Boat gas maintenance

[lanyard]

Okay,

over the years I've been working on getting crap set-up right, but now think I MIGHT be serious about it.

1) are you using sea foam/stabil with non-oxy mixed fuel? If so, why?

2) anyone using an inline water filter?

3) at what point is gas "bad"? The inter webs are full of BS. I'm certain there is an Air-Nado Multi-Carb Flat Fuel Injection Super Charger to fix it.... but experience tells me there are better rules of thumb used by people with common sense.

I've generally been low concern on this front but am getting to old and too short on time to mess around with crap.. I use well "worn" gear because I'm a broke and cheap bastard, but am getting too crotchety to cover my kiester with oars anymore.... figure I'll try preventative maintenance before dropping coin on anything made this century.

[dwendt]

I guess I've always just been able to tell by dumping a bit out and seeing if it's irregularly dark. That's all it takes for me, I don't use sea foam on my classic truck which sits all winter, I start it up every once and a while in the winter. Should probably use sea foam to help protect the motor.

[cstemig]

I run a simple 1989 Evinrude 2-stroke motor. To keep it running smooth and have easier starts, I add 2-ounces of Sea Foam to every gallon of gas that I mix for it. Maybe that is overkill, but it beats a poorly running motor and the cost of a carb rebuild. In my experiences, today's pump gas gets gunky after sitting for several months. If I store leftover gas for my boat, mowers, chainsaws, and trimmers, I add Stabil or Sea Foam to the gas.

[Goldfish]

1) are you using sea foam/stabil with non-oxy mixed fuel? If so, why?

2) anyone using an inline water filter?

3) at what point is gas "bad"?

I use stabil with non-oxy to prevent it from breaking down because I hardly use one tank per year.

Don't use a filter

It's bad when it starts absorbing water or turning to varnish. How/why it does that, I don't know. I'm not a magician.


Why wouldn't you use a stabilizer in your fuel? If you get the marine grade stabil it is supposed to eat the ethanol which is bad for the gaskets and lines in older engines.

[h2ofwlr]

Stabil is great for oxy gas to keep the gas/alcohol from seperating.

But Stabil also minimizes condensation which as easily form in a metal container and why I use it in storage situations for non oxy gas.

I use Seafoam for another purpose--cleaning the jets, no different then in a truck.

I don't use an inline filter, but pretty good idea to do so.

[Nershi]

I was told to try Star Tron. Supposedly it turns the bad stuff into fuel. It seemed to work okay. I put it in before I wanted to use the motor, not before I put it away. I'm not sure if it is okay with mixed gas or not.

The best thing to do is drain all the gas out at the end of the year and start or attempt to start the engine until it won't even fire so you burn everything out of the carbs and lines. I have been doing it on my auger and should probably start doing it on all my small engines.

For small motors you can't beat the 3 hp evinrudes and johnson's from the late 50-60's. Weedless prop and you can run em right through rice. They start and run like a champ. We have never treated the gas and they have always ran fine....knock on wood. If you keep an eye on craigslist you can find em for around $300. My buddy just picked up another one. I think it is the 5th in our fleet now.

[lanyard]

I've got a '66 Merc 110 (9.8) that is my primary. the mid 80's Merc 4 has always been a high maintenance piece, I don't know that I like the tank in the top.

I went with 1 oz Sea Foam and 1 oz Stabil Marine. The vents on the gas tanks always seem to let moisture in during hunting season (in and out of the boat, dogs, decoys, whatever). I'll likely skip the filter for now.

The 9.8 went off in 5 pulls and was idling like a champ on the 3rd start. but now the inevitable... need to service the water mechanisms, which will most likely be dropping the lower unit and installing a new impeller.

I'd love to find one of the old evinrude/johnsons in a 3 hp as it would work on my canoe... if I can keep it attached to the trailer

Thanks for the help in sorting out the b.s. They all say they cure everything, but for how much gas I go through an extra $10 a year isn't going to rock the boat too poorly.