Will 2cycle engines(outboard motors) be able to run on 10% ethanol gas?

Question

I have been told not to run ethanol in my boat, but in Missouri we have no choice now. All gas must contain 10% ethanol.So now what do I do?

Answer 1

i have an Norris craft with a 135 evinrude on it and i run some through it and it didn't hurt it at all,i was in a spot where i had no choice though,but it didn't hurt it  any at all,id call some of the boat dealers and find out for sure,mine does ok on it,but i don't run it in it that often ,good luck with it.

Answer 2

Modern (manufactured within approx. the past 15 years) outboards are able to handle some ethanol content for the very reason you specified. There are places you can get nothing else. Every manufacturer I know of OKs fuels with up to 10% ethanol content.

Older outboards vary. Since approx. the late '80s engines have been built with ethanol in mind and should be OK with regular maintenance and the occasional visual inspection of the fuel system looking for signs of the breaking down of the hoses or gaskets.

Prior to the mid '80s outboards weren’t built to deal with ethanol and you're running the risk of causing permanent damage. For these older models the fuel lines should be completely replaced as well as the fuel pump diaphragms. A set of Carburetor rebuild kits and floats are also in order.

!!!!One note of caution: Probably the biggest + most common problems linked to ethanol are related to early VRO equipped Evinrude and Johnson outboards. These units (mid '80s vintage) will suffer breakdown in the diaphragms of the fuel/oil pump which can lead to powered damage + failure!

The best way to determine if your Evin or John has this problem is by looking at the VRO pump. If the pump has 4 wires you're OK. If you have a 3-wire unit check to make sure it has a tag hooked to the output (carburetor) side of the pump which says VR02. If you don't see that tag take the unit to you're local dealer and have them check it out.

Also bear in mind that ethanol containing gas is far more likely to develop water in fuel problems (ethanol attracts water) so you should run some type of water absorbing fuel additive at least every other tank. Try Evinrude/Johnson 2+4 fuel additive or Mercury Fuel Dry.

Good luck and have fun on the water!

Answer 3

The ethanol fuel shouldn't bother the engine. It's when the fuel sits for a period of time that it may have a negative effect on your fuel system. When you put the boat away for the winter or store it for a period of time, throw a little dry gas into the fuel with a little stabilizer and you should be OK. Ethanol fuel loses 5 percent of its octane every month it sits in place, so don't forget that! There's also a product called "K-100" that "makes water burn." It works great, we use it at our marina and in our trucks every now and again...it's a stabilizer, injector cleaner and dry gas all in one. Good Luck!

Answer 4

Since there is no federal law and very few state laws that mandate a gas station must tell you that you are using E-10, and that E-10 is about 10 cents cheaper per gallon than pure gasoline, you probably have been using E-10 for the last two to three years without knowing it.

By the way, Heat and DRY the fuel additives to remove moisture is usually pure ethanol.  

Ethanol also reacts poorly with brass, if you have brass or bronze fittings in your fuel system, replace them with stainless steel fittings.

Answer 5

i did it all last summer with a 25hp tracker and it ran fine

Answer 6

The ethyl alcohol (ethanol) in the gasoline tends to eat the rubber in your fuel lines and will also stir up some of the crud and moisture at the bottom of your gas tanks.  Best bet is to look towards replacing any older rubber fuel lines with newer ones that can stand up to the ethanol, and also keep an eye on your fuel filters to make sure they are not getting plugged up.  It might be a good idea to keep a couple of spare fuel filters in the bottom of your tool box.

Answer 7

Brad J has it...

Lots of info on the net as well....

Watch your hoses/lines...inline filters for crud in tanks and lines....gaskets...diaphrams...O rings and any other rubber/neoprene type material in contact with fuel.