ethanol sucks

[Muddy Water]

They do make diesel outboard engines; we have one on our fast rescue boat offshore. Can't remember who makes it but I'll find out. It's tiller steered.

[fishinwrench]

Crusader.

[holleybob]

I'll have to check it out. Im sure it would be a conversation starter at the dock.

Wrench, would finding someone to work on it be a problem?

[fishinwrench]

I have the books....but I've never even opened them.

For 127.50 per hour I'll force myself to learn it.

[vernon]

I must be the luckiest guy in the world. Since 1972 I've had 11 boats and 11 outboards. Johnson, Yamaha and Mercury. I have always burned the cheapest gas available and have never added a thing to the tank.

My boat and gas sit unattended every year from October till March and the motors have always started on the first turn of the key in spring without exception. My current motor is 11 years old which is by far the longest I've ever owned one (a 225 Opti) and it still starts, runs and idles like it's new. Cheap gas and no additives. Lucky.

[Pepe]

My experience is with Avgas burning air-cooled piston engines. Avgas is 110 octane with no ethanol so that is not a variable. Aircraft engine manufacturers provide a reccomended "Time Between Overhaul" (TBO). This is typically measured by running hours but there are also testing metrics that are checked at least once per year at the FAAMandated Annual Inspection.

Aircraft that are in regular use often see engines in good shape well after TBO. Conversely, those that sit for long periods of time often require overhaul in less than half TBO.

Example; Lycoming 540 wth 2,000 hour reccomended TBO in an aircraft that flys at least every other week may not need an overhaul for 2,500 hours. That same engine run only once every 2 months, may not make it past 1,000 hours.

I think this demonstrates that longevity depends, in large part, to how often the engine is run.

BTW

General Aviation Aircraft have a low point drain port that allows visual inspection of the contents that have settled at the lowest point in the system. It would be nice to have something similar for boats.

[fishinwrench]

http://speedonthewater.com/new-boats-engines/2812-mercury-racing-builds-optimax-diesel-outboard