Fuel Tank?

[kingzing]

Hello all-
Just a quick question about the fuel tank in our boats. Are they aluminum or rotomolded or some other material? Also is there a liner in there?

My good friend works for Florida FWC and she has been seeing a ton of problems with the ethanol in gas lately with boat engines. I have heard that if the tank has a liner it can almost be like cottage cheese going through the system when it breaks down....

Ayny help is appreciated.
TJ

[pamarine]

The Fuel tanks in Triumph boats are High-Density Polyethylene. This is the same stuff as the hull. As of yet there have been no reports of Ethanol blended fuels causing damage to HDPE tanks.

[kingzing]

So I am assuming that there is no liner in the tank as well, correct?

[dakineyj]

Here in Hawaii this was a big problem. Not only for boat owners but for people's lawn mowers and all kinds of gas powered things. Even if the ethanol doesn't affect the tank itself it acts like a solvent and desolves contaminates that have been there for a while clogging fuel filters. Some have had success replacing their filters often. Now our harbors offer ethanol free fuel. If it is something that concerns you, you should shop around and see if there is a place in your area that has ethanol free.

[cagrove]

Originally Posted by kingzing

So I am assuming that there is no liner in the tank as well, correct?

There is no liner. Most of the problems with E-10 fuel can be fixed with a good 10 micron fuel filter. That will keep the water and junk out of your engine. The problem with fuel tanks breaking down is due mainly to older boats (prior to 1986, I believe) having fiberglass fuel tanks. The E10 breaks down the resin in the fiberglass tank and will lead to tank failure. The E10 also acts like a solvent so any kind of build up in your tank will be disolved and run into the engine. Again, a good filter will handle it before it gets to the engine.

If you don't have a 10 micron filter installed, do it now. Do not rely on the small in-line filter on your engine. It won't protect you. For less than a full tank of gas you can have the peace of mind knowing your engine won't cut out on you just when you need it most.

Tight lines.

[NCangler]

cagrove got it just right. Here is the word from the factory:

The fuel tank is a cross link, roto-molded polyethylene. No liner.

[kingzing]

Originally Posted by cagrove

There is no liner. Most of the problems with E-10 fuel can be fixed with a good 10 micron fuel filter. That will keep the water and junk out of your engine. The problem with fuel tanks breaking down is due mainly to older boats (prior to 1986, I believe) having fiberglass fuel tanks. The E10 breaks down the resin in the fiberglass tank and will lead to tank failure. The E10 also acts like a solvent so any kind of build up in your tank will be disolved and run into the engine. Again, a good filter will handle it before it gets to the engine.

If you don't have a 10 micron filter installed, do it now. Do not rely on the small in-line filter on your engine. It won't protect you. For less than a full tank of gas you can have the peace of mind knowing your engine won't cut out on you just when you need it most.

Tight lines.

Thanks for the info and the advice..I will be doing this as soon as my 2 bathroom remodels are done .

I started to get nervous because my neighbor has a 2004 angler with a 150 johnson and he just started to have a problem for the first time whie on vacation last week in Tampa.

Has anyone heard about fuel lines breaking down or is that just a myth?

[Bart]

I have read numerous reports about people having trouble, mostly from clogged filters... few poeple want to admit that all of the "crud" has gotten into their engines because they were too cheap to put in a filter. This seems especially true where the changeover has just happened in their area(s) and the ethanol is beginning to break down accumulated crud.

[pamarine]

there have been reports of hoses made prior to 1993 breaking down when used with ethanol fuels over an period of time. This is due to a differnt rubber compound being used that has more natural components that are affected by alcohols. Any hose made after 1993 meeting SAE J1527 will be alcohol resistant and should not be affected. Also, in regards to tanks. It is a common misconception that only older boats have fiberglass tanks affected by ethanol. There are several manufacturers that installed FRP fuel tanks as recently as 2007. (the date fo the last article I read dealing with this specific issue). Luckily, we triumph folks don't have to worry bout this. Also the EPA dropped the requirement for oxygenated fuels (i.e. no ethanol requirment) but the good old Government still wants to use ethanol to offset the corn farmer's subsidy, so it doesn't look like this mess is going to disappear anytime soon. for more information on Ethanol blended fuels can be found at BoatUS.com: BoatUS Home Page