# Ethanol vs Non-Ethanol Gas



## Triple Trouble (Aug 13, 2018)

I just wanted to ask the opinions of some fellow OGF members. I bought a New-to-me 1999 boat. It has a 4 cylinder I/O and a 4 stroke kicker. The previous owner used only non-ethanol fuel. There is only 1 gas station hear me that sells non-ethanol fuel and it's ~80 cents more a gallon. On my previous boat (same 4 cylinder engine) I used ethanol fuel and didn't have any issues. This new-to-me boat has a water-fuel separator which was not on my previous boat. 

My question is whether it is OK, smart, etc to use ethanol containing fuel going forward? It would be a lot less costly and far more convenient to use E10 fuel, but I'd like to hear from others who I'm sure have more experience than me.

Thanks in advance.


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## threeten (Feb 5, 2014)

If I’m not mistaken. Premium fuel does not contain ethanol. If fuel lines and O-rings are not compatible I would NOT use any ethanol. I’m sure there are more qualified people on here that can give better info but it has caused me some headaches in the past. 
Now a buddy has a late ‘80’s Thompson and runs regular fuel in it and has had no problems. 6-cyl. W/ an I/0


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## russh (Feb 12, 2007)

threeten said:


> If I’m not mistaken. Premium fuel does not contain ethanol. If fuel lines and O-rings are not compatible I would NOT use any ethanol. I’m sure there are more qualified people on here that can give better info but it has caused me some headaches in the past.
> Now a buddy has a late ‘80’s Thompson and runs regular fuel in it and has had no problems. 6-cyl. W/ an I/0


That is NOT correct. Most marina's have 89 octane and it does contain ethanol. If the marina doesn't specifically say non-ethanol than it has 10% ethanol. There are not many marina's that have non-ethanol and if they do it's much more expensive. I have an older boat and the owner before me said he only used non-ethanol fuel and I have done the same thing.

I have a few friends that trailer their boats so they just use whatever is the cheapest gas. They have all had ethanol related problems from excessive water in the fuel to fuel line problems. I hate paying the higher fuel cost for non-ethanol fuel but I haven't had any fuel related problems either.


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## sherman51 (Apr 12, 2011)

I've been using ethanol gas in my 5.7 mercruiser for the last 15 yrs. the only trouble I've had was I let the boat set for 2 yrs without using it so the gas was getting pretty old. it started and idled good when I was checking it out for a trip to erie. I filled it up with fresh gas and headed out. when I cleared the channel I gave it throttle. the boat went but backfired. after I got up on plane it still backfired but not as bad. I filled up 4 times and added heat to help with any water. by the 4th tank the backfire was gone. I brought it home with about 3/4 of a tank with marine stabil added this time. I plan on getting the boat out next spring for some walleye fishing on erie. I've let it set from late aug to april and never had a problem.
sherman


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## Labman1127 (Jul 27, 2012)

80 cents per gallon more for non-ethanol fuel is a hell of a lot cheaper over the course of a fishing season than a carb rebuild or costly fuel injector repairs, not to mention how that ethanol will absolutely eat up every rubber gasket on your fuel tank and fuel lines. 
Unless you are fishing 5 days a week and constantly turning over your gas, I would highly recommend a non-ethanol fuel. That’s all I will run in my boat, or any smaller engines where the gas may sit idle for weeks at a time. Fuel stabilizer helps, but I wouldn’t risk it. Just my 2 cents...


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## porter (Jan 11, 2015)

I have been told that marine parts like fuel pumps and gaskets are not designed to handle ethanol. That might be just older boats but I'm not sure. I was also told ethanol separates and you might get water in your tank. This is just what mechanics have told me. I like getting non-ethanol gas for anything that sits for a long time ,like snowblowers and lawnmowers, to put stabilizer in so it wont separate.


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## bob 59 (Oct 10, 2014)

What marinas sell non ethanol fuel


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## Gradyfish (Jan 22, 2017)

If it has never seen E10 fuel the tank and lines will have a varnish like coating in them. E10 is a solvent and will wash this coating off and it will end up in your carbs. The separator will not be enough to catch it.
I have dealt with this exact scenario several times. If you have a kicker you will probably notice it first because the jets are so small.


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## c. j. stone (Sep 24, 2006)

My take, ethanol now varies from 10-FIFTEEN percent alcohol. Alcohol is a Solvent, meaning if your gas lines and o-rings are not specifically formulated to be resistant to alcohol breakdown, can cause starting and performance issues by plugging carb jets and/or fuel injectors. Additionally, ethanol in gas tanks, even over a couple months can cause gas quality breakdowns in tanks by drawing "moisture" which settles on the bottom of the tanks because vehicle/boat tanks are 'vented'. Gas lines in tanks pull from the bottom of the tank(by design) to maximize mileage per tank. Engines don't run(won't Start!) on water! There are a number of additives on the market that all say they prevent gasline breakdowns/moisture collection and I have used most of them but am not yet convinced. Non-alcohol gasoline will last Much longer, and will not cause the above issues. Bottomline, if you use your boat frequently(like you do your vehicle), you can use any gas you prefer.


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## TDD11 (Aug 5, 2015)

threeten said:


> If I’m not mistaken. Premium fuel does not contain ethanol. If fuel lines and O-rings are not compatible I would NOT use any ethanol. I’m sure there are more qualified people on here that can give better info but it has caused me some headaches in the past.
> Now a buddy has a late ‘80’s Thompson and runs regular fuel in it and has had no problems. 6-cyl. W/ an I/0


Premium does contain ethanol.. FYI


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## Shortdrift (Apr 5, 2004)

I have used regular gas with Ethanol for all my boats, inboard and outboard since 1980 and never had a problem. However, I always used and continue to use fuel stabilizing additives whenever adding gas to my tank. I make it a point to fill my tank and treat with an additive after each trip, same preventative measure as making sure to immediately recharge the batteries.


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## Shortdrift (Apr 5, 2004)

_* Bottomline, if you use your boat frequently(like you do your vehicle), you can use any gas you prefer.*_ This answer makes a lot of sense


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## crappiedude (Mar 12, 2006)

Their isn't any problem with using ethanol gas. The problem isn't ever the fuel, the problem is in the components that weren't made to withstand ethanol based fuel. Sometime back in the early/mid 90's, manufactures switched the materials used for gaskets ect. to more ethanol resistant products.

I personally have never had a problem with ethanol based fuel and I ran whatever fuel was available at the local gas stations.
I've had 3 outboards, 78 Mariner 8 hp, 94 Merc 40 hp 2 stroke and 2017 Merc 60 hp 4 stroke.
I also have a 96 Yamaha Big bear quad that sits for 7-8 months of the year. I have 4 other friends who all have boats and none of them have ever had a problem because of E-10.

One of the biggest problems with some of the older outboards with ethanol was people didn't change their older non-ethanol rated fuel lines when the should have. The fuel lines would separate on the inside and cause carburetors and injectors to clog. Probably 80% of all the ethanol rants I see are the fault of the owners not taking care of a known problem to begin with. These problems could have been avoided if the owners would have changed the fuel lines BEFORE they had the problems.

I am a firm believer in using Stabil fuel stabilizer in everything that sits regardless of weather it has ethanol or not.

Because of E-10 Mercury Outboards put out a bulletin concerning it's use. In a nutshell it said it's impossible for the ethanol in E-10 to draw in enough moisture to have an effect on outboard motors. That bulletin is out there on the internet somewhere.

So yes it's okay to use E-10. I would check to be sure the fuel lines have been upgraded or at a minimum I would just change them.


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## slimdaddy45 (Aug 27, 2007)

Rec 90 is the only non ethanol gas there is all others have it and there's not many places that carry it


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## Gradyfish (Jan 22, 2017)

Just google search ethanol free gas Ohio and you will see the list of 137 stations that carry rec90, plenty around the water.


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## bountyhunter (Apr 28, 2004)

so google your motor and see what the factory set it up for. and go from there. end of year use some stabil. and put it to sleep.


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## Saugeye Tom (Oct 6, 2010)

Shortdrift said:


> I have used regular gas with Ethanol for all my boats, inboard and outboard since 1980 and never had a problem. However, I always used and continue to use fuel stabilizing additives whenever adding gas to my tank. I make it a point to fill my tank and treat with an additive after each trip, same preventative measure as making sure to immediately recharge the batteries.


Same here


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## Saugeye Tom (Oct 6, 2010)

Saugeye Tom said:


> Same here


15 years and a non issue...merc 115 2 stroke...2 bottles of stabil a year


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## Labman1127 (Jul 27, 2012)

I’m a huge fan of Sea Foam. I run it through every engine i own. It. It not only does a great job of stabilizing fuel but it is also a great solution to clean out the top end of your engine with regular use. You can usually find it at Wally World for around $7 for a 16 oz bottle (just don’t buy from the auto parts tire at $13 a bottle!). 
It maybe be overkill but I still use sea foam even with running pure non-ethanol gas in my boat and small engines. 
If you don’t believe me, then dump about 4 oz in your weed whacker or chainsaw and you will notice a difference in performance even on that small of an engine. It will smoke a lot more at first bc it’s burning off all the stored gunk in your fuel system that the Sea Foam breaks lose.


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## missionfishin (Sep 21, 2011)

I recently got a new to me boat with a 9.9 Evinrude and had been using Sea foam every tank. The motor ran ok but would take a few cranks to start. Switched to Startron and I swear it's like a new motor. Starts right up and even picked up 2 mph. Unbelievable difference.

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## humpty dumpty (Nov 30, 2013)

as mentioned above ethanol breaks down the fuel lines,, that also means the ones that go to the carbs. tiny specks of rubber go into the carbs plugging the jets thus causing a lean fuel mixture which will cause that cylinder to run hotter which will cause premature wear. The more cylinders you have the less noticeable this condition is until it wears enough to become a low compression situation then it really gets expensive. I run E free in everything except my autos. I believe if it didn't make a difference they would not even offer an alternative to E10. check with your local small engine repair shops and ask them what is their biggest problem and they will say fuel issues..good luck in your decision and have fun fishing...


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## Dusty Rhoades (Aug 16, 2018)

Does Mercury have their own additive to help with ethanol? I just bought a Tracker from a dealer and they recommended a product, but I wasn't really paying attention.


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## Triple Trouble (Aug 13, 2018)

Thanks to everyone who responded. I'll likely stick with ethanol free until the boat goes in for service and I can speak with the mechanic to see if the lines, gaskets, etc are compatible with E10.


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## Shortdrift (Apr 5, 2004)

Ran my 9.9 Pro Kicker for 9 years with Ethanol and additive Never had a problem and the carb passages don't get much smaller that on those motors. 
Forgot to say, but it helps to have a quality filter too.


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## kycreek (May 31, 2006)

Seafoam in every tank for my boat.


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## Popspastime (Apr 1, 2014)

As long as you run your motor on a regular basis, using a mid-grade fuel should work great. I've kept and run motors from the early 60's with good fuel and their still purring today. I run Shell mid grade every tank, and nearing the end of the season when I slow I start adding Stabil in case I park it. The new Merc's are designed for 87 octane (by the book) but I still step it to 89. One fuel line 6 years ago on a 5 gal tank was replaced with inner break-down has been the only issue I've had since I've been boating. The absolute worst thing you can do is leave it set un-used for long periods.


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## Meerkat (Aug 10, 2008)

Dusty Rhoades said:


> Does Mercury have their own additive to help with ethanol? I just bought a Tracker from a dealer and they recommended a product, but I wasn't really paying attention.


Mercury has a range of products. Quickleen that you are supposed to use once/yr, quickstore that you add if you are going to put the boat away for winter. And fuel treatment that you add each time you add fuel. I use them. They are about the same price as Stanil, etc. 


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## Meerkat (Aug 10, 2008)

Lots of good advice here but one thing I did not see was keep your tank full. Air holds moisture and ethanol has an affinity for moisture so it will suck the moisture out of the air in your tank which dissolves in the ethanol & sinks to bottom of the tank. More air equals more moisture. 


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## Meerkat (Aug 10, 2008)

Here is a recent article on the issue:
https://www.westmarine.com/WestAdvisor/Busting-Ethanol-Fuel-Myths


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