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  1. #1
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    So....where are we on ethanol in gas and 2 stokes?

    So I was doing some googling....and I came across a thread saying how bad fuel with ethanol is for small motors. Wasnt even aware of it...damn google got me worrying now.

    I tried doing some more googling, and searching on here....but havent found a consensus. I have a 2004 ELPTO Mercury 2 stroke, and have already run about 2 full tanks of regular unleaded from Sam's Club and Shell. Boat runs well....not perfect but good enough. Starts quickly and runs no problem...just have some low rpm shut offs occasionally happen. BUT...the boat has been sitting for 6 years prolly a little more. I hear that the motor will run better the more I use it, so I been driving it more than fishing off it my first few trips out with it.

    I ran 2 "shock treatments" (1 can+gallon of gas, alternate on and off till gallon finished)with seafoam. One when I first got it a month and a half ago, and one just last weekend. I read that may help clean things up after sitting so long unused. I also put 1 can of seafoam in the full gas tank when I hit the lake a few days ago and ran it to about 1/8 before I topped it back off. I wasnt planning on using the seafoam regularly, and was actually done using it for a few months since ive ran a few cans through it already. I also had not planned on buying ethanol free gas...or buying an additive, or additives to add every fill up. Do I need to do this if im going to be using regular unleaded w/ethanol?

    I also read the ethanol is bad if left sitting/stored. Ive used the boat 3 times in a month and a half....it will 100% be used at LEAST once a month....and I prolly wont be leaving it with a full tank while its not being used. i usually fill up the boat and truck the night before the trip...but of course there will always be at least a little gas in the tank...but I foresee it being closer to 1/4 or less while not in use.

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    #2
    Since I have access to non-ethanol gas, I won't put ethanol in my boat or small engines. I still use fuel stabilizer (Stabil) but everyone has their favorite. I think you are increasing you chances of problems by storing you boat with low fuel levels. Ethanol absorbs water from the air and a partial tank increases that risk IMHO. Treating the engine/carburetors with seafoam was probably the best thing you could do outside of pulling the carbs and cleaning them.

  3. Moderator TMG's Avatar
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    #3
    Just add startron to your regular sams club gas.
    What you need to look at is that your gas lines are safe for ethonal .
    When left sitting the gas eats away at the insides of the gas lines.
    Those pieces break off and cause problems.
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  4. Member Midnight Rider's Avatar
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    #4
    There are two problems with ethanol in gas: One is that ethanol attracts moisture, so if you leave a tank sitting for extended periods of time, it will have some water in the tank. Fuel stabilizer will help. Second, if your fuel lines are not rated for ethanol, they WILL deteriorate and cause performance issues. On an engine from 2004, I would guess they are rated for ethanol, but if it sat for 6 years, I'd probably just replace the fuel lines and be done with worrying about it. It's a cheap fix for peace of mind.

    IF you can find a gas station that has "marine fuel", which means it will contain no ethanol, use it, if it's the proper octane for the engine. As a general rule, you can use a higher octane, but some engines do not recommend higher octane fuel.
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    #5
    Quote Originally Posted by Goldstar225 View Post
    Since I have access to non-ethanol gas, I won't put ethanol in my boat or small engines. I still use fuel stabilizer (Stabil) but everyone has their favorite. I think you are increasing you chances of problems by storing you boat with low fuel levels. Ethanol absorbs water from the air and a partial tank increases that risk IMHO. Treating the engine/carburetors with seafoam was probably the best thing you could do outside of pulling the carbs and cleaning them.
    So is storing with a full(er) tank better? Im sure thered be some water absorption possible....but I hope thats reduced, if not eliminated since I will likely be using the boat 2-4 times a month with the hottest summer months and dec/jan prolly being 1 time a month....plus I live in a desert climate and its really dry here.

    Quote Originally Posted by TMG View Post
    Just add startron to your regular sams club gas.
    What you need to look at is that your gas lines are safe for ethonal .
    When left sitting the gas eats away at the insides of the gas lines.
    Those pieces break off and cause problems.
    What do the additives do, or what are the drawbacks of using the straight sams club gas with ethanol? Is there solid evidence that additives do make a difference? Plus....i will use the boat often, which I hope helps things out. Im not as sold on the gas hype since I used chevron w/techron for years....like close to 10....then had a very respectable mechanic tell me just to use sams club and I have had no issues since making the switch years ago. Not really wanting to spend money for the sake of spending money....but if there is a real benefit im definitely interested in doing it.

    Quote Originally Posted by Midnight Rider View Post
    There are two problems with ethanol in gas: One is that ethanol attracts moisture, so if you leave a tank sitting for extended periods of time, it will have some water in the tank. Fuel stabilizer will help. Second, if your fuel lines are not rated for ethanol, they WILL deteriorate and cause performance issues. On an engine from 2004, I would guess they are rated for ethanol, but if it sat for 6 years, I'd probably just replace the fuel lines and be done with worrying about it. It's a cheap fix for peace of mind.

    IF you can find a gas station that has "marine fuel", which means it will contain no ethanol, use it, if it's the proper octane for the engine. As a general rule, you can use a higher octane, but some engines do not recommend higher octane fuel.
    Non ethanol gas isnt easily available. In town theres 3 pumps and all are a drive....id ideally not wanna haul the boat around town just for a fill up. At my home lake they have marine fuel.....but its usually 50+ cents more per gallon. One fill up will pay for additives lol

    I changed out the lines from the tank to motor+bulb right when I bought it. Mechanic also cleaned up carbureator and changed fuel filter before I started running the boat on water. Im not sure about the fuel lines in the motor tho. Theyre black and in real good shape.




    So if im not too worried about long term storage, with water in the fuel....and prolly not too worried about the fuel line becoming an issue...also since ill likely use it relatively often.....should I just go with sams club gas?

    Since motor is a merc...and it seems like it can stretch.....I was thinking if I had to/decided to use additives I would use the mercury quickleen and quickare. I think you can get away with 1 ounce per 4 or 5 gallons. thats not too bad, and not too expensive....and maybe give me a bit more peace of mind that I have a little boost in the gas.

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    #6
    I always use E10. I can buy E0 on the water but it is about double the price. No benefit. So long as you run the boat and have to add fuel every week or two, you will be OK. If you slow down during the winter, adding stabilizer to prevent phase separation is a good idea. I run a Merc Pro XS 200. It has always gotten 1oz of quickleen per 5 gallons of fuel. Nothing else. I live in North-Central Alabama and rarely have my boat sitting for 2 or more weeks without any fishing. That being said, it has always been reported to be better to keep the fuel tank full in the winter, less air space == less humidity to be attracted into the tank. Other choice is to burn it dry, then fill up in the spring and start again. Not so good an idea to try to keep it empty if you are using it regularly, as that is a PITA.
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    #7
    Quote Originally Posted by OldTimer57 View Post
    I always use E10. I can buy E0 on the water but it is about double the price. No benefit. So long as you run the boat and have to add fuel every week or two, you will be OK. If you slow down during the winter, adding stabilizer to prevent phase separation is a good idea. I run a Merc Pro XS 200. It has always gotten 1oz of quickleen per 5 gallons of fuel. Nothing else. I live in North-Central Alabama and rarely have my boat sitting for 2 or more weeks without any fishing. That being said, it has always been reported to be better to keep the fuel tank full in the winter, less air space == less humidity to be attracted into the tank. Other choice is to burn it dry, then fill up in the spring and start again. Not so good an idea to try to keep it empty if you are using it regularly, as that is a PITA.

    That sounds good. That covers it really well, plus I know to leave the boat full instead of low like I was planning. I really wanted to know if its literally harming the engine by running gas with ethanol each time its used....because i do understand that additives help...but I was hoping it was more of a bonus type thing thats not necessarily required but does have its place and has some performance benefits.

    On another note....someone once mentioned (on here) to me that the more I use my motor the better it will run since it was sitting unused for 6 years...and I think im starting to see slight improvements in the motor. It just feels like its running stronger as a general feel....plus I was able to hit 31 mph (GPS) yesterday which was a first for me. A lot of times while in neutral the motor will putter out.....that was happening rarely yesterday and it was holding the neutral rpms well....like it should! lol

  8. Member
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    #8
    E10 won't hurt your motor. Mercury knows what they are doing. E0 is still better, but not because it is better for your engine, it simply avoids all the problems that alcohol adds, such as absorbing water, separating from the gas leaving an acidic crud in the bottom of the tank, which will certainly cause problems, particularly when the VST fills up with the crud...

    That being said, I have been running E10 since it became "the farmer's delight". Slightly less power per gallon of fuel, but we are only talking a 3% reduction with E10. E10 won't cause problems, UNLESS you have an older boat with pre-E10 fuel lines. If there is any doubt, replace the fuel lines sooner rather than later as a bad line will cause problems for a long while.
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    #9
    Quote Originally Posted by OldTimer57 View Post
    E10 won't hurt your motor. Mercury knows what they are doing. E0 is still better, but not because it is better for your engine, it simply avoids all the problems that alcohol adds, such as absorbing water, separating from the gas leaving an acidic crud in the bottom of the tank, which will certainly cause problems, particularly when the VST fills up with the crud...

    That being said, I have been running E10 since it became "the farmer's delight". Slightly less power per gallon of fuel, but we are only talking a 3% reduction with E10. E10 won't cause problems, UNLESS you have an older boat with pre-E10 fuel lines. If there is any doubt, replace the fuel lines sooner rather than later as a bad line will cause problems for a long while.
    Sounds good to me! Im gonna go fill it up today since I prolly wont be using it for a month or so. Any PepBoys or Autozone fuel stabilizers youd recommend? Im gonna have to order the quickleen+quickare. Im gonna do what you do.....quickleen, and maybe quickare every 5 gallons. Thats reasonable....just using a whole bottle of stuff per fill had me weary....plus im frugal! lol

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    #10
    Mercury makes one. Stabil is one. I doubt there is much difference in any of 'em.... A couple of years ago I bought some stabilizer. Took an unused 5 gallon gas can and filled it 1/2 full. Added enough stabil to treat 2.5 gallons and let it sit for 6 months. Seemed to be perfectly fine with no sediment, goop, varnish smell or anything. Ran fine in my blower/chainsaw/edger. Can was one of the new types that seal where you have to hold a handle down to let gas flow out...
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  11. Member rocketman6965's Avatar
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    #11
    I use E10. Been using it for over five years on 3 different engines. 225 opti, 250 Pro XS and 300 XS racing engine. Haven't had one blowup yet (knock on wood). I religously run blue marine Stabil and Lucas Fuel treatment from Wal-Mart. Link below:

    https://www.walmart.com/ip/Lucas-The...&wl13=&veh=sem

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  12. Member rocketman6965's Avatar
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    #12
    BTW. Thanks OldTimer for the research. That is very comforting to know.

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    #13
    Quote Originally Posted by OldTimer57 View Post
    Mercury makes one. Stabil is one. I doubt there is much difference in any of 'em.... A couple of years ago I bought some stabilizer. Took an unused 5 gallon gas can and filled it 1/2 full. Added enough stabil to treat 2.5 gallons and let it sit for 6 months. Seemed to be perfectly fine with no sediment, goop, varnish smell or anything. Ran fine in my blower/chainsaw/edger. Can was one of the new types that seal where you have to hold a handle down to let gas flow out...
    awesome! I know ive seen the stabil so Im picking some of that up in a couple hours....ill see if I can find the blue one RocketMan

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    #14
    added a couple ounces of quickare. my local Academy had it in stock....had quickleen "in stock" too according to their inventory, but it was nowhere to be found. Im going back in a couple days and the dude told me he'd look for it more for me. Considering my location...my academy has a lot of boat stuff in stock! Guy that works there told me the boat stuff is gonna start hitting the sales rack!....so lets see if I can get any steals. They even have tempress seats...which I hear are very comfy! Shelves are loaded like they just stocked! lol

  15. Member larryhyco's Avatar
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    #15
    I run non ethanol

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    #16
    I have never had access to gas without ethanol so it’s what I have always used.

    In August of 2007 my ‘06 boat started having issues. It would run well for several minutes and then it would start to shut down. It was under warranty so I took it to the dealer who had many conversations with Mercury trying to figure it out. They replaced all three fuel pumps and when that didn’t fix it they went to the fuel line. Turns out that the ethanol had compromised the inner lining and it would choke off the gas.

    Since your boat is a 2004 you should check the fuel line.
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    #17
    Quote Originally Posted by zelmo View Post
    I have never had access to gas without ethanol so it’s what I have always used.

    In August of 2007 my ‘06 boat started having issues. It would run well for several minutes and then it would start to shut down. It was under warranty so I took it to the dealer who had many conversations with Mercury trying to figure it out. They replaced all three fuel pumps and when that didn’t fix it they went to the fuel line. Turns out that the ethanol had compromised the inner lining and it would choke off the gas.

    Since your boat is a 2004 you should check the fuel line.
    when you all say fuel line....you mean the one inside the motor/cowling....or the line that goes from the tank to the motor? I believe the mechanic checked the lines inside the motor/cowling when he did a post purchase tune up. I also changed the line from the tank to motor as soon as I got the boat too.

    Boat runs pretty good....and I really do think its running better my last trip than my first trip and improving somewhat with each use. Maybe those seafoam shock treatments helped.....maybe better/cleaner gas since the first fill ups mightve still had some old gas gunk from previous owner, and I figure the tank will get somewhat "cleaner" the more fill ups it gets. Mechanic mentioned that....he didnt recommend a full cleaning of the tank but did mention that the first fill ups post purchase may still have some residual old gas left.

    I topped out at 31mph with me (250lbs) and all my gear....had a small wind on my back tho. Boats running a consistent 27-29 depending on chop....and will hold at 30 on glass water. Havent been out on a day with sustained 15-20 mph and other higher gusts to see what it runs like....but figure itll be the same minus 2-5 mph....i hope! lol

    is 29/30 mph good...or kinda slower for a 17ft aluminum with 50hp?

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    #18
    On my set up the line that goes from the squeeze pump into the cowling.
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    #19
    You should check ALL fuel lines, from tank to inside cowl. Most of the time the lines inside the cowl will be OK unless it is a very old motor. But the lines between tank and motor might not be ethanol resistant if boat is older.
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    #20
    Quote Originally Posted by OldTimer57 View Post
    You should check ALL fuel lines, from tank to inside cowl. Most of the time the lines inside the cowl will be OK unless it is a very old motor. But the lines between tank and motor might not be ethanol resistant if boat is older.
    i think theyve all been checked.....except the one that literally is connected to the tank. I replaced the line where the fuel bulb is, but not the line that connects the tank to that line. Its on the to do list already cuz my gas level meter sucks so i had been planning to do it.....prolly bump it up on the priority list now though

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