Here in California it’s basically all e15 fuels.. even at the fuel docks mostly.. if i let my boat sit for a month I typically get about a gallon or 2 of water in my tank.. my water filters manage to grab most of it and the fuel treatment does the rest.. i have 3 large water separators in line on my boat with large plastic see through caps on the bottom of each filter. I believe they are diesel filters but they work. They each have little drain valves so i can hold a bottle under them and drain the water out easily
Great video. No surprise, they're all really good. The experiment with the fan blowing over the jars of fuel is fantastic. All sorts of science happening there. The reason there was more condensation on the fuel with the ethanol is because ethanol is more volatile. It "wants" to evaporate more than the gasoline does. In fact, the ethanol "pushes" on the air with a pressure of 1.2 psi whereas the gasoline pushes with only 0.3 psi (a.k.a. saturation pressure, for a 77 F day in Florida). When liquids evaporate, they tend to cool down. Pour some rubbing alcohol on your hand, it feels cold. Since the ethanol in the fuel has a higher vapor pressure, it evaporates faster, and cools more, resulting in more condensation. You could repeat the experiment with thermometers in each jar and see the cooling effect. Every little bit helps keeping my old Mercruiser 470 limping along. Thanks for keeping us all informed.
That's the idea behind it, but some parts are missing. gasoline is NOT a single standard molecule like ethanol. The composition of gasoline depends on where you live, the climate and temperature, and the refinery that produces it.
I have run ethanol fuel in my boats for years and really never have issues, but I'm only running a 20 gallon system and like you said, tank size makes a big difference. I also run my boat practically year round. If I know I'm putting the boat away for a few months, I run my last tank or two as ethanol free. In my experience, the biggest problem is the fuel sitting, whether its a 20 gallon tank in a car or a 200 gallon tank in a boat. If you use your boat often and have a decent fuel water separator in your fuel system and actually perform regular maintenance, you'll likely never have a problem. If you're one of those people that's lucky to get out 4 or 5 times a year, you're best off sticking to ethanol free. Just my $0.02. I'm an auto/diesel tech and I'm currently working on a truck that's been sitting for a few years, ethanol gas has wreaked its havoc on the entire fuel system. every line leaks and i'm pretty sure the tank is about rusted through from the inside.
Thank you. This explains why I haven’t had any problem using ethanol fuels... (which is all I can get at the local pumps)- I usually only add/use 5-10gals at a time(lake boat).. and use stabil marine 360
Thanks for the video, well done. Pulled the fuel sending unit, put a 1/4 in line to the lowest point in the tank and syphoned the water out. Put a 3 foot by 2 inch towel on the end of a rod and tried to mop up all that was left. Put in a fuel filter with a water separator and drain cup. Rock solid.
A very smart, greyhaired engineer helped this issue on a friends boat by putting a lighter to a 'fuelsoaked' piece of rag. No fire, no flames but the smell of fuel was still in that just wet rag. Since that day i leave my fuel tanks dry and my fuel stored in canisters. And they lived happily ever after...
Another interesting and well documented vid. Thanks. Here in South Africa, we are supposed to have ethanol in our fuel, but it seems that the legislation requiring it somehow stalled. After a bit of research, I'm really not sure if we have any ethanol in our petrol now. Nevertheless, we also on occasions fill up with absolute crud at the fuel station. Add to that, crossing the border into Mozambique (many of us take our boats offshore there) for example, the fuel becomes quite interesting and often doesn't even smell like petrol. For these reasons, any boat I've owned that had a built in fuel tank, has had the tank stripped out and replaced with smaller portable fuel tanks. This way, the fuel quality can be monitored better and there's much less opportunity for water ingress. Add to this, a well maintained water trap/filter and you feel a lot safer out on the water. It's a hassle, but well worth it IMO.
I fuel up about once a week using whoever is cheaper. Never had any motor issue at all in almost 30 years. My boat is out a couple times a week year round. Current motor is a 2001 25hp Yamaha.
Even though I've been using ethonol free gas, I have been battling a water problem in my fuel, emptying the water from my water separator and even getting my tank pumped. Very humid here in Florida. Once I started using a fuel treatment additive, problem was solved. Now I know why and understand how the condensation gets into the tank. Thanks for the video.
my go to favorite fuel and motor oil treatment is Marvel Mystery Oil, revived many old high mileage engines and have never had a failure even running conventional oils up to 6k between changes. For pre-mix two stroke add marvel as recommended but then add pre-mix oil to the next thinner/lighter recipe (if you require 40-1 , mix it 50-1, etc..)
I've been fortunate to have ethanol free gas available on the Texas and Louisiana coast where I fish. Also use Yamaha Ring Free and fuel stabilizer with every fill up. My tank has a 72 gallon capacity, but most trips I only put 45 gallons in and try to burn most of it up. I also run my engine monthly in the off season to keep the fluids moving. Never had fuel related problems. Knock on wood.
Of course your are right. As you know not everybody can boat comfortably year around. One long term storage option would be to empty the fuel tank & cap off the vent(s). I think somebody even makes desiccants designed for this purpose. Having a good filter/water separator is important. Avoiding the problem is the best strategy; buy clean fuel and consistent use you your boat burning through all the fuel supply regularly.
Great explanation. It was a night in day difference in how my yamaha behaved after I pulled and dumped the tank and went to no ethanol and a spin on fuel filter. I haven't had to mess with my carbs since then when before it was almost an every year battle.
When ethanol was first introduced here (Gloucester, Ma) I was about 10 miles offshore in my Sea Pro 21' W/A with an 81 gallon tank powered by a 2 stroke 200hp Suzuki. The engine died but was able to get it running barely. With a couple of starts & stops only managing about 4 knots I made it in. It tuned out the ethanol was loosening all the junk in the tank and clogging the fuel pickup. I replaced the pick up and all the fuel lines and filters and never had a problem again.
Great video, thank you 👍 Fuel evaporation rate is incredible, thank you for showing this test. I'm using 95 octane fuel for my Mercruiser 3.0 inboard engine, it burns cleaner and less carbon deposits.
I drain the VST and injector rail any time the boat is going to sit for any period of time. This draining seems to prevent the injector clogging and fuel pump issues I was having before.
This was great advice and explanations. The only thing I disagree with was putting rec90 on top of some ethanol fuel. You will always have remaining water and crummy fuel in your tank doing that.
Last winter I attended a boat show seminar put on by an instructor at a local Marine Maintenance Technology program. His assertion was that the main issue with ethanol is that it's a solvent (being made of alcohol). He said that if you always run ethanol in your boat since new, you won't have any problems. However, if your boat is older and has never run ethanol before and then you introduce it, it can loosen up lots of sediment which then gets into the engine.
I've had several boats. The first few I owned I ran 87 with ethanol. Nothing but problems... switched to shell 91 non ethanol. Never had a motor or fuel issue since. Worth the extra $$ to look after your pride and joy. A happy motor is a happy boater!!
I have a 2017 Suntracker 22ft with Mercury 150. When I bought the boat its has about 40 hours. The prior owner only used standard pump gas boat had about 10 gallons in it when I bought it. I ran that gas out and now I travel 75 miles one way to the only NON ETHONAL fuel station Ill fill up 7 5 gal cans 6 for the boat and 1 for my mower and my little Honda Monkey I also fill my car and it runs 100% better with way better mpg. My boat also seems to start and run better with less RPM. Im hooked on NE fuel for my boat
I just sold a Silverton with a 450 gallon gas thank, we in Mexico don't even have a non ethanol gas so maybe thats the problem that I didn't solve with the boat, in some point it was loosing power or even shut off and thanks to your video I may find the solution. Later but happy to learn
Actually a Cars fuel system IS vented to the atmosphere. The difference is that there is a charcoal cannister that is inline of the vent to absorb the Hydrocarbons in the fuel vapors. This is why you never (if the vehicle is not broken) smell fuel when standing near a modern day vehicle. on a boat, well you already know and probably know better than me. Awesome informative content either way. Thank you and Merry Christmas.
Hello, great video. What are your thoughts on fuel additives, do you use any? It appears using a stabiliser can be useful for keeping fuels stable, especially in the carburettors. Also fuel system cleaners and water dispersants seem like they could be quite effective. Just curious on your informed opinion. Thanks!
Never EVER use fuel additives......besides sea foam SPARINGLY.......they are terrible especially for high pressure injectors and even worse on carbs. In 2 strokes with mixed fuel they lower the viscosity of the fuel oil mix..... And just like in cars can ruin your injectors on 4 strokes
Only thing you can do to keep motor running well..... Is proper maintenance and cleanings....... Especially if you live up north where it freezes or if you run in salt water.....I have had a 2016 Yamaha f40la for 5 yrs now.... I change the oil once mid summer then again when I winterize.....have everything done by a certified yamaha mechanic......besides mid summer oil change.....I run non oxy only.....and I have never not once had a problem on the water. And up on Lake of the Woods......your so remote and far away from anything. You could find yourself in a survival situation if you broke down far enough from shore.
Very informative! We're hoping to finally be able to get ethanol free free fuel at the marina near me soon. Over the winter our local fuel is an issue if we're sitting for longer than the winter. But I've been lucky because I treat mine and don't usually leave my tanks very full over the winter.
Just bought a boat that has sat on a trailer for 3-4 years (never ran). Had no idea how much fuel was in it, but was told it was "empty". Put 10 gal of non-ethanol fuel in it, then drove it around the block to stir it up. Drained it. What did I get? 11 gallons of water and 15 gallons of fuel. And when I say "water", I mean . . . crystal clear H20. Like you got it from a faucet. Almost no smell to it, either.
I can only get 10% ethanol fuel at gas stations here in NJ. They do not sell ethanol free fuel anywhere around here. My only other choice would be to buy fuel on the water. Unfortunately, I’m not ready to give up a kidney to afford an on water fill up!
Ty.Ive been trying too tell a lot of people this and no one believes me lol. Here in Canada there is only premium fuel at boat pumps only for this reason but premium fuel is ridiculously expensive here lol.
Why don't they make 1. A fuel tank with a drain on the bottom so you could let the water out until you get to fuel? or 2 Don't they make water separators for fuels systems like a filter that can also catch water? 3. Could you fill a tank with half E and half non? That would cut it down to 5% and still save money at the pump? BTW love your channel you are very knowledgeable and always have great content TY
excellent video, thanks! I accidentally left a full tank (30ish gallons) of untreated ethanol free fuel in the boat for 9 months. what do i have to do now? Its a 2 stroke yamaha.
#510591 Ethanol is hydroscopic, meaning it attracts and absorbs water. Running that fan over the jars causes a pressure drop which increases evaporation. The evaporation reduces the temperature. The moisture was forming on the jar because the temperature of the jar dropped below the dewpoint and the moisture in the air condensed on the jar. It doesn't take much temperature drop when in high humidity areas to reach the dewpoint.
You'll find condensed Water only on free surfaces of the tank, espacially on Aluminium tanks. So you can minimize the problems by always filling up your tank to the top.
When he said to not have much fuel in the tank is better. I have a power sports business and have been in the same location since 1979 and we store about 250 boats every winter from about September to the following spring may ish along with winterize close to 1400 boat's a year and we have done research on water getting in the fuel tank during storage for over 15 years and is still something we pay attention to still to this day.. we have found boats with built in fuel tanks 20+gallons of fuel left half full for the winter 9 times out of 10 that boat will have water in the bottom of the tank in the spring. We have seen as much as 4 gallons of water accumulate over the winter... We have done this with the same boat the next year and had the customer fill the tank before he brought it in for winterize and storage.. the customers didn't really think it was going to make a difference.. but it did not have a drop of water that spring. And he didn't have to spend any money having us get the water out and running correctly.. but of course the next year he wanted to help us in a way but he was hoping to prove that's not what was happening.lol... so I was all for it so it was stored in the exact same place as it had been the last 2 years.. so spring show's up and time to get his boat out for the season.. I had the customer come over and actually help get it prepared for the water. So I asked him do you just want to start it up or if he wants to pump the bottom of the fuel tank? If there's water in the bottom and we start it the water is going to end up in the carburator and it will have to be taken apart and cleaned if that happens.. so he said let's pump the tank first like I wanted to do from the start... So anyways almost 2 gallons of water wass pumped out!!! So with all that said, I would like to add that this has been done with well over 50 boat and other vehicles of some sort for over 15 years on everything from boats,built in tanks and portable tanks, jet skis , snowmobiles, and many other things with a engine.. so now if a boat is stored at our shop and the tank isn't full we pump the tank before we start it up in the spring. And let's not forget that I make money by cleaning water out of the fuel system and cleaning the carburator's . So in the long run we lose money but we have very happy storage customers and are very loyal to are shop. Not just from this experiment but many other reasons.. it's not all about the money at are shop it's about doing the right thing every time you deal with someone!!!! Anyways this is just what we have found out over the years. And the new fuels I still like better than the fuel 10-12 years ago since It doesn't varnish up as bad.... and stink up the hole shop lol... Hopefully this information will help so other people and families save time and money by trying this especially if you have ever had water in your tank come spring time... Have a great day... Bob....
@@bobc8694 Bob your post is very interesting. I kept going back and forth weather to fill my 40 gallon tank or leave it close to empty. What I did was pump out the old fuel that was in it (bought the boat used,had no ideal how old thew fuel was) I then poured in 8 gallons of true fuel with some startron. Reasoning was no nonethanol fuel where I live. Also I called a marina and was told never get fuel from a marina at the end of the season. If I filled the tank I would still have 40 gallons of possibly bad gas in the spring.After reading your quote I will probably pump out the true fuel to just to see if I get water in the tank over winter.
I added a separate water separator filter before the motor filter. Also, I add marine Stabil. This takes care of most of fuel issues. However, I recently reported my boat. I now only use non-ethanol fuel.
Just dealt with white powder through out my entire fuel system from ethenol what a nighmare. That fan experiment blew my mind ! The problem with using heet or some type of water remover additive it will separate in the fuel/water separator and vst tank since the main ingredient iso-propyl alcohol is heavier the gasoline. They are useless. Also have fun switching from rec90 to ethenol. The ethenol will clean your tank out and all the varnish will break down. I like your idea of switching back and forth.
Did empty my boat this winter and used fuel for generator during our deep freeze in Louisiana when I got ready to use boat put 20 gallons in 120 gallon tank and ran each motor for 30 minutes without moving boat so it wouldn’t slosh around did have water in the bottom of water separating filters that are see through after that haven’t seen any more water this summer I do drop filter out about every 3rd outing anyhow
@@grumpysailor8132 beer powered rowing machine...in today's "green" world you could market that idea. Just don't serve them kraute n dogs before hand or you'll have emission issues.
i have a old 2 stroke Yamaha and all i run is 10 percent ethanol fuel. its not the ethanol fuel im worrying about, its the water that's in the fuel during a fill up. some gas station where i lived has water in their fuel.
There was also a problem in older boats that have fiberglass fuel tanks. The ethanol would dissolve the polyester resin and gum up the fuel system and engine.
I had a generator that someone patched a leaky gas tank on using fiberglass. It stopped running correctly and when I took the carburetor apart there was resin all over the parts flaking off, it was a mess. The gas or ethanol had dissolved the resin and deposited it on all the carburetor parts.
Most of us don’t really have a choice of Gasoline or Ethanolized fuel. E10 (10% ethanol) is the most common and is what most late model marine engine manufacturers say is the maximum. As to E15 (15% ethanol) it’s actually a federal violation to use it in your boat. What’s that tell ya? Ethanolized fuel absolutely swells many elastomers (rubber), polyesters (in fiberglass) low density polyethylene, but not high density polyethylene (portable fuel tanks) PTFE (Teflon) and a few others. Which brings me to fuel lines. Only the flexible MARINE fuel lines of the last four or five years has any good chance with ethanolized fuel. It should be printed on the side “USCG approved type A-1 low permeation and a date of manufacture”. (USCG require the flexible fuel lines replaced every 10 years). My favorite fuel line brand is Trident. Older fuel lines inner layer tend to crumble and literally make a solid plug at the first point of constriction as well as the hose falling apart. The new replacement hoses need more hose clamp pressure and also need retightening in 24 hours and at 6 months as the new material flows slowly under pressure. (Always use stainless and double hose clamp) Now the ugly. Besides ethanolized fuel absorbing moisture (hygroscopic ) it can do something really bad, it’s called “phasing” . This is when the fuel separates out to distinct different layers. Gasoline on top, ethanol, water and a thin layer of sulfuric acid at the bottom. This is what eats the crap out of the bottom of the the fuel tanks, float bowls, fuel pumps, coolers, vapor separators and more. Phasing usually needs several conditions for it to happen. A vented to atmosphere tank, below or close to freezing and enough time for moisture to have been absorbed into the fuel (+3 months). Once phasing has happened there is no additive on the planet that will reconstitute the mix. Replace the fuel or carefully drain the stuff below the gasoline out are your choices. If you do manage to get past the water and get it to run on the ethanol, it will run extremely lean because the engine isn’t jetted to run on it. You may find some guys fighting with a motor, finding and the only way to keep it running is the feather the choke. Then one Einstein says “let’s take it out and blow her out”. Bad idea-LEAN! Yeah blow her out alright, the last time. If you want to know if your fuel has water in it (ethanol absorption or rain) or even if it phased, there is a product called “Kolor Kut” and you want the (modified formula) for all types of gasoline. This is a paste that you coat thin layer on a stick(weighted rope?) and stick the tank. Hold it down for about 5 seconds and pull it out. You can tell by different colors on the stick if there’s water and/or ethanol below the gasoline. If you want to help keep your fuel fresh, use Startron additive but it is no miracle worker, additives have limitations. Bottom line, best to keep the fuel fresh. Consider rotating the fuel out to another vehicle if you can’t run it. Be aware it may cause other problems to completely empty your fuel system because some components may dry out, harden or crack.
Alcohol evaporates faster than petroleum , when anything evaporates , or changes from a liquid to a gas it lowers in temperature , water , fuel , freon , compressed air , co2 Ext ,
Always used regular gas back in the day with no real impact gas was cheap and burned thru it weekly. No I only use rec fuel still no impact don't burn too much but I feel like I'm going something good for my brand new tohotsu... South Florida has a lot of different views on this matter and in the end it's personal choice -
The difference lies in the boiling points. Ethanol evaporates at approx. 78 ° C, while the boiling point of motor gasoline is between 30 - 200 ° C, depending on the type. Car gasoline belongs to the middle class and has a boiling point of approx. 85 ° C. Water evaporates at approx. 100 ° C. That is why the ethanol evaporates first, then the gasoline, and what remains is water and residues. When ethanol evaporates, it cools. That is why water vapor condenses on the cool glass.
A few years ago, i went to the auto parts store to buy a couple of feet of fuel hose. They wanted to know if I would be using ethanol gas as the fuel hose is different. There was not a significant price difference so I bought the ethanol fuel line thinking it would hold up better when using ethanol fuel. What are your thoughts on that?
investigate phase seperation. ehtanol will not mix with gasoline so a catalyst is added so it will. over time this catalyst gets used up and converted. then the ethanol being higher specific gravity will drop out and fall to the bottom of the container. sometimes it is very clear there will be a water line on the bottom then you will see another line higher up. that is where the ethanol is lower and the gasoline is higher. ethanol also has a lower octane rating so when you get seperation or dropout you are also picking up lower octane fuel and burning it. if you cant use up the ethanol in two weeks dont use it. if you have portable tanks or cans for your mower etc keep them full as shown here . its better to have 5 one gallon cans full than one 5 gallon tank part full
I run some old two strokes that require pouring oil directly into the fuel tank. Never had issues with carbs or fuel system. Does the two stroke oil help protect from ethanol? Would love to see mixed gas added to your experiment.
always top off my tank. i had heard that keeping the tank full is better for less condensation. needless to say my tank ruptured and almost blew up me and my family. need to install new tank i am also downsizing from 73 gal to 55
Cool tests Aaron!! have never seen the test tube deal like that..the evaporation and condensation on the E fuel is nuts! Ethanol free is the only way!! I had a Volvo Penta with 2 Solex carbs ethanol fuel (my fault) ruined them both.
I have a 1985 bayliner Capri that has a Volvo penta 270. Engine says to only add 91 octane. The only other gas sold here is E-85. Which do you think is best for lake use? Thanks
I left my 38 gal pontoon fuel tank with just 8-9 gallons in it last fall (October). I purposely did not add anything to the fuel when I put the boat away for winter. Started it up May 9, changed the oil, etc. Filled the tank and put it on the water with no issues. Ran 40 miles on the river. The secret? Don't store your boat or let it sit very long with ethanol blended fuel. I only use non ethanol and I can use 87 so it's not too expensive. Otherwise, you'll have a water issue no matter how much or what kind of fuel treatment you put in it. Was my stored fuel stale? Maybe. Did I notice? Absolutely not. Added almost 30 gallons of fresh fuel so it wasn't a big deal.
The mechanic at the marina said you can use ethanol but don’t mix it with non-ethanol also my Yamaha manual tells me I can use ethanol gas what should I do
In my case, Ethanol free is available. However, I have never run it. I get stuff local to the house and have been doing that for decades. Carbs, efi and direct injection all burned the ethanol fuels. I have never had less than 40 gallons on the boat and I store my current boat full of blended fuel for the winter. 218 gallons and never a sign of water. The key is to key is to keep the tank full and treated. The more air space in a tank, the more it breathes. And the example of off-gassing and moisture retention is valid. However, our boat systems are not fully open to airflow or the resulting moisture dropout from airflow across the surface. The vent is small, 5/8" diameter typically. So, all that breathing action has to happen at a distance away from the fuel tank. The information of the video is valid. But in running ethanol from the beginning, I have never had a fuel related issue. And that is everything from my commuter, to my muscle cars, bikes and to my boats. Is non-ethanol better? I am sure it is. However, I can't justify the cost or having to go search for it. Especially, when I have literally never had any measurable water in my system.
To start, I'm an auto and diesel tech that moonlights doing boat work, so I like to *think* I know what i'm talking about.....though I have been plenty wrong before so feel free to correct me haha! I'm on the same page you are, I run ethanol with no problems. In my experience the biggest thing is the fuel sitting long term. if you use your boat a few times a month and treat it in the winter you likely wont have any issues. Most of what I see is people with big $$$ that have boats as play toys that use them maybe 3x a year, that's when I really see ethanol issues from the fuel sitting in the tank and lack of fuel water separator maintenance.
I am curious about the effect of plastic fuel tanks vs steel or aluminum tanks. It seems condensation is less likely to form on a plastic tank, so if there is less air flowing and and around it, you would have less moisture forming with temperature changes. I rarely have water in the tank with plastic tanks. Also, how difficult would it be to retofit older boat/s tanks to be a closed system, so there is much less exposure to outside air, and moisture?
Ethanol clogged my weed wacker, snow blower, lawn mower, boat engine and atv engines all in a two year period. It took a long time of using ethanol, but eventually it took its toll. They finally started selling regular fuel with no ethanol at many stations in michigan because of this. but hey, i learned how to rebuild carbs pretty well. so theres that
I know diesels are popular on boats with inboard engines, but I'm surprised they are not more commonplace in outboard applications. The fuel is much more stable than gasoline and the engines are more efficient for the same power.
I added a fuel water separator inline and it captures the water before it reaches the engine eliminating the problem permanently .ethanol doesnt bother my boat
If I've been getting water in fuel (even running non-ethanol), when/how often should I run quickleen or ring free (and is it safe for 2006 e-tec 250)? Should I still use stabilizer and which one with non-ethanol fuel since I'm still getting water in tank?
Both feuls are pretty much absorbing the same amount of water The problem with ethanol fuel is that all th ethanol crashes out of the fuel in the presence of water You only need a few drops pf water to cause all the ethanol to crash out of it
Also the remaining fuel is pretty useless since the ethanol is the octane booster for the fuel. Without it he fuel has a way lower octane rating which can cause detonation and destroy your engine
Here in California it’s basically all e15 fuels.. even at the fuel docks mostly.. if i let my boat sit for a month I typically get about a gallon or 2 of water in my tank.. my water filters manage to grab most of it and the fuel treatment does the rest.. i have 3 large water separators in line on my boat with large plastic see through caps on the bottom of each filter. I believe they are diesel filters but they work. They each have little drain valves so i can hold a bottle under them and drain the water out easily
Great video. No surprise, they're all really good.
The experiment with the fan blowing over the jars of fuel is fantastic. All sorts of science happening there.
The reason there was more condensation on the fuel with the ethanol is because ethanol is more volatile. It "wants" to evaporate more than the gasoline does. In fact, the ethanol "pushes" on the air with a pressure of 1.2 psi whereas the gasoline pushes with only 0.3 psi (a.k.a. saturation pressure, for a 77 F day in Florida). When liquids evaporate, they tend to cool down. Pour some rubbing alcohol on your hand, it feels cold.
Since the ethanol in the fuel has a higher vapor pressure, it evaporates faster, and cools more, resulting in more condensation. You could repeat the experiment with thermometers in each jar and see the cooling effect.
Every little bit helps keeping my old Mercruiser 470 limping along.
Thanks for keeping us all informed.
Thank you for that great explanation
That's the idea behind it, but some parts are missing. gasoline is NOT a single standard molecule like ethanol. The composition of gasoline depends on where you live, the climate and temperature, and the refinery that produces it.
I have run ethanol fuel in my boats for years and really never have issues, but I'm only running a 20 gallon system and like you said, tank size makes a big difference. I also run my boat practically year round. If I know I'm putting the boat away for a few months, I run my last tank or two as ethanol free.
In my experience, the biggest problem is the fuel sitting, whether its a 20 gallon tank in a car or a 200 gallon tank in a boat. If you use your boat often and have a decent fuel water separator in your fuel system and actually perform regular maintenance, you'll likely never have a problem. If you're one of those people that's lucky to get out 4 or 5 times a year, you're best off sticking to ethanol free. Just my $0.02.
I'm an auto/diesel tech and I'm currently working on a truck that's been sitting for a few years, ethanol gas has wreaked its havoc on the entire fuel system. every line leaks and i'm pretty sure the tank is about rusted through from the inside.
Thank you. This explains why I haven’t had any problem using ethanol fuels... (which is all I can get at the local pumps)- I usually only add/use 5-10gals at a time(lake boat).. and use stabil marine 360
Dealing with water in the fuel in a 120 gallon tank. Just the prefect time for this video. Thanks a bunch..
Thanks for the video, well done. Pulled the fuel sending unit, put a 1/4 in line to the lowest point in the tank and syphoned the water out. Put a 3 foot by 2 inch towel on the end of a rod and tried to mop up all that was left. Put in a fuel filter with a water separator and drain cup. Rock solid.
Startron!! The absolute best additive to use for fuel containing ethanol! Of course that’s just my opinion from using it!
A very smart, greyhaired engineer helped this issue on a friends boat by putting a lighter to a 'fuelsoaked' piece of rag.
No fire, no flames but the smell of fuel was still in that just wet rag.
Since that day i leave my fuel tanks dry and my fuel stored in canisters. And they lived happily ever after...
I've always known this, however, I've never seen it demonstrated this way. This was super awesome to see! Thanks for posting.
You're very welcome!
Another interesting and well documented vid. Thanks. Here in South Africa, we are supposed to have ethanol in our fuel, but it seems that the legislation requiring it somehow stalled. After a bit of research, I'm really not sure if we have any ethanol in our petrol now. Nevertheless, we also on occasions fill up with absolute crud at the fuel station. Add to that, crossing the border into Mozambique (many of us take our boats offshore there) for example, the fuel becomes quite interesting and often doesn't even smell like petrol. For these reasons, any boat I've owned that had a built in fuel tank, has had the tank stripped out and replaced with smaller portable fuel tanks. This way, the fuel quality can be monitored better and there's much less opportunity for water ingress. Add to this, a well maintained water trap/filter and you feel a lot safer out on the water. It's a hassle, but well worth it IMO.
I fuel up about once a week using whoever is cheaper. Never had any motor issue at all in almost 30 years. My boat is out a couple times a week year round. Current motor is a 2001 25hp Yamaha.
Diesel fuel is hydroscopic also so you may need to use an additive. The best thing is to use it up when it is "fresh". Good article!! Thanks.
Even though I've been using ethonol free gas, I have been battling a water problem in my fuel, emptying the water from my water separator and even getting my tank pumped. Very humid here in Florida. Once I started using a fuel treatment additive, problem was solved. Now I know why and understand how the condensation gets into the tank. Thanks for the video.
@Alan Pacanowski, what additive are you using?
my go to favorite fuel and motor oil treatment is Marvel Mystery Oil, revived many old high mileage engines and have never had a failure even running conventional oils up to 6k between changes. For pre-mix two stroke add marvel as recommended but then add pre-mix oil to the next thinner/lighter recipe (if you require 40-1 , mix it 50-1, etc..)
I've been fortunate to have ethanol free gas available on the Texas and Louisiana coast where I fish. Also use Yamaha Ring Free and fuel stabilizer with every fill up. My tank has a 72 gallon capacity, but most trips I only put 45 gallons in and try to burn most of it up. I also run my engine monthly in the off season to keep the fluids moving. Never had fuel related problems. Knock on wood.
Another extremely informative video. What an asset you are to the boating community!
Thank you for sharing!
Consistent use of your boat is the best way to prevent problems especially fuel problems
Of course your are right. As you know not everybody can boat comfortably year around. One long term storage option would be to empty the fuel tank & cap off the vent(s). I think somebody even makes desiccants designed for this purpose. Having a good filter/water separator is important. Avoiding the problem is the best strategy; buy clean fuel and consistent use you your boat burning through all the fuel supply regularly.
Great explanation on ethanol fuels! and thanks for the shout out to Lake Sakakawea in North Dakota. We are big fans of your channel!
Thank you
Great explanation. It was a night in day difference in how my yamaha behaved after I pulled and dumped the tank and went to no ethanol and a spin on fuel filter. I haven't had to mess with my carbs since then when before it was almost an every year battle.
props for showing lake sakakawea
The yellow cake powder left after ethanol fuel evaporates is also a major reason why carbs jets and fuel filters get clogged up.
Great video guys. One of the best explanations I have seen regarding fuel.
Great to hear!
THANK YOU! This was the most informative fuel education I ever received.
Very informative as always. The more you know. Thanks
When ethanol was first introduced here (Gloucester, Ma) I was about 10 miles offshore in my Sea Pro 21' W/A with an 81 gallon tank powered by a 2 stroke 200hp Suzuki. The engine died but was able to get it running barely. With a couple of starts & stops only managing about 4 knots I made it in. It tuned out the ethanol was loosening all the junk in the tank and clogging the fuel pickup. I replaced the pick up and all the fuel lines and filters and never had a problem again.
Exactly what I try to tell everyone that I know with a boat. I work for a oil and fuel delivery company. I only use 100% gasoline in my boat.
unfortunately. i cant get any on long island
@@AnthonyAngler - That's what Communism does, limits choices.
Great video, thank you 👍 Fuel evaporation rate is incredible, thank you for showing this test. I'm using 95 octane fuel for my Mercruiser 3.0 inboard engine, it burns cleaner and less carbon deposits.
Thanks for the video. I’ll share this the next time it comes up on Facebook. Great info. Thanks for doing this. 👍🏻
Thanks!
I drain the VST and injector rail any time the boat is going to sit for any period of time. This draining seems to prevent the injector clogging and fuel pump issues I was having before.
This was great advice and explanations. The only thing I disagree with was putting rec90 on top of some ethanol fuel.
You will always have remaining water and crummy fuel in your tank doing that.
Last winter I attended a boat show seminar put on by an instructor at a local Marine Maintenance Technology program. His assertion was that the main issue with ethanol is that it's a solvent (being made of alcohol). He said that if you always run ethanol in your boat since new, you won't have any problems. However, if your boat is older and has never run ethanol before and then you introduce it, it can loosen up lots of sediment which then gets into the engine.
I've had several boats. The first few I owned I ran 87 with ethanol. Nothing but problems... switched to shell 91 non ethanol. Never had a motor or fuel issue since. Worth the extra $$ to look after your pride and joy. A happy motor is a happy boater!!
I put 93 in my boat. I might start using no ethanol
@@darrickiam boats don't need the high octane usually. Depends on the motor. They just don't like ethanol
Growing up fishing on Willamette River we had a grange where we got aviation gas, oh baby!
I remember the Grange!!! That was an awesome place!
Gas it up with some 100LL. Nice thing is if you have fuel leaks, the blue stains act as a telltale.
I have a 2017 Suntracker 22ft with Mercury 150. When I bought the boat its has about 40 hours. The prior owner only used standard pump gas boat had about 10 gallons in it when I bought it. I ran that gas out and now I travel 75 miles one way to the only NON ETHONAL fuel station Ill fill up 7 5 gal cans 6 for the boat and 1 for my mower and my little Honda Monkey
I also fill my car and it runs 100% better with way better mpg. My boat also seems to start and run better with less RPM. Im hooked on NE fuel for my boat
I just sold a Silverton with a 450 gallon gas thank, we in Mexico don't even have a non ethanol gas so maybe thats the problem that I didn't solve with the boat, in some point it was loosing power or even shut off and thanks to your video I may find the solution. Later but happy to learn
Actually a Cars fuel system IS vented to the atmosphere. The difference is that there is a charcoal cannister that is inline of the vent to absorb the Hydrocarbons in the fuel vapors. This is why you never (if the vehicle is not broken) smell fuel when standing near a modern day vehicle. on a boat, well you already know and probably know better than me. Awesome informative content either way. Thank you and Merry Christmas.
Ahhh...A lesson from the ethanoligist....great lesson.
Fortunately, the marina only uses the good stuff.
Water separating fuel filters are helpful !
Thanks I needed to know more about the difference in fuels ⛽
Wow! Great explaination and demonstrations! 👍
Thank you!
As a mechanic, I appreciate this greatly. Thank you!
Great video. Love all the help you offer.
Thanks for watching!
Hello, great video.
What are your thoughts on fuel additives, do you use any?
It appears using a stabiliser can be useful for keeping fuels stable, especially in the carburettors.
Also fuel system cleaners and water dispersants seem like they could be quite effective.
Just curious on your informed opinion.
Thanks!
Never EVER use fuel additives......besides sea foam SPARINGLY.......they are terrible especially for high pressure injectors and even worse on carbs. In 2 strokes with mixed fuel they lower the viscosity of the fuel oil mix..... And just like in cars can ruin your injectors on 4 strokes
Only thing you can do to keep motor running well..... Is proper maintenance and cleanings....... Especially if you live up north where it freezes or if you run in salt water.....I have had a 2016 Yamaha f40la for 5 yrs now.... I change the oil once mid summer then again when I winterize.....have everything done by a certified yamaha mechanic......besides mid summer oil change.....I run non oxy only.....and I have never not once had a problem on the water. And up on Lake of the Woods......your so remote and far away from anything. You could find yourself in a survival situation if you broke down far enough from shore.
Very informative! We're hoping to finally be able to get ethanol free free fuel at the marina near me soon. Over the winter our local fuel is an issue if we're sitting for longer than the winter. But I've been lucky because I treat mine and don't usually leave my tanks very full over the winter.
I’ve heard you can put metho in your tank to mix with the water for it to evaporate. Works in a car.
Cool vid on boats
Oh shoot
Just bought a boat that has sat on a trailer for 3-4 years (never ran). Had no idea how much fuel was in it, but was told it was "empty". Put 10 gal of non-ethanol fuel in it, then drove it around the block to stir it up. Drained it. What did I get? 11 gallons of water and 15 gallons of fuel. And when I say "water", I mean . . . crystal clear H20. Like you got it from a faucet. Almost no smell to it, either.
Awesome video. Best explanation I have seen on this issue!
I can only get 10% ethanol fuel at gas stations here in NJ. They do not sell ethanol free fuel anywhere around here. My only other choice would be to buy fuel on the water. Unfortunately, I’m not ready to give up a kidney to afford an on water fill up!
Ty.Ive been trying too tell a lot of people this and no one believes me lol. Here in Canada there is only premium fuel at boat pumps only for this reason but premium fuel is ridiculously expensive here lol.
Why don't they make 1. A fuel tank with a drain on the bottom so you could let the water out until you get to fuel? or 2 Don't they make water separators for fuels systems like a filter that can also catch water? 3. Could you fill a tank with half E and half non? That would cut it down to 5% and still save money at the pump?
BTW love your channel you are very knowledgeable and always have great content TY
excellent video, thanks! I accidentally left a full tank (30ish gallons) of untreated ethanol free fuel in the boat for 9 months. what do i have to do now? Its a 2 stroke yamaha.
That truly explains a lot. My father in law always had water in the fuel. Who knew 🤦♂️
#510591 Ethanol is hydroscopic, meaning it attracts and absorbs water. Running that fan over the jars causes a pressure drop which increases evaporation. The evaporation reduces the temperature. The moisture was forming on the jar because the temperature of the jar dropped below the dewpoint and the moisture in the air condensed on the jar. It doesn't take much temperature drop when in high humidity areas to reach the dewpoint.
You'll find condensed Water only on free surfaces of the tank, espacially on Aluminium tanks. So you can minimize the problems by always filling up your tank to the top.
When he said to not have much fuel in the tank is better. I have a power sports business and have been in the same location since 1979 and we store about 250 boats every winter from about September to the following spring may ish along with winterize close to 1400 boat's a year and we have done research on water getting in the fuel tank during storage for over 15 years and is still something we pay attention to still to this day.. we have found boats with built in fuel tanks 20+gallons of fuel left half full for the winter 9 times out of 10 that boat will have water in the bottom of the tank in the spring. We have seen as much as 4 gallons of water accumulate over the winter... We have done this with the same boat the next year and had the customer fill the tank before he brought it in for winterize and storage.. the customers didn't really think it was going to make a difference.. but it did not have a drop of water that spring. And he didn't have to spend any money having us get the water out and running correctly.. but of course the next year he wanted to help us in a way but he was hoping to prove that's not what was happening.lol... so I was all for it so it was stored in the exact same place as it had been the last 2 years.. so spring show's up and time to get his boat out for the season.. I had the customer come over and actually help get it prepared for the water. So I asked him do you just want to start it up or if he wants to pump the bottom of the fuel tank? If there's water in the bottom and we start it the water is going to end up in the carburator and it will have to be taken apart and cleaned if that happens.. so he said let's pump the tank first like I wanted to do from the start... So anyways almost 2 gallons of water wass pumped out!!!
So with all that said, I would like to add that this has been done with well over 50 boat and other vehicles of some sort for over 15 years on everything from boats,built in tanks and portable tanks, jet skis , snowmobiles, and many other things with a engine.. so now if a boat is stored at our shop and the tank isn't full we pump the tank before we start it up in the spring. And let's not forget that I make money by cleaning water out of the fuel system and cleaning the carburator's . So in the long run we lose money but we have very happy storage customers and are very loyal to are shop. Not just from this experiment but many other reasons.. it's not all about the money at are shop it's about doing the right thing every time you deal with someone!!!! Anyways this is just what we have found out over the years. And the new fuels I still like better than the fuel 10-12 years ago since It doesn't varnish up as bad.... and stink up the hole shop lol... Hopefully this information will help so other people and families save time and money by trying this especially if you have ever had water in your tank come spring time... Have a great day... Bob....
@@bobc8694 Bob your post is very interesting. I kept going back and forth weather to fill my 40 gallon tank or leave it close to empty. What I did was pump out the old fuel that was in it (bought the boat used,had no ideal how old thew fuel was) I then poured in 8 gallons of true fuel with some startron. Reasoning was no nonethanol fuel where I live. Also I called a marina and was told never get fuel from a marina at the end of the season. If I filled the tank I would still have 40 gallons of possibly bad gas in the spring.After reading your quote I will probably pump out the true fuel to just to see if I get water in the tank over winter.
I added a separate water separator filter before the motor filter. Also, I add marine Stabil. This takes care of most of fuel issues. However, I recently reported my boat. I now only use non-ethanol fuel.
I love auto correct - repowered not reported.
Man those gas prices didn't age well
Great video! You didn't mention anything about using water separators.
Just dealt with white powder through out my entire fuel system from ethenol what a nighmare. That fan experiment blew my mind ! The problem with using heet or some type of water remover additive it will separate in the fuel/water separator and vst tank since the main ingredient iso-propyl alcohol is heavier the gasoline. They are useless. Also have fun switching from rec90 to ethenol. The ethenol will clean your tank out and all the varnish will break down. I like your idea of switching back and forth.
Did empty my boat this winter and used fuel for generator during our deep freeze in Louisiana when I got ready to use boat put 20 gallons in 120 gallon tank and ran each motor for 30 minutes without moving boat so it wouldn’t slosh around did have water in the bottom of water separating filters that are see through after that haven’t seen any more water this summer I do drop filter out about every 3rd outing anyhow
The only fuel I put in my boat is beer. There, I said it out loud.
I think my fuel consumption and beer consumption are close to equal 3-9 gallon per hiur
Oh, that's funny 🤣🤣
you get away with using beer? Damnit, my picky merc only takes 151 proof rum!
@@zacharyirving5080 My friends (the one's rowing my boat) are happy with beer...
@@grumpysailor8132 beer powered rowing machine...in today's "green" world you could market that idea. Just don't serve them kraute n dogs before hand or you'll have emission issues.
Ethanal is added to help the corn farmers prop prices up. Consider it a subsidy.
ethanol when mixed with water becomes acidic causing corrision to most metals
i have a old 2 stroke Yamaha and all i run is 10 percent ethanol fuel. its not the ethanol fuel im worrying about, its the water that's in the fuel during a fill up. some gas station where i lived has water in their fuel.
Thanks for all the great video’s and information!!
Glad you like them!
Thanks for sharing this. Good info
Glad it was helpful!
There was also a problem in older boats that have fiberglass fuel tanks. The ethanol would dissolve the polyester resin and gum up the fuel system and engine.
I had a generator that someone patched a leaky gas tank on using fiberglass. It stopped running correctly and when I took the carburetor apart there was resin all over the parts flaking off, it was a mess. The gas or ethanol had dissolved the resin and deposited it on all the carburetor parts.
Excellent explanation. Thank you
Glad you liked it
Most of us don’t really have a choice of Gasoline or Ethanolized fuel. E10 (10% ethanol) is the most common and is what most late model marine engine manufacturers say is the maximum. As to E15 (15% ethanol) it’s actually a federal violation to use it in your boat. What’s that tell ya? Ethanolized fuel absolutely swells many elastomers (rubber), polyesters (in fiberglass) low density polyethylene, but not high density polyethylene (portable fuel tanks) PTFE (Teflon) and a few others.
Which brings me to fuel lines. Only the flexible MARINE fuel lines of the last four or five years has any good chance with ethanolized fuel. It should be printed on the side “USCG approved type
A-1 low permeation and a date of manufacture”. (USCG require the flexible fuel lines replaced every 10 years). My favorite fuel line brand is Trident. Older fuel lines inner layer tend to crumble and literally make a solid plug at the first point of constriction as well as the hose falling apart. The new replacement hoses need more hose clamp pressure and also need retightening in 24 hours and at 6 months as the new material flows slowly under pressure. (Always use stainless and double hose clamp)
Now the ugly. Besides ethanolized fuel absorbing moisture (hygroscopic ) it can do something really bad, it’s called “phasing” . This is when the fuel separates out to distinct different layers. Gasoline on top, ethanol, water and a thin layer of sulfuric acid at the bottom. This is what eats the crap out of the bottom of the the fuel tanks, float bowls, fuel pumps, coolers, vapor separators and more. Phasing usually needs several conditions for it to happen. A vented to atmosphere tank, below or close to freezing and enough time for moisture to have been absorbed into the fuel (+3 months). Once phasing has happened there is no additive on the planet that will reconstitute the mix. Replace the fuel or carefully drain the stuff below the gasoline out are your choices. If you do manage to get past the water and get it to run on the ethanol, it will run extremely lean because the engine isn’t jetted to run on it. You may find some guys fighting with a motor, finding and the only way to keep it running is the feather the choke. Then one Einstein says “let’s take it out and blow her out”. Bad idea-LEAN! Yeah blow her out alright, the last time. If you want to know if your fuel has water in it (ethanol absorption or rain) or even if it phased, there is a product called “Kolor Kut” and you want the (modified formula) for all types of gasoline. This is a paste that you coat thin layer on a stick(weighted rope?) and stick the tank. Hold it down for about 5 seconds and pull it out. You can tell by different colors on the stick if there’s water and/or ethanol below the gasoline. If you want to help keep your fuel fresh, use Startron additive but it is no miracle worker, additives have limitations. Bottom line, best to keep the fuel fresh. Consider rotating the fuel out to another vehicle if you can’t run it. Be aware it may cause other problems to completely empty your fuel system because some components may dry out, harden or crack.
Alcohol evaporates faster than petroleum , when anything evaporates , or changes from a liquid to a gas it lowers in temperature , water , fuel , freon , compressed air , co2 Ext ,
I was about to post something similar, thank you, good old latent heat of vapourisation.
Oisín Higgins you are correct , I just couldn't remember the proper term for it , thank you
Always used regular gas back in the day with no real impact gas was cheap and burned thru it weekly. No I only use rec fuel still no impact don't burn too much but I feel like I'm going something good for my brand new tohotsu... South Florida has a lot of different views on this matter and in the end it's personal choice -
The difference lies in the boiling points. Ethanol evaporates at approx. 78 ° C, while the boiling point of motor gasoline is between 30 - 200 ° C, depending on the type. Car gasoline belongs to the middle class and has a boiling point of approx. 85 ° C. Water evaporates at approx. 100 ° C. That is why the ethanol evaporates first, then the gasoline, and what remains is water and residues. When ethanol evaporates, it cools. That is why water vapor condenses on the cool glass.
well we need to put water drains on the bottom of the fuel tanks now.
In NY you can not find non ethanol
A few years ago, i went to the auto parts store to buy a couple of feet of fuel hose. They wanted to know if I would be using ethanol gas as the fuel hose is different. There was not a significant price difference so I bought the ethanol fuel line thinking it would hold up better when using ethanol fuel. What are your thoughts on that?
investigate phase seperation. ehtanol will not mix with gasoline so a catalyst is added so it will. over time this catalyst gets used up and converted. then the ethanol being higher specific gravity will drop out and fall to the bottom of the container. sometimes it is very clear there will be a water line on the bottom then you will see another line higher up. that is where the ethanol is lower and the gasoline is higher. ethanol also has a lower octane rating so when you get seperation or dropout you are also picking up lower octane fuel and burning it. if you cant use up the ethanol in two weeks dont use it. if you have portable tanks or cans for your mower etc keep them full as shown here . its better to have 5 one gallon cans full than one 5 gallon tank part full
I run some old two strokes that require pouring oil directly into the fuel tank.
Never had issues with carbs or fuel system. Does the two stroke oil help protect from ethanol?
Would love to see mixed gas added to your experiment.
Thought you were going to mention octane and vct, maybe another video
The way fuel prices are going be sailboat fuel shortly
We have taken our portable tank out and got inside with a microfiber cloth and cleaned all the water from the tank.
always top off my tank. i had heard that keeping the tank full is better for less condensation. needless to say my tank ruptured and almost blew up me and my family. need to install new tank i am also downsizing from 73 gal to 55
Cool tests Aaron!! have never seen the test tube deal like that..the evaporation and condensation on the E fuel is nuts! Ethanol free is the only way!! I had a Volvo Penta with 2 Solex carbs ethanol fuel (my fault) ruined them both.
I have a 1985 bayliner Capri that has a Volvo penta 270. Engine says to only add 91 octane. The only other gas sold here is E-85. Which do you think is best for lake use? Thanks
I have had luck with k100 it “makes water burn” but it seems to stabilize the fuel better then most
I left my 38 gal pontoon fuel tank with just 8-9 gallons in it last fall (October). I purposely did not add anything to the fuel when I put the boat away for winter. Started it up May 9, changed the oil, etc. Filled the tank and put it on the water with no issues. Ran 40 miles on the river. The secret? Don't store your boat or let it sit very long with ethanol blended fuel. I only use non ethanol and I can use 87 so it's not too expensive. Otherwise, you'll have a water issue no matter how much or what kind of fuel treatment you put in it. Was my stored fuel stale? Maybe. Did I notice? Absolutely not. Added almost 30 gallons of fresh fuel so it wasn't a big deal.
The good old day when filling up a thank didn’t hurt that much 😢
And I thought someone siphoned gas out of my tank during the winter storage. Problem solved!! Thanks.
The mechanic at the marina said you can use ethanol but don’t mix it with non-ethanol also my Yamaha manual tells me I can use ethanol gas what should I do
Great explanation. Thanks.
Thanks for stopping by!
Always great content, thanks
Much appreciated!
Nailed it- thanks.
In my case, Ethanol free is available. However, I have never run it. I get stuff local to the house and have been doing that for decades. Carbs, efi and direct injection all burned the ethanol fuels. I have never had less than 40 gallons on the boat and I store my current boat full of blended fuel for the winter. 218 gallons and never a sign of water.
The key is to key is to keep the tank full and treated. The more air space in a tank, the more it breathes. And the example of off-gassing and moisture retention is valid. However, our boat systems are not fully open to airflow or the resulting moisture dropout from airflow across the surface. The vent is small, 5/8" diameter typically. So, all that breathing action has to happen at a distance away from the fuel tank.
The information of the video is valid. But in running ethanol from the beginning, I have never had a fuel related issue. And that is everything from my commuter, to my muscle cars, bikes and to my boats. Is non-ethanol better? I am sure it is. However, I can't justify the cost or having to go search for it. Especially, when I have literally never had any measurable water in my system.
To start, I'm an auto and diesel tech that moonlights doing boat work, so I like to *think* I know what i'm talking about.....though I have been plenty wrong before so feel free to correct me haha!
I'm on the same page you are, I run ethanol with no problems. In my experience the biggest thing is the fuel sitting long term. if you use your boat a few times a month and treat it in the winter you likely wont have any issues. Most of what I see is people with big $$$ that have boats as play toys that use them maybe 3x a year, that's when I really see ethanol issues from the fuel sitting in the tank and lack of fuel water separator maintenance.
I am curious about the effect of plastic fuel tanks vs steel or aluminum tanks. It seems condensation is less likely to form on a plastic tank, so if there is less air flowing and and around it, you would have less moisture forming with temperature changes. I rarely have water in the tank with plastic tanks.
Also, how difficult would it be to retofit older boat/s tanks to be a closed system, so there is much less exposure to outside air, and moisture?
doing the same test with the fan but E10 fuel with stabilizer would be interesting
Ethanol clogged my weed wacker, snow blower, lawn mower, boat engine and atv engines all in a two year period. It took a long time of using ethanol, but eventually it took its toll. They finally started selling regular fuel with no ethanol at many stations in michigan because of this. but hey, i learned how to rebuild carbs pretty well. so theres that
Metallic fuel tanks conduct heat much better than plastic and are more prone to collect condensation
Im from Connecticut and EVERY gas station has E85 only. Is that bad?
I know diesels are popular on boats with inboard engines, but I'm surprised they are not more commonplace in outboard applications. The fuel is much more stable than gasoline and the engines are more efficient for the same power.
Very few diesel outboards out there and they are super expensive. I don't think the technology is there yet, but I'm no expert.
I added a fuel water separator inline and it captures the water before it reaches the engine eliminating the problem permanently .ethanol doesnt bother my boat
If I've been getting water in fuel (even running non-ethanol), when/how often should I run quickleen or ring free (and is it safe for 2006 e-tec 250)? Should I still use stabilizer and which one with non-ethanol fuel since I'm still getting water in tank?
Very helpful video!
Glad you think so!
Both feuls are pretty much absorbing the same amount of water
The problem with ethanol fuel is that all th ethanol crashes out of the fuel in the presence of water
You only need a few drops pf water to cause all the ethanol to crash out of it
Also the remaining fuel is pretty useless since the ethanol is the octane booster for the fuel.
Without it he fuel has a way lower octane rating which can cause detonation and destroy your engine