Same with my chainsaw and string trimmer, both by Stihl. Also goes for my lawn tractor which runs straight gas. Those engines have been rode hard and put away wet for years without consequence (yet).
Run the outboard dry
- Thread starter dlewis812
- Start date
I'm here to testify that MagLites will indeed fail as you describe, but it might take longer than the cheapies do. My advice is that if you love your MagLitet, take the batteries out of it when you are not using it. I don't like MagLite because they haven't figured out that at least one flat facet on the casing will prevent the light from rolling away.
The problem with high exhaust heat and high octane gasoline is inherent to the fuel blend - high octane fuel is designed to ignite at a much higher temperature to take advantage of high engine compression. It prevents pre-ignition BUT if the engine is not designed for high octane fuel, like the average small engine, the fuel is still burning when the exhaust valves open and the heat envelopes the valves and the exhaust ports. The valves and seats are damaged by heat they were not designed to see. The engine may even produce noticeably less power since your fuel burn was suboptimal and much of it went out the exhaust ports.
You will see this manifested by glowing exhaust manifolds and headers. Back in my sport-bike days we had a guy who decided if 93 octane was good, 103 av gas must be better. He burned up his exhaust valves in a single season. And his bike had less “umph” at top speed where it needed the power to push through the air resistance. Engine manufacturers know the optimum fuel octane rating for their engines, follow their guidance.
I bought a 2nd small fuel tank for my ethanol free fuel ( the expensive small engine gas.). About 15 minutes before the end of the day, I switch the hose to this tank. This makes sure that no ethanol sits in the engine. I'm only using about a quart of the expensive gas each year this way. I also have a good water separating filter on the fuel line.
OK, I've decided to try a couple of those 32 oz. cans of ethanol free small engine fuel mentioned by CarlN. I have an older 2 stroke 3 HP Mercury outboard for the dink. Does anybody have a guess as to "mileage" I might get? A can is just a 1/4 gallon and wondering how long I might be able to motor on that before adding another. I've never really been concerned about fuel consumption previously as a tankful (small size on this little motor) can last me all summer.
NotCook
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- Dec 29, 2008
- 805
No doubt that is why you smell French fries whenever he drives past...
I started using Trufuel last season with my brand new Tohatsu because we use very little fuel and storing gas was a consideration. I bought 4 cans for a month long cruise last year and came back with a little less than 2. Our outboard only holds .3G so I can’t say what the mileage is, but we don’t have a dog to run ashore and we used it mainly in calm conditions when we didn’t feel like using a launch.
Very happy with the stuff and for our usage the price premium and ease of getting it is well worth it for us....
For your old outboard, it's an even better idea. You can buy Truefuel (there are three or four other brands) premixed with oil at both 50:1 and 40:1 ratios. The quart cans are super easy to use to fill an integral tank. Just keep a spare can in the dinghy. Much easier than a jerry jug. No mess. No fuss and the outboard will ALWAYS start. A 3HP engine sips fuel. How often do you refill the tank now? Ethanol fuel also reduces fuel mileage by about 10%. The 8 quart case Truefuel price is a real savings. Even after you open the can, the shelf life is 2 years.
if not already posted, you can find non ethanol at pure-gas.org
click your state.
when I used regular e-10 I would put in stabil and use it up to 8 months later.
I run the gas out of 2 strokes. don't own a 4 stroke.
click your state.
when I used regular e-10 I would put in stabil and use it up to 8 months later.
I run the gas out of 2 strokes. don't own a 4 stroke.
Thanks for the suggestion. I picked up a couple cans at the local auto parts store. An integral tank on the motor will last all summer. But I wasn't sure how much my tank holds so I was trying to get a bead on how much of this new fuel I should have around on the boat.
When buying premix fuel, try to be aware if it is made with oil that is spec'd for air cooled 2-stroke motors or water cooled. Most outboards are water cooled & should be run on TCW-3 spec oil. The premix stuff that I have seen is mostly for chainsaws & therefore mixed with air-cooled spec oil.
interesting......thanks. Truefuel is mixed with synthetic but beyond that, I don't believe there are any specs on the oil. I'll see what I can look up.