BillK2632
Well-Known Member
So I have never given much thought to the winter vs summer blend fuel - until now. I do know that winter blend has butane mixed in to give it a lower vaporization / flash point, but I'm not a chemist, so that is about all I know. I have not had any problems with vapor lock since I owned the 290da, it vapor locked a few times in the sprint when we first got into warm weather.
So fast forward to Sunday, been a busy spring and have not been to the lake since the last week in April, I also fueled up that weekend. Daughter is home for a few weeks and Sunday was nice but forecast storms in the afternoon. We headed out early, took a nice long ride then anchored in one of our favorite spots. It's between two islands and the sky to the west is blocked by trees. I knew storms were coming, but I guess I started relaxing and lost track - usually pretty good about paying attention, I don't care for thunderstorms on the lake. Next thing I know I big thunderstorm is bearing down. Decided we had enough time to get back to the marina so we pull up the anchor and head out. When I throttled up the engine bogged down and stalled, then cranked again, sputtered and stalled. It finally started back and after tenderly applying throttle we were off and it ran fine. Got away from the storm, but looking back, that would have been no fun stuck out there in that storm. We would have anchored, but it's a small boat so your going to get wet. Using the nautical term "any port in a storm", I am not against pulling into an open boat slip at a private dock on Lake Norman - I've done it once or twice and have yet to have someone come out in a thunderstorm and ask me to leave. plus, the good thing is around here most afternoon thunderstorms pass in 20 min or so.
So back to the winter fuel and vapor lock. This spring, the boat has started "running on" when I shut it down. This is a common problem on carburetor boat engines, since unlike fuel injection the fully doesn't get cut off when you shut down the engine, it's possible for fuel to continue to go through the intake, and fire off in the hot cylinders - hence run on. I have the correct spark plugs and have verified idle timing etc, all is at spec. I am starting to think my "run on" and now what seems like a vapor lock incident is related to still having winter blend fuel in the tank.
Will be filling up again in the next week or two with what I know will be summer blend, so we will see if that solves it.
I know my boat inside and out, and have done all the work on it for years, but it still caused a bit of excitement to have it just quit like that, in not a good spot with a storm coming. If I had not gotten it started, I only had a few hundred feet before I would have been on the beach, we had just come around the island into the wind!
So fast forward to Sunday, been a busy spring and have not been to the lake since the last week in April, I also fueled up that weekend. Daughter is home for a few weeks and Sunday was nice but forecast storms in the afternoon. We headed out early, took a nice long ride then anchored in one of our favorite spots. It's between two islands and the sky to the west is blocked by trees. I knew storms were coming, but I guess I started relaxing and lost track - usually pretty good about paying attention, I don't care for thunderstorms on the lake. Next thing I know I big thunderstorm is bearing down. Decided we had enough time to get back to the marina so we pull up the anchor and head out. When I throttled up the engine bogged down and stalled, then cranked again, sputtered and stalled. It finally started back and after tenderly applying throttle we were off and it ran fine. Got away from the storm, but looking back, that would have been no fun stuck out there in that storm. We would have anchored, but it's a small boat so your going to get wet. Using the nautical term "any port in a storm", I am not against pulling into an open boat slip at a private dock on Lake Norman - I've done it once or twice and have yet to have someone come out in a thunderstorm and ask me to leave. plus, the good thing is around here most afternoon thunderstorms pass in 20 min or so.
So back to the winter fuel and vapor lock. This spring, the boat has started "running on" when I shut it down. This is a common problem on carburetor boat engines, since unlike fuel injection the fully doesn't get cut off when you shut down the engine, it's possible for fuel to continue to go through the intake, and fire off in the hot cylinders - hence run on. I have the correct spark plugs and have verified idle timing etc, all is at spec. I am starting to think my "run on" and now what seems like a vapor lock incident is related to still having winter blend fuel in the tank.
Will be filling up again in the next week or two with what I know will be summer blend, so we will see if that solves it.
I know my boat inside and out, and have done all the work on it for years, but it still caused a bit of excitement to have it just quit like that, in not a good spot with a storm coming. If I had not gotten it started, I only had a few hundred feet before I would have been on the beach, we had just come around the island into the wind!
