By Steve McCasland, Staff Writer
Thursday, March 27, 2008 |
Port of Bandon officials want to caution boat owners that using 10 percent ethanol fuel in their engines could cause unanticipated problems.
The fuel blend — known as E10 — must be offered by all Southwestern Oregon gasoline retailers by April 15, and by retailers throughout the state by Sept. 16.
The objective of the law requiring the statewide availability of E10 is to encourage the use of alternative fuels and to reduce carbon emissions from motor vehicles.
However, boaters, airplane pilots and operators of devices powered by small engines should be aware that E10 could cause their engines to run rough or stall, according to port officials. The use of gasoline blended with ethanol has resulted in mechanical problems in boats across the United States over the past couple of years.
Because of these problems with blended fuel, the Oregon Legislature has exempted aircraft, watercraft and devices powered by small engines, such as four-wheelers, lawn mowers and chain saws, from using E10.
One problem with ethanol, according to the port, is that it acts as a solvent, loosening gunk in the fuel tank and lines, resulting in clogged filters, carburetors and injectors. Ethanol also readily absorbs water, leading to more problems in vented fuel systems (such as in boats) than in closed systems, such as those used in automobiles, officials said.
And when E10 is added to ethanol-free fuel that’s already in the tank, it can create a glob of gunk that leads to engine failure. Anyone switching from ethanol-free gasoline to E10 would do well to clean their fuel tank and lines, remove all water and sediment, and install an alcohol-compatible filter prior to using the blended fuel, it has been advised.
Port Manager Gina Dearth cautions boaters to carry extra fuel filters with them and to make sure they don’t combine the old ethanol-free fuel with E10.
“We want all mariners to be educated on the fuel change,” she said. “They should talk to whoever services their vessel to find out if ethanol will affect their engine or other components, like rubber hoses and connectors.
“In addition to avoiding potential costly repairs, we’re concerned about boaters’ safety. Ethanol works like a solvent in the gas tank. It loosens contaminants, absorbs water and can damage the engine. It could be very dangerous to boaters offshore or crossing the bar to have their engine fail.”
The biggest problem with ethanol may be phase separation, which happens when the ethanol becomes saturated and isn’t able to absorb any more water. The water/ethanol blend will then separate from the gasoline, with the gas floating on top.
Neither the water/ethanol mix, nor the gasoline (now missing the ethanol, which was added to promote cleaner burning) is good for the engine.
Precautions
The Oregon State Marine Board offered the following precautions for boat owners on the switch to E10:
n Run a non-alcohol fuel stabilizer in your boat’s fuel system at all times. This is recommended for engines that sit for more than a few weeks. The more use the boat gets, the less likely it is to have problems.
n If you winterize your boat and don’t plan on using it for a while, run the tank down to almost empty and then add fuel stabilizer. Then, the following spring, refill the tank with fresh gasoline. Alternatively, keep the tank nearly full to prevent any condensation from occurring. It’s important to avoid water intrusion into your fuel system.
n Install a water-separating fuel filter, and keep a stock of spare fuel filters handy, along with the means for safely changing them.
n Replace older, weather-faded, plastic portable fuel tanks with new tanks. Rubber fuel lines older than the mid-to-late 1980s should be inspected and may need to be replaced.
n Some older carbureted engines may require special tuning. Consult the engine manufacturer for details.
n Make sure you know what your fuel retailer is dispensing. Retailers will still be permitted to sell unblended gasoline, but there’s no guarantee as to its availability.
More detailed information about E10 and boat engines is available on the Internet at
http://www.boatoregon.com. Additional information can be found beginning on Page 6 of the U.S. Coast Guard’s Boating Safety Circular No. 85, available at
http://uscgboating.org/recalls/pdfs/BSC85_1.pdf#Gas.
Dearth indicated that the port is sending information to its moorage customers regarding potential problems with E10, along with suggestions to avoid problems.
The port’s fuel station, located on the High Dock and operated by Prowler Charters, is being upgraded with a new stainless steel, manual fuel dispenser. The facility has been plagued with problems resulting from exposure to the marine environment for several years.
The upgrade, funded by the OSMB, should be completed by late April or early May. Port officials hope to have unblended, ethanol-free gasoline available in one tank and diesel in the other. The local source for the ethanol-free fuel will probably be Goddard Energy Co.
Company owner/operator Donny Goddard said that unlike many gasoline retailers, his company has a spare storage tank that can be used for unblended gasoline.
“If ethanol-free gasoline is available, I’ll be able to get it and make it available for farmers, boaters or whoever can legally buy it from me,” he said.
The company offers card-lock fueling to commercial businesses that use a minimum of 900 gallons of gasoline annually. It also offers card-lock diesel for sale, with no commercial business restrictions. Goddard also can deliver fuel in bulk to anyone, including the general public.
Because stations would have to have an extra tank for ethanol-free gasoline storage, Goddard believes that non-ethanol fuel will become harder and harder to find as time goes on.
Asked whether the switch to E10 would lead to lower fuel prices, he said, “Because the ethanol will have to be trucked and trailered from Portland to the fuel terminal in Eugene and then injected into the gasoline as it’s loaded, it will probably cost a few cents a gallon more than regular.”
He noted that E10 was selling for a penny more than regular gas in Portland on Monday.
Other ethanol problems
Harold Montgomery of H&F Custom Boats has been building boats in Bandon for more than 30 years. He built the boats, including their fuel tanks, out of fiberglass.
About a year ago, he said, a half-dozen of his customers from out of the area reported that their fuel tanks had fallen apart. Not knowing why, but suspecting a problem with the materials he used, Montgomery retrieved each of the boats, retrofitted them with aluminum fuel tanks, and redelivered them to his customers.
He noted that gasoline retailers in the Portland and Medford areas, and in California, have been offering a 4 percent ethanol blend for at least the past several years.
“I started talking to my suppliers to find out what was going on — to see if the gel coat I used was different or what,” he said. “It was pretty hard to get any information from anyone. Donny Goddard helped steer me toward how to find out what was going on.
“I come to find out that the ethanol actually delaminates the surface of the fiberglass fuel tank, plugs the fuel filters and causes engine failure. It carbons up the motors really bad. It probably cost me $25,000 to $30,000 (in repair work) before I found out what was going on.”
He said that he now installs aluminum fuel tanks in all his new boats to avoid the problem.
“I want to caution anyone who has or uses a fiberglass fuel tank in any application — ORV’s, lawn mowers, boats or whatever — to avoid these ethanol-blend fuels in order to avoid damage to their tank and engine.”
Rep. Wayne Kreiger (R-Gold Beach) said Tuesday that insurance/liability issues also may impact the ethanol issue. He explained that if boaters had an accident or other problem that resulted in an injury or death that was attributable to the ethanol fuel, the insurer might refuse to cover the claim.
“You (the boater) could be liable,” he said, adding that because of the unforeseen difficulties encountered by some users of ethanol blends, the Legislature will probably reconsider the issue in the future with an eye toward smoothing the transition to alternative fuels.
|
|
|
|
