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  1. #1
    Member
    Join Date
    Nov 2015
    Location
    Wolfe Island, ON
    Posts
    87

    Age old question

    I just put a brand new 250 SHO on my boat. It is recommended 89 octane but that comes with Ethanol. I generally go through fuel pretty quick in the summer (50 gallons a week). If you are running Ethanol fuel are you treating it or are you running the 94 octane premium that doesn't have ethanol?
    06 Ranger Z21
    23 Yamaha SHO 250

  2. Member
    Join Date
    Aug 2018
    Location
    Birmingham Alabama
    Posts
    719
    #2
    I look for ethanol free, luckily I have a buccees 1min down the road so I can get 87, 89, or 94 ethanol free.


    If you are using it constantly I'd just use the 89 with ethanol and add ring free

  3. Member
    Join Date
    Feb 2018
    Posts
    3,153
    #3
    If you go through your gasoline quickly ethanol should not be a problem.

    The internet makes everything look ten times worse than it is.

  4. Member
    Join Date
    Dec 2013
    Location
    oakdale, california
    Posts
    368
    #4
    I run 89 in my 2022 SHO and use yamalube Ringfree with every fill up. I too fish every week of the year so gas doesn't sit too long. I have also been told running Chevron with Techron eliminates the need for the ringfree additive..

  5. Member
    Join Date
    Jul 2014
    Location
    KALKASKA MICHIGAN
    Posts
    4,066
    #5
    I see where you are from, Your last tank of fuel would worry me. I guess your last few tanks I would run ethanol free and run it as low as I could before putting it in it. I just spent a couple of hours cleaning out the fuel passages and petcock of a generator that the P/O had ethanol fuel in it, this is at our cabins in Ontario. No fuel would flow to the carb or that would have been junk also. Had to basically drill the white oxidized metal out of the fuel shutoff. Like Yam911 said high use is no problem but leave it sit and OMG!! If I saved $100 a year it would not be worth it to me to run that junk. CJ
    2002 X19 200HP OX66 HO Vmax,HPDI lower, it lives, thanks Hydro Tec.

  6. Member
    Join Date
    Dec 2010
    Location
    Hot Springs Village
    Posts
    4,172
    #6
    I only run 89 fuel with ethanol, ethanol additives are snake oil. Need to worry more about the carbon buildup than ethanol.
    2021 Skeeter ZX225
    2021 Yamaha SHO 225 VF225LA

  7. Member
    Join Date
    Jun 2004
    Location
    Ooltewah
    Posts
    521
    #7
    This debate will never end! I've drank the Kool Aid and always use ethanol free in my boats, atv, and lawnmowers. I live close to 90 octane pure gas and that is what I run in my 250 SHO and a 2 stroke 90Opti. It runs good. I also use the fuel additives (ring free plus in the SHO and Quickleen in the Merc with Lucas injector cleaner mixed in for both). Am I wasting money, maybe but I don't think it hurts and I consider it to be cheap insurance if it helps any at all. I also don't use that much boat gas. If I was using a tank a month then my thoughts might be different due to knowing that the gas is being cycled through and also if I used that much fuel each month then the additive costs would be much higher.