what type of gas do you burn in your motor

[abe1]

Had a club meeting last night and we started talk about gas prices and how it might change how much we will fish this year. But what really got my ear was the number of people in the club who are burning hi test fuel in there motors. I have an 2001 225 EFI merc and I have never burned any other fuel other then unleaded. Is this the right fuel or have I been burning the wrong gas all these years. Never had a promblem with my motor in 10 plus years. abe1

[bountyhunters]

MY 93 v4 runs better on mid price [89oct ] but runs on reg too.

[Das Boot 3]

Nothing but 87 octane pump gas with no more than 5% alcohol in the last two motors - 2003 Ficht 175 and 2001 F80 Yam.

[T-Mac]

The only time you might use premium on a "stock" OB is when the fuel has been sitting a longwhile...and you are attempting to "up" the average octane, knmowing that the old stuff has lost some of its' octane.
The rest of the time, you are wasting money. They are designed to run on 87 octane.

[Pitts]

I run 87 octane with 10% ethanol all year long until the late fall arrives and then I switch to premium offroad with no ethanol plus I add 1oz Seafoam for every gal on all the gas I burn all year this helps on the storage issues and carbon buildup in the motor.

I usually fish into Dec and I started on the river 1 month ago and that is about the longest my boat sits idle and I never winterize except for the lower unit. I have never had a fuel related problem except in my kicker and that was an easy fix.



Pitts

[Depth Finder]

My 1995 Force 70 horse runs strong on anything I can find that is cheap. It starts fast and never pings. It runs just as good in cold as it does in warm weather with ordinary 87 octane. I periodically run a dose of Sea Foam thru it to keep the carb clean but it hasn't failed in 8 seasons.

[ankorklankor]

I have always been advised to never burn ethonal in a 2 stroke motor. The alcohol will destroy the lubricating properties of the oil. This may be a post for REW to comment on.

I currently run a Yamaha 4 stroke now and still use regular gas without alcohol.

[rock2me]

I run nothing but non-oxygenated fuel. Like Pitts I also run Seafoam with every tank of fuel just to keep everything flowing the way it should. I have never had a fuel related problem using this method so I'm sticking with it.

Most engine manufacturers allow 10% ethanol as their maximum content. Ask the gas station what % of ethanol is in their mixture. In some cases you will be suprised to here. When I have asked I have gotten the answer "They contain a minimum of 10% ethanol" or "I dunno." the majority of the time. So, I just stick with no ethanol and then I know.

[WRS]

I run a 175 EFI merc a 1999 model with a 9.9 4 stroke kicker. I use and will keep using 10% ethanol 89 octane gasoline. I store the boat with sta-bil and have 0 problems with the fuel. I have been doing this since 1993 with mercury 2 stokes and they are all still running great, never a carb problem. As far as asking a station what percentage of ethanol is in the gasoline don't bother, you will never get more than 10%, reason being ethanol costs more than gasoline. I don't think any retailer or jobber will add more ethanol than allowed, in fact I think they would tend to do just the opposite.
I read a study from Valvoline about ethanol in 2 strokes. The results were: 10% ethanol gasoline mixed with 2 stoke oil actually increased the lubricity of the oil making it more slick than regular pump gas. Thats all I needed to know, lubrication and good maintenance will add years to your engine. WRS

[Tom Ill]

T Mack is right again! If anyone out there reads their owners mauual they will agree with him.Do what your motor company suggests.

[Tom Ill]

T Mack is right again! If anyone out there reads their owners mauual they will agree with him.Do what your motor company suggests.

[JimH]

Have been running regular 87 octane, unleaded, with up to 10% ethanol for a long time without any problems. Every gas station that has gasoline with ethanol MUST have the percentage posted on the pumps. It typically states "Contains up to 10% ethanol"

[JimH]

Have been running regular 87 octane, unleaded, with up to 10% ethanol for a long time without any problems. Every gas station that has gasoline with ethanol MUST have the percentage posted on the pumps. It typically states "Contains up to 10% ethanol"

[stevefellegy]

Ethenol is NOT an issue in 2 or 4 stroke motors( less than 15 years old.) I've asked that question of the highest tech reps and they say go ahead. What you can get at the pump will work. I run several hundred gallons of ethenol spiked 87 octane each year through my engine without ANY issues.