Silly question but need help. How to fill up boat without batteries?

[riot138]

I just took out my batteries and put them inside on a tender for the winter.  The boat is all ready to go to heated storage but I forgot to check how much fuel was in the tank. I typically fill the tank and put stabilizer in based on the tank size. I really don't want to reconnect everything so I my question is can I just fill the boat up like a car and wait till it clicks off once the fuel has reached the nozzle?    I've heard of fuel exiting the rear vents when overfilling but I've yet to fill it that much.  Thanks in advance.

Edited October 18, 2019 by riot138

[1HELLUVALIFE]

Just fill it up till it clicks don't try to top all the way off,  does it currently have ethanol free gas in it? or  E10? 

If its ethanol free i wouldn't worry about it. If it's ethanol gas i would add stabilizer and run the engine for a few minutes to get the stabilized fuel throughout the fuel system.

[riot138]

Not sure.  I've seen the ethanol free pumps in the US but in Canada that isn't an option so I'm assuming there is ethanol.  I run mid grade octane, I think 92.  So it sounds like I'm going to have to reconnect everything.

[Eagleboy99]

15 minutes ago, riot138 said:

but in Canada that isn't an option

Huh?  Ethanol free is a thing here. E10 is marked.  

[riot138]

4 minutes ago, Eagleboy99 said:

Huh?  Ethanol free is a thing here. E10 is marked.  

I guess I never noticed.  I'll have to check.  My options are typical 87,89 and 91 never noticed an E10 marked pump.  I only fill up at petro.  This is a note on their page "Yes, all of our grades of gas, including our Ultra 94  high octane fuel , contain up to 10% ethanol content. This is required by federal and provincial regulations."

Edited October 18, 2019 by riot138

[MLA]

Just put some stabilizer in the tank. An extra rich ratio will not hurt anything. 

[riot138]

2 minutes ago, MLA said:

Just put some stabilizer in the tank. An extra rich ratio will not hurt anything. 

That is what I was hoping to hear.  I'm hoping the heated storage environment will help with any condensation building up in the tank.

[formulaben]

17 hours ago, riot138 said:

That is what I was hoping to hear.  I'm hoping the heated storage environment will help with any condensation building up in the tank.

It's really not an issue with plastic fuel tanks anymore.

[oldjeep]

Nor would it be an issue with heated storage. 

[granddaddy55]

On 10/17/2019 at 8:11 PM, riot138 said:

I guess I never noticed.  I'll have to check.  My options are typical 87,89 and 91 never noticed an E10 marked pump.  I only fill up at petro.  This is a note on their page "Yes, all of our grades of gas, including our Ultra 94  high octane fuel , contain up to 10% ethanol content. This is required by federal and provincial regulations."

When it’s 87, 89, 91 it’s usually ethanol free, premium e10 is usually 93 and it will be e85 (US), 87, 89, 93) at least in theUS 

Edited October 19, 2019 by granddaddy55

[ahopkins22LSV]

57 minutes ago, granddaddy55 said:

When it’s 87, 89, 91 it’s usually ethanol free, premium e10 is usually 93 and it will be e85 (US), 87, 89, 93) at least in theUS 

Definitely not true. Almost all pump gas is E10 unless it’s specifically stated it is ethanol free. Maybe it’s different in Louisiana but I’d be shocked to learn that.  

[Woodski]

@riot138 - I suggest not overfilling, expansion / contraction can happen to where you may see some fuel spitting out the vent, so yes to your comment.  Shouldn't if temps stay consistent but never know if a power outage happens on a very cold day.

[MLA]

I would avoid correlating any octane grade to the presence or absence of ethanol.  

[minnmarker]

Tank condensation and carb part deterioration are two separate issues.  Suggest you worry about the latter.  Add some stabilizer and run the engine a bit. Unfortunately you'll have to rewinterize the engine.  Don't worry about condensation in a plastic tank. You don't need to fill it up.

[wakesonthesnake]

I always take the back middle seat base off and remove the tray so I can see the tank when filling.  It is a lot easier to not over fill.  But as others have stated put in the stabilizer in and go.

[granddaddy55]

On 10/19/2019 at 8:33 AM, ahopkinsVTX said:

Definitely not true. Almost all pump gas is E10 unless it’s specifically stated it is ethanol free. Maybe it’s different in Louisiana but I’d be shocked to learn that.  

Everywhere down here it’s 87, 89, 91 non ethanol , we don’t have non ethanol 93, all our e10 is 87, 89, 93

Edited October 23, 2019 by granddaddy55

[ahopkins22LSV]

7 hours ago, granddaddy55 said:

Everywhere down here it’s 87, 89, 91 non ethanol , we don’t have non ethanol 93, all our e10 is 87, 89, 93

You just said that your 87-91 is non ethanol and ethanol in the same sentence. E10 is ethanol levels up to 10%

[Raimie]

Use the PureGas app to locate ethanol-free fuel.

Edited October 23, 2019 by Raimie

[minnmarker]

1 hour ago, Raimie said:

Use the PureGas app to locate ethanol-free fuel.

Or web site:  https://www.pure-gas.org/index.jsp

[BSUBU_Kris]

Isn’t your tank just plastic.  I always open the center portion of the rear seat so I can see the tank when filling.  I can then stop filling just before the tank is all the way full.  If I fill mine until the nozzle shuts off quite a bit of fuel generally comes out the filler hose onto the side of the boat or in the water if not refueling on the trailer.

[dlb]

I never fill my tank for the winter.....

Just put in stabilizer for the last run of the summer/fall, try to leave as little fuel in it as possible and call it good.

In the spring I add 10 gallons with the highest rated fuel I can buy and go play.  Next time out I fill it full of the highest I can find.  From there I run the recommended rated fuel.

Never had an engine issue.  Just had it checked, everything is fine.

[MLA]

10 hours ago, dlb said:

with the highest rated fuel

What kind of rating? 

[dlb]

13 hours ago, MLA said:

What kind of rating? 

Local pumps have 91 and 93 depending on where you go.

[MLA]

Oh, octane level. Thought it might have meant some sort of consumer quality rating. Octane rating is not like a school test grade. Higher is not better, its just a number that represents fuel's volatility. Higher "rating" = lower volatility. This means that 91 and 93 require more energy to ignite then the lower "rated" 87. As gas ages, its volatility and potency (BTU) goes down. This means not only does old gas require more energy to ignite, it has less BTU then fresh gas. So running that first spring tank of hgh octane on top of 6 month old gas, could be counter productive. In terms of BTU, the energy expelled once ignited, is about the same across all the pump gas octane ratings. Your E10's have less BTU then the same octane non-ethanols though.  In short, you can save the extra coin on the higher octane then required.