Ethanol

[c master]

I had some minor work done on my '96 Johnson 88 SPL last week.  My mechanic routinely tests the fuel when he works on any engine, since he knows how many boats 'sit up' for months.  My fuel was new and I was planning to run the boat all weekend, so it didn't have any StaBil in it.  But of course I had already added oil to the tank (it's not VRO).  

When I picked the boat up, he said, "Hey...I want to show you something."   He had a mayonnaise jar sitting in the shop next to my boat. "This jar was half full yesterday, after I pulled some of your fuel for testing."   24 hours later the jar had maybe 1/2" of liquid left in it.  

He said, "Not only does this Ethanol s**t cause damage to seals, rings, hoses and gaskets, but it also evaporates fast...it attracts water like crazy...and the water builds up in the tank."  He was making the point that Ethanol is pretty volatile...which I knew, but that seems like a LOT of evaporation in 24 hours, even in Houston's triple-digit daily temps.  

He also said, "One reason the crabbers can get 3000 hours out of a 2-stroke is that they run them hard everyday.  Sitting around in the garage (like most of our boats) is not a good thing.  In fact, if you buy a used motor, it might even be better to buy one with a lot of hours put on in a short time (such as a guide's motor), than an older one with very low hours.  Unless the owner winterized it whenever he put it away.  Which hardly anybody does."

His suggestions?  Run your engine a lot. (meaning:  "Go fishing"..Sorry, honey!)  Always open it up to WOT for a bit...even a couple of minutes is fine.  Use StaBil religiously.  Check your fuel/water separator.   Flush it with SaltAway.   And vote for the idiots who go on lavish trips courtesy of OIL COMPANY lobbyists...instead of the other idiots who go on lavish trips paid for by Archer Daniels Midland (corn state) lobbyists.  

Just sayin'....

C

[saltfly]

that’s called phase separation. I use ethanol fuel, because in our state we can’t buy anything else. Soooo I use startron marine. It does the same as the sta-bil marine formula. Not to be confused with regular sta-bil or regular startron. Both prevent phase separation as well as cleans your carbs and injectors they also stabilize fuel. I use it every time I put any gas in my tank. I also use it in every gas engine I have. I hate ethanol fuel.  

[kaptainkoz]

Good point c master. I rebuild late 80's v6 Evinrudes for fun and a point I stress over and over (especially when someone is debating my prices) is that if you are buying an older outboard that has not been run in a while, you need to change every piece of rubber and gasket within the entire intake system. Now I am not saying that everyone should rebuild their intake systems, but a motor with no credible history should start at a reliable starting point. If I had a dime for every "marina maintained, only 100 hour" motors that still had paper carb gaskets id be rich. Ive had motors come to me with 3 out of 4 carbs rebuilt.

 Todays fuel lines and carb kits have been upgraded for ethanol use. It is important to make sure the motor is up to date. Then yes, treat the fuel and everything should be fine for years. Clog a carb and you not only block fuel to the cylinder, but more importantly.... oil. Remember the oil is mixed with the fuel. Ethanol is terrible for 2 strokes but it can be managed.