Why does my gas look like this and is it ok?

[sbbamafan]

After getting stuck with what seemed like fuel starvation problems, I decided to change my fuel/water separator and my fuel pump. FWIW fuel pump was a horrendous PITA primarily due to seized line nuts and the bigger problem (horrible design) is that pushrod that gravity kept putting back where I didnt want it! If somebody knows a trick to deal with that please share your knowledge!! I eventually got it changed. Next time (if there ever is one) I will plate this off and add an electric fuel pump .

Anyway - once I got done I looked at the gas I poured into a clear glass earlier in the day. It was very cloudy - I noticed this right when I poured it in. There was also some sediment but I guess I should not be shocked by this. My question is - is this normal? OK? Should i drain it? Why does it look so cloudy. FWIW I use StaBil for ethanol religiously.

Thanks!!

 

[Jlawsen]

Re: Why does my gas look like this and is it ok?

The color is typical of Ethanol fuel that's been exposed to air. Was it pretty humid when you poured it in? Looks like it's pulled some moisture in. I dunno about that sediment. I'm pretty picky, I'd probably dump the fuel and flush the tank. That won't guarantee you won't see it again if you're buying gas from a station with bad tanks or one that lets them run down too far before ordering a delivery (marinas). The later can happen and there's no way to no until you start having to change filters more often than usual.

A good way to get rid of it is to go to your local boat repair shop and ask them if they want the gas out of your boat. I just got rid of 35 gals that way.

 

[Part-time]

Re: Why does my gas look like this and is it ok?

Looks like water mixed in...
as for the rod for the fuel pump, I use a hacksaw blade to hold it up till the pump is partway in.

 

[MH Hawker]

Re: Why does my gas look like this and is it ok?

NO its not ok

 

[sbbamafan]

Re: Why does my gas look like this and is it ok?

MH Hawker - care to elaborate???

 

[Maclin]

Re: Why does my gas look like this and is it ok?

On the pushrod, I have had luck by putting thick axle grease on the shaft, it will usually hold it for just long enough.

 

[Jlawsen]

Re: Why does my gas look like this and is it ok?

MH Hawker - care to elaborate???

Yes, I'd like to hear too. The reason the Fatzbullet and I both know is because we've both dealt with it before. I can't speak for him but I've had fuel like that lab tested for customers that didn't want to dump 100 gals of gas. It always came back within the labs specs. I'm not a chemist so I couldn't tell you what those specs meant but they were good enough to sell and that's all that I was concerned with. Would I put it in a go fast boat and tell someone to go race.. No.. I already said I probably wouldn't run it but I also demand the most out of my engines. In a basic, non-race, rec boat, it'll probably be fine if the filters are checked and changed regularly.

 

[sbbamafan]

Re: Why does my gas look like this and is it ok?

Given this fuel - how often should I be changing filters?

 

[sbbamafan]

Re: Why does my gas look like this and is it ok?

Anybody??

 

[rivermouse]

Re: Why does my gas look like this and is it ok?

I would use the "old" gas for my lawnmower.....I learned just a little moisture can make my 2 stroke run bad .

 

[oldjeep]

Re: Why does my gas look like this and is it ok?

What color is Stabil for Ethanol? Because if it isn't **** yellow then I'd be concerned about that gas. I've never gas that looks like that even after sitting around in the can for 6 months, and all we get is E10.

 

[spoilsofwar]

Re: Why does my gas look like this and is it ok?

What color is Stabil for Ethanol?

Its **** yellow... Almost exactly the color of the fuel in the glass shown in the OP's pictures. The sediment, however, is disturbing - that seems very excessive for a single 12oz-ish sampling of fuel.

OP - you say you use Stabil religiously... it looks like your fuel is pure ethanol stabil. Your pictures made me think of a pint of Hefeweizen (a cloudy wheat beer, for those of you who don't drink... or drink coors light. poor souls. but thats another thread ).

 

[sbbamafan]

Re: Why does my gas look like this and is it ok?

Not sure about the color of Stabil. I will look at it next time I go to the boat (hopefully in the next 2-3 days - after work). Yes it is almost like lemonade - smells and feels normal just looks weird. First - I have to fess up that I was WAAAY to long in changing my filter. It is from Summer 2010 - didn't change it last year. That being said, I am not so concerned with the sediment since I dumped it out of the filter- it could have come from the pre-filtered side, not the post-filtered side (if you understand what I am saying).

I am now at a crossroads. I now have replaced the filter and the pump. I have not turned the key to get that stuff flowing into the new equipment - not sure whether I even should or if I should just siphon the tank (not sure where to dispose of it) and start with all new fuel. Thoughts??

 

[UncleWillie]

Re: Why does my gas look like this and is it ok?

I have an experiment with E-10 fuel going on in my garage since last December.
That fuel looks like gas with just barely enough water in it to have just a touch of phase separation going on.
Put it in a sealed jar and let it sit for a couple of hours.
If the top clears, you're are looking at phase separation.
If the top of the jar doesn't clear, you have the very start of phase separation.
This is not the end of the world, it is completely curable.

Lets prove it!

Take a half of a glass/Jar of your clouded fuel and add another 1/4 glass/jar of fresh fuel to it.
Stir/shake a little, you should now be looking at 3/4's of a glass/jar of clear fuel.
The ethanol in the fresh fuel just absorbed the excess water in the old fuel.

Now go do the same thing to the rest of the fuel in the boat.
Add at least a 1/4 tank of fresh gas and the whole tank should now be clear.

Now comes the best part.... go out and have fun burning up all the fuel you can in the boat.
Take some extra fuel with you just in case you over do it and run completely out of gas.

The sediment problem is another issue.
I will assume you have a steel tank.
If you pulled your sample off the very bottom of the tank, that may be typical sediment.
Boat fuel pickup tubes are required to draw one inch off of the bottom of the tank so that the sediment that you are seeing does not get drawn into the fuel system.
That is why you may see specs on a fuel system that looks like ... Fuel: 50 gal. total, 43 gal. usable.
Any decent fuel filter will have no problem with that sediment.

Describe your fuel system.
How did you acquire the sample?

EDIT: I just re-read your opening post....
If this fuel and sediment is what you poured out of your water separating fuel filter...
What you are looking at is the water and sediment the filter filtered.
In that case the whole experiment is invalid and completely expected!

 

[Augoose]

Re: Why does my gas look like this and is it ok?

...A good way to get rid of it is to go to your local boat repair shop and ask them if they want the gas out of your boat. I just got rid of 35 gals that way...

Another way is to purchase a cheap in-line fuel pump from an auto parts store along with some 1/2" hose. Run that down into the tank, ensure all of your electrical connections are FAR away from any fumes and start pumping. We moved 120 gallons in a couple hours that way then gave it to the local law enforcement demo team who gladly took it to the range and blew it up! I'll post pics of the explosion when I find them.....

 

[sbbamafan]

Re: Why does my gas look like this and is it ok?

So - UncleWillie - are you saying that since I poured this out of my filter, I have no problem and should not worry about it?

 

[Philster]

Re: Why does my gas look like this and is it ok?

Stabil advertised and packaged for marine use is dark blue or dark green, depending on who eyeballs it and in what light.

Ethanol can actually hold water and allow it to pass a filter and burn off harmlessly. It practically 'doesn't matter' if there is some water in ethanol. What matters is when it gets critical and so much water is in it that it separates.

Ethanol cannot suck water out of humid air. This is unlike something like nitromethane, which sucks moisture out of air and is hard to keep fresh because of this. Ethanol absorbs water that comes into direct contact with it, thus the concern over condensation on a tank wall dripping into it.

Non-ethanol fuels didn't inegrate water, and you could eyeball some droplets sitting there in the fuel, and a fuel filter would catch it more easily, and engines would sputter when it went into combustion chambers.

Also, see UncleWillie's info.

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: Why does my gas look like this and is it ok?

I think the bottom of the sample shows phase seperation and water (which are related). The coudiness, I don't know; has it settled out yet?
If that is what you poured from your old filter it could mean the filter was so overloaded with water or whatever and gas that it stayed suspended, but if it was just water it should fall right out.

If that is from the tank you can assume the tank has bad gas in it; I'd replace it.

Time to replace water seperators depends first on the quality of fuel then your humisdity, treatment, etc but normally 75 hours i what I've been told. Or by timing--start of the season, etc.

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: Why does my gas look like this and is it ok?

This part of Unlce Willies' post is interesting but I have to wonder if it's correct:

"Take a half of a glass/Jar of your clouded fuel and add another 1/4 glass/jar of fresh fuel to it.
Stir/shake a little, you should now be looking at 3/4's of a glass/jar of clear fuel.
The ethanol in the fresh fuel just absorbed the excess water in the old fuel."

I assume this means that although you can't fix phase seperation by adding fresh fuel, you can fix early phase seperation? And although it wouldn't be as convenient, in theory you could add ethanol straight to the fuel to have the same result? Is that what "gas dryers" do?

 

[spoilsofwar]

Re: Why does my gas look like this and is it ok?

Stabil advertised and packaged for marine use is dark blue or dark green, depending on who eyeballs it and in what light.

Marine formula Stabil is indeed bluish-green. Stabil for Ethanol is **** yellow.

Source: http://www.goldeagle.com/brands/stabil/products.aspx

Given the color of his fuel, I think we can assume he is using the yellow, non-marine version.