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Why blowers on boats but not cars?


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Just curious why its so important on boats to use a blower before you start engine but its not an issue with cars etc.

It is because your car has extensive gas vapor emission retention systems. Your boat has none. Newest cars are forbidden to leak gasoline vapors into the air, boats are not. Furthermore, the gas vapors of the engine usually end up in the boat engine compartment.

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cars do not have enclosed engine space so any fuel leakage evaporates and goes away so minor threat. In sterndrive or inboard boat the engine space is enclosed. IF there is any gasoline leakage, then no escape so it can build up, then you start and maybe a spark and BLAMMO-WHAMMO poof goes the boat and you with it. In 30+ yrs i have never had this happen to me. I did see it happen at the boat ramp about 4 months ago and really really scary. dude launches his boat off the trailer (older go-fast), he turns the key and BLAMMO! HUGE BLAST-scared the crud out of us from 200 feet away....like the movies. smoke shot out of the engine space, his rear engine cover is blown off and up in the air about 100 feet, he's is super super lucky and knocked down but no fire just lots of smoke. he was very lucky and engine space auto extinguisher went off putting out anything. usually the boat then catches fire and BIG mess. Also nobody else in the boat, if they had been on back seat or on top of engine cover -bye bye time.

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Fuel vapors are heavier than air and settle into the bottom of the bilge of a boat. You car's engine compartment does not have a solid bottom, vapors will just settle out onto the ground.

Also, you cars engine compartment is not 'sealed' like a boats, which is a requirement to have a bomb blast versus a flash id vapor is ignited.

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Your car/truck (any halfway modern one) does not have the fuel tank mounted in an enclosed area that can hold vapors.

Even the older trucks with the gas tank in the cab didn't have blowers. Has to do with where the rest of the fuel system is located, ie; under the hood with openings in front & below where fuel vapors cannot collect.

Well, at least thats how it works in most cars. I suppose there are blowers in amphibious vehicles. Maybe others too?

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