Thread: Ethanol Fuel

This may save someone some motor issues down the road. Recently got a used boat for crappie fishing that set during the winter months and was used very little through the summer. It had very low hours. It had a 2 stroke carbureted mercury on it that looked new. The boat ran great on plane and had a good holeshot but had to choke it everytime to start it.Basically it was losing fuel prime when it set for an hour or so. First thing I replaced was the primer bulb and fuel line but still had the same issue. I knew the prior owner used ethanol fuel in the past soI took the fuel pump off and the pictures tell the story. It was full of varnish particles so it couldn't hold fuel pressure. I purchased a fuel pump re-build kit for 15.00, cleaned it out, re-built it and also replaced the fuel filter and now it starts and idles great. I still run ethanol fuel because that's all we have available in our area but the boat will be on the water 12 months a year and not setting for any length of time. After running ethanol fuel for awhile now, I honestly think I get better performance vs non-ethanol fuel but if you plan on winterizing your engine or not using it for an extended period of time, I would be sure to add a quality fuel conditioner such as seafoam and make sure it's circulated through the fuel system. Even the newest engines that say E87 octane compatible needs a fuel conditioner if it sets long. Hope this saves folks some issues down the road.