Brown Crystals

[Louis Blea]

I have these crystals in my gas tank. what are they? They look like sugar.

 

[Faztbullet]

Portable tank? Plastic?

 

[Bondo]

Donno, but seen it in alota fuel tanks, 'n filters,.....

 

[Texasmark]

I had them on my last 2 boats and they were the size of the fuel line inner diameter. The fuel lines were the OEM Merc grey, looked to be silicon and I couldn't find that it was deteriorating. On one engine they retained a lot of the circular shape and lodged at the inlet of the squeeze bulb. On the other they clogged the main engine fuel filter to the point where the engine would not go to WOT....that little fiasco cost me a lot of time and money....newly purchased used boat and had no history on it.

I know that the second tank was plastic, tan colored. Don't remember on the other one. One used exclusively ethanol and the other exclusively gasoline, both with snake oil fuel treatments, of different origins. I had the first one over 10 years and kept fresh fuel in the tank. The second I don't know the age of the fuel over it's life.

I don't know if either tank had a fuel strainer sock at the inlet of the fuel line. If they did, which I suspect they did, as automobiles do, then it would limit the problem to decomposition of the fuel line....I'd think. Both boats were 2002 models.

 

[GA_Boater]

Welcome aboard.

It's the leftovers or residue from evaporated gas, probably from additives used in gas from what began in the early days and continues today.

It takes a long time to get to the crystallized state and doesn't get absorbed by new gas. Flush it out and make you use a gas filter.

I bought a long time sitting 1934 Ford once and the carb was filled with the brown sugar. Also I've seen it in carbs in Pull-A-Part yard carbs. I gotta start buying newer stuff. :doh:

 

[Texasmark]

Welcome aboard.

It's the leftovers or residue from evaporated gas, probably from additives used in gas from what began in the early days and continues today.

It takes a long time to get to the crystallized state and doesn't get absorbed by new gas. Flush it out and make you use a gas filter.

I bought a long time sitting 1934 Ford once and the carb was filled with the brown sugar. Also I've seen it in carbs in Pull-A-Part yard carbs. I gotta start buying newer stuff. :doh:

"It's the leftovers or residue from evaporated gas"........well sir, that explains why I cut my OEM Mercury grey fuel line open and upon examination found no degradation of the hose proper.

Filters for my current engine are about $8 and take about 15 minutes to change. Next time I experience a drop in performance, I'll start with the filter....and cut the old open and investigate the contents.

Thanks for clearing that up....sir! Grin.