Ethanol

[Jerkalip]

Will gas with ethanol damage my 2002 Merc 125 HP? Thanks.

 

[Bob_VT]

Re: Ethanol

No. That is a late model motor and you have no problems.

 

[robert graham]

Re: Ethanol

Use Stabil Marine Fuel Stabilizer all the time and install a water/fuel seperator to eliminate most water/fuel/ethanol problems, a lot cheaper than repairs. Good Luck!

 

[Laddies]

Re: Ethanol

Ethanol will not damage your engine if it does not exceed the 10% that the engine was designed to run on. The problem comes when the fuel suppliers exceed the 10% to inflate their profits.

 

[Silvertip]

Re: Ethanol

The engine manufacturers better get their act together because a 15% blend is in the near future.

 

[180Fisherman]

Re: Ethanol

I never thought the ethanol was a problem for engines so much as it is for dissolving the resins uses in the construction of gas tanks that then runs though the engine causing the damage.

 

[robert graham]

Re: Ethanol

My red polyethylene fuel tanks don't seem to be bothered by the 10% ethanol fuel but certain types of fuel hoses and other parts of the fuel system can be degraded. Always use Marine Fuel hoses(not automotive). Carbs and injectors can get screwed up from water/fuel/ethanol. I use the Walmart fuel/water seperator on my carbed 90HP 2 stroke Yamaha but if my motor was a fuel injected model, I would for sure have the Racor 2 micron unit. Stabil Marine all the time is a good idea. good Luck!

 

[Silvertip]

Re: Ethanol

I run E85 (15% gasoline and 85% ethanol) in my Flex Fuel Impala and the engine doesn't care because the ECU adjusts timing and has an input to it that detects the type of fuel and the current mixture of ethanol in it. Engines don't care what liquid it burns. It is the corrosive nature of ethanol and it's ability to attack fuel system components that is the issue. Fuel lines, plastic, rubber and even metal fuel lines and carburetor/fuel injections/pump parts need to be ethanol tolerant. That's also why ethanol is trucked as it would eventually eat up a pipeline. Engines need to have a way of detecting higher concentrations of ethanol because the engine will use more of it than it would regular gas or E10. Therefore injector pulse widths, carburetor modifications and ignition timing must be made to accommodate those higher concentrations. Carbureted engines don't have the luxury of an ECM so retrofitting those engines may be impractical if not impossible. Manufacturers should have little trouble converting EFI/DFI engines for high ethanol concentrations. It's been done on cars and trucks for years. Two strokes may require some extra work due to the lubrication issues inherent in the design but they too should be convertable.

 

[reeldutch]

Re: Ethanol

i do agree that a EFI or DFI is programable for running E85.
i believe the envirement and the way boats are used will cause major problems with E85

boats sit sometimes for weeks and weeks with lots of heat condensation moisture all the good stuff that a car doesnt have to deal with like a boat.

i believe that you will get problems with water in the gas in boats like you have never seen with E85.
Ethanol is like alcohol and will absorb water.
sperate it and let ist sit in the bottum of the tank till you start the engine and suck it up

we see it now with 10% all over the place.

l

 

[Silvertip]

Re: Ethanol

Our collector cars sit for up to six months as do some of the vehicles our "snow birds" leave sit up here in the tundra while they winter in warmer climates. Those E85 powered cars are not an issue. All it takes is a shot of Stabil or Sea Foam as a little insurance. People are way over concerned and under educated about ethanol blends. Yes - coastal areas and boats with huge fuel tanks seem to present some water problems. But it is all preventable with proper fuel treatment, water separating fuel filters, replacement of fiberglass fuel tanks (plastic are ok) and ensuring all fuel lines are ethanol tolerant. Older boats that have had neglected fuel systems will bet cleaned up and the gunk deposited in the filters and some will get by and be deposited in carbs. Chances are this would have happened sooner or later anyway. Ethanol just hastened the event.

 

[reeldutch]

Re: Ethanol

i agree that all it takes is some fuel stabilizer and some common sense to prevent fuel prblems.
the problems we have now here in the norteast with 10% ethanol are real.
people still dont use fuel stabilizer and only use there boat when the weather is nice.
that is the real deal .

people who are aware of this dont have a problem they use stabilizer and use there boats frequantly.

just see more problems comming with more ethanol.

i know that some marina owners are working hard to get marine grade gas at the marinas. (no ethanol only for marinas.)
just need to get aproval from the state i believe.

 

[cougar1985]

Re: Ethanol

boy! im sure glad we dont have eth here .have never run across it yet anyways.

 

[superwooter]

Re: Ethanol

EDIT: removed political commentary

in south mississippi, 1 or 2 of the independent gas stations are still refusing to lace their fuel with ethanol. but it keeps getting harder to find a station without corn liquor in their tanks.

 

[rolmops]

Re: Ethanol

in south mississippi, 1 or 2 of the independent gas stations are still refusing to lace their fuel with ethanol. but it keeps getting harder to find a station without corn liquor in their tanks.

Yes I know that this is turning a perfectly fine thread into a political one.
But please,compare the facts to what you would like to believe.
You see,ethanol has to do with independence of foreign fuel and very aggressive subsidies for corn farmers.The famous persons you should be addressing this to is the heart land corn farmers lobby.

 

[superwooter]

Re: Ethanol

sorry to go political. i'll save that for other forums in the future.

but ethanol sucks.

 

[SCHRECK]

Re: Ethanol

here all our fuels are 10 % ethanol but some marinas can still get mid-grade and premium ethanol free , but that is about to stop for next season Peter:

 

[rolmops]

Re: Ethanol

here all our fuels are 10 % ethanol but some marinas can still get mid-grade and premium ethanol free , but that is about to stop for next season Peter:

And next year I will be back in Parry Sound,Ethanol or not.Parry Sound is the only place where I have ever been able to order fresh caught pickerel in a restaurant.It tasted great.

 

[SCHRECK]

Re: Ethanol

rolmops= and we even have one where for 16 95 you can eat all the fresh pickerel you want on tuesdays, i go often and you couldnt beat it with a paddle it is just fantastic Peter

 

[OldMercsRule]

Re: Ethanol

Yes I know that this is turning a perfectly fine thread into a political one.
But please,compare the facts to what you would like to believe.
You see,ethanol has to do with independence of foreign fuel and very aggressive subsidies for corn farmers.The famous persons you should be addressing this to is the heart land corn farmers lobby.

Not Mom n' Pop Farms me friend!!!

LARGE CORPORATE FARMS

Ethanol is less productive of energy as a fuel then Petroleum based gasoline, thus ya burn more n' actually polute more n' that means more CO2 as well. It, (corn squeezins') would be far more expensive without the tax payer, (yes that is all of you: folks ), subsudies to those HUGE CORPORATE FARMS ta make all yer food more expensive n' yer cars n' boats run much less efficiently n' require more of the ace mechanics, (like those on this thread ), ta crank wrenches on yer equipment. N' spend more fer filters n' additives.

Kinda nice eh?


Me overpriced $.02. JR

 

[rodbolt]

Re: Ethanol

silvertip
I gotta disagree with ya on this E stuff.
it does affect the dip tubes in the red poly tanks, faster if the tank is exposed to sunlight.
the clear poly tanks when exposed to sunlight will start dissolving and dip tubes dissolve and fuel sender floats start dissolving.
all issues we have fought here in the salt pond since june of 08 when we first got suckered.
quite a bit of the 500 plus boats sitting on the yard tend to have owners 100 to 1000+ miles away.
the boats tend to sit, a lot.
stabil when treating FRESH fuel tends to last 5 or 6 months max.
and with a laptop or a handheld you can see it on most modern sterndrives and inboards with MPI motors ,look at the knock retard numbers or the octane derate numbers the ECU is outputting.

the E 10 fuels by themselves are not the issue with most engines post 1992, it the sudden shock of the varnish built up in the hull systems thats killing things.
older engines we are seeing more and more crank seal failures due to the rubber not being ethanol compliant.

most vehicles have sealed fuel vents and very few stay parked in a permannant mud puddle.
there is not a marine engine offered for the general US market that can run on concentrations higher than 10% ethanol.
my 08 ranger wont and it hates e 10.
E10 for marine and industrial applications is simply foolish but as its mix at the tanker distribution terminal you wont see many stations with E free fuels.