ethanol
 

What are the best fuel stabilizers out there ...how often do you use and just how bad is ethanol for an outboard? Is there a difference in 2 stroke vs 4 stroke w/ ethanol concerns? Is Stabil a ring/gunk cleaner? Running Opti-Max now. Any optimax maintenece tips? Thx

Use stabill ethenol treatment everytime you put gas in......keeps it from separating and helps with the water problems associated with the ethenol

The stabil marine is good and so is the starbrite startron.

They have alot of treatments on the market. I stick to the stabil because they have been around a long time. Use it everytime you fill up.

it hadn't bothered mine yet i got a 4 stroke suzuki......but mine don't sit up very long the fuel don't have time to seperate....i use 1/2 a tank at least once a week

This is where people are mistaken about the sitting up part. Does not matter if it sits up or not, ethanol still eats up the fuel lines

Also, it separates when you drive...........hitting bumps and stirring it up actually causes the separation

Next time you get gas put some in a glass jar and let it sit for a day. yuck

I have seen phase separated gas straight out of the pump before. Some gas stations do not change there filters in the pumps like they should. If you dont want problems,put it in every tank and use a water separator filter.Keeping your talk full also helps with water related problems caused by the ethenal. Trust me its alot cheaper to do this then pay the bill at the mechanic shop later.

Now I wouldnt fill up my tank and let it sit. If you have to use ethanol fuel only put in your tank what you will burn that day and yes run a water seperator. In marine engines it does more damage than automotive . We see ethanol issues with vehicles but its just water in fuel causing random misfires. Ethanol attracts moisture thats what the big problem with it is. If you run what you put in and add stabile you are doing everything you can as well as having a water seperating filter inline.

BTW.....for you Lafayette folks. Ethenol free gas can be found at the pumps in front of super 1 at willow and the thruway, also corner of verrot and hay 92

I been using startron, seems to work pretty well.

Not to open a can of worms,but if your going to let it set up it is better to fill it up and add stabil. If the tank is full it has less area for the water to build up.

how long is considered "set up"....??????

To be honest bro,with the gas we have now days it starts going bad almost right away. That is why it is so important to use a treatment.

k...thx

U know i only fill up at cormies and i noticed this morning it is ethonol free anyway so guess my earlier statement was not correct

If you keep your tank full, you have less chance of phase separation. The ethanol absorbs moisture out of the air and separates itself from the gas once it absorbs it.
If you keep the tank full, there is less moisture in the tank.
If you use your boat a lot, and keep it full, you have less chance of the gas setting up, and you always add fresh gas to the tank.
The newer fuel lines are ethanol resistant. Older ones are not. There is an A-1 designation on the lines that are ethanol resistant. If you don't have this marked on your lines on an older motor or boat, I would think about getting them changed out.
The older boats also have build up in the tanks, lines, carbs and motors. Ethanol will clean these deposits out, causing filters to stop up, carb jets to plug up, foul plugs and cause motors to start burning oil or having less compression.
I have an old 30 years old Chris Craft with twin 305's. I used a tank and carb cleaner, rebuilt my carbs and changed out all my fuel and vent lines, hoping to prevent this. I have had it a while before E-10 came out. I try to keep up on this and hope it dont' cause any major problems.
I only use Stabil in the big boat during the winter when I don't use it as much. The Cobia gets used and refilled monthly. I just use Ring Free to prevent engine deposits.

In my opinion, from what I have read and from the advertisment I have seen about Startron, it is snake oil. They say it has enzymes in it that keep ethanol in suspension, gives you 15% more fuel economy, it can reverse phase separation(impossible). When I looked at the MSDS, it has over 99% Naptha, which is the same as Coleman stove fuel. How can you put less than 1% of a propiatary enzyme in a pint bottle that treats 125 gallons and do all this with it.

I use Stabil cause it has worked for me for years on my mower gas and tractor diesel in the winter. I have never had any issues when using it. But I have when I didn't use anything.

I use SEA FOAM. It was recommended to me by a mechanic. On the can it does advertise for marine use.

Me too, Good stuff

Same here, I've been using it for a few years now.

me 3...

Sea foam is a great product,but it does not treat ethenal

Seafoam Stabilizes fuel & controls moisture. So why wouldn't it treat ethenal? What Stabil does.

If it doesn't say ethenol treatment on the bottle, its not ethenol treatment.

correct...you need the green stabil?? correct me if'n I'm wrong.

Its called marine stabil,blue liquid. The sea foam will not stop phase seperation caused by ethanol.

all I run in mine is seafoam & put whatever fuel is available & have a water seperator & have never had water in the seperator.

Run whatever you want to,anything is better than nothing. I prefer the stabil in my boat. Now I do use sea foam in my truck every so often.

The EPA announced this week that is "on track" to reach a decision on whether or not to grant a wavier requested by ethanol interests to allow E-15 to be mixed into the U.S. gasoline supplies. It said that the Department of Energy would complete its testing of the effects of E-15 on different types of engines by the end of September. The National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) has opposed increasing the ethanol content in marine fuel to 15% contending that it can cause engine damage, and that its full effects on older engines is unknown. Ethanol interests have expressed their frustration over the EPA's delay.

Report from AG News--
The ethanol industry is expressing its frustration over EPA’s delay on the E15 waiver decision until fall. Growth Energy CEO Tom Buis says this is a typical Washington stalling tactic by EPA so they don’t have to make a decision…one they are hiding behind with additional tests on newer vehicles.
Buis says they met all the requirements of the Clean Air Act and have sent a letter to the Administration that they’re patience has finally run out.
He says they are also reviewing all of their legal and legislative options.
Matt Hartwig with the Renewable Fuels Association in Washington says they are extremely frustrated with the agency as it’s been over a year since the waiver request was submitted.
He says EPA is also adding insult to injury by only considering higher blend rates in 2007 or newer vehicles. Pushing back the decision delays the approval process for vehicles from 2001 or newer to later this fall. EPA has also turned down the request to move immediately to E12.
From IBI Magazine --
The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) said yesterday that it was "on track" to determine the impact of higher-ethanol E15 blends on vehicles built after 2007. The agency said that the Department of Energy (DOE) would complete its testing by the end of September.
The decision on whether to allow E15 into the nation's fuel supply had been expected this month. E15 incorporates 15 per cent ethanol into the fuel mix. The current legal limit is 10 per cent ethanol.
The National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) and other groups like Boat/US oppose an EPA waiver for E15. They called on the agency to do extensive testing on marine engines before passing E15, so that the decision was based on sound science.
Marine engine manufacturers say that ethanol blends cause engine damage. Several US senators also strongly oppose E15, and have documented cases of boaters being stranded at sea because of engine failure due to ethanol blends.
But EPA said the initial tests were promising. "DOE is also testing some vehicles built before 2007 and is also testing tanks and other fuel handling equipment to see how they might be affected by E15," said an EPA statement. "While results from the tests conducted to-date look good, EPA will not make a final decision until DOE completes its current comprehensive testing of the newer vehicles."
The NMMA said it was "pleased" that EPA recognized that more testing was needed. "However, we continue to call on EPA and DOE to test marine and non-road engines in advance of any determination by the Agency, as required by the Clean Air Act," read a statement from NMMA. "We consider the 'partial waiver' approach currently under consideration ill-advised and a risk to consumers, engines and air quality."

I have seen first hand on a daily basis how e10 affects marine engines,fuel lines,and tanks. If they pass the e15 it will get ugly.

Most new engines are not made to run on this.
The newer flex fuel engines are, but not a lot of other engines.
This will cause a lot of old engines to go to crap.
Then we will have to buy new cars or engines.
This is fitting into the new economy plan.
Everyone will have to have a new car or engine.

I use both every time I fuel up. I also buy gas from an ethanol free station.

DO not use Seafoam. Seafoam contains alcohol and will only make matters WORSE.