stability. I recently read in boaters digest you should be using a gas stabilzer and ezorb with the gas tank filled (due to condensation)...and i have also heard that you should leave it close to empty because of fuel seperation....so whats the answer?
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Ethanol and winterizing your engines?
- Thread starter GINA
- Start date
BillatStarbrite
Member
- Joined
- Mar 16, 2007
- RO Number
- 25515
- Messages
- 3
Ddurand -- Actually, we do have chemists, and we do manufacture Star Tron ourselves -in our 300,000 sf factoery in Montgomery, Alambama (there's even a cool video of the plant on our Web site). If you're in the area, we'll give you a tour.
Star Tron is an EPA-registered fuel additive. E-Zorb is not. Star Tron is in fact fuel-based, and will burn. E-Zorb is an emulsifier and will not (we've tried). You can't over-dose Star tron, but you need to know exactly how much water is int he tank when you use E-Zorb. You have to really agitate E-Zorb to make it work, and that's not as easy to do as you think - they had to recall an early batch as it gelled gasoline. One of their guys says that a little gas in gas isn't a problem. - Yeah, right. Try burning water. An SAE paper (#760547) describes what happens to engines fueled by gas treated with an emulsifer. It isn't pretty.
If you want to try Star Tron, I'll be happy to send you samples. You can decide for yourself. If you like it, great. If not, no harm. Either way, get out on the boat and off the computer!
Star Tron is an EPA-registered fuel additive. E-Zorb is not. Star Tron is in fact fuel-based, and will burn. E-Zorb is an emulsifier and will not (we've tried). You can't over-dose Star tron, but you need to know exactly how much water is int he tank when you use E-Zorb. You have to really agitate E-Zorb to make it work, and that's not as easy to do as you think - they had to recall an early batch as it gelled gasoline. One of their guys says that a little gas in gas isn't a problem. - Yeah, right. Try burning water. An SAE paper (#760547) describes what happens to engines fueled by gas treated with an emulsifer. It isn't pretty.
If you want to try Star Tron, I'll be happy to send you samples. You can decide for yourself. If you like it, great. If not, no harm. Either way, get out on the boat and off the computer!
Let's keep this post alive, it will be intresting to see how all made out with the different ways and addititives. I filled my tanks and added that red stabilizer, same thing I have always done since I bought the boat in 2004. Ethenol has been around since I first got my boat, my undertanding is that older boats "pre-ethenol" is where the problem is. I also keep a heater running in the bilge all winter, so my bilge has a constant temperture, hence no or little condensation.
IMO, I think that their are a lot of variables (age of the boat, type of tanks, gas before and now, temp. variations, quality of fuel, etc.). So on that note, I think that what might work for someone may not work for someone else.
Walter
IMO, I think that their are a lot of variables (age of the boat, type of tanks, gas before and now, temp. variations, quality of fuel, etc.). So on that note, I think that what might work for someone may not work for someone else.
Walter
The way I see it is that water in your gas tank is a problem. It was a problem before E10, and it is a problem now. The biggest difference is that, before E10, you had a layer of water on the bottom of the tank that could be pumped out. Now, phase separation effectively ruins the whole tankful of fuel.
Noboby makes a product that eliminates phase separation, and nobody makes a product that reverses it- regardless of the claims. If they did, it would be the biggest news of century in boating, and you wouldn't have to search forums like this (or the manufacturer's website) to learn about it.
I have always used a quality fuel conditioner when storing my boat for the winter, and will continue to do so. But, as far as my times goes, I think it is put to better use making sure that water doesn't get into my tanks, rather than looking for a magic bullet to solve the problem once it happens.
Noboby makes a product that eliminates phase separation, and nobody makes a product that reverses it- regardless of the claims. If they did, it would be the biggest news of century in boating, and you wouldn't have to search forums like this (or the manufacturer's website) to learn about it.
I have always used a quality fuel conditioner when storing my boat for the winter, and will continue to do so. But, as far as my times goes, I think it is put to better use making sure that water doesn't get into my tanks, rather than looking for a magic bullet to solve the problem once it happens.
Well the winter has passed and there was a ton of discussion about ethanol and keeping tanks full or empty. Opinions were all over the board. Has anyone started their engines yet and have any problems. The ones with full tanks ..the ones with empty tanks and the ones in between. I am curious to see if it made any difference how much was in the tank and file it away for next year and pull this back up to add to the discussion that will come up again next fall. I had this in ask the captain forum. See the replys there.
Brian,
I, too, am very curious to see the responses. Which worked better this past winter, full or almost empty? Startron or E-Zorb?
The only constant I've seen seems to be to use Sta-Bil or some other stabilizing product.
I won't be able to comment for at least a couple of weeks. Had to use the snowblower this afternoon.
Peter
I, too, am very curious to see the responses. Which worked better this past winter, full or almost empty? Startron or E-Zorb?
The only constant I've seen seems to be to use Sta-Bil or some other stabilizing product.
I won't be able to comment for at least a couple of weeks. Had to use the snowblower this afternoon.
Peter