Well I finally pulled the trigger on a new boat. I absolutely loved my 17’ bay, but needed something bigger for the family. Here is the 21’ sea pro I bought.
So far, so good:smiley: It is definitely going to take some getting used to. It is like driving a barge compared to my old skiff. My wife really loves the 4 stroke, and couldn’t believe how quiet it was. However, I do miss the cloud of smoke and smell of a 2 stroke!
Now for the question. The previous owner used E10 gas, and I always run ethanol free. I have anywhere from 15-20 gallons left in the tank. At what point can I add non ethanol fuel to the tank. I am assuming you still can’t mix the two, but at what point would I be safe? I know the lower the better, but I don’t want to get stranded on the water if I can help it. Thanks as always
Don’t have a knack for makin motors crank,
But I’m pretty good at drinkin beer.
The best way to a fisherman’s heart is through his fly.
No you can’t. Mixing the two creates a sludge and separation that settles in the bottom of the tank. I know this because I mixed them in the Pioneer and 5 filters later I am still getting that crap out. I change the filter after every all day trip, turn it up in a jar and measure the crap that comes out. It’s a little less every time but still there.
Run all of one or all of the other. Drain the existing and run it in a car or just keep using Ethanol with a treatment like Stabil.
Anyone telling you differently doesn’t know what they are talking about. I do, dealing with that bad advice I got now and I’ve run 3-400 gallons of fuel through the boat since then.
Mark
Pioneer 222 Sportfish Yamaha F300
Yeah, but do you consider a dog to be a filthy animal? I wouldn’t go so far as to call a dog filthy but they’re definitely dirty. But, a dog’s got personality. Personality goes a long way.
“Life’s tough…It’s even tougher if you’re stupid” John Wayne
If you don’t want to run it pump it out and run it in your truck. I can’t see where putting non- ethanol gas in will hurt or create anything except a lesser % of ethanol in the gas. You started with 10% ethanol and 90% gas which is E10. If you add any non-ethanol you take the % down to 9-8-7-6 ect!
There could be some consequences of introducing ethanol-blend fuels into a fuel system that has run for a long time on non-ethanol fuel. The ethanol will strip varnish deposits off the fuel system. You will find a need to maintain fuel filters more often, at least for a while after the change.
The other way around should be fine. Gasoline leaves the refinery without E-10. It is added as its loaded into tanker trucks. All you will be doing is decreasing the % of E-10 in your tank.
I mix the two on a regular basis depending on where I am when I need to fill up. I do not have problems with trash, sludge, etc. I change my filters once a year as a PM and they usually look just as good at when I installed them…
Key West 19’6" CC 115hp Merc
14’ Fast Craft w/ 60hp Merc
No you can’t. Mixing the two creates a sludge and separation that settles in the bottom of the tank. I know this because I mixed them in the Pioneer and 5 filters later I am still getting that crap out. I change the filter after every all day trip, turn it up in a jar and measure the crap that comes out. It’s a little less every time but still there.
Run all of one or all of the other. Drain the existing and run it in a car or just keep using Ethanol with a treatment like Stabil.
Anyone telling you differently doesn’t know what they are talking about. I do, dealing with that bad advice I got now and I’ve run 3-400 gallons of fuel through the boat since then.
Salty, what do you think is in E10? all you will be doing is diluting the ethanol with straight gas.
It will not create a sludge and I’m far from not knowing what I’m talking about.
The problem comes in when you run E10 in a system that has only had straight gas. The ethanol in the blended fuel will actually clean any varnish residue causing fuel system issues.
The issue on running E10 in anything is it’s shelf life and ability to absorb moisture and let it pass through the fuel system. Injectors can not stand the abrasiveness of H2O.
Seawest, drain it if you like. I’d top it off with non-blended fuel and then continue to refill with non-blended.
If you run the boat on a regular basis a few times a week I’d have no problem running E10. I don’t and like to use Non-blended fuel in everything I run.
No you can’t. Mixing the two creates a sludge and separation that settles in the bottom of the tank. I know this because I mixed them in the Pioneer and 5 filters later I am still getting that crap out. I change the filter after every all day trip, turn it up in a jar and measure the crap that comes out. It’s a little less every time but still there.
Run all of one or all of the other. Drain the existing and run it in a car or just keep using Ethanol with a treatment like Stabil.
Anyone telling you differently doesn’t know what they are talking about. I do, dealing with that bad advice I got now and I’ve run 3-400 gallons of fuel through the boat since then.
Salty, what do you think is in E10? all you will be doing is diluting the ethanol with straight gas.
It will not create a sludge and I’m far from not knowing what I’m talking about.
The problem comes in when you run E10 in a system that has only had straight gas. The ethanol in the blended fuel will actually clean any varnish residue causing fuel system issues.
The issue on running E10 in anything is it’s shelf life and ability to absorb moisture and let it pass through the fuel system. Injectors can not stand the abrasiveness of H2O.
Seawest, drain it if you like. I’d top it off with non-blended fuel and then continue to refill with non-blended.
Not trying to start a war here! I guess I will just run it and get as much out as possible. I will just stay close to home for a couple trips in case it runs out. We all know how those gauges work, one second it is at a quarter and the next it is at a half! Thanks as always
Don’t have a knack for makin motors crank,
But I’m pretty good at drinkin beer.
The best way to a fisherman’s heart is through his fly.
Not trying to start a war here! I guess I will just run it and get as much out as possible. I will just stay close to home for a couple trips in case it runs out. We all know how those gauges work, one second it is at a quarter and the next it is at a half! Thanks as always
Don’t have a knack for makin motors crank,
But I’m pretty good at drinkin beer.
The best way to a fisherman’s heart is through his fly.
No war, and not trying to be an Ass Salty! Just friendly discussion!
I got introduced to blended fuel up North as pretty much every station ran it in the winter months for de-iceing properties as far back as 1986. That’s where I first saw the mushy and deteriorated rubber fuel lines from the stuff. I truly hate blended fuel.
If they ever mandate E15/E20 and we can’t find any “straight” gas that’s when people like me with several older vehicles will be really hurt.
Mark
Pioneer 222 Sportfish Yamaha F300
Yeah, but do you consider a dog to be a filthy animal? I wouldn’t go so far as to call a dog filthy but they’re definitely dirty. But, a dog’s got personality. Personality goes a long way.
“Life’s tough…It’s even tougher if you’re stupid” John Wayne
Not trying to be argumentative, but want to point out that the article gives possibilities, but no actual data. I really do not understand the statement of how mixing the products “upsets the vapor pressure of the fuel”. unless there is a chemical reaction of the fuels mixing forming some other compound the end result of mixing is the same as ethonal fuel, just at a reduced ethonal concentration.
I have mixed with no consequences. Not to say that there can not be. It all depends on where the fuel came from. It can happen with mixing fuel from any two different sources, non-ethanol or ethonal.
Not trying to be argumentative, but want to point out that the article gives possibilities, but no actual data. I really do not understand the statement of how mixing the products “upsets the vapor pressure of the fuel”. unless there is a chemical reaction of the fuels mixing forming some other compound the end result of mixing is the same as ethonal fuel, just at a reduced ethonal concentration.</font id=“red”>
I have mixed with no consequences. Not to say that there can not be. It all depends on where the fuel came from. It can happen with mixing fuel from any two different sources, non-ethanol or ethonal.
I agree that article was pretty vague. The more straight gas mixed back to E10 the less the concentration of ethanol and if it didn’t mix we would never have E10 in the first place.
Wow, would not have thought that adding straight gas to E-10 could cause an issue unless some degree of phase separation had already taken place in the E-10.
You may can mix it and have no problems but I can honestly tell you that it will gunk up and clog filters. Take the chance, maybe it works for you, then again maybe you’re switching a $20-25.00 fuel filter every 15-20 hrs until the crap gets out. From what I’m seeing its probably going to take $200.00 worth of filters to get clean.
Mark
Pioneer 222 Sportfish Yamaha F300
Yeah, but do you consider a dog to be a filthy animal? I wouldn’t go so far as to call a dog filthy but they’re definitely dirty. But, a dog’s got personality. Personality goes a long way.
“Life’s tough…It’s even tougher if you’re stupid” John Wayne
You may can mix it and have no problems but I can honestly tell you that it will gunk up and clog filters. Take the chance, maybe it works for you, then again maybe you’re switching a $20-25.00 fuel filter every 15-20 hrs until the crap gets out. From what I’m seeing its probably going to take $200.00 worth of filters to get clean.
Mark
Pioneer 222 Sportfish Yamaha F300
Yeah, but do you consider a dog to be a filthy animal? I wouldn’t go so far as to call a dog filthy but they’re definitely dirty. But, a dog’s got personality. Personality goes a long way.
“Life’s tough…It’s even tougher if you’re stupid” John Wayne
How do you know for sure that your problems didn’t come from fuel that was already contaminated before you put it in the boat?
You may can mix it and have no problems but I can honestly tell you that it will gunk up and clog filters. Take the chance, maybe it works for you, then again maybe you’re switching a $20-25.00 fuel filter every 15-20 hrs until the crap gets out. From what I’m seeing its probably going to take $200.00 worth of filters to get clean.
Mark
Pioneer 222 Sportfish Yamaha F300
Yeah, but do you consider a dog to be a filthy animal? I wouldn’t go so far as to call a dog filthy but they’re definitely dirty. But, a dog’s got personality. Personality goes a long way.
“Life’s tough…It’s even tougher if you’re stupid” John Wayne
How do you know for sure that your problems didn’t come from fuel that was already contaminated before you put it in the boat?
Because there would be a huge number of boats in Georgetown with similar fuel related issues were that the case. The only way to get the residue is to combine the fuels. It’s not varnish or deposits, the tank and boat are new.
Look, you guys want to play roulette with the engines on the boat and fuel, go for it. I’m working on getting my system cleaned out and the only way to do that is change the filter or have the tank pumped and cleaned, filters are a little cheaper. I’ll never mix it again, not on a $25-30K engine.
Mark
Pioneer 222 Sportfish Yamaha F300
Yeah, but do you consider a dog to be a filthy animal? I wouldn’t go so far
When I was researching, it said don’t mix when MTBE is present. Then I read that MTBE isn’t widely used anymore. I have always heard to mix as little as possible and I am just wondering how low I need to go to be safe! Not sure if I can add 50 gallons of non e with 10 gallons of ethanol, or if I should wait until it gets below 5 gallons before mixing. I just want to start running efree asap! Thanks as always for the input!
Don’t have a knack for makin motors crank,
But I’m pretty good at drinkin beer.
The best way to a fisherman’s heart is through his fly.
With respect to Salty, I don’t see how mixing could cause the gel or sludge formation. 'Gotta be something else in the mix, there. That having been said. I’ve had water in my fuel. Given that the ethanol blends are clearly established to exacerbate that problem, I will go non-ethanol in the boat forever. As much of a PIA as water in that is to get cleared up, I don’t see any reason to make that problem more likely. I happen to have non-E at the front of my neighborhood. But, I’d drive across town for it if I had to.
Sludge or no sludge, avoiding the known water problems makes it worth getting the non-E, for me.
Just an idea: Take a portable 6-gallon tank of non-blended out with you. Run the boat until it runs out of the blended gas, not getting too far from the dock. Switch over to the 6-gal tank of non-blended to get back to the dock. Go and refill the main tank with non-blended, then resume running off the main tank.
If you’re lucky enough to be fishing, you’re lucky enough.
