Ethanol VS Non-Ethanol Fuels and Sta-bil Marine 360

[mbhenry1955]

Looking for opinions and/or real time knowledge.


I have a 2016 Honda 250 and I see decals stating (non-ethanol fuels).


Considering this engine is the basically the same engine that's in the Accord (V-Tec), why non-ethanol?


I use Sta-bil Marine 360 all the time and we're on the water every week, considering a 2 dollar a gallon difference in my area and a 53 gallon tank, will I be OK using Ethanol fuels?


My boat/engine combination is very thirsty and I'm just trying to ease the $$ crunch next season!


My Dealer is not saying much either way.


Thanks


Mike

 

[myv10]

While non ethanol can be purchased at some marinas, any motor that I have had experience with in the last 16 years are set up to run on 10% ethanol with no problems. anything more than 10% can cause problems like fuel lines deteriorating. If all else fails, call Honda marine for advice.

 

[lakeliving]

What does the owners manual state?

 

[mbhenry1955]

I just re-read the owners manual and it states 10% or less, but there are stickers on it saying non-ethanol only.


Just making sure!

 

[Link]

This is a debate that has gone on for some time.  Personally I don't use anything but Non ethanol in my boat as well as ride-on mower, snowblower etc.  To do so for my Benni I have to lug it in via 5-gallon but cans which is a PIA.  I would love the ease of pulling the boat up to the marina pumps but I just feel much more comfortable and secure using non-ethanol.


I am not sure of the cost savings as the non ethanol is only available in premium octane versus the cost of the marine stable gas at the marinas.  I would imagine it is so close that the difference is negligible. 

 

[Jack M]

Non Ethanol only here too 

 

[Havasu]

We recently got two stations selling non ethanol (91) fuel which is what I use now.  Not cheap but ethanol gas can really cause problems.  I use Sta-Bil and while I've not had any issues with my boat or jet skis (yet), I have had problems with my dirt bikes.  One of my bikes had clogged jets (happens every year after the bike sits) but the plastic inside the petcock was eaten away and the filter inside the fuel tank completely disintegrated.  Even with Sta-Bil the fuel smelled very bad.  When I now use non ethanol fuel, it smells the way gas used to.  I'm not a fan of ethanol fuel at all.

 

[Jack M]

Here is a list of ethanol free stations ,sort-able by state 


http://pure-gas.org/index.jsp?stateprov=MI

 

[BigKahuna]

Been lucky to have had a marina in Virginia that had non ethanol fuel and all fuel on Lake Norman is E free. Our boat has never had ethanol fuel in it.


I use non ethanol fuel in EVERYTHING but our vehicles. I have had some damage done to a gas blower and weedwacker in the past. (Fuel lines deteriorating right in my hand)

 

[Pittsburgh]

When I purchased my Yamaha 90 


I spoke with their rep by phone and was told any gas could be burned in motor 


Have to say I was shocked 


I burn what the marina here sells No Ethanol 


Better Safe Than Sorry 


And Much Safer and Easier than Hauling and Storing Gas 

 

[mbhenry1955]

This is why I'm asking.


I have used 10% ethanol fuel for since it came out in everything I own including all my boats, mowers, blowers , weed eaters, well you get the picture.


And I have never had a problem with anything.


I don't even run my fuel out of my mower at the end of season and it's 20 years old and never had any problems.


Since we are paying 2.29 a gallon for gas for the car and 4.00 at the fuel dock for the boat, (and my boat is VERY VERY thirsty) you can see why I'm asking.


I've never had a boat go through this much fuel!!!!


Over 600.00 in fuel for 40 hours on the engine averaging 3000 to 3500 RPMs!!

 

[Link]

I believe you are stating that 600.00 is $600


$600 divided by $4/gal is 150 gallons [262 gallons if you were were paying $2.29]


Here is a link to a Yamaha VMax 250 on a 2375 GCWA. 


http://yamahaoutboards.com/sites/default/files/bulletins/BNT_2375GCWA_VF250XA_2015-08-18_PNT_1.pdf


It states that cruising at 3000rpm / uses 6 gallons/hour = 240 gallons for 40 hours


 and at 3500rpm uses 8.1gph = 324 gallons


So if you were paying $4 gallon you are doing very well;  if you were paying $2.29 you are pretty much on target. 


Kind of makes my Yamaha 115 which gets 2.2 gph at 3000rpm a little more palatable 

 

[mattb]

If I can pull thru the pumps, I get the 10%.   22' of truck, 25' of boat,motor,trailer.  OEM says 10% is ok.  3000 rpm, youre lucky, mine wants to run wide open all the time.

 

[lakeliving]

We don't have a marina on our puddle and run 10% as that is what my manual says it can handle as well. I also always treat the fuel and it doesn't stay in the tank long!

 

[mbhenry1955]

I just talk to another dealer and he said that with my engine @ 4000 RPMs I should use about 10 gallons an hour.

 

[Indian_Lake_Bum]

We used just under $500 ($477.30 to be exact) in fuel this past summer with roughly 100 hours of use.  Granted we used fuel from the fuel docks (non-ethanol) all summer at a cost of $3.69 a gallon even though it was right at $2.00 at any of the stations uptown.  


The first year we did carry 5 gallon cans from home (e-10 treated with marine stabil) on holiday weekends when the fuel docks were going to be swamped and the price normally goes up as well.  That fuel never sat in the tank more than a few days (a week at the longest) before we used it up.  At the end of the first year (after using the e-10 with stabil half the summer) we changed the fuel/water seperator filter and drained it into a clear container and found no water or dirt in it.....just clean fuel.  


With our membership in the USFBA we can tax deduct our boat fuel and mileage to and from the lake.  The organization is a non-profit that promotes boat safety and the main goal of "boaters helping boaters" while out on the water......not a bad deal for the $20 annual membership fee.

 

[Pittsburgh]

87 Octane here is 2.26/ US Gallon


I am hoping that our marina Gas will not exceed 3.24 / US Gallon 


Which seemed high last year 

Unfortunately we filled up only once last summer 


Hoping to be on the water more this coming summer 

 

[Indian_Lake_Bum]

Fuel at the marina docks all last summer was $3.69......roughly $1.00-1.50 higher than at the pumps uptown.  Looks like the coming summer will be as bad if not worse since the gas prices have been steadily on the rise over the last few months.

 

[adkboater]

Always had non-ethanol available where we boat in New York, either on the water or at the pumps along the way. Never paid that much attention to cost, gotta have it either way!  It has always been hi test but I was up over the New Years and found non-ethanol 87 octane at the pumps. I always bring it home to use in my small engines and dirt bike. Always use K-100 stabilizer in the boat...every tank. Good insurance. 


BTW- anyone explain why my diesel fuel cost less in the middle of the adirondaks than in SE Pa 30 miles from the refinery??

 

[SEMPERFI8387]

BTW- anyone explain why my diesel fuel cost less in the middle of the adirondaks than in SE Pa 30 miles from the refinery??

Because we in Pa. have the HIGHEST fuel tax in the nation and that's at the state level. Throw in any city, borough, municipality tax on top and it's a big hit to the wallet. Hard to believe we surpass Ca. in fuel tax.