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MMTA ENews: March 11, 2006
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Just as the Massachusetts Marine Industry got a brief reprieve from the issues associated with the new federally mandated low sulfur gasoline (http://www.boatma.com/membersonly/newsbriefs/2006_march_03_news.html)
We now turn our attention to the issue of the mandate of ethanol in all gasoline
Just as the Massachusetts Marine Industry got a brief reprieve from the issues associated with the new federally mandated low sulfur gasoline (http://www.boatma.com/membersonly/newsbriefs/2006_march_03_news.html), we now turn our attention to the issue of the mandate of ethanol in all gasoline. Gasoline reformulated with ethanol is already being distributed at some locations in Massachusetts. It is only a matter of time before this gasoline will be widely distributed and your customers and your in ground fuel tanks may be affected.
To increase the level of awareness surrounding the addition of ethanol to gasoline used in recreational vessels, below you will find three general articles: one from EPA, one from BoatUS (previously sent to MMTA members in October 2005) and an article that appeared in the November 2005 issue of Boating magazine.
Problems associated with the use of ethanol in marine engines is no longer an out of state issue: it is here and chances are it will be a big part of what your service department and your fuel docks staff will deal with in the coming season.
Be prepared, learn more. Contact your fuel distributors, your engine manufacturers and your boat builders for guidance on how to spot and handle complications associated with reformulated gasoline. This is potentially a very expensive problem. Gasoline reformulated with ethanol can affect all levels in the marine fueling chain: the marine fuel retailer' in ground tanks, fiberglass fuel tanks (mostly pre 1985) and marine engine performance. The gravest concern for retailers and boaters is the consequences of this reformulated gasoline in the presence of water. A small quantity of water in a retailers tank or a boat's fuel tank combined with reformulated gasoline can lead to costly repairs. Even if the fuel retailer's tanks are in good order with no trace of water, the boater receiving this new reformulated gasoline may experience engine problems due to trace amounts of water in the vessel's fuel tank due to condensation or water intrusion. Please take the time to learn all that you can about this issue: MMTA will continue to provide relevant updates as available. For additional information try a simple Google.com search using the keywords ethanol and marine engine. If you would like to share information or experiences related to the use of reformulated gasoline in marine applications, send an e-mail to: Leona.Roach@boatMA.com
REFORMULATED GASOLINE AND YOUR MOTOR BOAT
From EPA 905-F-95-002 - May 1995- EPA Office of Mobile Sources
Source file at http://www.epa.gov/otaq/rfgboats.htm
What is reformulated gasoline?
As of January 1, 1995, every time you fill up your tank with gasoline, you are helping protect the quality of the air you breathe. By doing so, you will become part of one of the nations most important strategies to reduce pollution from motor vehicles.
Over five years ago, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) began working cooperatively with the petroleum and engine manufacturing industries to reformulate gasoline to reduce emissions of ozone-forming and toxic air pollutants. The result -- a cleaner-burning gasoline, called reformulated gasoline, which has significant health benefits.
Scientifically speaking, reformulated gasoline is very similar to conventional gasoline. In fact, reformulated gasoline is just one, out of hundreds of different formulations, for making gasoline. The ingredients used to make reformulated gasoline are no different from those used to make conventional gasoline. Reformulated and conventional gasoline differs only in the levels of ingredients. Specifically, reformulated gasoline has lower amounts of certain compounds that contribute to air pollution; it does not evaporate as readily as conventional gasoline during the summer months; and it contains "chemical oxygen" (oxygenates).
Who is using reformulated gasoline?
The Clean Air Act requires the nine cities with the worst levels of ozone pollution to use reformulated gasoline. The cities include New York, Philadelphia, Hartford, Baltimore, Chicago, Milwaukee, Houston, San Diego, and Los Angeles. In addition, dozens of other cities are using reformulated gasoline voluntarily simply because it's a convenient, inexpensive way to improve air quality. In all, about one-third of the gasoline in the country is reformulated.
What are the benefits of reformulated gasoline?
The primary goal of the reformulated gasoline program is to protect health by reducing vehicle emissions of pollutants that form ground-level ozone, often called smog. Reformulated gasoline also reduces toxic air pollutants from vehicles. Ozone damages sensitive lung tissue and reduces lung function. Exposure to toxic air pollutants has been linked to increased rates of cancer.
Reformulated gasoline produces 15 to 17 percent less pollution than conventional gasoline, and further improvements are expected as new formulas are developed. This year, the new, cleaner gasoline will reduce smog-producing emissions by more than 300,000 tons--the equivalent of removing 8.1. million cars from our roads. Nearly 1.3 million tons of ozone-forming emissions will be prevented in the first phase (1995- 1999) and reductions will be even greater during the second phase of the program that begins in the year 2000.
Can you use reformulated gasoline in marine engines?
Marine engine manufacturers have indicated that the use of reformulated gasoline in their engines is acceptable, although some offer special instructions if you use reformulated gasoline. You should always check your owner's manual for any specific instructions.
As a boat owner or operator, there are a number of simple things you can do if you are concerned about using reformulated gasoline in your marine engine: Be sure that your engine is properly tuned. The best thing you can do to make sure that your boat engine will operate properly on reformulated gasoline is to have your engine set to your manufacturer's tune-up specifications. While reformulated gasoline is very similar to conventional gasoline, there are differences. However, the differences are within the normal operating range of the engine and will not be noticeable unless your engine is out of tune. An engine using reformulated gasoline will operate at its best when properly adjusted to the manufacturer's tune-up specifications.
Minimize Water Contamination. Water contamination occurs when water is introduced into the fuel tank, and can be caused by improper storage conditions at the distribution center or retail station or by accidental introduction of water during refueling.
Reformulated gasoline contains chemical oxygen additives, commonly called oxygenates. These oxygenates are either alcohols or ethers. Currently, the most common oxygenates used are ethanol, which is an alcohol, and Methyl Tertiary Butyl Ether (MTBE), which is an ether. By nature, alcohol tends to have a greater affinity for water than ether-based oxygenates. If a fuel containing ethanol is used under conditions where water contamination is likely to be a factor, precautions should be taken to avoid such contamination. Of course, water contamination of any fuel blend should be avoided. Many oil companies are providing, or working to provide, clear labels for gasoline pumps to let you know which oxygenate is in the reformulated gasoline you're buying. If the pump isn't labeled, ask the service station attendant for information about the additive used in their gasoline. However, if you haven't had water contamination problems with conventional gasoline in the past, you shouldn't have a problem using either type of reformulated gasoline. To avoid possible contamination problems, the following fuel precautions should always be considered in storing and operating your boat:
- Use good gasoline storage management. For many years, marinas have managed their tanks to minimize the effects of water contamination and deterioration. You should do the same with the tank in your boat. When storing your boat or gasoline container, make sure that the tank or container is either completely full or completely empty.
- Use a water-separating fuel filter. Where you want maximum protection, a water-separating fuel filter will provide the greatest level of protection from possible problems with water contamination. So when you replace your fuel filter, choose the water-separating type.
- Check hoses for deterioration at least once a year. Newer fuel systems are expected to be unaffected by oxygenated fuels. But some manufacturers are concerned that hoses in fuel systems produced before 1980 might be more prone to damage from alcohol-oxygenated fuels. Hoses that are susceptible to alcohol damage can become brittle or soft and, over time, deteriorate. EPA recommends that you follow the manufacturer's inspection requirements, with at least an annual inspection of hoses and other rubber components exposed to fuel. Components that appear deteriorated should be replaced.
Remember that by using reformulated gasoline you are improving the air you breathe, and protecting the air for future generations.
For More Information:
The Office of Mobile Sources is the national center for research and policy on air pollution from highway and off-highway motor vehicles and equipment. You can write to us at the EPA National Vehicle and Fuel Emissions Laboratory, 2565 Plymouth Road, Ann Arbor, MI 48105. Our phone number is (734) 214-4333.
OLDER FIBERGLASS FUEL TANKS MAY FAIL AS A RESULT OF RECENT GASOLINE REFORMULATIONS THAT ARE USING INCREASED CONCENTRATIONS OF THE FUEL ADDITIVE ETHANOL.
Below is a reprint of a BoatUS Safety Alert that was sent to all MMTA members in October of 2005. It is being re-sent because as of March 1, 2006, the use of reformulated gasoline will be required for gasoline sold in Massachusetts. Previously regarded as a potential problem only in other states, reformulated gasoline with ethanol is soon to be a Massachusetts problem. PLEASE contact your fuel suppliers and/or marine engine manufacturer's today for the latest information on mitigating concerns associated with the use of this new blend of gasoline.
BoatU.S. Safety Alert: Newly Reformulated Gasoline With Ethanol Could Rupture Old Fiberglass Gas Tanks Explosion Hazard and Significant Engine Damage Evidenced on Large, Older Vessels
BoatU.S. believes that as a result of industry-wide changes in fiberglass resin formulations in the mid 1980's, the problem appears to be limited to tanks manufactured prior to this date. Diesel fuel systems are not affected. The fiberglass fuel tanks in question were standard equipment on some Hatteras, Bertram and possibly other boats. While the investigation is still in the preliminary stage, BoatU.S. believes that reformulations made to gasoline in the Long Island Sound area that replaced MTBE (Methyl Tertiary-Butyl Ether) in late 2004 with a 10% concentration of ethanol is causing the additive to "attack" the resin in the old fiberglass tanks. The results are weakened tank walls and bottoms with the potential to leak. Anytime gasoline leaks into the bilge, there is a significant risk of an explosion.
BoatU.S. has confirmed reports of tank wall failure in which gasoline was found leaking into the bilge. It also has reports of a tar-like substance - possibly created from the chemical reaction between the older fiberglass resin and ethanol - causing hard black deposits that damage intake valves and pushrods, ultimately destroying the engine.
"At a minimum the problem can devalue a boat significantly since replacing damaged fuel tanks and engines can be a significant expense. However, the potential for leaking and explosion is a far greater factor," said Chuck Fort, associate editor of Seaworthy, the damage avoidance newsletter from BoatUS.
BoatU.S. is asking boaters for any firsthand reports or other information they may have on the issue and is doing additional testing to evaluate the extent of the problem. "We'd like to know if other gasoline reformulations with lesser concentrations of ethanol react with the resin, perhaps at a slower pace," said Fort.
The increasing use of ethanol has largely been the result of federal and state efforts to replace MTBE, a potential carcinogen, with a safer alternative. MTBE and ethanol oxygenate fuel to help reduce harmful emissions when running cold engines just after startup. BoatU.S. has no reports from other states using lesser concentrations of ethanol. "Many well-regarded boat manufacturers have used fiberglass tanks reliably for years," said Fort. "But unforeseen by these builders, the new reformulation in New York and Connecticut includes a high percentage of ethanol. And unfortunately, gasoline with ethanol is the only fuel available to boaters in these areas," he added. Some stations in New Jersey may also be using ethanol-enhanced fuel.
If you have any information on the issue, please contact Fort at 703-461-2878, ext. 3033 or email CFort@BoatUS.com.
Early symptoms may include engine backfiring and hard (sluggish) starting, in which the motor turns over slowly as though the battery were weak. Affected engines also may not reach their rated RPM. Fort said, "Ironically, the substance seems to pass through fuel filters leaving no tell-tale marks - some have appeared clean on our reports. The only way to know for certain is to pull the carburetor and inspect the underside for a black, gummy film which can indicate a serious problem."
Until it fully understands the extent of the issue, BoatU.S. is recommending that any early 1980's or older vessel with fiberglass gas tanks be stored empty over the winter.
BoatU.S. - Boat Owners Association of The United States - is the nation's leading advocate for recreational boaters providing its 620,000 members with a wide array of consumer services including a group-rate marine insurance program that insures nearly a quarter million boats; the largest fleet of more than 500 towing assistance vessels; discounts on fuel, slips, and repairs at over 825 Cooperating Marinas; boat financing; and a subscription to BoatU.S. Magazine, the most widely read boating publication in the U.S.
A very good article "Sticky Situation" appeared in the November 2005 issue
of Boating magazine and was written by Charles Plueddeman
Sticky Situation
By Charles Plueddeman, Boating, November 2005
Is winter fuel gumming up your outboard?
Last fall one of our long-term test boats developed an alcohol problem. After delivering trouble-free performance for the entire season, the Yamaha F225 outboards on our Robalo R260 suddenly began behaving erratically. The trouble was revealed to be a mysterious glob that had invaded and clogged the fuel system. Turns out ours were among a number of Yamaha outboards in the Long Island area that suffered the same symptoms, which, like a virus, seemed to spread up the coast to New England. What was going on? To access the complete article, visit:
http://www.boatingmag.com/article.asp?section_id=3&article_id=691&print_page=y
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