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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jul 2008
    Location
    Snellville, GA & Lake Sinclair
    Posts
    8,419

    Default Phase Separation in E10 fuel

    Want to learn more than you might really want to know about ethanol fuel and the dreaded phase separation? Check out this study:

    http://www.cim-tek.com/pdfs/Treatise...Separation.pdf

    I know this is probably way late for the Northern guys, but remember this for next year! Do whatever it takes to find E0 (non-ethanol blended gas) for storing your boat over the winter months. In brief, the study shows that E10 (10% ethanol fuel mix - which has become the US standard) has an increased chance of phase separation as the temperature decreases. The blue stabil will help, but you're much better off with the E0.

    If you can only find E15 or E85 at the gas pump, regardless of the time of year, skip the trip to the lake! This stuff will kill your engine.

    It's important to avoid having your fuel separate for another reason: your wallet! If you have to have a tank of bad gas drained (i.e. the fuel separated) most dealers will have to charge you a hazard waste disposal fee that could run $8-$10/gal. Do the math on a 40-50 gal tank and you're talking some significant money.

    In addition to using the stabil to help fight off the effects of E10, you should also change out your fuel filters often. This is especially important on low use boats. Sounds counter-intuative, but the E10 trapped in there can separate more easily and turn into the brown goo that clogsup your system.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Dec 2011
    Location
    denver co
    Posts
    84

    Default Thank you

    Thanks for the good info. So there is a diff between the red and blue stable?

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jul 2008
    Location
    Snellville, GA & Lake Sinclair
    Posts
    8,419

    Default

    I'm not really sure if there is a difference as I've never compared the contents of them side-by-side. I was in a class with dozens of marine machanics and they all referred to "blue stabil" so that's what I'm going with.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Oct 2010
    Location
    Lake Wylie NC Area
    Posts
    2,467

    Default

    Yes, the "Sta-Bil Marine Formula" is geared more toward those that are forced to use ethanol blended fuels over the red Sta-Bil.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Location
    Springfield Missouri
    Posts
    3,391

    Default

    If you have E10 sitting in your tank for a month without treating it then you need to dump it and I would dump it even treated. I don't winterize with E10 and I don't use E10 in small engines. Too many people with fuel issues with boats and motorcycles that I don't risk it. I go with an near empty tank during the winter and dump that and any any moisture into a gas can and start fresh in the summer.
    1998 Mobius
    310 HP PCM
    SOLD

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    Pensacola, FL
    Posts
    1,585

    Default

    I curious to know if anyone has actually had an engine issue that was directly attributed to E10 gas. Not, "I think it was E10", but a proven case of it.

    I have yet to have any type of failure from lawn equipment (or anything else) which set around for months without use. Perhaps it will happen, but it hasn't yet.


    If anyone else took time to read through the article, it was directly related to storage tanks for gas, with no ability to have movement.
    1997 MasterCraft 205

    2008 Moomba Outback
    1999 MasterCraft Sportstar OB
    1992 MasterCraft 205
    1999 Malibu Response LX
    1987 Marlin Magnum Skier

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Location
    Springfield Missouri
    Posts
    3,391

    Default

    Dirt bikes. Seen it happen to a couple of people and sometimes Seafoam can clean it out otherwise a carb rebuild is in order. Call bike shops in an area where bikes are laid up for a while and they can give you some more stories.
    1998 Mobius
    310 HP PCM
    SOLD

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Jul 2008
    Location
    Snellville, GA & Lake Sinclair
    Posts
    8,419

    Default

    In the class I sat in on, many of the mechanics commented on the increase in fuel related issues as E10 has become the standard. While I don't believe anyone stated a catastrophic engine failure related to E10, I believe it's more of an issue of clogging/gumming/mucking stuff up like carbs, injectors, filters fuel lines/tanks that then prevents the motor from being operational.

    I let my 4wheeler sit a few months this summer and had made an error in putting untreated E10 in the tank. It has a manual fuel gauge that has a float that rides on rails attached to the cap. When it wouldn't start over Thanksgiving, I pulled the cap and found those rails rusty and the carb is gummed up so much it needs pulled and cleaned/rebuilt.


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  9. #9
    Join Date
    Nov 2010
    Location
    Katy, TX
    Posts
    6,368

    Default

    Ethanol is more corrosive than gasoline which is why you should not run E85 unless your manual states that it is ok. The ethanol will eat away at rubber components in your fuel system and I suppose it is the residue left behind from gooey corroded rubber that clog things up. E85 vehicles are made with seals designed to resist this aspect of E85.


    Sent from my iPhone newtys droid killer using Tapatalk
    David

    2017 Moomba Mojo Max Surf Edition, 2 Pair Wetsounds Rev10s powered by an SD2, 6 pair Wetsounds XS650M and Wetsounds XS12 powered by SD6 all controlled by a WS420. 2 Lumitec SeaBlaze X2 Spectrum underwater lights

    SOLD***2008 Mobius LSV, Gravity III , Wake Plate, Z5, Exile SX65c's, Exile XM9s, Exile XI12D, Exile Javelin, Exile 30.2***SOLD

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Aug 2012
    Location
    Cypress, TX
    Posts
    13

    Default

    I have used Startron for several seasons to preserve ethanol fuel over the winter months. It works as advertised. It stabilizes fuel for up to two years and helps prevent phase separation. I also use Sta-bil regularly during the boating season. The combination of the two seem to keep ethanol fuel in good shape and keeps my engines and fuel system clean and running smooth.

    http://mystarbrite.com/startron/
    Jerry
    "Moomba Wanna Be'er"
    Current boat - 2006 Yamaha SX210 w/New Dimension Tower & Cobra Jet Steering
    TX Lakes - Somerville, Conroe, Fayette, Travis, Austin

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