Best Sealer For Gasoline

epanzella

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My boat engines have a number of aluminum assemblies in the fuel system. They were anodized when new but the ethanol in the gas here in CT has eroded much of the anodizing away. The exposed aluminum corrodes and plugs the injectors. I would like to have the parts either re-anodized, chrome plated, or whatever to avoid the corrosion and subsequent plugging of the injectors. This part of the fuel system is downstream of the filters and as it's the high pressure circuit for the injectors, another filter cannot be added. Any ideas as to the best method of protecting these aluminum parts for the ethanol gas would be greatly appreciated.
 
I wonder if the sealer they use for air plane wet wing fuel tanks would work. My friend who is a private pilot mentioned it once, not sure what it is called.

David
 
There is a product called "Red Coat" that is a gas tank sealer and can be purchaced at most auro parts stores. I wonder if it would work.

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2
 
There is a product called "Red Coat" that is a gas tank sealer and can be purchaced at most auro parts stores. I wonder if it would work.

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2

Stay away from the the Red Coat in this case. Nothing "wrong" with the product if the proper prep work is done BUT in this case I don't think it would be the best option. Red Coat is a kind of "rubberized" coating that you place on the inside of fuel tanks to prevent leaks and slow rust. The problem being is that is often flakes off and creates a horrible mess in your fuel system. As we are talking high pressure injectors I don't think one would want to chance having them packed full of tiny bits of rubber.

JHMO

-Ron
 
Sounds like a good opportunity to engineer a system from stainless. The Ethanol Plague has caused, and will continue to cause problems. In a fuel delivery system, there likely isn't a coating durable enough, or secure enough against flaking off to be used. You could anodize again, and perhaps go with Type III Class 2 if the part(s) shape would allow. I believe it would be substantially more durable.
 
Sounds like a good opportunity to engineer a system from stainless. The Ethanol Plague has caused, and will continue to cause problems. In a fuel delivery system, there likely isn't a coating durable enough, or secure enough against flaking off to be used. You could anodize again, and perhaps go with Type III Class 2 if the part(s) shape would allow. I believe it would be substantially more durable.
Any coating would have to be thin like anodizing or plating as the parts are relatively complex with the biggest offender being a chamber that looks like a carburetor float bowl complete with needle and seat, but actually provides a reservoir in which the high pressure pump can remain submerged in fuel. It's complexity would make fabricating at best impractical. This problem has been around for years and I've been hoping the engine manufacturer would make replacement parts out of stainless or even plastic, but they sell their products all around the world and we're the only ones stupid enough to put corn in our gas tanks. Tony, what is type III class 2? Is that a type of anodizing?
 
Stay away from the the Red Coat in this case. Nothing "wrong" with the product if the proper prep work is done BUT in this case I don't think it would be the best option. Red Coat is a kind of "rubberized" coating that you place on the inside of fuel tanks to prevent leaks and slow rust. The problem being is that is often flakes off and creates a horrible mess in your fuel system. As we are talking high pressure injectors I don't think one would want to chance having them packed full of tiny bits of rubber.

JHMO

-Ron

Strongly seconded. Red Coat is a fantastic product, for it's intended purpose. I use it all the time on old motorcycle tanks but this is an entirely different application. NOT it's intended purpose.
 
Any coating would have to be thin like anodizing or plating as the parts are relatively complex with the biggest offender being a chamber that looks like a carburetor float bowl complete with needle and seat, but actually provides a reservoir in which the high pressure pump can remain submerged in fuel. It's complexity would make fabricating at best impractical. This problem has been around for years and I've been hoping the engine manufacturer would make replacement parts out of stainless or even plastic, but they sell their products all around the world and we're the only ones stupid enough to put corn in our gas tanks. Tony, what is type III class 2? Is that a type of anodizing?

Yes, I'm sorry. It is a hard anodize, and is a little less common and not practical to do at home like the more commonly seen anodize. It is somewhat abrasion resistant and has good corrosive resistance as well. I would need to consult my literature for specifics against Ethanol, I'm just going from memory. I'd look at it, I believe. Most any commercial anodizing outfit can do it.
 
Making new parts out of stainless would be my suggestion also. Remember that anodizing is a porous surface the ethonol went to the alum and eroded it then the anodizing flaked off. Also remember that Chrome is very porous. Back in the good old days steel bumbers were copper plated then polished, then nickel plated, then chromed. If you look at chrome under a microscope it looks like a sponge. Alum can be chromed but will last no longer than the anodizing.
 
Most of the fuel systems on newer vessels are plastic of some sort. The ethanol in gasoline even wears on these systems. Replacement is expected in 5 years.
Any more is luck.
 
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