eco frendly motor

[riptide116]

hello all,its been awhile since I have loged on.<br /><br />ok I have a hypothetical question regarding eco frendly fuel for a boat motor.<br /><br />with the new types of fuel that are currently on the news media,would it actuly be possible to modify a motor to burn fuel that is a non petrolium base,or has it been done before on outboards or inboards ?<br />this might be a stupid idea/question but I get strange ideas all the time but seldom post it.

 

[JB]

Re: eco frendly motor

Suitably modified, any outboard would perform well on fuel based on ethanol or methanol. They would need to be mixed or injected with synthetic oil and would benefit from additives like ether and/or nitrated compounds. Many racing engines, marine and other, have used these fuels for 100 years and more.<br /><br />Oil injected (into the crankcase, not carb) outboards would probably perform well on CNG, LNG or propane. Though true fossil fuels, these burn a lot cleaner than petroleum fractions.

 

[riptide116]

Re: eco frendly motor

would it be usefull ?<br />I mean,to go thru the trouble to convert the motor,fuel system (it be liquid,gas or even a woodstove,my personal would lean towards solar for a start) would it be easy on the wallet when toping off the tanks before launch,it would have to be realitivly simple to operate & maintain while on the water,yes it would draw lots of attention (to get others on the idea).<br />allso in this hypothetical motor of imagination..<br />allso a idea would be in the lubracation system, a flavor of lube that will not pollute and taint the water in a worst case senaro (a solid whack at crankcase or lower end)..that would leak.<br /><br />the style of the boat thats going to push it johnboat to a larger size vessle would limit the amout of 'extra stuff' and on how good you want it to look<br />oh well ,I was just wondering -it would probably look like something out of the beverly hillbillys or did the ones in the past look nice ?

 

[KM2]

Re: eco frendly motor

I agree with JB. Getting your outboard to run on ethanol would be feasible. Check your area for avialablilty of E-85 gas. You would need to adjust the carb but it should run well. Ethanol is very high octane. My biggest concern would is ethanal is corrosive and MAY cause problems with fuel pump, fuel lines and inside the carb.

 

[Chris1956]

Re: eco frendly motor

Guys, I saw a documentary on the History Channel on Sugar Cane. It seems thath a decade ago Brazil took steps to minimize the use of gasoline. They now sell ethanol, gasoline and diesel in every service station by law, and all cars made today can use any mix of gasoline and ethanol. A computer and sensor figure out the type of fuel in the tank and adjust the EFI to compensate. Ethanol is 1/2 the price of gasoline, but has it own share of polutants (mainly Nox and CO). Brazil's distillerys produce enough ethanol to supply the motor fuel market, and the oil companies distribute, transport and sell it like they do gasoline.<br /><br />I think the US is missing out on this technology, since at the current oil prices, I think it would be economically feasible. However you need to remember Bush's friends are in the oil business. Candoleeza Rice has an oil tanker named after her.

 

[blackwaterstout]

Re: eco frendly motor

Chris I saw the exact same show the other night. Facinating stuff. The problem here in this country is that the majority of federal funding for alternative fuel research is given to guess who? The big major oil companies. Why would they create new fuels when they can have us pay $3.00 per gallon for gasoline.<br /><br />In brazils case by using achohol they went from 90% dependency on gasoline to 10% in only a ten year period. Amazing stuff.

 

[CATransplant]

Re: eco frendly motor

It would be interesting to know what brand of outboards are selling in Brazil. I know that alcohol is the fuel of choice for outboards down there, but I don't know what brand of outboard they're using. I'm guessing Yamaha, though, which seems to have a lock on the third world market these days for outboards. <br /><br />I'm also guessing that Yamaha produces outboards specifically for alcohol.

 

[CATransplant]

Re: eco frendly motor

Yup, I was right. Here's a page from Yamaha on alternative fuel engines they make for different markets. Alcohol and kerosene are among the fuels.<br /><br /> http://www.yamaha-motor.co.jp/global/profile/omdo/project/outboard-motor/

 

[JB]

Re: eco frendly motor

The major oil companies are heavily into the development of ethanol production as motor fuel and gasoline additive in this country.<br /><br />So much for conspiracy theories.

 

[blackwaterstout]

Re: eco frendly motor

A lot of good it's doing us. Only a very small percentage of cars in this country even run on a micromix of gas/alchohol. If their putting a lot of money into it the american people are not reaping any rewards. The Indy Racing League is though If a bottom feeding country like Brazil can reduce their dependency that much the top power in the world should be able to do better than we have.

 

[Todd Humphreys]

Re: eco frendly motor

Hey Crazy A, this might be the chance of a lifetime for you. Start a revolution and make or get your own still, make your own ethanol, power all your motors, and just maybe this will catch on all over the nation then everyone will have a still, make sugar, molasses, rum, ethanol (alcohol), no more dependency on others, self-sufficiency. Priceless!!!!

 

[rodbolt]

Re: eco frendly motor

I tried ethanol powered once. after two weeks the hangover was severe and I could not go anymore .<br /> I guess it was due to the Corrosive effects of ethanol <br /> but as long as they give all the money to the oil companies to develop alternative energy we wont see much and what we do see will be controled by the same folks that control the energy now. like giving a fox a frying pan aand telling it to guard the henhouse while your gone.

 

[joblo33]

Re: eco frendly motor

What about converting a diesel outboard to veggie oil? No one's suggested that one yet.<br />Eric

 

[phantoms]

Re: eco frendly motor

I was about to suggest getting a diesel and running it on bio-diesel.

 

[roscoe]

Re: eco frendly motor

So where is all this ethanol gonna come from? Oh yeah, corn, from our depleted top soils of the grainbelt, which are only kept productive with chemical fertilizers herbicides and pesticides from where, oh yeah, oil.<br />There is a new ethanol plant a short drive from my house. Lots of energy being used there to produce this stuff, only profitable because of the grants and tax breaks- local state and federal.<br /> <br />Good Luck.

 

[rodbolt]

Re: eco frendly motor

we can import it from south america <br /> maybe trade corn for weapons<br /> we all know how well the weapons we sold argintina worked when used against the brits in the falkland island conflict. they actually hit a lot of brit ships with those bombs we sold them. funny thing was they were mostly all duds <br /> I guess they did not keep the reciepts cause they never asked for their money back.

 

[seahorse5]

Re: eco frendly motor

Maybe the warranties had expired !!!!!