Ethanol gas!! Off season storage?

S

ScottCK

Active member
Headed out for opening day and made it about 1/4 mile before the outboard quit and would not restart. (no hunting) Took it in for service this week and the fuel lines were the problem. Ethanol had destroyed them. I was lucky that the eTec engine has a water separator filter and a fuel filter so none of the gunk made it to the carbs.

I add a Ethanol treatment to the fuel every time I fill up the boat but it just cant handle sitting for 9 months. I know I should run the boat over the summer but I never have the time. $500 later and I will be hunting this weekend. I did add a new impeller and gear lube to the cost just because it was about time but was not planning on dropping that much cash on the boat.

I have been reading about storing the boat for extended periods of time and there is just nothing that will help with the Ethanol gas issue. On my old 25hp I always disconnected the fuel line and ran it out of fuel on the last day of season. Just cant do that with a 20 gallon built-in tank hooked up to a 115hp etec. I run it through its built in fogging process on the last day but there is not much I can do about the gas in the tank.

Anybody have a built in tank that you have a process for putting it up over the off season?
 
This is one reason I am glad I no longer have a big boat.
With my 25hp, I use about 4x the amount of Stabil stated on the directions, but I also run my boat almost every month of the year, so gas doesn't sit for long.
So far so good.

On a large built in tank, the best advice is to find a station with non-ethanol ("marine") gas.
 
I had a station near me that had non- ethanol gas but they quit selling it. I'm going to have to find a different place.
 
Headed out for opening day and made it about 1/4 mile before the outboard quit and would not restart. (no hunting) Took it in for service this week and the fuel lines were the problem. Ethanol had destroyed them. I was lucky that the eTec engine has a water separator filter and a fuel filter so none of the gunk made it to the carbs.

I add a Ethanol treatment to the fuel every time I fill up the boat but it just cant handle sitting for 9 months. I know I should run the boat over the summer but I never have the time. $500 later and I will be hunting this weekend. I did add a new impeller and gear lube to the cost just because it was about time but was not planning on dropping that much cash on the boat.

I have been reading about storing the boat for extended periods of time and there is just nothing that will help with the Ethanol gas issue. On my old 25hp I always disconnected the fuel line and ran it out of fuel on the last day of season. Just cant do that with a 20 gallon built-in tank hooked up to a 115hp etec. I run it through its built in fogging process on the last day but there is not much I can do about the gas in the tank.

Anybody have a built in tank that you have a process for putting it up over the off season?
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If your useing stabil as your treatment is it the blue stabil and not red. Red doesnt work properly with ethanol fuel. Were your fuel lines of the newer material made to hold up to ethanol. Ethanol will eat up the older fuel lines from the inside. New material holds up well. I use the merc ethanol treatment in my etec fuel as that was the treatment my etec dealer stated was the best product out there a couple years ago. has worked well but usually i,m running mine about every 30 days or so all year long.
 
Scott - That's the only solution we've found... even the folks that advertise they have a "solution" are probably blowing smoke up your.... Fortunately Scottsboro and Hollywood have lots of choices for 100% gas since there's so much lake activity. Keep that in mind if you are ever over this way hunting.
 
Roy, I use the blue Marine version.


Kyle, I am in that area somewhat often so I will have to find one up there. the nice thing about the big tank and the etec is I normally only have to fill it up at the start of the season (guess that is a down side also)
 
Roy, I use the blue Marine version.


Kyle, I am in that area somewhat often so I will have to find one up there. the nice thing about the big tank and the etec is I normally only have to fill it up at the start of the season (guess that is a down side also)
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sounds like you might need to consider using a portable tank . Fuel setting for 9 months, even treated ,I wouldn,t trust whether ethanol or non ethanol. Marine mechanics love it though!
 
Roy, I use the blue Marine version.


Kyle, I am in that area somewhat often so I will have to find one up there. the nice thing about the big tank and the etec is I normally only have to fill it up at the start of the season (guess that is a down side also)
Click to expand...
sounds like you might need to consider using a portable tank . Fuel setting for 9 months, even treated ,I wouldn,t trust whether ethanol or non ethanol. Marine mechanics love it though!
Click to expand...

I agree with Roy. I'd definitely use a portable tank ! I wouldn't want that much gas sitting that long in a built in tank.

The other option would be to use a transfer pump and pump the fuel tank out at the end of the season....
 
I know I'm digressing but here's a resource for 100% gas stations:

http://pure-gas.org/?stateprov=AL
 
that sounds like the best option. I can drain it into my 1960 CJ5, it will run on ANYTHING and it only gets used in the summer.
 
I go to my local airport buy two gallons of aviation fuel when I get home I run it a few minutes with it and when I put it away for the season I store it with the aviation fuel never had a problem with all my motors
 
I second the av gas but I have not had any issues. I only use premium fuel, and only synthetic 2 cycle oil. When I can I use Av gas but that is not often. I treat my outboard the same as I treat my chain saws. The saws need to run to make me money, but my big saw only runs once a year.
 
David, you have hit on the real issue. The gasoline that is coming out of our refinery system remains stable for about thirty days...open fuel systems on outboards used in high humidity environments further complicates fuel separation issues with E-10.
 
Get the app called "Ethanol Free". I use this all the time. Tells you how close the gas stations are to your current location that sell ethanol free gas.

Mark W
 
The answer to that same issue for me has been to siphon out the thank completely. I use an "easy Siphon" actually after every single trip so that I always have fresh gas. I siphon the boat gas out and put it right into my car. I do this every time because in my life, I can't guarantee when I will go out next.

I have not found Stabil to be stabile enough for long storage. I do use Sea Foam regularly and have had no more problems with fuel lines or condensation. And I always use 89 gas.

I would think that with your large tank if you siphoned out the gas at the end of the season most of your issues should be resolved.

Larry
 
Adding ethonal is another faux-green mandate. The ethanol fuel is bad for equipment leading to breakdowns and even early replacement. Burning ethanol uses up crop production land that could be used for food or just left idle. Ethanol has less energy in it than regular gasoline. As you may have guessed I am not a fan.

I just heard that Obama wants more ethanol in fuel. Locally we may still have one source of ethanol free fuel, but I am not sure. Even if we do, not everyone has that option.
 
I quit using sta-bil and went to seafoam with very good results.
Recently purchased a new suzuki and was advised to use PRI_G which is designed for use in e-10 gasoline. www.priproducts.com
 
Ethanol is BAD FUEL. Really that sums it up very nicely. Another bill of goods sold by the tree huggers who really don't know anything. I could go on and on but it really doesn't matter now does it?
 
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