Brown gas ?

[keeper]

Hi guys!

This is a new one for me. Bought a used boat 2 months ago that had been sitting for who knows how long. Completely drained the tanks and put fresh gas and amsoil hp injector oil
(50:1). Ran the boat for 2 weekends, everything was well. Let it sit for a couple of weekends, went out today to make sure it was going to run well for this weekend, primed the bulb and saw a brown liquid fill the see through in line filter. Stupid me, i started the motor. It seemed to run fine. As the gas was used up in the line, blue gas (natural gas and oil mix color) started showing up. What gives? Did gas go bad in the line?
Did oil and gas separate from sitting 2.5 weeks. Did new gas line (black) from auto zone possibly change the color? Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks

mark

[JR IN JAX]

I have seen some of that brown gas lately when you buy gas at some of the small backwoods marinas. I think it is ethanol absorbing atmospheric water that does it.

[flabum1017]

It could be varnish that the new fuel is cleaning off the tank walls and pick-up tube.

[Capt.Insane-o]

It's gas that has degraded while sitting in the fuel line, especially if the boat sits in the sun. Straight gas has a shelf life of two weeks in a boat, a litle longer with oil added. Buy the new Sta-Bil marine formula and use it as advertised.

[JR IN JAX]

We could also ask "Mr Gassy" himself, Jay Smith what causes it.

[Mark75H]

It could be varnish that the new fuel is cleaning off the tank walls and pick-up tube.


I agree. The old gas probably formed a layer of goo at the bottom of the tank that did not drain out. I had to use a stick and rag recently to clean the bottom of a 5 gallon metal can that had a layer on it that looked like rust ... the bottom of the tank turned out to be OK, it was brown gas goo. I did not want any of that stuff to redisolve into my new gas


Another thing ... if you used the tank's pickup, you did not drain from the actual bottom and may have left a lot of old gas in the tank. Depending on the size of the tank, you may have left a quart to 5 gallons of old gas and or water in the tank

[Jeff_G]

One other thing you state you got the fuel line at Auto Zone. You should be using marine grade USCG approved alcohol resistant line. Types A1, B1, and B2.
These hoses are for boats manufactured prior to 1/1/09 as replacement hoses in the US. They are fine for any boat outside the US.