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Ethanol - The Truth


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From the title of the thread you may think I have the "truth". I don't. I have searched this forum and find lots of mentions of ethanol in fuel and it's harmful effects on marine engines (or not) but I find myself more confused than ever.

I have a 2009 23 Wakesetter LSV with a Monsoon 350. I know the manual says ethanol is not recommended. But what I'm really confused about is what several dealers are telling me. Here's what I'm hearing:

1. Ethanol is OK. You'll have no harmful effects but don't mix non-ethanol with ethanol fuel.

2. Ethanol is bad. It will ruin your engine.Don't use it under any circumstance.

3. Ethanol is OK if you use the new Sta Bil fuel treatment for Marine engines with ethanol fuel.

4. Good question...I don't know.

I have several friends with Malibu's (Wakesetters with Monsoons) from '06 - '08 models . Two guys use ethanol all the time with no problems and don't winterize other than draining the block. One uses ethanol but treats it with Sta Bil and only drains the block in winter with no problems.

So I'm confused. I'm trying to make sense of the "ethanol" issue and Mailbu's recommendation.

Any thoughts?

CSK

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happy to give you what I think is the "truth" :biggrin:

If you use your boat regularly and use marine Stabil during the winter you won't have any issues. You will not ruin the engine, that is absurd. If you tend to clock fewer hours on your boat, or your boat is stored on the water, I would use the stabil all the time.

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I think ethanol in your boat is like smoke in your lungs. Its not going to kill you rigth away but its definately not doing any good.

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I just did a basic Google search on ethanol's negative effects on engines and found this interesting article. Here's a good snippet:

And there are active lawsuits from boat owners; ethanol broke down the resins in their fiberglass gas tanks, destroying their marine engines.

Apparently ethanol also attracts moisture, adding it to your fuel mixture. NOT good for any part of an engine. I don't know about anyone else, I'm searching for pure gas for the Bu from now on.

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If allowed to sit ethanol will come out of suspention and seperate from the gas. all the while attracting and holding water. If you use your boat regularly the only issues you will have are an increased chance of vapor lock on some boats (boats with the fuel pump mounted on the side of the engine) and slightly lower power. If the boat is allowed to sit, you CAN have seperation issues and moisture issues with the fuel. Marine StayBil should help with this but wont entirely insure it wont happen. You could also end up with some corrosion issues with the icrease of moisture in the fuel.

I try to avoid it in my boat mostly because of the vapor lock issues mentioned earler.

As for the artical yes ethanol WILL disolve the resines in fiberglass so if you spill it you should clean it imeadetly if a leak then a real problem. the law suit is about older boats with figerglass tanks something most of us don't have.

Hope this helps

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From the title of the thread you may think I have the "truth". I don't. I have searched this forum and find lots of mentions of ethanol in fuel and it's harmful effects on marine engines (or not) but I find myself more confused than ever.

I have a 2009 23 Wakesetter LSV with a Monsoon 350. I know the manual says ethanol is not recommended. But what I'm really confused about is what several dealers are telling me. Here's what I'm hearing:

1. Ethanol is OK. You'll have no harmful effects but don't mix non-ethanol with ethanol fuel.

2. Ethanol is bad. It will ruin your engine.Don't use it under any circumstance.

3. Ethanol is OK if you use the new Sta Bil fuel treatment for Marine engines with ethanol fuel.

4. Good question...I don't know.

I have several friends with Malibu's (Wakesetters with Monsoons) from '06 - '08 models . Two guys use ethanol all the time with no problems and don't winterize other than draining the block. One uses ethanol but treats it with Sta Bil and only drains the block in winter with no problems.

So I'm confused. I'm trying to make sense of the "ethanol" issue and Mailbu's recommendation.

Any thoughts?

CSK

The Monsoon 350 Manual states that Ethanol is OK provided it's not more than 10%.

It then states that METHANOL is NOT to be used.

Page 5-2 /5-3

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I just did a basic Google search on ethanol's negative effects on engines and found this interesting article. Here's a good snippet:

Apparently ethanol also attracts moisture, adding it to your fuel mixture. NOT good for any part of an engine. I don't know about anyone else, I'm searching for pure gas for the Bu from now on.

Very true but it takes time....if you use your boat a lot, or even just once every two weeks, it will be burned before it is a problem. It doesn't exactly fill the tank with water overnight.

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Very true but it takes time....if you use your boat a lot, or even just once every two weeks, it will be burned before it is a problem. It doesn't exactly fill the tank with water overnight.

Ethanol is highly hygroscopic. I've seen stats that show ethanol-containing fuels start drawing enough moisture into it to cause problems after only two weeks (this is dependent on the amount of humidity in the air). I would use Stabil regularly unless you are burning through fuel on a consistent basis.

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Ethanol is highly hygroscopic. I've seen stats that show ethanol-containing fuels start drawing enough moisture into it to cause problems after only two weeks (this is dependent on the amount of humidity in the air). I would use Stabil regularly unless you are burning through fuel on a consistent basis.

Who is on the same tank of gas for after two weeks? :crazy:;)

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Who is on the same tank of gas for after two weeks? :crazy:;)

i wish a tank would last two weeks

just ran through a tank in one day :biggrin:

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Its real simple, Ethanol is a solvent. If you feel like running a solvent through your motor laced with water is okay. Then go for it.

Like everyone else said above, it also wicks moisture.

I am not using it. I have several gas stations that have non-ethanol gas so I fill the boat and the gas cans for the mower, weed eater and chain saw with GAS!

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Its real simple, Ethanol is a solvent. If you feel like running a solvent through your motor laced with water is okay. Then go for it.

Like everyone else said above, it also wicks moisture.

I am not using it. I have several gas stations that have non-ethanol gas so I fill the boat and the gas cans for the mower, weed eater and chain saw with GAS!

OK

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I been using 10% ethanol (because that what all our gas stations have) for more than a few years and to my knowledge there has been no effect on my boats (99 Sunsetter and 88 Bass Tracker). What I’m afraid of is what might happen when we’re mandated with 15% ethanol.

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I been using 10% ethanol (because that what all our gas stations have) for more than a few years and to my knowledge there has been no effect on my boats (99 Sunsetter and 88 Bass Tracker). What I’m afraid of is what might happen when we’re mandated with 15% ethanol.

So whats better to always fill tank with gas ,and stabil so it can't produce as much moisture ,or only put the amount of fuel you'll burn in a couple days?Whats every one else doing?

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So whats better to always fill tank with gas ,and stabil so it can't produce as much moisture ,or only put the amount of fuel you'll burn in a couple days?Whats every one else doing?

I usually fill my tanks when I when I get home from the lake and only add Stabil when I winterize. Now, is that the best this to do? I don’t know, that’s just what I do.

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I haven't paid much attention to this issue in the past. I figured if they put it in the gas at the pump, it was safe. After looking into it more I am thinking I need to find pure gas for the Bu. I haven't had any issues at all with fuel or fuel systems yet. If I can do a little to prevent that I'm all for it.

During the summer a tank of gas might last me a week, with about two sessions on the boat a week. My gas doesn't stay in the tank long. I think I'm going to start keeping some stabil in the truck from now on and add some in if I can't find non-ethanol fuel.

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