Been working on her and was trying to see how I could pull out the fuel tank if I had to? I see no screws or plate in the deck other then the small hatch in the back that sits over the water tank? Also the Fuel tank is fiberglass and has a date of 8/16/96 on her. How long did they used fiberglass tanks or is it plastic? Anything to watch out for with this type of gas tank? Thanks!
My 97 GW 208 Question about the Boat
- Thread starter jellyfish
- Start date
some of the old fiberglass tanks will react poorly(dissolve the resin) with E-10 and get into your engine and make bad things happen....you need to contact GW and see if the tank was rated for E-10. If its plastic, it may be OK, again, if its rated for E-10.....since its a 96, its before E-10 even came out.....the plastic should be one solid color and no glass fiber marks......you can't see a visible difference? If there's no deck panel cover, are you only viewing this from the 8 inch access cover? I'd call GW to get the facts for sure. Maybe post a pic...
enfish
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Oct 17, 2006
- Messages
- 434
- Reaction score
- 68
- Points
- 28
- Location
- San Marcos, CA
- Model
- Adventure
Acccording to the GW web site, they don't use fiberglass tanks. Here the Q&A where they say it. See the last paragraph.
Gary 89 Overnighter
Can I use 10% Ethanol Fuel in my Grady-White boat?
Recently there has been a great deal of interest in E10 Ethanol fuel or RFG Reformulated Gasoline. The use of this blended gasoline is growing. RFG is gasoline mixed with up to 10% grain alcohol or ethanol. This type of fuel burns hotter and cleaner which is better for the environment and makes us less dependent on foreign oil. There are some things you need to be aware of if you use these types of fuel:
If possible, it is best not to mix older type MTBE or non-ethanol fuel with ethanol fuel. In some locations E85 fuel has become available. Current outboard engines are not compatible with E85 fuel and it should not be used.
Ethanol acts as a solvent and causes any water, dirt debris or sludge build-up in your fuel tank to mix with gas. If any of these items enter into your fuel system from the gas tank, it could clog filters quickly and even get into your engine. We recommend installing new fuel filters before changing to ethanol fuel. 10 micron fuel filters have been developed by many outboard engine manufacturers to aid in the filtration process. When using RFG, it is more important than ever to check the fuel filters as part of your routine maintenance and replace them when necessary. Prepare ahead and have a couple of fuel filters on board. Lastly, RFG has a shorter shelf life compared to normal gasoline. It important to add non alcohol fuel stabilizers with every tank of fresh fuel.
For long term storage and winterization, Grady-White recommends storing your boat with a full tank of fuel. This will reduce the amount of water vapor in the tank and therefore reduce the amount of water in the fuel. Be careful not to over fill the tank, this could cause fuel spillage through the deck air vent as temperatures increase in the spring.
Recently, there have been reports in the media about ethanol fuel damaging fiberglass fuel tanks. This situation does not apply to Grady-White Boats; we have never used fiberglass fuel tanks. In addition, all Grady-White fuel system components (hoses, fittings) are compatible with E10 ethanol fuel.
Gary 89 Overnighter
Can I use 10% Ethanol Fuel in my Grady-White boat?
Recently there has been a great deal of interest in E10 Ethanol fuel or RFG Reformulated Gasoline. The use of this blended gasoline is growing. RFG is gasoline mixed with up to 10% grain alcohol or ethanol. This type of fuel burns hotter and cleaner which is better for the environment and makes us less dependent on foreign oil. There are some things you need to be aware of if you use these types of fuel:
If possible, it is best not to mix older type MTBE or non-ethanol fuel with ethanol fuel. In some locations E85 fuel has become available. Current outboard engines are not compatible with E85 fuel and it should not be used.
Ethanol acts as a solvent and causes any water, dirt debris or sludge build-up in your fuel tank to mix with gas. If any of these items enter into your fuel system from the gas tank, it could clog filters quickly and even get into your engine. We recommend installing new fuel filters before changing to ethanol fuel. 10 micron fuel filters have been developed by many outboard engine manufacturers to aid in the filtration process. When using RFG, it is more important than ever to check the fuel filters as part of your routine maintenance and replace them when necessary. Prepare ahead and have a couple of fuel filters on board. Lastly, RFG has a shorter shelf life compared to normal gasoline. It important to add non alcohol fuel stabilizers with every tank of fresh fuel.
For long term storage and winterization, Grady-White recommends storing your boat with a full tank of fuel. This will reduce the amount of water vapor in the tank and therefore reduce the amount of water in the fuel. Be careful not to over fill the tank, this could cause fuel spillage through the deck air vent as temperatures increase in the spring.
Recently, there have been reports in the media about ethanol fuel damaging fiberglass fuel tanks. This situation does not apply to Grady-White Boats; we have never used fiberglass fuel tanks. In addition, all Grady-White fuel system components (hoses, fittings) are compatible with E10 ethanol fuel.
thanks guys, after I took another long look at the tank today it is Plastic. It looks very solid. I have no idea how I would get her out other then cutting up the deck. My other GW had a large hatch with screws all around it.
enfish
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Oct 17, 2006
- Messages
- 434
- Reaction score
- 68
- Points
- 28
- Location
- San Marcos, CA
- Model
- Adventure
jellyfish said:
Yep, the only way to get it out is to cut the deck. It can be done (so I've been told) by cutting along the 1 inch wide sections of the deck that do not have non-skid on them. The plastic tank should be zero maintenance, which is what allowed Grady to start sealing the tanks below the deck. You have access to the fuel fill / vent and the sending unit through the inspection ports.