Ethanol Fuel

With all of the threads on alternate fuels I haven't seen anything on Ethanol. It runs about 20-30 cents cheaper. Can a an indmar engine be adapted for this?

Ethanol in amounts higher than 10% will dry out plastics and rubbers in your fuel system and is not recommended by any manufacturer, cars or boats. You need some big changes to your system.
But you don't need to bring as much beer with you on a trip.

At our current technology, ethanol is not a viable fuel. It costs less at the pump, but contains a substantially less amount of BTU's per gallon. Thus you get worse fuel economy. So you won't see a difference in your wallet compared to regular gasoline.

Also, it's a break even fuel since the amount of energy required to make it equals the amount of energy you get out of it. It's not a self supporting industry because it costs too much to make. This is why it is government funded. Yep, we pay the farmers to make this stuff and it's basically worthless. Mostly just a political thing.

Hooray!

As boaters, ethanol presents unique problems for us. I would strongly recommend (along with all boat mfrs.) that you avoid ethanol (E-10) for marine use if you can.

First, you need to see if you live in an EPA mandated RFG area. (RFG = reformulated gas = ethanol = E-10.... different ways to say the same thing.) Here is the EPA map:

http://www.epa.gov/otaq/rfg/whereyoulive.htm

In these areas you are stuck with E-10. I live in one of these areas, but I can drive to a nearby county to get good ol' old-fashioned gas without E-10. As you'll see on the map, it's not a short drive for some to get RFG-free gas, however.

As tuneman points out, it really is a political thing. Most people in the U.S. think that burning corn alcohol is good since it reduces foreign oil imports and helps our farmers. Politicians quickly latch on to E-10 as a great energy policy solution since it is easy to explain and seems like a win for most people (except boaters). As a result, E-10 is spreading quickly beyond the EPA mandated RFG areas.

If fact, even if you live in a non-RFG area, you still need to be careful. Federal law requires gas stations to post whether they have E-10 in their pumps. Always look at the pump before you gas up. If you see an E-10 label in a non-RFG area, move on to another gas station. Often you may find "good gas" at a station across the street.

So what's the big deal about E-10 for boaters? As the use of E-10 spreads more and more problems are being reported with boat engines, fuel lines, gas tanks and more. Unlike cars, a boat's fuel system is not airtight. So, ethanol interacts with a boat's gas system in a different manner than in an auto.

Here are a couple of news articles about the problems:

"Ethanol may Leave Boaters High and Dry," Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Aug. 28 '06:
http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=488180&format=print

"Tanks for Nothing," U.S. Boat Magazine, Sept. '06:
http://www.epicmarine.com/docs/Ethanol.pdf

There is a lot of coverage on ethanol in ski boats on the Toyota Marine web site:
http://www.epicmarine.com/forum4/index.php?topic=947.0


The bottom line.... E-10 is nasty stuff to many boats. Since E-10 is a political issue, your voice needs to be heard. One idea floating in Washington is to grant an E-10 exemption for marine use. (See the U.S. Boat article and you'll see how a U.S. Congressman's boat engine was ruined by E-10.... so there is an awareness in DC to this issue.) As with any issue, your voice needs to be heard. Write a letter to your congressmen letting them know that boats are hurt by E-10 and you need relief. Also be aware that E-10 use is a state issue in many states as well. You may need to follow developments in your own state and write letters locally, too.

Car and Driver or Motor Trend did an article and ethanol yealds about 30% less MPG than gasoline.

Everything mentioned is very true. Be careful about investing in auto that is E85. Anyone remember gasohol. Corn fuel in the 80"s..not much different. Worst gas mileage, it washes out in cost from saving per gallon. The "green" people will say it is better for the environment...that depends on if the companies making the fuel are doing it green (doubtit). Using wind and solar for energy source in producing the fuel. Otherwise...it is coal and natural gas making the E85.. So don't get sucked into that argument about E85. DO NOT PUT IT IN YOUR AUTO OR BOAT UNLESS IT IS MADE TO COMPLY WITH E85. Like everyone mentioned before. You will do damage to your engine and it will be quite significant.