Thread: Ethanol fuel

...and this is the typical ethanol thread.
The original OP is asking about adding water to ethanol fuel as a means of removing the alcohol.
Then guys chime in how ethanol is the greatest of all evils to an outboard motor (not other motors, outboards are different)
Somewhere along the lines you hear how someone's fuel lines were destroyed by the alcohol and he had to get his carbs cleaned so now he will never used E10 ever again. (if he changed his fuel lines earlier as he should have, he could have avoided the problems to begin with and E10 would work just fine)
Of course someone will always know a master mechanic...and this guys always knows more than the manufacturer.
Big Brother has to be included so luckily it's sure to creep in somewhere and we can't forget the special interest groups...I'm not sure how they pertains but I'm still learning.
We can't forget about the additives, so as a special precaution we should over use them. So if the directions say to use at end of year for storage, then using every tank is even better. I guess if your boat/fuel sits all the time this could be true.

So in reality there is no need to remove the alcohol your outboard can handle it. If you don't have the newer generation of fuel lines on your boat, change them. (they will fail)

But wannabe fisherman has a solid point about since the internet is full of facts to prove/disprove any point on either side of a discussion but Spaceman's point about getting another cup of coffee can't be taken lightly either....

And just so you guys know .... Seafoam has alcohol in it (cleaning agent listed as "IPA") -- Marine Sta-bil does not have alcohol in it.

I use the cheapest gas I can find for my old 2008 pickup truck but the old 1991 Johnson gets the good stuff non ethanol premium 92% octane. And I always add sta-bil as I also use this gas to my lawnmowers weed eaters and chainsaws. Works for me.

Not to trying to be like a typical ethanol thread !!!!

there just might be some people who would like to know a little more about ETHANOL and its problems !!! and might find the WEBINAR by Mercury Marine interesting !!!

Mercury Marine, which recently hosted a Webinar on ethanol myths, noted that ethanol does not "grab water molecules out of the air." It is hydrophilic, which means ethanol holds water. With regular gasoline (E0) as well at E10, the primary cause of water collecting in tanks is condensation on tank walls.


HENCE ; the reasoning of using Seafoam or Sta-Bil !!! or BOTH !!!

Originally Posted by strmwalker

Not to trying to be like a typical ethanol thread !!!!

there just might be some people who would like to know a little more about ETHANOL and its problems !!! and might find the WEBINAR by Mercury Marine interesting !!!

Mercury Marine, which recently hosted a Webinar on ethanol myths, noted that ethanol does not "grab water molecules out of the air." It is hydrophilic, which means ethanol holds water. With regular gasoline (E0) as well at E10, the primary cause of water collecting in tanks is condensation on tank walls.


HENCE ; the reasoning of using Seafoam or Sta-Bil !!! or BOTH !!!

Reread the thread, especially the part where I posted Mercury Marines analysis of ethanol. Paraphrasing, "It's a none issue."

News flash; sta-bil, seafoam and the like are out to make money selling you snake oil that will fix all your gasoline issues, or in this case your ethanol problems. Actually both gas and ethanol problems. Do you really want to educate yourself, read the list of additives in your gas. Each region and season dictates the additives. Just how many additives are approved for use in gas. The list of snake-oils is extremely long. All trying to "solve" a problem with your fuel or engines performance, or environmental requirement, or state/local emission laws, etc. Ethanol is the least of your concern.
https://www3.epa.gov/otaq/fuels1/ffars/web-gas.htm

Crappiemax hit the nail on the head. It's a typical ethanol thread.
To summarize in my best caveman voice: Ethanol bad, very, very bad.
Once all the science has been presented proving ethanol isn't the problem, then the problem becomes farmers, cost, government mandates, yada, yada, yada...
Hoenstly, the only disadvantage to ethanol is btu compared to gas. Google it. I know, I gave the non-believers the secret. Shame on me. lol

Back in the day we had the same conversation about leaded and unleaded gas, then about emission controls, and the list goes on... Fight ethanol all you want, but its here to stay. Ethanol free gasoline will be harder and harder to find. The only way we get off ethanol fuel is by finding a non-fossil fuel replacement. I don't expect you to believe me, you don't know me. That is why I posted links to articles posted by reputable sources. Not by some group with an ax to grind one way or the other.

Ethanol free gas is becoming easier to find. Just look for a gas pump called RV gas. Most of your name brand truck stops are carrying it again. Marathon is putting pumps in new stations here and there. They have it. Check out areas if you travel where they have bike ralleys like the Rapid City/Sturgis-Daytona Beach and all highways that head thru or to them for at least a thousand miles. Same around your bigger lakes, almost all Marinas are providing as least one pump and new gas stations are supplying a pump or two as I see it springing up as I travel and if you use the app "Pure Gas" it's getting more stations added to it daily. It looks to me the Oil Companies are catering to the RV/Boating/Motorcycle industry and there has to be a reason for them to go to the expense bringing it back. Ethanol came and went one other time and I personally am not going to bet that it's here to stay as you take the govt. subsidies off it and the manufacturing of ethanol cannot sustain itself. Tell you what. I will count the gas stations today as I drive to Montgomery Al to visit the Buckmasters Classic Expo and let you know how many I find. As for snake oil additives, I like them for the ease of mind in just adding them if it makes you feel any better Hanr3. And then again, maybe we should be worried alittle if the our politicians follow Germany/France/and the U.K. As they ban all sales of gas/desel cars by 2040 and we might just have to figure out how to pull our boats with an electric vehicle. Just my 2 cents.

I believe only 7-9 states require ethanol blended fuel. Only a couple have banned it.
Here is a link I found.
https://www.hemmings.com/blog/2015/0...u-might-think/

The rise in ethanol fuel is being driven by consumer demand. People are buying ethanol it at the gas pump. This is not a government mandate in most states.

Thanks, I just learned something, but every state I travel in, seems to sell ethanol mixed gas and I just did 1037 miles yesterday getting home at 2am this morning. Every pump I used had E10 from Indiana to Montgomery AL and back. I checked the Pure gas app couple of times in AL and wow! Tons of stations down there selling pure unleaded. Way more than Indiana and we have quite a few here. Anybody that travels needs to take a look at the app WAZE and use it on your phone or iPad. People tell where the police are and also give a heads up on construction and blocked traffic shown on WAZE. I set my cruse control on 80 mph with using it.