Fuel Treatment 101
Published: Saturday, July 2, 2011 7:00 am
By: Star Brite Corp.
With all the concerns related to ethanol blended fuels (E10) today, it's easy to become confused about how to deal with it. One of the most common bits of advice is to use a fuel treatment, but which one?
Some folks believe that E10 can be used with no ill effects while others think it is the end of boating as we know it. The truth is somewhere in between. The main problem of E10 comes from the fact that ethanol and gasoline do not form a chemical bond. This means the mixture begins to degrade in as little as 4 weeks as the light ends of the fuel begin to evaporate, leaving behind gums and other solids that clog injectors and carburetors, causing once well-behaved engines to suddenly be difficult to start or to run rough. This is also why ethanol is typically added to the gasoline only when the tanker is preparing to deliver the fuel to the gas station of the fuel dock. Ethanol produces less energy than gasoline, which means engines running on this fuel can no longer deliver the same power or cruising range as when they were powered by 100% gas. Another problem is caused by ethanol's ability to attract and bind to moisture. As it draws moisture into the vented fuel tank of your boat, the water and ethanol form a tight chemical bond. If more than 0.5% water (by volume) enters the tank, the ethanol water mixture falls out of suspension with the gasoline, settling to the bottom of the tank as a distinct layer. The result is gasoline with a reduced octane level. Worse, when the engine draws in the water/ethanol mixture, it will stall, hopefully before the water damages the fuel pump.
However, even if the only fuel you can get is E10, it is no reason to give up the boat for a set of golf clubs. Many thousands of boaters across the U.S. have been dealing with E10 for 3+ years. The trick is knowing what to use to make up for the problems caused by adding alcohol to our gas. The first thing to look for in a treatment is its ingredients. Many actually contain alcohol or a form of alcohol. The problem with E10 is that it contains ethanol, which is alcohol, so adding more alcohol will only make it worse. Review the MSDS and, if in doubt as to what an ingredient is or what it does, “Google” it for more info.
After you discard the additives that contain alcohol, look
for one that will stabilize fuel chemistry in order to help prevent the
formation of performance-robbing gums and other solids. The next thing to look
for is a treatment that will deal with the moisture attracted by ethanol. This
is a tricky thing to do, since many treatments claim to "remove
water" or make it burn. If you stayed awake in high school chemistry
class, you already know that neither is possible. Some treatments will
have videos that claim to prove they can remove water. If you see one in which
they add gasoline, water, and then their treatment, pay attention to the fluid
level. It will remain the same even after they shake the beaker and show that
the water is gone. It's still there, but is now emulsified in the fuel. There
are two bad things about this. First, many emulsifiers use alcohol to entrain
or entrap the water and we already learned we don't want to add more alcohol to
E10. The second problem comes from the fact that emulsified fuel leads to
significant carbon deposits and rough running engines. The FAA and Department
of Defense both forbid the use of emulsifiers in aviation fuel for the simple
reason that gravity is very unforgiving to aircraft after their engines stall.
While gravity is less of a concern to a boater, it still remains a bad idea to
use an emulsifying fuel treatment in your boat's fuel. Emulsifiers can also
“thicken” fuel, taking on a cloudy appearance; in order to comply
with engine manufacturer warranty requirements, fuel must be “clear and
bright.” The fuel must literally be clear enough to read a card placed
behind the fuel; if it is not, it could void a warranty. (See image).jpg)
The only way to remove water from fuel is to somehow vaporize it during the combustion phase. Because water molecules tend to group together to form large clumps, it's best to use a treatment that will break apart these clumps in order to disperse the water throughout the fuel in order to reduce the size of the water molecule clumps and make it easier to vaporize the small particles.
Look for a treatment that will remove gums, varnish, or carbon in order to keep the fuel delivery system functioning at its best. It should also enhance the fuel's combustibility in order to help prevent future deposits from forming. This enhanced combustibility will also help restore some of the power lost to ethanol, and that means the engine will start more easily and run better, too.
A final thing to be wary of is the "clean burning" treatment. Alcohol burns with an invisible flame. Treatments that use a petrochemical base will give off a mildly smoky flame. If it burns that cleanly, take a closer look at the MSDS to see if any of the ingredients end in "-ohol."
Finding a treatment that will do all of the above is a tall order, but they do exist! Using one will allow you to get back to enjoying your time on the water.
Written By: Bill Lindsey
Star Brite Corp.
