Thread: fuel/ethanol

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  1. #1
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    fuel/ethanol

    i am looking to get a boat this spring, and the 1 question i am perplexed about is the fuel issue.
    what do you guys do about the ethanol? any help on this is much appreciated.

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    #2
    Good luck with the boat journey!!

    https://www.pure-gas.org


    I will not put ethanol gas in my boats (or in my lawn tools). In my older Ranger, I've replaced the fuel path from A-Z, and it is ethanol "safe", but I won't use ethanol-blended gasoline. Even with additives, if life/work leave me unable to fish for a month or more, I don't trust ethanol-blended fuels in the tank or in the carburetor. I don't want to have to worry about it.
    1985 Ranger 340v w/ 1985 Johnson GT150 Crossflow
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    #3
    Quote Originally Posted by NoZero View Post
    Good luck with the boat journey!!

    https://www.pure-gas.org


    I will not put ethanol gas in my boats (or in my lawn tools). In my older Ranger, I've replaced the fuel path from A-Z, and it is ethanol "safe", but I won't use ethanol-blended gasoline. Even with additives, if life/work leave me unable to fish for a month or more, I don't trust ethanol-blended fuels in the tank or in the carburetor. I don't want to have to worry about it.
    ^^^^ +1^^^^
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  4. Member
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    #4
    this is great, thank you!

  5. Member wmitch2's Avatar
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    #5
    The closest "Non-Ethanol" gas to me is 200 miles away !! Sorta leaves that option out !! HOWEVER, I add Mercury Quickare and Quicklean to every fill up and have not had any problems what-so-ever !!

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  6. Member
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    #6
    Use something like Stabil and I wouldn't worry too much about it with two exceptions.
    1) If I knew I was going to leave the boat for a while I would connect an external tank and run some pure fuel through it before putting it away.
    2) If I left the boat sitting for a while I would siphon out more than half of the old fuel and replace it with fresh before going to the lake.

    As an example my boat has been sitting since April. That gas is old now and will have to be removed before using the boat again. My plan is to siphon it out into gas cans and replace with fresh. Slowly but surely I'll use the old gas in something else.

    1993 Bullet 20XD
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  7. Member
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    #7
    Outboards built since the late 90s can run up to 10% ethanol as designed by the OEM. None of them are approved for 15%. Some of the fuel lines between tank and engine will need replaced as the inner liner can breakdown and clog fuel system components. Fuel lines that old should be replaced regardless of how good they look on the outside anyway. If you routinely use a fuel stabilizer and buy gas from a station with a high turnover rate you shouldn't have any fuel related issues. When it comes to off season storage there are two methods that are often debated... 1. Fill the tank completely to minimize the air space within the tank thus limiting the surface area for air to contact the fuel. Less empty space means less water that could be absorbed from the tanks air vent. 2. Run fuel stabilizer through the engine and then completely drain all fuel from the tank. Refill with fresh fuel in the spring. The correct answer??? It depends upon who you ask.
    Phillip "Wade" Norris
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  8. Member
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    #8
    these are great, I need to know all of this. Thank You.

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    #9
    one of the guys in the club uses this and he has never had a problem.

  10. Member
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    #10
    There is a large tool rental close by me and the only gas they use is ethanol free. They have a large tank and that’s where I buy mine and add the Mercury Quickleen products.

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    #11
    Been using 10% ethanol in outboards for about 20 years now and have never had a fuel related issue. Heck go up to some of the states in the north east and ethanol free is non existent and yet thousands of boaters have no problems. Some people make a mountain out of a mole hill.

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    #12
    ^^^ Lot of truth in that statement.
    Phillip "Wade" Norris
    2015 Ranger Z520C
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    #13
    To add something a little different, my mechanic actually recommended using 87 octane e10 in my 2015 175 Optimax ProXs. Around where I live 100% gas (minimum 90 octane) is readily available so I had always used it in my 2 cycle engines (small engines and outboards). When I bought my current boat last spring it ran great. It slowly started to lose performance. I had a couple of issues repaired and when I picked it up the last time the mechanic asked what fuel I ran. I replied I always used 100% gas. He said in his experience it was better to use the proper octane rather than worry about the ethanol. I was skeptical but after switching I'd have to agree. My boat runs and idles much better with the 87 e-10 over the 90-93 100% gas. Maybe its a fluke, who knows. I should add that I always add Mercury Quikcare and Quikleen to each tank and I use my boat year round, so no long storage periods.
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    #14
    The issue comes in when you let it sit for a long while. If you are using it every weekend it is not going to be a big deal. Fuel lines used today are meant to stand up to ethanol. If you know you are coming to the end of your season I would run non ethanol the last few times out to rid of any ethanol in the system or use a ethanol treatment additive
    Fish have fins, they swim

  15. Member Bluelake8's Avatar
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    #15
    it's actually easiest to just use gas with ethanol.non-ethanol gas contains MTBE and does not do well mixed.its so much of a hassle trying to find it when on road and your not guaranteed it is actually alcohol free.i use Star-Tron addative and when finished fishing or putting noat yp make sure gas tank is as full as you can get it.the less air in tank the less moisture that can be pulled out by the alcohol.I haven't had an issue with fuel in over 10 years.i also add Yamaha Ring free about every 3rd tank.

  16. Member
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    #16
    Quote Originally Posted by Papab View Post
    i am looking to get a boat this spring, and the 1 question i am perplexed about is the fuel issue.
    what do you guys do about the ethanol? any help on this is much appreciated.
    That is a great variable you are throwing out there without giving some perimeters of the age boats and engines you are looking at. The older engines that were not built to run ethanol poisoned fuel will have various internal fuel delivery issues, and the older boats will have issues with fuel line as well as possibly fuel tanks.
    So, if you are looking at rigs that are 5-10 yrs old, you should be OK, but for the record, I do not use any fuel with any percentage of ethanol on anything that will potentially sit for several weeks.

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    #17
    This thread may be of some use for someone here:

    http://www.bbcboards.net/showthread.php?t=591938

    It is specific to the Merc 4-stroke and ethanol fuels but the gasoline is all the same across the US, 10% or less everywhere. I run 87 in mine, just as mercury recommends.
    2015 Tracker Targa V18 150 4-Stroke 2B142247 9.9 EFI Pro Kicker 1R159535
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  18. Member
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    #18
    Quote Originally Posted by JS! View Post
    This thread may be of some use for someone here:

    http://www.bbcboards.net/showthread.php?t=591938

    It is specific to the Merc 4-stroke and ethanol fuels but the gasoline is all the same across the US, 10% or less everywhere. I run 87 in mine, just as mercury recommends.
    May be that is what y'all in Californico have been led to believe, but I can assure you that in many parts of this free country of ours, there is still non ethanol poisoned fuel, which I use in my '03 Merc 225 EFI worked and all my small equipment. Now, I use premium no lead in my GMC truck cause my 6.2L has been tuned including CAI, Flowmaster exhaust so it needs it to make that 425 HP/450 Trq.
    BTW, I heard tell that y'all tax cattle farmers for methane in cow farts, which I find it to be dang ridiculous.

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    #19
    OK. Well the linked post has nothing to do with where I live,.... it was posted in the BBC Four-stroke Merc forum by a Mercury Marine Master Technician with 44 years experience...... So really no need to aim comments at me based solely on where I live and absolutely nothing else. You have no idea who I am, what my political beliefs are, or really,.... anything. I simply posted a link to a thread from a very reliable source regarding fuel, written by a Master Mercury Technician in South Caroilna. If you don't believe it because I live in CA, well then, OK......SMH....Yes, you uncovered us. Nancy Pelosi has gathered up every boater in CA and schooled us on the ills of non-ehthanol fuels and the melting of icebergs. We have all bowed-down and vowed to purcahse only 10% Ethanol fuel from now on.

    Shitgoddamn, ain't nobody gonna tell me to use no gasoline that Mercury says is OK to use! This is my choice!

    And it's great you can buy Non-Ethanol gas at a premium price....or you can use Mercury additives with the lower-price gas and get the same results.
    Last edited by JS!; 02-16-2021 at 12:07 AM.
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  20. Member
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    #20
    Fresh gas is key, Don't fill the tank, unless you are going to use the boat a lot,
    If the boat sits for weeks I would only fill the tank enough for the day so you don't run out & then go get fresh gas right before the next fishing trip.
    Fresh gas is better than gas that's been sitting, I usually fill my tank to 1/2, use it till I'm down to around 1/4 then fill to 1/2.
    Plus you don't have the extra Gas weight.
    I got a 1998 Triton and never had any problems w/ the ethanol, I use my boat 3 times a week.
    Boats that sit for long periods have the problems.
    1998 Triton TR-20, 2017 Evinrude 150HO

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