Thread: Ethanol fuel

What do you think moonshiners burned? Corn liquor, moonshine, alcohol, etc. Ethanol is moonshine with an additive so you won't drink it.
What do you CLEAN carburetors with? Alcohol
What does gas do that ethanol doesn't? Leave residue in the form of varnish.
What does varnish do to a carb, plugs it and makes it stop working. Hence the reason you add Sta-bil and other treatments.
Running 10% ethanol keeps your carburetor clean, in fact it keeps your fuel system clean.

As for water in ethanol. Your really concerned about 10% of water vapor in 10% of your fuel? Perspective- Your sucking in more water vapor running the motor in the rain or on a humid day. Optimum air to fuel mix ratio is 14.7 to 1. That is 14 parts air to 1 part fuel.

Another fun fact- ethanol is used as a racing fuel. There are a whole bunch of other alcohols used as racing fuels, depends on the classification of racing your doing. The ethanol added to your gasoline increases the octane rating of your fuel. Think of it this way, they have to water down the ethanol with gasoline so your don't fry your non-racing engine.

Ethanol and alcohol are 2 diff. Things

Originally Posted by helpme

Is there a way to burn butane in an outboard if you could inject your oil at the rate needed,I guess if it was a four-stroke like some of the newer ones are you could.If it was like a truck my uncle had it ran on lp and it ran very clean and for many years.It did lose some power,but the engine was very clean running,no carbon build-up..

There is a small like 2-3 hp model out there along with weed eaters and mowers. Not really practical for bigger outboards because of size and weight of storage tank you would have to have plus the danger involved.

I'll always remember - MEPB. Methane, ethane, propane, butane, etc. I run propane at the house, would prefer butane but would have to bury the tank in the ground due to it's freezing point. They do sell it here though. Premium heat value in that product. Folks in subdivisions rely on methane (natural gas).

As far as alcohols, ethanol is ethyl alcohol. Methanol is methyl alcohol, etc. Ethanol will give you a buzz, while methanol will kill you. I know such things.

Hanr3, we've had this discussion about ethanol fuels in the past. I don't run top fuel dragsters, nor NASCAR, I just know what I find best for us regular folk.

Originally Posted by Hanr3

What do you think moonshiners burned? Corn liquor, moonshine, alcohol, etc. Ethanol is moonshine with an additive so you won't drink it.
What do you CLEAN carburetors with? Alcohol
What does gas do that ethanol doesn't? Leave residue in the form of varnish.
What does varnish do to a carb, plugs it and makes it stop working. Hence the reason you add Sta-bil and other treatments.
Running 10% ethanol keeps your carburetor clean, in fact it keeps your fuel system clean.

As for water in ethanol. Your really concerned about 10% of water vapor in 10% of your fuel? Perspective- Your sucking in more water vapor running the motor in the rain or on a humid day. Optimum air to fuel mix ratio is 14.7 to 1. That is 14 parts air to 1 part fuel.

Another fun fact- ethanol is used as a racing fuel. There are a whole bunch of other alcohols used as racing fuels, depends on the classification of racing your doing. The ethanol added to your gasoline increases the octane rating of your fuel. Think of it this way, they have to water down the ethanol with gasoline so your don't fry your non-racing engine.

I seem to recall reading this same statement some time ago. Perhaps on a different site. It's still misleading, with few facts and a lot of inaccuracies.

Originally Posted by sliderman

I seem to recall reading this same statement some time ago. Perhaps on a different site. It's still misleading, with few facts and a lot of inaccuracies.

been running ethanol for years with no problem. perhaps a paddle would solve most of your problems without a long, dragged out discussion about ethanol

How about facts.
Renewable Fuels Association » Boats, Motorcyles & Small Engines

and if you click the link there is a link to water myth and facts. Fact is your gas will go stale before water becomes an issue.

2. In a small engine fuel tank in a constantly high-temperature, high-humidity environment, it takes three months or longer for E10 and other ethanol blends to take up enough water for phase separation. This confirms the statement by Mercury Marine that water uptake in E10 blends “…does not happen at a level or rate that is relevant.”2

Originally Posted by sliderman

I seem to recall reading this same statement some time ago. Perhaps on a different site. It's still misleading, with few facts and a lot of inaccuracies.

Just because it differs from your thought of reality, doesn't make it misleading or inaccurate. I did my research, did you?