Yammaha Engine Fuel filter housing

[SmokyMtnGrady]

Hey Yall:
I took my boat in today to get the spring 100 hour service done and the 5 Star Yammaha service center discovered my fuel filter housing was damaged....from ethanol! I use Stabil and Ring Free for ethanol and still the problem occurred. It seems even with religious use of these additives ethanol fuels will damage the housing causing it to swell and change shape. Yammaha has a new design for the fuel filter cup that is supposed to solve this problem. Just a FYI...

 

[wrobinson]

If you don't have the new design and need to change that filter, you can take off the whole assembly, put it in the freezer for a couple of hours and the filter cover should screw right off.


Ethanol, who needs it?

 

[seasick]

That's nuts. Yamis 4 strokes have a history of fuel filter housing distorting when removed. They can be just about impossible to get back on. The trick is to put the housing in the freezer for a few hours and then installing it. It is a Yami design issue and I don't think it has anything to do with ethanol.
I have noticed that since ethanol has been added to gas, my knees hurt more when I awake in the morning. I suppose E10 is the cause

 

[30marlin]

Thanks Smoky,

I thought that is how they are. Fist time I change mine I had a hard time unscrewing it and it was impossible
to get the threads started. I went and bought the special wrench to grip the lugs on the housing.

Now I want to know if this is covered by warranty or a service bulletin.
I should not have to pay to repair a design flaw and possible fire hazard.

 

[SmokyMtnGrady]

Guys, I am with you on this. I am just happy the service folks worked this through a warranty claim for us. They said the new design housing is $130!!! I was happy they fixed it, but had a hard time believing it was ethanol...I was thinking I use stabil and or star tron and Ring Free and are not those fuel additives to prevent this kind of damage? Am I wasting money here on the additives... It was not adding up to me at all...

 

[wrobinson]

I think the additives guard against phase separation. My understanding is the ethanol causes the plastic to swell. I never had any problems until my marina went through a time period where they could not get ethanol free gas.

 

[Doc Stressor]

My understanding is the ethanol causes the plastic to swell.

That is the case. The ethanol extracts components of the plastic that ordinarily keep the plastic polymers close together. Additives can inhibit metal corrosion and slow down fuel oxidation. But they can't affect the solvent properties of ethanol that can degrade plastic engine parts and hoses that weren't specifically designed for high ethanol content fuels.

 

[SmokyMtnGrady]

So what is a guy to do that has very little access to ethanol free fuels? I am at a loss here and to think they want e15 fuels....yippeee :bang