Questions about ethanol free gas

[bffatcat]

There has been some discussion about problems for newer 4 cycle outboards caused by gas
with ethanol in it. 1. if I was able to obtain ethanol free gas how long will it keep?
2 Are there any laws about using ethanol free gas in a small outboard. Frankly im tired of dumping whats left in my cars gas tank after a month. When I bought the outboard the dealer told me do not use gas that is more than 30 days old. Being able to carry more fuel
and not having to worry about it going bad would be nice

 

[RichH]

A stabilizer formulated to counteract the degradation of ethanol 'laced' gasoline ... an example:
http://www.defender.com/product.jsp?path=-1|311|302335|531412&id=1055251

Gasoline has a 'shelf life' of approx 30 days. With the proper stabilizer you can get up to one year. Chemically its essentially the same 'stuff' that keeps mayonnaise from becoming 'rancid' - polysorbate-80 ++++.

BTW most stabilizers will boost the octane number of the fuel. Good for engines that were designed for use with the higher octane ('regular') fuels.

 

[sailaway78]

Ethanol free gas

The only ethanol free gas I see in this area is from a couple of smaller independents. And there is no guarantee it's ethanol free, as I suspect they buy from various sources. I use Sta-bil and as a general rule only buy one gallon at a time. This will last a pretty good while in my little dink motor, but regardless, after two months I put it in my car. I also always run the carb. dry after each days usage. The little 2hp suzie 2 stroke on my dink has given absolutely no problems in two years.

 

[Deleted member 78819]

Non-oxygenated fuel...

There has been some discussion about problems for newer 4 cycle outboards caused by gas
with ethanol in it. 1. if I was able to obtain ethanol free gas how long will it keep?
2 Are there any laws about using ethanol free gas in a small outboard. Frankly I'm tired of dumping whats left in my cars gas tank after a month. When I bought the outboard the dealer told me do not use gas that is more than 30 days old. Being able to carry more fuel
and not having to worry about it going bad would be nice

Some information here: http://www.fuel-testers.com/expiration_of_ethanol_gas.html

Gasoline with ethanol has a shelf life of a month or so, depending on how it is stored. A couple of weeks in a small engine on the transom will allow a lot of the higher sprites to waft away leaving you with a product that is less peppy and that can gum up your float/jets. Stabil will extend the life of the fuel in your outboard by at least a month or two. Again, it depends on how it is stored. Hanging on the transom in the sun is worst case. I will last months in a cool garage. Non-oxygenated, ethanol free gasoline, can last years in a cool garage. On the transom it doesn't degrade nearly as fast as an ethanol blend but even so I always put a shot of Stabil and a shot of Seafoam in a gallon just for luck and managed to avoid having carburetor problems for years. Seafoam does a nice job of cleaning/preventing gum/varnish from forming. Our marina sold the good stuff at the gas dock, and we have a couple of stations near the lake that sell it too. It can be hard to find though... If you can find the good stuff you may still need to dump what's left in the truck's tank once in a while but not nearly so often.

 

[Patrick S/V Shangra-La]

Most of the marinas in this area offer ethanol free gas. I buy it for my lawn mower. With stabil in it it will last a year. Usually I only have it in the mower for a month or 2 no problems yet. Yes it costs more but to me it is worth it.

 

[Bryce22345]

aviation fuel

I've had a lot of problems with ethanol gas in my Yamaha 8hp 2 stroke over the years. I use stabil and still have problems. been thinking about getting aviation fuel to use in the small motors. a bit pricey but no ethanol. any thoughts out there?

 

[Winkfish]

Sulrich hit it on the head. I have 2 12 gallon tanks. I use StaBil whenever I add gasoline, with or without ethanol (not always easy to get without these days), and my gas will often sit in the tank for 4 months or more. No problems yat. StaBil has a blue formula specifically designed to help with ethanol gas. I also use Sea Foam to keep down the carbon buildup.

 

[RichH]

Here's a link where you can find Valvtect Marine fuels ---

Diesel fuel is already stabilized.
Marine/Recreational gasoline is already stabilized and contains NO ETHANOL.

http://www.valvtect.com/marina_search.asp