2 replies to this topic

[NVislandia]

In many areas gasoline is now being refined with 10% ethanol as MTBE is phased out. Many boat engines (my 240 EFI included) are not supposed to be fueled with ethanol (also true of aircraft engines). Some states, like Montana, have recognized this and allowed non-ethanol gasoline to be distributed for non-automotive uses. While this is good, I don't know if the oil companies will want the hassle of separate distribution.

In any event, as I understand it, all gasoline refined in Calif. now has ethanol, which means most of Nevada, most of Arizona and other states are receiving this blend as well. Is this going to cause short term damage to our engines or is this a long term issue? I can deal with replacing hoses a little more often but I wonder why Mercury had the warning in the first place?

[R-Doo]

Here's a site about Mercury outboard motors;Scream & Fly


In the tech articles this is a reply to the same question;

I am from a part of the country that has very little gasohol. But I would try avoiding its use in an outboard engine. Gasohol, like many alternative fuels, has a higher specific gravity than standard fuels. This factor may create fuel delivery problems, since the fuel system in an outboard engine is not as adaptable as automotive systems. Additionally, I have not researched the compatibility of gasohol and 2 cycle oil, so it is better to play it safe and avoid it for now.

[NVislandia]

Thanks for the link to that site, dug around there and found quite a bit of discussion of ethanol. The bottom line seems to be, it depends, on how old your engine, tank and hoses are, performance state of tune, etc. I guess we'll all find out as there isn't a choice for most areas.