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https://www.jsonline.com/business/new-ethanol-blend-damages-marine-engines-industry-engineers-say-132968333.html
In case the news report gets moved or deleted, the gist of it is here...
New ethanol blend damages marine engines, industry engineers say
"Makers of outboard marine engines say scores of their products could be ruined if consumers use a fuel mix that contains a higher level of ethanol.
On Tuesday, an engineer from Fond du Lac-based Mercury Marine Corp. is scheduled to testify before a congressional committee that recent engine tests showed severe damage to Mercury products run on a 15% blend of ethanol that's coming to market soon.
The tests showed that three outboards run on an E15 fuel blend were damaged to the point of engine failure, according to the National Marine Manufacturers Association.
Makers of other smaller engines, used on equipment such as lawn mowers, snow throwers and all-terrain vehicles, also have said they believe that a higher ethanol blend in gasoline - scheduled for introduction as early as this fall - could result in catastrophic damage to those products.
Overheating and engine performance issues are among the problems that face owners of outdoor power products if they're mistakenly fueled with E15.
In the Mercury Marine tests, paid for by the Department of Energy, a 200-horsepower outboard engine broke down after less than 300 hours of continuous operation, at full throttle, on the biofuel blend.
"The bearings on a piston disintegrated," said John McKnight, director of environmental and safety compliance for the National Marine Manufacturers Association.
An identical engine powered by gasoline without ethanol was not damaged in the industry-standard test, according to McKnight.
A 300-horsepower Mercury outboard, one of the company's most expensive engines, sustained valve damage after 280 hours of testing, while an identical engine running on gasoline without ethanol wasn't damaged.
A small 9.9-horsepower engine running on ethanol completed the test but also was damaged.
"It was running very poorly," McKnight said. "The results of the testing reinforce the recreational boating industry's significant concern that E15 is not a suitable fuel for marine engines. We expect that additional testing will reveal similar real concerns to fuel tanks and fuel systems."
In case the news report gets moved or deleted, the gist of it is here...
New ethanol blend damages marine engines, industry engineers say
"Makers of outboard marine engines say scores of their products could be ruined if consumers use a fuel mix that contains a higher level of ethanol.
On Tuesday, an engineer from Fond du Lac-based Mercury Marine Corp. is scheduled to testify before a congressional committee that recent engine tests showed severe damage to Mercury products run on a 15% blend of ethanol that's coming to market soon.
The tests showed that three outboards run on an E15 fuel blend were damaged to the point of engine failure, according to the National Marine Manufacturers Association.
Makers of other smaller engines, used on equipment such as lawn mowers, snow throwers and all-terrain vehicles, also have said they believe that a higher ethanol blend in gasoline - scheduled for introduction as early as this fall - could result in catastrophic damage to those products.
Overheating and engine performance issues are among the problems that face owners of outdoor power products if they're mistakenly fueled with E15.
In the Mercury Marine tests, paid for by the Department of Energy, a 200-horsepower outboard engine broke down after less than 300 hours of continuous operation, at full throttle, on the biofuel blend.
"The bearings on a piston disintegrated," said John McKnight, director of environmental and safety compliance for the National Marine Manufacturers Association.
An identical engine powered by gasoline without ethanol was not damaged in the industry-standard test, according to McKnight.
A 300-horsepower Mercury outboard, one of the company's most expensive engines, sustained valve damage after 280 hours of testing, while an identical engine running on gasoline without ethanol wasn't damaged.
A small 9.9-horsepower engine running on ethanol completed the test but also was damaged.
"It was running very poorly," McKnight said. "The results of the testing reinforce the recreational boating industry's significant concern that E15 is not a suitable fuel for marine engines. We expect that additional testing will reveal similar real concerns to fuel tanks and fuel systems."
