ethanol sucks

[Quillback]

Yes, it does suck. For Arkansas guys, the Short Stop station on U.S. 62 in Garfield sells no-ethanol regular (87 octane). For my money, it's easily worth the price of 15-20 cents above ethanol gas.

I know that place well.

[Terrierman]

66 in Branson West has ethanol free.

[J-Doc]

Fuel line breaking down from it. New fuel pump and all my carbs needed cleaned because of fuel line break down.

New fuel lines are supposed to be ethanol tolerant to help stop this. Fishinwrench educated me on this. You can look up the code printed on the side of the hose and verify if it's compliant with EPA and ethanol tolerant.

I looked up my fuel line on my new boat and it was indeed ethanol tolerant.

Tolerant.......not "full proof" or indestructible. ;-)

Thus why I use Stabil and Mercury Fuel System Cleaner every time I put gas in it. And that Mercury Cleaner works good too. Noticeable difference. I also double up with Yamaha ring free additive.

Wrench says it's witchhazle and nonsense. I error on the side of caution and I've seen performance differences with and without it.

[Guest]

http://pure-gas.org/?stateprov=AR

List of ethanol free gas stations in AR.

If I cant get ethanol free, then I always pump the Premium stuff.

[denjac]

My owners manual for my 2014 yamaha 4 stroke says to use min 90 octane ethanol free. It also says it will run on blended fuel but prolonged use can cause damage.

[Smalls21]

The Mercury stuff is pretty good, as far as fuel treatments go

[Guest]

http://pure-gas.org/index.jsp?stateprov=MO

List of ethanol free gas stations in MO

[Jan_Z]

Several years ago I had E-10 fuel problems, I cured them with a ten micron water fuel separator filter and using an enzyme based stabilizer called Star Tron. since then no problems.

[fishinwrench]

You guys need to get one of these

and see what you are getting from your "no ethanol" stations. It's all E10. I test the fuel in every boat that comes in here and "good fuel" all tests the same regardless, and they come from all points between here and Minnesota/Florida/South Carolina/Colorado.

Stabil does a fine job on a tank of fuel that is SITTING MOTIONLESS for a month or more, but when you are shaking it around and just burning it you are wasting your money.

As for Seafoam and other non-combustables....I have attempted to manually clean gummy fuel system components and carboned ring grooves with it and it absolutely does nothing even when assisted with a brass brush. The only thing I have found that removes hard carbon deposits is a FREE substance called Water.

As for rubber degradation from Alcohol enhanced fuel....All I have to say is that things made from rubber have NEVER lasted forever and have always required reasonable replacement after time. All the crankshaft seals and such in your post 1990 outboards are "alcohol tolerant" material, but they still don't last forever. The funny thing about the alcohol tolerant rubber in your fuel lines and primer bulbs is that it degrades quicker from temperature variations (hot-cold-hot-cold) than regular rubber degrades from contact with alcohol.

You guys that are always mixing up this witches brew to burn in your outboards are honesty wasting your time and money. It might make you feel good or something, but that's only because you read too much.

[Quillback]

I've done the test on ethanol free gas here in AR, and it is ethanol free. Running the test you mention above. By law in AR, fuel labeled ethanol free can contain no more that 1.5% ethanol.