Why does ethanol dirty up outboard motors and not auto engines??

[Sparkieboat]

I have been seeing a LOT of post about injector issues from ethanol..and it seems that I am also a victim of dirty filters/fuel system causing my outboard to not run properly. I was wondering why auto engines which get far many more hours on them without having many injector/filter fuel issues. It just seems that almost every outboard EFI/DI is subject to constant fuel system cleaning. I have seen post where some people send their injectors out for cleaning every year. I do not personally know anyone who has ever even had injector trouble with an auto. I am sure auto injectors do give problems and I have heard of them going bad/clogged, just seems like it is with much less frequency.. Just wondering why??

[Tucker]

GOOOD QUESTION! The common answer is we run through fuel more often in our cars. I doubt that a little. Some charter guys will go through 400-500 gal a week and they still have problems. Some say the marine environment causes water to accumulate faster. Anxious to here what the pros say about this...

[BQUICK]

I'd say that the vent being on the side of the boat and in a humid environment sucks moisture in. As fuel flows ALOT of air is drawn into the tank.
Also, the marine storage tanks may have more crap in them. My marina sells very little fuel from Nov to April so then have fuel sitting in there going bad. Also, most marine fuel storage tanks are above ground. Sun shining on them during the day then cooling at night=more condensation and degradation than in-ground tanks.

Every time I change my fuel filters I'm amazed at the amount of rust in them. MY tank is aluminum so it's not coming from mine!

[Sparkieboat]

well I can say as for me and most of my friends we trailer our boats, so we rarely if ever get fuel from a marina.

[BQUICK]

Right, but when you run your boat you draw moist air into the tank where it in combination with the alcohol eat away at your tank. I see alot of white oxide powder in carbs and fuel systems that I didn't see before ethanol.

Part of the problen is intermittant use where the fuel dries up. Ethanol gas evaporates faster than regular gas.

The oil companies have it made: they sell up ethanol fuel that evaporates faster and deceases fuel economy almost 10%. Real nice.....

[rodbolt17]

let me count the ways
1 is fuel turn over and capacity.
my 21 seapro holds 65 gallons, my 08 ranger about 18.
my 21 seapro gets refilled about 3 times a year, my 08 ranger about twice a week.
my 08 ranger has a coated steel gas tank, most older hulls have Aluminium.
Ethanol is an incredibly efficient organic solvent, aluminium oxide is dissolved by this organic solvent.
my 08 ranger,like most all other atous in the past 30+ years, has a sealed fuel system. most boats until jan 01 2010 vented directly to the atmosphere.
Ethanol is hygroscopic, google that word.
Ethanol can and will dissolve epoxy coatings and the plact plastic fuel sender floats.
it can and will dissolve rubber,fiberglass and about anything else.
thats why the fuel is blended at the terminal NOT the refinery.
Ethanol cannot be piped due to its corrosive nature, it must be trucked.
oil companies kinda dont sell Ethanol.
some oil companies have bought out some distressed ethanol producers.

google ethanol production in the US.
now realize that every gallon produced the US govt PAYS the producer 45 cents.
kinda a lots o money.

Ethanol production is now cottage industry just like the war on poverty,war on drugs and war on terror.
wont work as long as the govt can scare the populace.
but they can so it works.
typically the average life span of a car is about 5 years, boats and marine stuff tends to be a lot older.
its amazing how far behind the auto industry the marine industry lags with a few exceptions in the past 3 years.

however although its aggrevating, I like the marine technician govt stimulous program that started in june 2008 in my area,2005 further north.

dont look for any fix near term, to much profit is at stake.

[Sparkieboat]

so with everything you just listed..would I be correct to think that maybe using a 6 gallon plastic portable tank and using fresh gas each trip would make a big difference in the build up of trash in my VST and injectors..or am I just stuck to have to clean my fuel system once a year?? I am just trying to figure a way to keep my fuel system as clean as possible, I know a clogged injector can pop a piston and cause thousands in damage.