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05-08-2012, 07:10
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#1
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Registered User
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: Texas
Boat: Catamaran
Posts: 7
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Ethanol vs Outboards
We all know that E-10 gasahol separates and is bad for the outboard. Since most of us can't get non-ethanol gas anymore, other than adding stabilizers and praying, what do we do? Disposing of un-used gasoline is difficult. Purging the fuel lines every time we park the boat for more than three weeks is beyond tedious. And so that leads to outboards that won't start. How do you start an outboard that has been left to sit with fuel in it? Are there any starting tricks (eg open the throttle, run the starter to flood it, let the gas evaporate, then try to re-start) that help in what must be a common situation?
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05-08-2012, 11:50
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#2
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Registered User
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Nicholasville, Kentucky
Boat: 15 foot Canoe
Posts: 14,191
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Re: Ethanol vs Outboards
This is just my experience. The E-10 left in an outboard carb will start to decompose rubber parts. It will gum up into a yellowish goo. It will not flush out with gas and I need to take the carb apart and really clean everything in there in order to make the engine run again. If rubber parts have been destroyed I need to replace them.
My opinion is to put a shut off valve in the fuel line somewhere so that you can run your outboard until it runs out of fuel. What I do with my small engine is just unplug it from my fuel tank and let run until it is out of fuel. Not hard to do. So what I do with the fuel left in the tank is put it in my car or truck. Even though there is a bit of oil mixed in with the gas it runs just fine in the larger vehicle mixed with many more gallons in a large tank.
Good luck in whatever solution you come up with. The government and their mandate for E-10 has done our citizens no great favor. All my weedwhackers, chainsaws and outboards have a problem with E-10. I run them dry each time I use them.
kind regards,
__________________
John
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05-08-2012, 13:14
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#3
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Writing Full-Time Since 2014
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Deale, MD
Boat: PDQ Altair, 32/34
Posts: 9,559
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Re: Ethanol vs Outboards
Quote:
Originally Posted by SkiprJohn
This is just my experience. The E-10 left in an outboard carb will start to decompose rubber parts. It will gum up into a yellowish goo. It will not flush out with gas and I need to take the carb apart and really clean everything in there in order to make the engine run again. If rubber parts have been destroyed I need to replace them.
My opinion is to put a shut off valve in the fuel line somewhere so that you can run your outboard until it runs out of fuel. What I do with my small engine is just unplug it from my fuel tank and let run until it is out of fuel. Not hard to do. So what I do with the fuel left in the tank is put it in my car or truck. Even though there is a bit of oil mixed in with the gas it runs just fine in the larger vehicle mixed with many more gallons in a large tank.
Good luck in whatever solution you come up with. The government and their mandate for E-10 has done our citizens no great favor. All my weedwhackers, chainsaws and outboards have a problem with E-10. I run them dry each time I use them.
kind regards,
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I should point out that chainsaw and Weed Wacker carbs are diaphragm type, do not have a free liquid surface and floats/needle valves, and cannot be run out of gas in the same sense that an outboard carb can. Look on-line.
What does help is keeping the tank FULL, closing the vent EVERY TIME, and using the engine in the off-season. Seafoam, Stabil, and OEM additives help too, though some aftermarket additives are just so much hype. Sail Delmarva: Gasoline Additive Corrosion Testing
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05-08-2012, 13:44
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#4
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Moderator Emeritus
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Eastern Tennessee
Boat: Research vessel for a university, retired now.
Posts: 10,406
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Re: Ethanol vs Outboards
Fuel injected outboards start right up. If you don't have that option then the ONLY alternative is to burn all of the fuel out of the fuel system before shutting down the engine by closing the fuel valve. I have tried all the chemicals and none work.
The newer outboards have alcohol resistant gaskets, fuel lines and other fuel related fittings.
__________________
David
Life begins where land ends.
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05-08-2012, 15:46
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#5
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Registered User
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: W Carib
Boat: Wildcat 35, Hobie 33
Posts: 13,479
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Re: Ethanol vs Outboards
Quote:
Originally Posted by SkiprJohn
......
The government and their mandate for E-10 has done our citizens no great favor. ...
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Bio fuel is one of the most horrendously bad ideas, environmentally and sociological, than man has ever come up with. The fall out is wrecking havoc in many developing countries -- clearing rain forest to grow bio fuel crops, driving indigenous off their lands, and driving up the cost of staple food items like corn.
Last time I was in the US I a saw some warm and fuzzy "go green" ad about bio fuel. What clueless rubbish.
And to top it off it gunks up your engine!
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05-08-2012, 15:55
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#6
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Registered User
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Montegut LA.
Boat: Now we need to get her to Louisiana !! she's ours
Posts: 3,421
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Re: Ethanol vs Outboards
Ya can move to the Gulf coast ! Louisiana, Mississippi, and I believe Texas have stations that avertise non-alcohol unleaded fuel!!! we still have 2 strokes by the thousens, (and ya can even find a new one or two) We have to have the Real fuel down here, cus most folks make a living with there outboards, fishing crab and shrimp. Just a thought, and property is less money LOL
__________________
Bob and Connie
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05-08-2012, 19:45
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#7
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Registered User
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Nicholasville, Kentucky
Boat: 15 foot Canoe
Posts: 14,191
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Re: Ethanol vs Outboards
Quote:
Originally Posted by thinwater
I should point out that chainsaw and Weed Wacker carbs are diaphragm type, do not have a free liquid surface and floats/needle valves, and cannot be run out of gas in the same sense that an outboard carb can. Look on-line.
What does help is keeping the tank FULL, closing the vent EVERY TIME, and using the engine in the off-season. Seafoam, Stabil, and OEM additives help too, though some aftermarket additives are just so much hype. Sail Delmarva: Gasoline Additive Corrosion Testing
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Leaving fuel in my Shindaiwa weedwhacker ate up the rubber/synthetic pickup hose and so did leaving fuel in my 40 year old chainsaw. I run them dry each time I use them now because of this. No there isn't a float bowl but there is a small attached fuel tank that has decomposable parts.
I don't leave E-10 fuel sit anywhere except in my lawnmowers which I add sta-bil to.
kind regards,
__________________
John
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05-08-2012, 19:47
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#8
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Registered User
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Nicholasville, Kentucky
Boat: 15 foot Canoe
Posts: 14,191
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Re: Ethanol vs Outboards
E-10 is my enemy. I have to use it but I'm not happy about it.
kind regards,
__________________
John
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06-08-2012, 03:56
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#9
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S/V rubber ducky
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: heading "south"
Boat: Hunter 410
Posts: 20,362
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Re: Ethanol vs Outboards
Ever since I took my carb apart earlier in the year to clen out last years gunk the bowl has had a small drip that drains the bowl. The outboard has started each time on the first or second pull since this started.
Way to go drip!!!!
__________________
Don't ask a bunch of unknown forum people if it is OK to do something on YOUR boat. It is your boat, do what you want!
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06-08-2012, 04:30
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#10
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Senior Cruiser
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Thunder Bay, Ontario - 48-29N x 89-20W
Boat: (Cruiser Living On Dirt)
Posts: 49,084
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Re: Ethanol vs Outboards
See Yamaha’s 'Ethanol Topics' FAQs:
➥ Yamaha Outboard FAQs
__________________
Gord May
"If you didn't have the time or money to do it right in the first place, when will you get the time/$ to fix it?"
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06-08-2012, 04:43
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#11
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Writing Full-Time Since 2014
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Deale, MD
Boat: PDQ Altair, 32/34
Posts: 9,559
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Re: Ethanol vs Outboards
Quote:
Originally Posted by SkiprJohn
Leaving fuel in my Shindaiwa weedwhacker ate up the rubber/synthetic pickup hose and so did leaving fuel in my 40 year old chainsaw. I run them dry each time I use them now because of this. No there isn't a float bowl but there is a small attached fuel tank that has decomposable parts.
I don't leave E-10 fuel sit anywhere except in my lawnmowers which I add sta-bil to.
kind regards,
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In older equipment, good points.
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06-08-2012, 05:00
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#12
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Registered User
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Newport News VA
Boat: Egg Harbor sedan cruiser 1970
Posts: 958
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Re: Ethanol vs Outboards
You can remove the ethanol from the gas. It will loose a little octane. So I would try this with premium, experiment! Maybe the little outboard can run on a lower grade of cleansed regular fuel.
Simply pour water into the gas can, Enough water would be a full glass in 5 gallons. Then shake can and let sit.
The pure gasoline will sit on top and the ethanol water mixture will float on the bottom. Try it in the engine and see how it runs.
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06-08-2012, 12:16
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#13
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Registered User
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: Austin TX
Boat: Nimble Artic 26
Posts: 948
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Re: Ethanol vs Outboards
Quote:
Originally Posted by SkiprJohn
My opinion is to put a shut off valve in the fuel line somewhere so that you can run your outboard until it runs out of fuel. What I do with my small engine is just unplug it from my fuel tank and let run until it is out of fuel. Not hard to do.
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I ran the motor dry using the fuel valve religously all last season and through the winter. I still had to take it in the get the carb cleaned this summer
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06-08-2012, 12:55
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#14
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Registered User
Join Date: May 2011
Posts: 134
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Re: Ethanol vs Outboards
Since most of you are running small engines I wonder if you bought some of that fuel and I can’t stuff I see at Wal-Mart and ran that just before you shut it down if that would be enough to purge those little carburetors. That stuff seems awfully expensive but it might do the trick. Just a thought. Just my two cents, Mike.
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06-08-2012, 13:06
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#15
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Registered User
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: subject to change
Posts: 270
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Re: Ethanol vs Outboards
If there's a small airport near you, see if you can buy aviation fuel, which has no ethanol. Costs an extra buck or two per gallon, but so worth it. And really, how many gallons of dinghy fuel do you use in a season, anyway?
Much of the US southeast coast, south of VA, offers non-ethanol marine gas.
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