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Is buying a boat with polymer fuel tanks an invitation for trouble? I looked at a 2003 sailfish boat and saw, through lifting an inspection hatch, that the boat has a plastic fuel tank. Should this be a no go for me? I played hell with ethanol eating the fuel lines on my last boat, which had an aluminum tank. I had to replace every line from the carburetors to the tank. It was almost entertaining to see what was inside those hoses. I ran a coathanger through them and what I pushed out was itself a hose, made from fuel deposits and from degraded polymers of the hoses themselves.
Should I consider a 2003 sailfish with a poly tank? I would hate to think of cutting into the deck to get at the thing. That seems to be the only way. Is it inevitable?
Using fuel without ethanol is probably a good idea. Until now I have only rarely bought fuel at a marina since I tow my boat. I don't know of any local gas stations that have ethanol-free gas, but even if there are some, it is no guarantee that they will keep it that way. In fact it might be the case that gas advertised as ethanol free might end up having it.
Is it inevitable and pressing for such a tank to be replaced due to the relatively recent intoduction of ethanol on a grand scale in our fuels?
Another irksome point is; why would sailfish not construct the floor so that the tank can be removed? I guess it is they and a zillion other manufacturers who are guilty on that point.
Last edited by anthropisces; 12-23-2009 at 11:15 AM.
there are also a bunch of boats where the deck will have to be cut to remove the tank. Plastic seems to be holding up well so I see know issue with having to ever remove it. I think most cars have been using plastic tanks for a long time. I don't here much on them having to be replaced
While we are on the subject, are there any engines which are more tolerant of ethanol? Are there any specific problems that engines from the early 2000s have with ethanol?
crazy. I tend to drive older cars so I never noticed the switch. Of course my wife, like yours is used to more of the finer things. I'll have to check her 09 mini cooper S when she gets home and have a gander at the tank. it sounds like I can consider the boat.
I've read it's the fiberglass tanks that can have a problem with the ethanol gas. Since they're not metal, they tend to get lumped in as "plastic" with the poly tanks. I think the poly tanks are fine.
I asked about the poly tanks that are in my Robalo while at their factory. They told me that of course cost and ease of installation were factors in their choice of getting away from aluminum, but that they will never rust, they are light weight, they give them more installation choices because they don't have to worry about rust due to installation choices. I've got two years of ethanol laced gas and mine hasn't had any problems and I can' t ever smell gas which some people say you can with these tanks.
poly fuel tanks 
