Do you use Ethanol free?

[RussGW270]

So, always a debate.. but, curious.. is it worth the extra cost of ethanol free? For most you guys, you have it hard... usually about $2.00 a gallon higher than where I can get it. I just checked and 87% is $2.82 a gallon next to me. On the coast, it is $4.62 in many places.

So, is it worth it, or cheaper to replace the gas lines every 5-10 years or when/if it becomes an issue?

R

 

[Parthery]

I used to not worry about it and just put in additives, but around here it's become very easy to find and seems to be about the same price as premium. With that in mind, I switched some years ago and now run E-0 exclusively. I also still run the additives (Ring Free and PRI-G).

I paid $2.899/gallon last weekend on the street. I recall walking past the pump at one marina at it was $3.899/gallon. Another marina we stopped at was getting $4.199/gal for it.

 

[RussGW270]

yea, my same thinking. I do not shy away from "regular gas"... only because I won't pay $2.00 a gallon more. Ethanol free was not really around for a lot of years and people survived.. better? yes.. end game? not so much. Just have to plan for it is all.. but, a good price, worth getting.

R

 

[Toothpick 10]

Ethanol free is not available in my area.

 

[SirGrady226]

The ethanol really only becomes an issue with older, non fuel injected outboards. The ethanol evaporates quicker than just plain gasoline, it then leaves a corrosive film that degrades regular rubber fuel lines, and also corrodes aluminum and other metal parts. I build automotive engines for a living and see what happens to carburetors when they have ethanol laced fuel left in the bowls. Daily drivers don't really see any problems except for regular rubber fuel lines seem to dry out quicker. Most all high pressure fuel lines resist this problem, and fuel injection doesn't experience the evaporation carburetors do. I wouldn't hesitate using regular fuel in my boat if it was a modern powered vessel with fuel injection, but if it sat for somewhat long periods, I would certainly use additives. My boat has carburetors though, I always use non ethanol in mine.

 

[Jargon]

These street prices vs. marina prices...hmmmm. Never considered the gouging. Do all marinas gouge prices like this? Is this a way of life for us boat owners?

Don’t tell me you guys all haul 5 gallon gas containers to the street stations and fill up that way. If you’re trailering, it’s easy to figure what you’re doing. : )

 

[Fishtales]

Ethanol free is not available in my area.

X2. If it were, I'd go E0.

 

[Ky Grady]

I run E0 as much as possible, always use Marine Sta-bil and Ring Free anytime I add fuel irregardless of E0 or E10. Street price works for me. Heading to Tampa in late June and will hunt out Rec 90 fuel at street stations instead of Marina.

 

[Jeanette Elaine]

In MD it is about .75 more at the marina and non E is about a buck more than that. On a fishing trip were I have to run Ill burn a $3-400 bill easily of the ethanol add another $100 for the good stuff and it adds up.
Running 4S outboards and use the motors frequently I feel ok using it as many others do. Start and end of season I will go for the non E.
Also I have always run it bone dry before putting it away. Last year a 330 next to me filled up(as most do) and had phase separation when he put in the water and it wouldn't run he had to have it pumped out costing him more than double what it was to fill the tanks in Fall. + another refuel, -costly.
With a dry tank I have to chug to the gas box after launch to fill up anyway so I can detect any major fuel problems pretty quickly if that were the case and not deal with 275gal of bad gas
*Also I hold off changing the water separators until spring until I run it a day to capture a slug of any water/crap that might heading down stream to motors!

 

[Parrothead]

I use ethanol free all the time. I have a tank on the back of my truck with a pump and I fill up that way. It's about 1.00 more here so its not to bad. The original owner always used it so that's what I do. I think my tank is about 125 gallons and the fuel tank in the boat is 200 gallons.
Scott

 

[blindmullet]

Ethanol leads to water in a tank if it's stored for long periods of time. I use ethanol only if I'm going to use all. I trailer and have access to non-ethanol fuel. It's usually around the price of Diesel.

 

[wrxhoon]

I don't use ethanol in the boat or in my car , absorbs water, very corrosive and eats rubber, terrible on aluminum tanks too.

 

[family affair]

Have always used e10 treated with startron. Zero issues in 9 years on this boat and none on prior boat. We fill our tank within 10-15 gallons of full in the fall and run 3/4 of it out in the spring to "turn it over."
Boat is dry stacked, but we throw it on the trailer to fill up, or bring out 10-20 gallons in cans when the opportunity presents itself.
The only problems we have ever encountered was with e0 gas from the marina!

 

[brdawg2001]

Been running ethanol with no issues..2000 hours on my F225 and now on to zukes

 

[Hookup1]

I run ethanol free fuel in FL on my winter break. Not available in NJ. Wish it was. Several incidents with phase separation. Not allowed in airplanes for a good reason - don't want airplanes out of the sky.

 

[wrxhoon]

In Australia nobody uses ethanol on boats either . A few years ago lots of people used it on their cars , a lot less now . It is false economy here as well because it is only 2 cents cheaper than 91 ( equivalent to 87 in USA). We use Euro RON , you have RON+MON/2. Ethanol has less energy per volume than standard gas.

 

[seasick]

The introduction of E10 did cause an unusual amount of troubles but over time as those issues were fixed, there seems to not be a lot of current problems. A very large percentage if not almost all of water in gas problems are due to a bad load of gas to start or water intrusion into the tank. I have started boats that were sitting for 2 years with E10 and the gas was perfectly usable. I can't get non ethanol gas in NYC so I don't have choices. The funny thing is that a lot of boaters around here think that Valtech gas is ethanol free. It isn't. The best thing to do key is to get your gas at stations that sell a lot of gas. Fresh is good. In the spring, don't be the first to fill up at the gas dock.
I have also stated many times that I do not top off my tanks for winter storage, nor do I run them dry (never could figure out how you do that without having to get towed back! ). I have not had issues in the spring.
I have had situations where some older fuel lines broke down but whether that was ethanol related or just age related is not clear.

What I need is some warm weather to start working on the fleet.

 

[usmm1234]

I’ve been in the boat business for 42 years. I’m am also a lifetime boater. I wouldn’t put ethanol in my outboard motor, chain saw, weed eater, or my John Deere for anything. I just sold my 19 year old carbureted 90hp Johnson with 1600 hrs to a friend. Runs like a top. Never rebuilt the carbs once. Same goes for the rest of my equipment. They all start right up. I use Stabil for gas and regular non ethanol. And of course my ever present Racor filter with Clear bowl on the bottom. I have a 4 stroke Suzuki fuel injected motor. Fires right up in the spring.

 

[Willy-C]

Usmm1234 I hear what you are saying about ethanol but some of us don’t have a choice. Like Toothpick said it’s not for sale here, the only non ethanol avail to us up here is in quart containers for small power equipment from TSC, Lowe’s or HD.

FWIW I have been a boater for over 50 years and I can only buy E10, never had either one of my two boats carbs rebuilt and never needed to (1992 Yammy 150hp and 1994 Merc 25hp). Only use stabil and all fire right up in the spring.

Don’t forget before the age of ethanol fuels lots of carbs and fuel related problems were around, no one could blame it on ethanol back then. Neglect, inactivity, old style fuel line materials and dirty fuel tanks that get cleansed can directly be blamed, but not just the usage of clean fresh ethanol can be the total culprit. My boats get only premium gas from busy local gas stations with a dose of stabil. My GW (150hp 2-stroke) did 64 miles offshore yesterday flawlessly on E10.

 

[usmm1234]

the Alcohol causes corrosion. I took the carb apart on my sons arctic cat 4x4 and all the internal parts were corroded from moisture absorption of the alcohol. He kept using E10. He’s a believer now. 2 strokes have a better lifespan with e10 because the oil in the fuel keeps things lubed. But it’s not a corrosion inhibitor. Moisture soaked fuel left in your injectors will get a motor during winter layup. If you have an older motor with buna rubber gaskets and o rings in your fuel system. The alcohol turns them to jelly. All our marinas and most of our Walmart gas stations have ethanol free for anywhere from $2.75 to $3.00.