# Old outboard motor...fuel



## BPturkeys (Sep 13, 2007)

Like me, all my equipment is getting old. For the last few years the old Evinrude 9.9 (1976 model) just wouldn't run like it used to. Idle was a little rough, not quite the power it used to have. I never gave the fuel I used a second thought beyond making sure the mix was correct and the gas was fresh...just figured she was getting old and wearing out.
PROBLEM SOLVED! On recommendation from some smarter than me people I bought and I am now using non-ethanol fuel. The old girl is running much better.


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## Fowlmouth (Oct 4, 2008)

Ethanol is the devil! -()/>-


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## one4fishing (Jul 2, 2015)

Might be considered snake oil by some but ever since I started running sea foam and ethanol free gas every piece of gas powered equipment I run starts and runs just fine after coming out of storage. 


P. S. I also properly winterize everything before storing so that’s probably a big part of it too.


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## Liatry (Nov 10, 2019)

one4fishing said:


> Might be considered snake oil by some but ever since I started running sea foam and ethanol free gas every piece of gas powered equipment I run starts and runs just fine after coming out of storage.
> 
> P. S. I also properly winterize everything before storing so that's probably a big part of it too.


+1


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## DallanC (Jan 13, 2009)

A couple weeks ago on our return camping trip I stopped in Heber and filled the toyhauler fuel station with 40gal of pure ethanol free 91 octane. Should last me quite a while (I hope). Hard to get 91 octane blue gas in the valley.



-DallanC


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## goosefreak (Aug 20, 2009)

DallanC said:


> A couple weeks ago on our return camping trip I stopped in Heber and filled the toyhauler fuel station with 40gal of pure ethanol free 91 octane. Should last me quite a while (I hope). Hard to get 91 octane blue gas in the valley.
> 
> -DallanC


And the name of this fuel stop is??????


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## DallanC (Jan 13, 2009)

Oh sorry, should have mentioned it: Silver Eagle

This site is convenient to find stations with good gas:

https://www.pure-gas.org/index.jsp?stateprov=UT

-DallanC


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## hondodawg (Mar 13, 2013)

^^^^^^^^^^THIS^^^^^^^^


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## pollo70 (Aug 15, 2016)

Ethanol free... is a game changer


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## shaner (Nov 30, 2007)

Don’t forget that running too high of an octane in your engine is almost as bad as too low of an octane.
Check your manufacturer specs and run the specified octane.
The manufacturer did not spend millions in RandD for nothing.


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## PBH (Nov 7, 2007)

one4fishing said:


> Might be considered snake oil by some but ever since I started running sea foam and ethanol free gas...


I'm no mechanic, so someone please help me understand this. I thought running ethanol free meant you didn't need to worry about fuel stabilizers?

I've started running ethanol free in all my small engines, as well as my boat.


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## DallanC (Jan 13, 2009)

PBH said:


> I'm no mechanic, so someone please help me understand this. I thought running ethanol free meant you didn't need to worry about fuel stabilizers?
> 
> I've started running ethanol free in all my small engines, as well as my boat.


All fuel degrades over time... so you have to ask yourself just what you are trying to stabilize, the separation of fuel, degradation of fuel etc etc. The best way to prevent separation of ethanol is to not use it.

Ethanol is hygroscopic, it absorbs water... and as it does, it separates with the heavier sludge falling to the bottom. Most equipment has a fuel tank above the carb, so more and more sludge builds up in the bottom of the carb and thickens, which plugs jets.

Ethanol also reacts badly to fuel lines and gaskets not rated for it. It will dissolve some rubber... and as it does some of that rubber aids in plugging carbs.

Some ethanol treatments DO NOT PREVENT SEPARATION. They try and make the separated sludge "burnable", so the engine will still run and burn the sludge. The youtube channel Project Farm did alot of testing on fuel treatments, you should look into some of those.

I'm completely off of Stabil now, its crap. Seafoam can aid in some cleaning... but its hit or miss in my experience. What I do love now, and am having great luck with is Pri-G. Its an entirely different kind of stabilizer and works so much better than Stabil.

https://www.amazon.com/PRI-CP123-Gasoline-Treatment-oz/dp/B0000AXY97

-DallanC


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## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

The problem with octane levels is that the manufactures rate it at sea level. Bring it up a few thousand feet and you can reduce it. 

That is why is along the coast you will not find 85 octane fuel, the minimum will be 87. The manufactures will recommend that you run 87 but it isn't needed at 5000 feet+


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## DallanC (Jan 13, 2009)

Critter said:


> The problem with octane levels is that the manufactures rate it at sea level. Bring it up a few thousand feet and you can reduce it.
> 
> That is why is along the coast you will not find 85 octane fuel, the minimum will be 87. The manufactures will recommend that you run 87 but it isn't needed at 5000 feet+


Thats a great point. IDK if most people even understand what "octane rating" even means. They think its better because its more expensive.

Octane rating is simply a measurement of how much you can compress fuel before it detonates. You need higher octane for engines with higher compression due to higher compression pistons or turbos / superchargers.

Low octane fuel in a higher compression engine will "detonate" before the piston has reached the top of its stroke, it pushes back on the rising piston causing shock and that "pinging" sound at higher rpm. Its can literally explode and create tiny craters on the top of your pistons destroying them. Pinging in general is super hard on connecting rods, bearings and even valves / valve seats.

89 Octane at our elevation is about 91 octane at sea level.

-DallanC


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