Additive to gas tank

[SteveGw306]

Hi Is i it necessary to add additive to fuel tank, 2011 306 Canyon? If so which one is best and how often? Thanks

 

[family affair]

If you really like to save money in the short term, by all means don't use it. However 1-5 years from now, you will wish you had. Why? If you are running non ethanol gas, you will get varnish in your tank and will start to get fuel related issues with your engines like poor idling, carbon build up, and more. If you run e10 fuel, you run the risk of phase separation. You can read up on all the wonderful things that leads to.
Disregard everything above if you burn through all your fuel every month, but most aren't in that boat.
As for what to use, I think the best product is techron marine. Buy the 10 oz bottles. Stabil marine 360 makes the same claims, but it pours like water compared to the techron syrup. I can attest to the performance of techron. It is legit. The jury is still out for me on Stabil, but many rave about it.

 

[SteveGw306]

Which id best additive , how much and how often?

 

[family affair]

Which id best additive , how much and how often?

Follow the instructions on the bottle for the minimum amount. You initially add it to your total on board fuel, then add more each fill up.

 

[SteveGw306]

Thanks !!

 

[SkunkBoat]

Its all been said before, many times, many opinions.

https://www.greatgrady.com/threads/fuel-stabilizers-any-preference-guys.26518/post-161946

 

[JJF]

Hi,

I use both of Yamaha's fuel additives religiously.

They are: 1) Ring Free Plus (1 oz per 10 gallons of gas) and 2) Fuel Stabilizer & Conditioner (1 oz per 3 gallons of gas). See table below.

I have this in Excel, if you want a copy; just send me a PM with an email address.

Gallons	RF+ (1:10)	FS+ (1:3)
50​	5.00	16.67
75​	7.50	25.00
100​	10.00	33.33
125​	12.50	41.67
150​	15.00	50.00
175​	17.50	58.33
200​	20.00	66.67
225​	22.50	75.00
250​	25.00	83.33

 

[trapper]

Ok guys, just how important is using an additive? I have never used an additive in many years of boating running mostly Yamaha 4 strokes, and have never had any issues as mentioned. Yes sometimes my boat sits for a few months between start ups, mostly winter months. So what could I possibly be doing right?

 

[family affair]

Ok guys, just how important is using an additive? I have never used an additive in many years of boating running mostly Yamaha 4 strokes, and have never had any issues as mentioned. Yes sometimes my boat sits for a few months between start ups, mostly winter months. So what could I possibly be doing right?

There are a lot of variables that can lead to or eliminate issues. Do we want to get into all of those details, or do we just tell the gentleman to spend the extra $0.10/gallon to avoid headaches? For me, I've got better things to do.

 

[DogBone]

I have HPDI engines, and I can attest that Techron fuel treatment has cleared up fuel related issues for me. I was just about to open up my high pressure fuel system and replace the tiny filters (most often referred to as "mystery filters"), but as a last ditch effort I tried a double dose of Techron. Within a couple of runs the issue of bogging down at 4000 RPM totaly cleared up. I have also had similar success with Techron on my car's fuel injection system, that's what led me to try it on my boat engines.

 

[seasick]

I only used stabilizer for winter lay up. I do however use a carbon reducing additive (Ring Free or similar when ever I add gas). I have 2 strokes and I feel that the carbon reducing product is important. For 4 strokes, I would be less inclined to use it especially with the price today for Yamaha Ring-Free!

 

[trapper]

Thanks family affair for the short tutorial. "or do we just tell the gentleman to spend the extra $0.10/gallon to avoid headaches? If it aint broke........ with over 2000 hours on Yamaha F outboards with no issues, I believe I will stay with my program. This issue may have a lot to do with using your main for trolling. Have alway had a kicker, so just maybe that is the answer to a trouble free main over the years.

 

[FREEDOM!!!]

Is it needed if you only use Ethanol Free gas?

 

[family affair]

Is it needed if you only use Ethanol Free gas?

Depends on who you talk to. The previous owner of my boat used e0 and thought additives were BS especially because he turned over the fuel regularly - his opinion.
My fuel tank was shellacked with varnish. We only have e10 around here. E10 dissolved the varnish and plugged my filters. The e0 degrades over time like e10, but won't phase separate. Degraded fuel doesn't burn as cleanly as fresh fuel and leaves more carbon behind even in 4 strokes. Carbon build up in 4 strokes can lead to stuck rings, poor valve sealing, knock, etc. I often wonder if a lot of the "Yamahas making oil issues" are actually in part due to fouled injectors from untreated fuel.
Every 2 and 4 stroke I've ever put a bore scope into before and after using techron was noticably cleaner.
So, do you feel lucky with that expensive outboard?

 

[Doc Stressor]

Trapper lives in Canada where the gasoline additive standards are higher than in the US. The US has about the lowest minimum additive requirements of any advanced country. That's why automotive companies lobbied for "Top Tier" gasolines, which require a higher level of detergency than the minimum. Not all of the gasoline sold in the US meet Top Tier standards and some Top Tier brands contain higher levels of additives than others. So with this mishmash of good and not-so-good types of gasoline sold in the US, Yamaha and some other outboard manufacturers started to market their own additive products in order to reduce warranty issues. Interestingly, they only market their fuel additives such as Ringfree in the US. That's because most of the rest of the world requires better gasoline than we do.

In practical terms, this means that if you live in the US and use a Top Tier gasoline brand and run your engine often, and use your boat year-round, it is probably a waste of money to use detergent and stabilizer additives. However, most boats are not run frequently and often use unbranded fuels (most Rec90). In this case, using additives makes a lot of sense.

BTW, I have been unable to use my boat much over the past 3 years, but have had good luck with the Marine Techron product that contains both detergent and stabilizer components. The price has gone up quite a bit since I first started using it.

 

[JJF]

2022 Season: I burned through ~= 750 gallons of gas.

Additives added: $285 to my fuel bill (RF+ $188 & Stabilizer $97)

Maybe I threw $285 away and maybe I didn't. I know one thing and that is that I did my best to maintain my motors and should issues arise, I won't second guess them being due to not using the additives.

 

[family affair]

JJF, you probably aren't the tight-wad I am, but Techron marine will accomplish the same thing with only one product and at least half the cost.
Stabil marine 360 in the gallon makes the same claims for around $60 and you will have more left over for next season. The gallon treats 1200 gallons of gas.
Fun fact: Both Stabil and Techron only have a 2 year shelf life. The gallon is a great buy, but only if you can use it.

 

[trapper]

Thanks Doc for putting some clarity to the issue of additives to the fuel of our source of good times on the brine.

 

[SkunkBoat]

 

[Halfhitch]

There are a lot of variables that can lead to or eliminate issues. Do we want to get into all of those details, or do we just tell the gentleman to spend the extra $0.10/gallon to avoid headaches? For me, I've got better things to do.

family affair, Trapper was wanting to have a friendly discussion about fuel additives so he and others can make intelligent decisions about their boat fuel and you responded back "I've got better things to do". Then just a few posts later, #14 you did just that. You took the time to explained how some of the different fuels create different problems. And in doing so, you referred to yourself six times. Once you said "I", once "I've", once "we" and 3 times you said "my". Now I know you may not know much about Trapper but he has experience, knowledge and abilities that most all of us could learn from and wish we had more of what he's made of. Just one thing he did is for years made his living as a private, independant Salmon troller in the Pacific Northwest back in the days when it could be done. Not many had the grit to be successful. Brian did it for years. He is an artist with his hands and makes things that will make you feel small when you see what is lacking in yourself in comparison. He is my friend and I would hope that going forward you do not try to turn this good club into something like Bloody Decks or some such, by retorting that "I've got better things to do" when responding to any of our members. If that is so, then don't click the button and go get busy with all those better things you have waiting.