TOPIC: Ethanol or not ????

Its getting harder and harder to find Non Ethanol fuel in my area .Only 2 gas stations left with it and they crank the price up on it .Its all %10 around here ..I know in some cases Alcohol will make a 2 stroke run lean .So can we run Ethanol in like 60s and 70s Mercs ?? Do I gotta crank the timing down ?? Replace Hoses ?? Could I run 1/2 and 1/2 and only have %5 Ethy ?? Does it really draw in alot of Moisture ?? Anybody here with some real world knowledge or experience ??

I add under an ounce of Stabil Marine Ethanol Treatment to every 6 gallons of 93 octane I buy, along with 18 ounces of synthetic outboard oil. I've been doing that now for more than a year, and it's my belief the ethanol treatment works great.

Frank

I have had nothing but trouble with today's gas. For something so expensive you'd think you could use it as is. I run a 2003 Honda and it runs great. But after some time of running it , it plugs up. I use the ethanol treatment for marine engines too. Just today I cleaned my carb again. It has very small dark spots in the gas. I'm going to replace my pump bulb and hose before I use it again. I only buy about 1-2 gallons at a time anymore. The Honda is great on gas. I'm running a 4 strike and it is only 8 hp. It pushes my boat as well as my old 9.8 Mercury did. I only fish from this boat. I cleaned my tank today also and the gas was funny looking and smells different too. I'm getting fed up with it. I'm also putting another filter in the line also. Last week I was left stuck on the lake at a idle. It takes time to idle back to the launch. I talked to another guy there who has a newer evenrude sputtering as he pulled in. Same story. This is not just outboards but all my two cycle stuff is having problems. They can shove their ethonol gas up there azz's as far as I'm concerned.

My main engine is a 73' 65Hp. (All my engines are Evinrudes)
I am on my third season with no trouble.
No treatments and walmart oil.

The engine did sit for 17 years, so I replaced every fuel component and rebuilt all carbs with factory kits. This may be why I am having no trouble.

I just started running a 75' 9.9. Went through 10 gallons in two weeks of vacation. No trouble.

There has not been regular gas in CT for many years.

Knock on wood, but I haven't had any trouble with the crappy stuff they're passing off for gas these days either. A few basic rules I follow though;
1 - Replaced ALL rubber parts in the fuel system with newer "alcohol resistant" hose, kits, etc.. (That Honda is new enough it should already have that, I would think?)
2 - I switched to Star*Tron after seeing a test where Sta-Bil Marine did not emulsify the water added to the fuel.
3 - Run a Fuel Filter/Water Separator - one with good filter (spin-on) a clear bowl so you can see the water if it gets into your system.
4 - I never buy gas at the "cut-rate" stores or the off brand mini-mart. Name brand stuff, and usually buy it at the same place every time. (Like Larry said there are a FEW places you can still buy the good stuff, but it's SUPER expensive.)

A man I know said he thought it is my fuel bulb. The gas lines are not breaking down. I cut a section out to look at them. The bulb is suspect. Alcohol is able to take the moisture right out of the air in the tank. I'm running on a three gallon can. The ethanol molecules bond to the water and carries it through the system. The stuff separates from the gas leaving a nasty brown mess. I had some in the Cub Cadet. I flushed it out before starting it this spring. Everything else was run till it was empty. Ethanol just tears up the rubber parts. When I buy the new hose and bulb I'm cutting the old one up to check it out.

I guess my Biggest concern is will you burn a piston on a 2 stroke ?? 4 strokes might run Crappy on this junk but wont melt down . In remember in the 70s when I raced Snowmobiles if you ran to much Heat gas Treatment (( Basiclly alcohol to unfreaze water in your gas )) If you used just a bit to much they would run lean and burn pistons .And that Bit to much was WAY far under 10% .When I helped a guy run a drag car he ran alcohol for a few season .That puppy was jetted WAY Way fat from a gas engine almost twice .So if I run this junk am I gonna start seeing Melted parts of my Beloved Mercury pistons on my spark plugs ?? Ethanol cant be that far away from Alcohol is it ?? Dam I miss the 70s when you could buy leaded Hi Test gas for 50 cents a gallon ..

When I buy the new hose and bulb I'm cutting the old one up to check it out.

It'll be interesting to see what you find Robert, be sure to let us know.

Dam I miss the 70s when you could buy leaded Hi Test gas for 50 cents a gallon ..

I'm sayin'! They used to call it Ethel (or was it Ethyl) back then. Remember the gas wars when the prices used to actually COME DOWN?!?!? Oh the price we pay for "progress". Guess we should be happy they haven't outlawed two strokes all together.

The first thing I did with the 64 Johnson that came on the Aqua Ray was to have the lower unit gone over and convert all of the hoses, floats, etc to run gas with ethanol. Also use Sta-Bil. Have not had a problem and I wouldn't run a vintage outboard without doing that conversion.

So Jim18611865, you wouldn't happen to be a Civil War reenactor?

Here are a few pics of the inside of my fuel primer bulb. It is a Honda item. Looks a little ragged to me. The other is the fuel line cutting.

I might also add that I got black stuff on my finger from the inside of the bulb. I hope this will be the end of the problem.

I figure an ounce of prevention... so I will always spend [or waste, depending on who you talk to] money for the additive. I found another brand at a boat shop that was less than the sta-bil ...dont recall the brand at the moment.

WoW ran good all morning long, idled real low like it should. I don't know how to act.

Ive had Ethanol problems too with my antique cars and boats. I found Star Tron Enzyme treatment at West Marine and Ive been using it for about 2 years now and haven't had a single problem since. It only takes a short while for the gas to go bad and it seems to attract moisture, is the only thing I can figure.

BTW: My Honda 4 stroke on my duck boat hates the ethanol stuff, it seems to develop a case of the hiccups. ????

(sorry to sound like a commercial, but its the best stuff Ive found so far)

The Problem is with treatments . If you still have a station around that sells Non Ethel Premium but jacks the price a bit is it worth it ?? Well if you have to Pay so so $$$ for a can of treatment . Then pray that the treament doesnt make your gas and Oil seperate (( Some do and youll be running straight gas in a 2 stroke )) And the treatment acually works . I guess it would be easier and safer to get Porked by the Non Ethel gas guy .