How Can You Prevent Or Reduce ETHANOL Problems In Older Motors?

coastalrichard

Lieutenant
Joined
Apr 6, 2009
Messages
1,255
Re: How Can You Prevent Or Reduce ETHANOL Problems In Older Motors?

RiverKnight:

Your best solution is to NOT run ethanol-laced gas at all. I live in a small fishing community where many earn their living on the water. We asked a local gas station owner to bring in an ethanol-free supply. It's $.20/gal more but I look at it as insurance; I can pay alittle along the way to prevent costly damages or pay dearly when the damages arise.

Second, install a water separator between your tank and motor and always carry a spare filter canister on the boat.

Finally, regularly inspect all inline filters as well as those under the cowling and carry spares on the boat.

If you have been running ethanol-laced gas you should replace all fuel lines from the tank to the carbs, inspect and rebuild, if necessary, the fuel pump and carbs.

It's a well-proven fact: Ethanol gas WILL cause costly damage to your motor!

And also, welcome to the forums!
 

Silvertip

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Sep 22, 2003
Messages
28,758
Re: How Can You Prevent Or Reduce ETHANOL Problems In Older Motors?

RiverKnight:

Your best solution is to NOT run ethanol-laced gas at all. I live in a small fishing community where many earn their living on the water. We asked a local gas station owner to bring in an ethanol-free supply. It's $.20/gal more but I look at it as insurance; I can pay alittle along the way to prevent costly damages or pay dearly when the damages arise.

Second, install a water separator between your tank and motor and always carry a spare filter canister on the boat.

Finally, regularly inspect all inline filters as well as those under the cowling and carry spares on the boat.

If you have been running ethanol-laced gas you should replace all fuel lines from the tank to the carbs, inspect and rebuild, if necessary, the fuel pump and carbs.

It's a well-proven fact: Ethanol gas WILL cause costly damage to your motor!

And also, welcome to the forums!

Hogwash!! Your engine doesn't care (or know) if it is running on E-10 or non-blended fuel. Yes -- replace the rubber parts with current ethanol tolerant parts. Yes -- add the water separating fuel filter. No -- ethanol will not damage the engine. Lack of fuel system maintenance in the past is the cause. Ethanol is an excellent fuel system cleaner. It's use cleans up the mess that has accummulated in the ignored system for years. It is that same debris that would eventually kill your engine down the road. Use any of the fuel system treatments like Stabil, SeaFoam or the dozens of others and go boating. (E-10 user since 1997 and E-85 user since 2006).
 

j_martin

Admiral
Joined
Sep 22, 2006
Messages
7,474
Re: How Can You Prevent Or Reduce ETHANOL Problems In Older Motors?

Ethanol tolerant parts is the key. Old fuel lines will literally shed their inner tubes in small pieces, which will clog up small fuel passages. Ignore that and push your engine and it'll burn pistons or worse. Of course it's all the ethanol's fault.:D:

One problem that is pretty hard to overcome in a marine environment is that a small amount of water in the gas will combine with most of the ethanol, and that combination will drop out, and also for some reason readily form a sludge that clogs things up. 3 oz of water that floods into your gas tank vent is easily removed by a good fuel filter/water separator. That same 3 oz. of water in a tank of E10 will drop out a half gallon or more of water/alcohol mix which will overcome the fuel/water separator. In addition, one of the reasons they like ethanol in the gas is it improves octane considerably, so 87 octane gas with the alcohol removed is probably about 84, which will really raise Cain with most marine engines.

I run only non-alcohol gas, and also modern, barrier lined fuel hoses, and frequently maintain my fuel pump. In the fuel line is a Racor 60 GPH fuel filter/water separator. I've been through some significant weather with little inconvenience due to fuel problems.


BTW, I got a considerable discount on the original boat and motor purchase because of significant fuel problems. They were caused by a combination of bad fuel, separation, and poor selection of repair parts like obsolete fuel pump repair kits, Atwood fuel connectors, etc.)

my 02
John
 

Jack Hart

Cadet
Joined
Feb 12, 2011
Messages
8
Re: How Can You Prevent Or Reduce ETHANOL Problems In Older Motors?

Before you run the engine:

1. Inspect your fuel system, empty the fuel tank and make sure it's clean, replace any lines and components that are not intended to run ethanol.
2. Install a fuel/water separator and/or make sure your engine has a good fuel filter. Mercury claims newer engines have an adequate onboard filter.
3. Fill your tank, and try to keep it mostly full. Use a fuel stabilizer if you anticipate that your engine will sit unused for any length of time.

After you've started using E10 blended gas:

1. Perform regular maintenance, inspect and change filters as necessary.
2. Winterize properly if you're in a colder climate

Given the current state of the economy and world affairs, ethanol is probably here to stay, so best get used to it. Ethanol blended fuel is not evil in itself. Most ethanol related problems come as a direct result of poor maintenance and/or failure of operators to understand the liabilities of running much older equipment. Since the late 80's most marine engines and components have been designed to operate on ethanol.
 

444

Senior Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Jul 16, 2010
Messages
704
Re: How Can You Prevent Or Reduce ETHANOL Problems In Older Motors?

I ran ethanol gas for years on an old snowmobile out of the 70's with original fuel lines. It never had a problem with ethanol. For my boat I do avoid buying ethanol mixed fuel for it just because 2-strokes are finicky enough and I don't need any potential for problems when out on the water.
 

mc66

Seaman
Joined
May 18, 2010
Messages
61
Re: How Can You Prevent Or Reduce ETHANOL Problems In Older Motors?

All boat parts hoses, gaskets,ect,ect, after 1997 are ethanol compatiable.
 
M

Maxz695

Guest
Re: How Can You Prevent Or Reduce ETHANOL Problems In Older Motors?

Use Jet Fuel
 

RiverKnight

Cadet
Joined
Apr 20, 2011
Messages
20
Re: How Can You Prevent Or Reduce ETHANOL Problems In Older Motors?

Thanks for all the adice , I got an 85 Merc. 75 hp not sure what the prob. is but it's in the shop as of Thursday gonna know soon what the problem is and I'll repost the details then , thanks again..
 
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