California gasoline

[Jan from Humboldt]

I have a 3 month old boat with a Yamaha 40 on it and it crapped out at the dock today right after launching.

It would fire up and run badily for a few moments and die as soon as it went in to gear, after farting around with it for a while I gave the trip up as a lost cause.

I took the boat to the dealer and when I walked in to the shop the owner said let me guess... Motor won't run right?

He told me I'm one of many of his customers that are suffering from California's latest gasoline games, seems the ethanol attracts water and it puddles out in the carbs if it sits a while and the carb bowls are aluminum which reacts and produces this white goop which clogs the whole shebang up.

In my case the boat had sat about ten days beacause I blew out my knee and then had been run dry, Stabul had been added to the tank previously but it was no good.

The fix is a good water fuel seperator AND a ten micron filter, of course always run the engine out of fuel every time too.

This is gonna cost a lot of boat owners some serious dollars across the state, too bad I can't send the repair bill to the state.

 

[Cincinnati]

Us here in CT had similar issues, but they appear to be less a year later. The alcohol (ethanol) cleans out the gas tank and deposits the dirt in your motor. Now that everyone has been through one season on this stuff, this year doesn't appear to be as bad. The ethanol also eats at the fuel line and other rubber o-rings in the fuel system. I purchased a Sierra fuel line from West Marine that is alcohol resistant and installed a good Racor filter. No problems for me. BTW, we have 10% ethanol.

 

[Genelie]

Crudddd thats all I need is another problem to worry about. I have been lucky so far 3 years no problems yet. CA changes that stuff, I am not sure if it is for winter or summer.

 

[Jan from Humboldt]

More on adventures in small boating...

I talked to our local Bulk fuel supplier (Renner Petrolium) and he said that all gasoline in this state has ethanol added and that the ammount will increase since the Govenor signed a bill to that effect.

My advice is get it done now and save the agravation and embarassment of having a new boat crap out at the ramp, not to mention missing a days fishing.

The Yamaha people I talked to today confirmed the problem and the fix.

I'm begining to think Tom Hanks should have made the money pit movie about a boat rather than a house.

Of course I could replace the boat with a motorhome and a snowmobile and really have something to gripe about.

 

[mario]

Is this a problem with carbed Yamahas only? Should put the separator and filter on my injected 150. I'm in So. Cal and concerned with the gas I use.

 

[Cincinnati]

Is this a problem with carbed Yamahas only? Should put the separator and filter on my injected 150. I'm in So. Cal and concerned with the gas I use.

I would put a water separator filter on any marine motor. One ancillary benefit is that some of the dirt particles get trapped in the bowl on the bottom of the filter, thus keeping them from clogging your fuel filter under the cowl.

 

[Jan from Humboldt]

A little update

The shop is having to completely rebuild the carbs, this motor has around 50 hours on it.

Hopefully I'll be able to pick it up Tuesday PM

 

[Jan from Humboldt]

Since I haven't been able to fish I did a little research on the ethanol in gasoline, here's a pretty good description of what you can expect from the ethanol gasoline.....

GASOLINE OCTANE OBSERVATIONS PAGE

http://www.maxrules.com/fixgas.html

And no, my boat isn't fixed yet...parts are ordered and are enroute from Japan and guess what! Oregon and Washington according to a little news blurp are going to follow California's lead in being "Clean and Green".
_________________

 

[Cincinnati]

Only use OEM parts. I used a Sierra fuel filter once and that thing was getting dissolved by the ethanol in the gas. Parts of the filter actually separated and was pumped into my VST and deposited on the needle, sticking it open leading to a flooding VST. The actual OEM Honda filter held up just fine. Cost me plenty in my mechanic's time to clean out the system. I'm actaully working with Sierra to try to get something back on the repair ($400).

 

[Cincinnati]

Update - the particles from the filter actually ended up being glue that was used by the manufacturer to glue the filter element down to the filter housing. Contacted Sierra and it looks like they are going to reimburse me the $400 - stay tuned.

 

[Jan from Humboldt]

That's great that they are going to make good on the repairs, I hope mine goes as well.
I just hate to loose the fishing time, seems like it will be winter before we know it.

 

[Cincinnati]

Most mechanics don't suspect the fuel filter because it is suppose to protect the fuel system, not harm it. But my mechanic didn't see any deposits in my Racor bowl, so he worked his way through the system and determined that the inside of the filter was the only uninspected part. He cut it open with a box knife and matched the glue particles therein with the same particles found in my VST. This guy is good.

 

[Jan from Humboldt]

I stopped by the shop today to see what was going on with my repairs, they'd ordered the parts on the same day I took the boat in ( 17th ) they are enroute from Japan and should be here by Monday.

If that happens I'll get my rig back on Tuesday, I guess there's been a run on carb parts and Yamaha which has one of those "Just in time" supply systems got caught with thier Kimono down.

You better hope you all don't need carb parts for a while.

Meanwhile Salmon season closes on 9/11 and it won't be long before our entire fishing season shuts down due to weather.

 

[Cincinnati]

Most mechanics don't suspect the fuel filter because it is suppose to protect the fuel system, not harm it. But my mechanic didn't see any deposits in my Racor bowl, so he worked his way through the system and determined that the inside of the filter was the only uninspected part. He cut it open with a box knife and matched the glue particles therein with the same particles found in my VST. This guy is good.

Received word today that Sierra is cutting me a check for the repair. So Sierra is back on the list of reputable companies.

 

[Jan from Humboldt]

That's great!

I got my boat back and have fished up a storm here the last few days of salmon season, it's running great so I'm releived that little issue is history.