F'ing ethanol - is it better to treat or not?

**Steve2ManyBoats** · 09-18-2014, 09:41 PM

Background - I have a few boats with inboard gas tanks that live in salt water at my docks at my houses in Annapolis and Ocean City MD. They usually get used at least once a week, but I still have been fighting ethanol problems for the last year or so in the three boats. I can't get non-ethanol gas in either location.

I have Racor 10 micron water separator filters on all my boats. I regularly use Stabil ethanol treatment but I still have been having ethanol related problems. Periodically, my water separator bowls will get cloudy. No water on the bottom, but the whole bowl is cloudy. When this happens, the motors will run poorly for a few minutes till the fuel in the bowl is used and the bowl clears out. Water is not precipitating out. When I drain the bowl, there is no water, just cloudy fuel.

Sometimes, if the boats sit for a while, I have had various rough running problems. When I pull the carbs to break them down to check them, I sometimes find a jello-like substance in the bowls and the jets. It's not varnish. It is very soft and cleans easily.

I assume the cloudiness and jelling I'm finding is the fuel stabilizer reacting with ethanol and water (probably from condensation). I never seem to have any water in the bottom of the fuel separator bowls but I still periodically get cloudiness in the bowls and jelling in the carbs.

I'm wondering if I'd be better off not using any ethanol treatment and just let whatever water gets in my inboard tanks settle out in the water separator bowl so I can drain it off. It seems like the water is causing more problems by trying to keep it from settling out.

Anyone finding similar problems? Any ideas how best to address?

Thanks...Steve2ManyBoats.

**XstreamVking** · 09-19-2014, 12:48 AM

Never used any ethanol fixing fuel additives. Have 2 charter boats I run. Both optimax powered. Same motor for my Hydrostream. Get a little water from the racor filter once in a while. Fairly normal...I figure that the snake oil is just as bad for the motor as the ethanol fuel itself. Try and keep the tank low on fuel and add just what you will use for the days run. It keeps fresh fuel in the tank. jm 2 cts

**Ron V** · 09-19-2014, 05:57 PM

The gel in the carbs is likely from the Sta-Bil. I don't use it for that reason and had the same trouble with OMC 2 + 4 fuel conditioner years ago. I've used Sta-Bil with success but I've also had trouble with it and I never had trouble when I didn't use a stabilizer! Run the boats often, mix some Sea Foam in the last tank of the year and run the carbs dry. Store the tanks as empty as possible in the off season. Been running ethanol here for over 20 years.

**dwilfong** · 09-19-2014, 06:48 PM

May sound insane but to get ride of meth in the fuel add water to the fuel. then pump it out till you get gas again.
The water will soak up the meth like a sponge.

**Riptide** · 09-19-2014, 07:43 PM

When you use a boat very frequently and fill the tank quite often I don't think the corn juice has near the effect as compared to only using the boat periodically and letting the fuel sit in the tanks for a unspecified period wherefore allowing more water from condensation to acquire.

I would try Sentry or K100, suppose to be superior over average fuel stabilizes.

**Mr. Demeanor** · 09-19-2014, 10:35 PM

Originally Posted by dwilfong

May sound insane but to get ride of meth in the fuel add water to the fuel. then pump it out till you get gas again.
The water will soak up the meth like a sponge.

Meth?

**dwilfong** · 09-20-2014, 07:03 AM

sorry one to many posting again.
Had methanol on the brain.LOL

**Steve2ManyBoats** · 09-20-2014, 02:48 PM

Based on the comments posted here, the more I think about it, the more I'm inclined to stop treating my fuel to avoid water and just let any water precipitate out in my Racor water separator's fuel bowl and drain it when I see it. That's why I bought the expensive Racors in the first place. When I treat the fuel with the "blue" Stabil, the ethanol/water mix doesn't fall down to the bottom of the Racor fuel bowl so I can't drain it off. Then it gets into my carbs causing all kinds of problems.

I'm thinking I should just mix my gas with Penzoil XLF, not treat it with any kind of ethanol treatment and keep an eye on the Racor fuel bowl to drain off any water that gets in to my tanks.

As before, advice and experiences appreciated.

Thanks...Steve2ManyBoats.

**XstreamVking** · 09-20-2014, 04:09 PM

Mixing oil with gas will help to stabilize it some what. But the real trick is to keep the fuel as fresh as possible.

**Steve2ManyBoats** · 09-20-2014, 06:46 PM

It's hard to predict my fuel usage when fishing, which is what my wife and I are up most of our time on the water. Sometimes we can get into fish a mile or two from our canal. Other times we may have a pretty long run. Add to that our boats are in the water at two houses 125 miles apart, we take a lot of road trips (I'm retired after 30 years of busting ass) and I've had to spend a lot of time dealing with aging issues for my elderly mom and before you know it any one of my boats might wind up sitting for a couple of months.

I'm getting convinced that it's better to drain off random water from my Racor than try to treat the fuel with an ethanol treatment and wind up with jello in my carbs.

Funny thing is you read in many of the boating mags and marine trades that ethanol treatment is mandatory.

Thanks...Steve2ManyBoats.

**Riptide** · 09-20-2014, 08:01 PM

For what it's worth.
Sentry Fuel Treatment

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7eap3DYr11I

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bSoZfvadB9c

K100 is suppose to be same technology.

**Euroski** · 09-20-2014, 08:17 PM

Originally Posted by dwilfong

May sound insane but to get ride of meth in the fuel add water to the fuel. then pump it out till you get gas again.
The water will soak up the meth like a sponge.

What happens to the octane level with the ethanol removed? Lower I presume?

**Mr. Demeanor** · 09-20-2014, 09:12 PM

There is NO treatment for ethanol period. There is no magic potion that you can pour a few ounces of in tour tank and eliminate the alcohol or its bad effects. You have to remember what 10% means. For every 10 gallons of fuel you have in your tank, 9 are gasoline and one whole gallon of straight alcohol. Its a lot!
The best treatment is good maintenance and not leaving the stuff in your tank long. Run your tank low and dont fill up until your ready to use it. I have been doing this with zero problems. My fishing boat holds 135 gallons. I installed a line off my racor filter than I can run out the drain plug in the transom and with a cheap Mr. Gasket fuel pump, transfer fuel to my truck pretty quick. If my fuel is getting a couple months old, I pump it out.

**Glasstream15** · 09-21-2014, 01:39 AM

I guess we're lucky here in Northeast Florida with Non-Ethanol gas. Almost all Gate stations and a lot of marinas carry it. Seems like it costs a whole lot to leave something out, but it's well worth it. I even occasionally use it in my car. Seems to run smoother and gets at least 5% better gas mileage. Just too expensive to use all the time. But my boat seems to have more power, even though I set the timing back from 21 to 19 because the NonE gas is 89 not 93. Also use NonE in lawn stuff and it all runs better and starts easier. And I use StarTron in the boat and lawn stuff.