Fuel issues with outboards?

Vans_World

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First time to own an outboard. Getting the Yamaha VF250 SHO and was wondering what octane is recommended? What about Ethanol? Fuel additive?
 
First time to own an outboard. Getting the Yamaha VF250 SHO and was wondering what octane is recommended? What about Ethanol? Fuel additive?
From what I've been able to glean, here are your choices (in order of preference)

1. Regular marine fuel (no ethanol).

2. Regular E-10 with a treatment (I'm using a Lucas product).

3. Regular E-10 (Premium or mid-grade not required).

4. NEVER E-85.

I'll stand aside and let the feathers fly. Good question that will evoke many replies.
 
First time to own an outboard. Getting the Yamaha VF250 SHO and was wondering what octane is recommended? What about Ethanol? Fuel additive?
The best answers to those sort of questions are always found in the manual.

BTW, if you spend most of your time in the lower 1/3 of your RPM range, don't forget to use Ring-Free. If you spend a good part of your day with the engine running in the upper 1/3, you don't need to worry. If you spend a lot of time in the middle of your RPM range, then you can go either way. It's a judgment call, but then again, it couldn't hurt to use it.
 
Vans- I won't banter on this issue as I have in the past. Some swear it is fine and to each his own. Many mechanics claim ethanol is horrible for marine engines, right or wrong.

Based on my readings of engine manufacturers' cautions regarding using ethanol, I have made the decision to only use ethanol free fuel in my boat. It's my personal choice and the extra $1.00/gallon at the marina is cheap insurance IMHO.

Good reading posted by Team Bennington on this site.
 
I was looking at the spec's. With a 10.3:1 compression, you'd be okay with mid grade gasoline. The 93 octane is not really needed--too expensive.

I'm with you on 100% gasoline. Only problem is finding the stuff. I find 93 octane @ 100%, but the rest locally is 90/10.
 
Last season I purchase a Yamaha T 50. I had the same question on my mind. Every salesman that I talked to told me to use premium because of the water issues with ethanol. I then talked to a outboard marine mechanic at the boat show that had nothing to gain or loose. He was not connected to the dealer I purchase my Benny from. He told me to use the octain rating in my manual. Because the computer in the engine is listening for a ping and it will constantly be adjusting its self as needed to burn fuel efficienty. He also commented that if I use the 93 octain it will not hear the ping and will burn inefficiently. He said I would be burning more full than needed and paying more for it.

The mechanice also commented that with Yamaha I do not need to worry about the water issue because every Yamaha comes with an external water filter. He also said to use RING FREE. When my Benny was delivered on May 21st it came with a full tank, 24 gallons. I added RING FREE as it was suggested. It took me until the first weekend in October to almost burn up the 24 gallons. I never has an issue. My outboard ran perfect all season. I clocked 23 hours on the motor and still had just under a quarter of a tank when I pulled it out for the season.

I also remember the mechanic asked me if I was going to leave the Benny in the water all season. I told him yes and he said that is good because the waves will be my friend and would help from the water seperating from the gasoline.

All I can say is I followed his advice and I had no problems.
 
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I use special marine fuel that already has stabalizer and cleaning addatives in it at the pump. It has worked extremely well and I have had no fuel related issues at all. I do add extra stabalizer for winter storage to be safe. There is no ethanol free fuel available in NH as far as I know. If there is, it is not available on my lake.
 
SpinZone: $1 per gallon extra is a pretty tough premium for 100% gasoline. I assume the difference is because it's in a marina.

What always got on my nerves was that our boat docks do not pay road taxes on marine fuel. They buy it like a farmer would "off road" farm diesel--less taxes. The marinas are also dropping that $ in their pockets.

I just don't understand how all our neighbors with their 45' to 55' offshore racing boats can afford to run them all weekend (in the Summer). Burning from 50-75 gallons per hour, the up charge for marina gasoline has to just about kill their pocketbooks. There's no way they could carry 10-15 five gallon cans 50 yards down a steep hill to refuel their boats--and it only last 1 hour on the water.

I just wonder what the difference between 90/10 and 100% gasoline is when it comes to separation. Does 100% fuel have any separation problems too?

I continue to haul my gas down the hill to the boathouse--40 pounds a can. It's saving me about $20 everytime I go after gas.
 
The best answers to those sort of questions are always found in the manual.

BTW, if you spend most of your time in the lower 1/3 of your RPM range, don't forget to use Ring-Free. If you spend a good part of your day with the engine running in the upper 1/3, you don't need to worry. If you spend a lot of time in the middle of your RPM range, then you can go either way. It's a judgment call, but then again, it couldn't hurt to use it.
What is the difference between ring free, sea-foam & sta-bil ?
 
Well, I'm not a chemist or an expert on these products, but as far as I know Ring-Free is meant to prevent carbon buildup on your rings through on-going use at low RPM, Sea Foam is an "After the Fact" engine cleaner and Sta-Bil is a fuel stabilizer for long term storage..
 
Well, I'm not a chemist or an expert on these products, but as far as I know Ring-Free is meant to prevent carbon buildup on your rings through on-going use at low RPM, Sea Foam is an "After the Fact" engine cleaner and Sta-Bil is a fuel stabilizer for long term storage..
Eric,

Are you saying that you don't use Sta-Bil every time you fill up, just for winter storage. I have been putting Sta-Bil in every time I get gas in my 70 4-stroke. I will definitly make the move to Ring Free.

Thanks for all your comments. Really helpfull to us newbies.
 
Eric,

Are you saying that you don't use Sta-Bil every time you fill up.
No, just the the gas cans I set aside for the Zombie Apoc... I mean for my generator. ;)
 
The fuel we use is called valvtech. They have a website with all there info on it. It is specially treated for marine use, it stabilizes fuel and cleans up carbon build up! It has worked great so far :D
 
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