PHOTOS THIS PAGE BY GARY REICHTHE^
FUNDAMENTALS
OF
FUEL
M
aybe you’ve noticed the signs: The days are
getting shorter; trees are trading in their summer
green for more colorful attire; migratory birds are pointing
their beaks south for warmer climes; and heck, maybe you’ve
already scraped some frost off your car’s windshield. Before
you know it, we’ll be huddled inside watching football in
front of the fireplace. Yep, just like they say in Game of
Thrones: Winter is coming.
While most boat owners have a pretty good handle on
prepping and winterizing their pride and joy for storage
over the long, cold winter, there’s one onboard system that
consistently perplexes boat owners at layup time: The fuel
storage and delivery system. With that in mind, we’ve set
out to demystify the process with some solid tips from the
pros. With any luck you’ll have a trouble-free startup come
spring, instead of an expensive bill from the boatyard to fix
what you forgot to address during winterization.FIRST THINGS FIRST
One of the most common questions boat owners have in
regard to winterizing their fuel system is whether
to leave the fuel tank(s) full or empty. Most
experts we spoke with at local engine shops
agree that a full tank is a happy tank — at least
when it comes to winterizing. By filling onboard
tanks before winter storage, large air spaces
inside your tank are eliminated. Otherwise,
these empty spaces may allow air to flow
back and forth from the fuel vent all winter,
which sets the stage for condensation to
form during extreme fluctuations in
winter temperatures. Eventually that
condensation ends up as water in your fuel,
which can be bad news.
While some folks argue that they’d
prefer to deal with a little water in their
fuel than start the season with a batch of6- to 8-month-old fuel, virtually all of the pros we polled
say that unless the tank is completely dry, they always fill
their customers’ tanks prior to winterizing. Our engine
gurus also say that this is the time when you’ll want to add
a quality stabilizer to your fuel, whether you’re burning
diesel fuel or gasoline.STABILIZE IT
Straight from the mouths of our pros: One of the most
important things you can do to prevent fuel system troubles
in the spring is to add the appropriate stabilizer to your fuel,
whether it’s diesel fuel or gasoline.
Diesel fuel stabilizers not only clean fuel systems and
protect fuel from excessive water absorption, but they also
contain algaecides and fungicides that prevent microbial
buildup in diesel fuel. Yes, you heard that right — there
are lots of single-celled critters that feel right at home
in your diesel fuel, and that can lead to problems. Many
diesel additives also have cetane and combustion boosters
that are designed to improve engine performance. Add
the stabilizer as prescribed on the label before you fill up
your tanks for the winter and you’ll save yourself a heap
of trouble come spring.
Folks with gasoline engines will also want to add a stabilizer
at fill up time. Make sure to purchase a gasoline stabilizer that
is designed to prevent the phase separation that can occur
with ethanol-blended (E10) gasoline. Phase separation occurs
when the ethanol in gasoline fuel absorbs so much water that
it separates from the gasoline and falls to the bottom of the
fuel tank in the form of a gooey sludge. Your engine cannot
burn this water-saturated goop, and before you know it you’re
footing the bill for an expensive repair.
Our pros recommend stabilizers made by ValvTect and
Sta-Bil, while others recommend products made by an
engine’s respective manufacturer (Yamaha, Mercury, etc.).
Still, the bevy of choices on the shelves can be overwhelming.
Be sure to ask a pro at your marine supply shop for help if
you’re not sure which stabilizer to add.An inboard engine with both
primary (upper left) and
secondary (lower left) fuel
fi lters. Primary fi lters should
be changed according to
the engine manufacturer’s
recommended service
intervals, and at the end of
every season.Gasoline stabilizers line boat
supply shop shelves. These
stabilizers should be added when you fi ll up your
boat during the season and at layup time. They
are designed to prevent phase separation, which
can happen with ethanol-blended gasoline.regard to winterizing their fuel system is whether
to leave the fuel tank(s) full or empty. Most
experts we spoke with at local engine shops
agree that a full tank is a happy tank — at least
when it comes to winterizing. By filling onboard
tanks before winter storage, large air spaces36 SEPTEMBER 2016 | LAKELANDBOATING.COMFuelDecommissioning_SEP16.indd 36 7/27/16 10:46 AM