Sept12 (2).pdf - Association of Marina Industries

By Charles FortTechnical AdviceFrom Bob AdrianceEthanol And Older EnginesOver the past few years — since ethanol has become commonfor boat engines — Seaworthy has received hundredsof calls and e-mails complaining about problems that ethanolhas created for their engines. The majority of theseinquiries have one thing in common: They concern olderengines, those made before around 1990, and a high percentageof them involve outboard engines. What is it aboutolder boats that make them more susceptible to ethanol’swell-known problems? Seaworthy talked to Ed Alyanak,Mercury Marine’s manager of engine test and planningdevelopment, and Frank Kelley, Mercury’s fuels and lubricantstechnical specialist — who between them have over60 years of experience — to find out why older engines suffermore than newer ones and what owners of these enginescan do to minimize the problems.Boat engines comprise one of the largest segments of “legacy”engines in the country. Unlike cars, boats often operatefor decades, which means that there are hundreds of thousandsof older engines — many of which were built 20, 30,or more years ago — still churning the water. According toAlyanak, these engines were engineered and built withoutthe knowledge that they would be vulnerable to new fuelsin the future. “No one knew ethanol would be a commonadditive to gasoline 20 or 30 years ago. We designed enginesto run on straight gas,” he says. And it’s not just theengines that are affected by ethanol. Alyanak says that hundredsof boatbuilders who designed the engines’ fuel systemsfrom the gas tank to the engine were also unaware ofthe future challenges from ethanol. And the very simplicityof older carbureted outboard engines seems to make themparticularly susceptible.The issues for older engines fit into three categories: oldvulnerable components not designed for ethanol use, ethanol’sability to dissolve deposits, and its ability to absorbenough water to separate.New StandardsIn the mid-1980s, a committee made up of people fromthe U.S. Coast Guard, the Society of American Engineers(SAE), the American Boat and Yacht Council (ABYC), the12National Fire Protection Agency (NFPA), and UnderwritersLaboratories (UL) got together. E10 (known as gasoholback then) was being introduced for automobile use and itquickly became evident that it would find its way to boats.New standards for hoses were necessary since ethanol wasknown to attack rubber and plastics. The result was a standardcalled SAE J1527. Since 1984, all hoses approved formarine use in gas engines have had to be built to this standardand hoses marked “SAE J1527” are capable of withstandingethanol blends. Hoses not J1527-compliant willquickly deteriorate, potentially causing dangerous leaks,and should be replaced immediately. Something else toconsider: Fuel hoses don’t last forever and those from the80s — even if they are properly marked — should be replaced.Most manufacturers advise replacing gasoline fuelhose after 10 years, and any hose that is 20 years old is waypast its life; all marine-grade fuel hose has its manufacturedate stamped on it.Plastic and Aluminum ProblemsFrank Kelley, Mercury’s fuel specialist, says that other plasticand rubber parts on older engines are susceptible toethanol as well. These include seals and O-rings in the fuelsystem and carburetors. “Rubber materials tend to get hardand brittle with exposure, which can cause problems withneedle valves in carburetors,” he says. Some of these rubbercomponents can be partially dissolved with constant exposureto ethanol, and bits and pieces can be carried into theengine’s fuel system, causing clogs and misfires. Some olderboats may still have plastic fuel filter bowls, which willdegrade with exposure to ethanol and could leak, spillingTechnical Advice Continued on Page 13