RECREATIONAL GAS PAINS.

Byline: Mike Stahlberg The Register-Guard

Ah, for the days when recreational horsepower actually came from horses. But that's a bygone era.

So too, it seems, are the days of boats, ATVs, snowmobiles and other motorized recreational vehicles being powered by pure petroleum products. In Oregon, anyway.

Since April 15 - by state law - gasoline pumped in Western Oregon has been a blend of 10 percent ethanol and 90 percent regular gasoline.

Come Sept. 15, all service stations in Eastern Oregon must also dispense "E10," as the ethanol blend is known.

As a result, Oregon boaters, off-roaders and owners of other motorized "toys," lawn mowers and chainsaws face fuel frustrations even more daunting than outdoor enthusiasts in most other states.

Elsewhere, the rapidly rising cost of filling up the tank is the only concern. Oregonians need to worry about avoiding costly mechanical problems caused by blended gas, in addition to the pump price.

Boat owners, in particular, need to take precautions to avoid untimely breakdowns and/or costly repairs, mechanics and marine dealers say.

That's because ethanol attracts water, and boats are surrounded by water all the time. In addition, boat fuel tanks often have vents that allow moisture from the air to be drawn into the system.

E10 gas can hold some water in suspension, but once the moisture content reaches a certain point "phase separation" occurs. That simply means molecules of water that have become attached to molecules of ethanol sink to the bottom of the tank, while the lighter gasoline floats on top. Since most fuel systems draw from the bottom of the tank, the diluted mixture is sucked into the fuel lines and the engine conks out.

The chemical properties of E10 are different from gasoline in another significant way. Ethanol is a solvent, which means it will dislodge accumulated gunk in fuel systems. The freed particles can end up clogging carburetors.

Ethanol will also dissolve some components, including fiberglass fuel tanks. Rubber parts, such as gaskets, are also at risk.

Last month, a California boat owner filed a class-action lawsuit seeking compensation for damages from 10 major gasoline producers and distributors. Lawrence Turner wants the gas companies to reimburse him for $35,000 in ethanol-related damage to his powerboat.

Mechanics had to cut through the hull of his boat to remove the original fiberglass fuel tank and replace it with an aluminum one. The engine was also ruined by resins that had been leeched out of the fiberglass. The suit argues the companies sold gasoline at marinas without warning boaters of ethanol's potentially harmful consequences.

California, which began selling a 5.7 percent ethanol blend in 2004, isn't the only state where boaters are having problems with blended gasoline.

"Ethanol Fuel Gunking up Island Boats," read a recent headline in the Honolulu Advertiser. Hawaii began mandating E10 use last year.

In addition to marine motor problems, the story said lawn mower repair shops were flooded with engines with clogged carburetors. One shop owner said he was so busy cleaning mower carburetors that he no longer fixes anything else.

With Oregon's boating season just now kicking off and with E10 only on the market in southwest Oregon for about six weeks, few problems have surfaced locally so far, according to area marine repair shops.

"We haven't had any yet because we haven't had time," said Marl Carter, general manager of Staff Jennings Boating Centers in Eugene. "It (ethanol) only hit the market in the southern part of the state a month or so ago. ... I don't expect to see any problems for a while."

Gary Likens, wholesale fuels manager for the Jerry Brown Co., the area's major fuel distributor, says he expects grumbling about the new gas to be loudest next spring.

"I think where the huge problems are going to come is going to be next spring, when people get their boats and lawn mowers out and try to get 'em started."

Bob Henderson of Mel's Marine Service in Eugene says "the biggest problem" will be with blended gas and any engines that are allowed "to sit for any period of time" - like boats and lawn mowers, which largely go unused over the winter. "The ethanol will just draw water into the system," he said.

One way to combat the problem, mechanics say, is to store equipment with the gas tanks either completely empty or 95 percent full (leaving room for expansion but not much room for moisture-laden air).

Henderson, Carter and many marine mechanics are also urging boaters to protect their investments by installing a "water separating filter" canister in the fuel line between the gas tank and the engine. The filters, which closely resemble an oil filter, protect against accumulated water and any "gunk" floating in the gas. They cost about $100 installed (or $50 for do-it-yourselfers).

It's also a good idea to carry spare filters in case one gets clogged while out on the water, they say.

Carter and Henderson also recommend boaters add a non-alcohol fuel stabilizer to any gasoline that's not going to be burned in the engine within a short time. The additive helps prevent any water from settling out of the gas and the deterioration of octane.

A can large enough to stabilize 12 gallons of gas costs about $7.95, Carter said.

There's no easy fix, however, for a third consequence of the shift to E10 - lower gas mileage. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, a 10 percent ethanol blend reduces mileage by about 3 percent because blended fuel has a lower energy content, even though octane ratings are the same.

At $4 a gallon, that means a boat or snowmobile owner has to buy $4.12 worth of E10 to travel as far as he could with $4 worth of regular gasoline.

However, some users report drops in mileage larger than 3 percent. On its Web site, Wayne's Garage in Eugene says motorists can expect "a mileage drop of at least 2 percent to 5 percent."

Motorists who experience even larger drops in mileage should probably have their vehicles checked for clogged fuel filters or fouled spark plugs.

The cost of gas alone isn't expected to have a dramatic impact on recreation. The number of Americans traveling 50 or more miles away from home over the Memorial Day weekend was expected to drop by only 0.9 percent, according to an American Automobile Association survey.

However, outdoor recreation buffs could find their lifestyle cramped by gas pains in other ways, as the increased costs of fuel works its way through the economy.

The higher cost of keeping ski slope grooming machines and golf course mowers running, for example, can be expected show up in the form of higher fees.