Is E15 good for your 2 stroke?

[BuzzB8]

It seems the people who MAKE and OWN the ethanol plants in the US are trying to lobby congress and the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) to let E15 be the norm for all our fuels (from your local gas station). Ethanol is more expensive to produce, so the prices will go up. But the big thing is it will harm most outboards.

Below is a link to a form letter that will be emailed asking the EPA to deny this E15 gas until tests to 2 stroke engines can be completed.

I've already sent mine in...please take a minute to read all the info and see if you feel compelled to follow suite.

http://capwiz.com:80/nmma/home/

Thanks, and please help make a difference in America.

[BuzzB8]

Just curious...but I guess ya'll don't give a flip about this, eh?

The link is to the NMMA (National Marine Manufacturers Assoc).

Everyone biotchs about politics, but nobody ever acts! The minority of the people seem to run everything, so don't let a few rich people ruin your outboard!

[Rodney P]

I sent mine right after you posted the link

[TBirck]

[ghtopwater]

sent mine

[BruceAlmighty]

Done

[203]

As a good lemming, I sent mine in too.

However, I think it will have absolutely no effect on the policy that the EPA makes, and without regard to scientific proof that is available, they will follow the money laden trail laid by the award winning inventor of the internet and all his cronies. Accuse me of being political if you wish, but indeed, the afore mentioned petition is as political as one can get.

Now my real question is .. what are we going to do when E15 gets here. Reviewing the facts ( as opposed to what we read in various group's websites ) Ethanol is a solvent and a water absorber. So outboards that will be toast are almost all of those made prior to 2000. Their fuel systems are not designed to handle the solvent properties of ethanol, and expensive stuff will go bad, causing stuff that is more expensive to fail in sucession. Since 2000 most of the motors have been designed to handle various percentages of ethanol, with 10% being the stated limit.

What additive can I put in my fuel to combat an increased ethanol content, which is inevitable. The only people who can answer this question with any form of authority are the motor manufacturers themselves. We can all speculate, but it all goes in the same bag as noses and opinions. The folks we need to be sending petitions to are the tech forces at Mercury, Yamaha, Evinrude, Tohatsu, Honda, and anybody else that makes ouboards.

I've heard all about Sea Foam, Stabil, and several other additives. They have great claims, but are talking in circles when it comes to Ethanol. Case in point is Sea Foam (everybody's favorite) who cant even spell Diesel correctly on their website.... They say (correctly) that Ethanol removes water from the fuel system. No Joke.. STP has been selling ethanol in a bottle for years just for that purpose, and these sales have been directed in part, to the marine industry. Now Sea Foam, on their website, says that they remove the water that ethanol collects. Hmmm. what do they do with it?? Maybe put it in ziplock bags for trash pickup on Monday? They don't reveal the components of their product, so we don't know what they are doing. They probably don't tell Mercury, etc either. Stabil does not reveal it's ingredient list either, so we're surrounded by black magic.

I think we need to form a group that sends a series of electronically generated letters to Mercury etc. to tell us what we really need to do about E15. But *wait a minute*... that's what the NMMA is all about , right?? Supposed to be helping us as boat owners by mass mailing folks in power... or are they helping the marine manufacturers who seem to be pretty tight jawed about what we have as alternatives. It would be hard to know, as you have to be a member to view anything of relevance on their site.

So here we are, stuck with a bunch of motors that presumably will be destroyed by the evil E15. We have the farmers pushing ethanol, NMMA pushing petitions that have the benefitting party pretty well disguised, a group of folks led by the inventor of the internet telling us we are all destroying the planet, several additive companys wringing their hands at their impending profits, engine manufacturers preparing press releases, and I am fairly sure big oil fits in there somewhere.

We're in the minority, folks. If the EPA decides that E15 is good for the world, then we will have it. Two cycle engines make up a small and very environmentally objectionable part of the internal combustion world. Our job is to sort out the good from the bad, and that starts by asking our motor manufacturers to tell us what we can use to fight the enemy.

[TBirck]

SUZUKI 250SS

[BruceAlmighty]

Simple when the time comes I'll buy a new one. Quit worrying over nothing!!

[203]

I see BoatUS is now involved with the petition as well. That's a good sign, having an advocate for someone besides the manufacturers always makes me feel better.

And I saw some good testers on the market. You can sort thru the general discussions over on BassBoatMagazine.com and find some testers that run about 9 bux. I think Briggs&Stratton are behind them. Good tool. They'll be at Walmart by the end of the week ( my assumption, not a Walmart announcement )

[BuzzB8]

B&WB Mag had theose testors listed a few months ago. After I threw away the mag, I tried to find them on the B&S web page, and couldn't. If you see the web link for them, post it please. The regional manager for the Quik Chek I get gas from says they don'r use ethanol...but I think he's telling a story, or just doesn't know for sure (I think they do because my gas mileage dropped a little last fall). I'd like to know, for sure!

Thanks Richard.

[203]

There's always http://www.fuel-testers.com/order.html but they are a bit pricey. I will try to find the less than 9 bux ones again.

If it gets to 15%, folks will be drinking it instead of beer. Heck, that's 30 proof wine, there, fella.. ya gotta give it a try... Great aftertaste for the automotive buff....

[TBirck]

Your manager is wrong.

[BuzzB8]

LOL, I heard it was MANDATED by the gubermant (federal) and that here in NC they don't have to list the % of the blend. (The manager is probably a yankee too...them liars!)

[TBirck]

He just works for Quick Check------Lying is mandentory

But he's probably also a Yankee

[Rangerman]

This is very important Ethanol at 10% is a killer, running 15% is a death wish for all two strokes. It's time all of us got involued and called our Congressmen. Ethanol is a killer in the jar and the tank on the cob it's safe

[BuzzB8]

It's not even safe on the cob! I love corn on the cob, but I don't eat it much anymore because it's a fungus growing machine!

[fisherman1111]

Sent mine. Ethanol is not good for any engine especially 2 strokes.If they go to E15 you probably won't have to worry about your outboard because your truck will be in the shop and you wont be able to get your boat to the lake.

[BuzzB8]

Exactly what I'm afraid of!