FIRST THINgS FIRST
SUPPORT.DEFEND.FISH.
by caRl HammOND
tion to loss in performance and power head damage, the ethanol/ water cocktail is highly corrosive and will deteriorate hoses, seals and elastomers. Solutions to all this are like taking vitamins; you believe, at least you hope, that the remedy you have chosen will do what the manufacturer claims. Here is where a little knowledge can help separate the hype from reality. First of all, understand the real problem. The entire issue of ethanol is in reality not an ethanol problem, it is a water problem. Left in solution and well blended in fuel, ethanol would do its job and small amounts of water could be managed through fuel water/separators. Beware of false claims that promise the impossible like, “This product will elimi- nate the water”. You can isolate the water, emulsify the water, disperse the water, but you cannot eliminate the water. One way or the other, you must sump the
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e love our motor driven toys and whether it’s a favorite lawnmower, motor home or boat, we want to protect them against anything that threatens their depend- ability. For sake of review, let’s review the basics. Ethanol is put in gasoline primarily as a lead substitute to raise the octane level. Since ethanol is like a sponge that soaks up and ac- cumulates water in the fuel, the ethanol/water slug falls to the bottom of your tank, lowering the octane rating and therefore performance of your fuel. Over time, the concentration of ethanol and water builds and gets drawn into your engine and either makes it run badly, or in many cases, causes serious damage. Dumping concen- trations of ethanol and wa- ter into a hot com- bustion chamber can burn holes in pistons, score cylinder walls and cause pistons and rods to fail. In addi-
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