Unreliable Outboards

[GeoPowers]

They won't help the ethanol issue, zee. I have a filter at the external tank and an inline filter.

Frank

[zeehag]

dang.

[bill good]

Electric outboards are the answer

[kaimusailing]

My cat is powered by a 1999 Yamaha 50 HP four stroke. It was used to motor from CT to FL in 2002 and as an auxiliary on the way back. The following fall it was used on a trip down to Annapolis, then the boat was hauled nearby for some repairs and maintenance. The main tank is 65 gallons and the gas was found to be deteriorated, so the engine was run off a small day tank. The carbs had to be rebuilt due to bad gas stalling the engine. Over the next few years the engine would fail once or twice a year. After researching the ethanol fuel problem, the advice was to not mix ethanol gas with non-ethanol gas, that the mixture would gel. Also the ethanol problems would include corrosion of the alloy carb parts and clogging of the jets with corrosion byproducts. Now cleaning and rebuilding the 4 carbs is a quick job due to a lot of practice. Parts are not expensive. The motor stalled last week with new gas in the little tank. Right from the pump. I'm glad I was just out to get fuel for the boat and not the car. After reading the posts here I am going to add and inline filter to my fuel line.

[Lancerbye]

I got a 1990 8HP BF4 Honda outboard, with my present boat, used for the tender. I do regular year end maintenance and also preseason checks, good midgrade fuel, no ethanol. Usually starts on the second pull. Have had it for 5 years now. It never fails me.

[Txman65]

Be careful with AVGAS, it is designed for aviation piston engines, and the octane is higher than gas for autos. The higher octane may burn the rings out of the small outboard.TXMAN65

[Rakuflames]

Originally Posted by kaimusailing

My cat is powered by a 1999 Yamaha 50 HP four stroke. It was used to motor from CT to FL in 2002 and as an auxiliary on the way back. The following fall it was used on a trip down to Annapolis, then the boat was hauled nearby for some repairs and maintenance. The main tank is 65 gallons and the gas was found to be deteriorated, so the engine was run off a small day tank. The carbs had to be rebuilt due to bad gas stalling the engine. Over the next few years the engine would fail once or twice a year. After researching the ethanol fuel problem, the advice was to not mix ethanol gas with non-ethanol gas, that the mixture would gel. Also the ethanol problems would include corrosion of the alloy carb parts and clogging of the jets with corrosion byproducts. Now cleaning and rebuilding the 4 carbs is a quick job due to a lot of practice. Parts are not expensive. The motor stalled last week with new gas in the little tank. Right from the pump. I'm glad I was just out to get fuel for the boat and not the car. After reading the posts here I am going to add and inline filter to my fuel line.

DO NOT EVER USE ETHANOL-LACED FUEL IN AN OUTBOARD MOTOR. EVER.

Not even in an emergency. It's not quicker, and it's not cheaper, and it's not more convenient.

Also, you didn't mention it, but when you're done with the engine for the day, you MUST do twothings EVERY SINGLE TIME:

1) Run the engine for 10 - 15 minutes with fresh water. You do not want to leave salt water residue in your engine.

2) then instead of turning the engine off, disconnect the fuel line. You do NOT want to leave fuel (even the right fuel) in the engine.

That, plus NO ethanol EVER, will tremendously prolong the life of your outboard and tremendously increase its reliability.

[avb3]

Originally Posted by Rakuflames

DO NOT EVER USE ETHANOL-LACED FUEL IN AN OUTBOARD MOTOR. EVER.

Not even in an emergency. It's not quicker, and it's not cheaper, and it's not more convenient.

Nice thought, but in many places that is the ONLY fuel available. In fact, in Canada, it is federally mandated that there be 10% ethanol in all fuel.

1) Run the engine for 10 - 15 minutes with fresh water. You do not want to leave salt water residue in your engine.

Not going to happen in most marinas and what about being at anchor or on a mooring ball? You better have one heck of a water maker!

[knotnow]

Originally Posted by Rakuflames

DO NOT EVER USE ETHANOL-LACED FUEL IN AN OUTBOARD MOTOR. EVER.

Not even in an emergency. It's not quicker, and it's not cheaper, and it's not more convenient.

Good luck with that. In most areas in the US the mandate for posting whether they have ETHANOL in the fuel has long gone away. Go down to your local Briggs and Straton service center. They have a nifty little graduated vial that will show the Ethanol percentage. I think you'll be surprised. The feds have mandated an oxygenator be blended into the fuel. In years past a substitute for Ethanol was MTBE and that was shown to do bad things to the ground water. Which leaves us with Ethanol as the oxygenator of choice.

Many thanks EPA and Ethanol lobby.