No more Ethanol-Free gas in Ontario at Shell stations or anywhere

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yogi799

New member
Shell had 91 octane no ethanol gas for years, the only station here in Ontario that did that. It was very expensive but gave peace of mind for winter. Full tank plus stabi. Was good for 10 yrs.

What to do now???? All gas has up to 10% of this crap in it. So i will fill the cheapest 87 octane gas and with up to 10% ethanol I guess I will pray to god the stabilizer will keep the fuel mixed together with water that will appear in the tank and not make my engine explode in May?

What do you all recommend in this case?

JUST READ the manual: it states clearly >>>> IF NO ETHANOL-FREE FUEL IS AVAILABLE, DRAIN TANKS AS LOW AS POSSIBLE.

Damn! I have never done this before.
 
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SST

SST

Active member
I have also noticed that around my area [Buffalo, NY] the ethanol free gas has seemed to vanish as well. I haven't done a detailed search but the places that did........don't.

I do have the option to tank up with non-ethanol marine gas at the marina. One is 5.99USD and the other is $5.45USD. And if I were still in my slip, I'd use it. But in the past and now, I just fill the tank with 87 with ethanol and Stabil added if the boat sits around a lot. Never had a problem. Years ago, I had damage to my exhaust manifolds due to overheat. It took nearly a year to get it repaired and back in the water. I was freaking out about the gas in the tank. I considered getting it pumped out [$200]. But my mechanic kept bitching at me not to bother. So I caved and didn't do it. Stabil was added. Damn thing fired right up!

It's interesting, in the other forum, everybody said make sure the tank is full to prevent moisture getting into the tank. I don't like ethanol either but I don't think the paranoia is warranted as long as you use the gas and treat it for long term storage.

You don't need to treat your gas if you're using your boat frequently and burning through a tank of gas fairly quick. As long as you're using fresh gasoline frequently, you're safe.
 
Denny

Denny

Well-known member
Gold Site Supporter
In my 1985 owners manual Mercruiser states to that my engine will run on 87 but they recommend using 89 that way I will be guaranteed 87.
I use Starbtite all season, that way I do not have to add it when I winterize. My girl sets in a 55 degree room all winter, so whatever is in her 88gal tank at the end of the season is it, been doing it this way for over 30 yrs. I know they recommend topping off the tank with outside storage around here.

Which is better Sta-bil or Star Tron?


Both products can last for a long time, even up to 2 years. However, users have observed that Star Tron lasts longer than Stabil. Also, while Stabil is most effective for keeping your fuel and engine fresh and well-stored during the winter season, Star Tron is effective for the same purposes at all times of the year.
 
Y

yogi799

New member
The Merc manual warns against keeping Ethanol gas in the tanks for the winter. They are not mincing words: if ethanol free gas is not available, DRAIN the tanks! Spoke to Wingnut, he said both options are good (mid-grade plus stabi and draining).

I think the stabilizer is not preventing phase separation... water is still forming. but maybe the water separating fuel filter just deals with the water??

The issue is not whether the boat will start in the spring. it is whether there is slow long term damage as the merc manual describes....

So , back to draining the tanks, which i might start doing, how on earth would that moisture be forming on the walls and inside since the tanks is empty and there is identical temperature inside and outside of the tank? Also some mention rust forming on the tank and other parts if empty. Any merit to those claims?

Basically asking which solution is better. I kinda like the idea of fresh gas in the spring (if draining is not a total PITA, have not done it before). But just wondering what adverse effect does having an empty tank have? Merc manual says best option is full tank with no ethanol plus stabi. 2nd best options, drain tanks.
 
Y

yogi799

New member
Ok , read one ethanol myth-debunking site that said absolutely not to leave tank empty... whatever gas is there, the empty space in the tank will allow moisture to get in and phase separation will happen at the very bottom and even adding fresh fuel in the spring will not remove the water down in the lines , about to hit the engine. So I guess TOP them off and just add stabi??? This is what wingnut have said as his first option.

www.boatus.com

Three Ethanol Myths Clarified

In the few years since ethanol began to be widely used in the United States, a lot has been written about its properties, the problems it's created, and how to best cope with its possible effects. It's time we get to the bottom of how E10 is affecting our engines.
www.boatus.com www.boatus.com
 
Y

yogi799

New member
No, but most sources I read now say Drain the tanks. Phil said the same. Wingnut says both are good but he drains. Merc manual old and current new online say drain is the best option. Damn... new procedure for me but then, cheaper , much cheaper winterization!!! I used to get the most expensive vpower from Shell, that hurt like a b%^&. 400 CAD fillup just for storage.
 
SST

SST

Active member
I suppose if I could find an inexpensive way to completely drain the tank and “fuel plumbing “ I would do that over full tank and treatment. But that is not an option for me. A full 80 gallon tank with pure non-ethanol gas is gonna cost me $480usd. Not happy with that either but it allows me to keep control over it. I’ve been doing this since 2008. Others longer than me.
 
D

dgiles

New member
Or fill it kinda full with cheap ol' 87 octane, dump some stabil in it and stop worrying. It will be fine and the world won't end.
 
Y

yogi799

New member
Yeah, well that is the question, Are we splitting hairs here? I am ONLY going by what the merc manual says. I don't have any other sources to use to intentionally worry and complain. Merc says leave ONLY gas if it's pure non-E gas. Otherwise dump. Sorta nice from the manufacturer to say: we don't know how f%^& up your E gas will get over the storage period. Is it gonna affect anything over the long term vs short term... So there is some doubt but yes I have heard from people who know A LOT that worrying about it is not necessary.

SST - where the heck are you getting non-E gas still? And... fuel plumbing is still treated with the fog mixture, gas, stabi and 2-cycle oil so the internals should be safe i gather, regardless of what we do with the main tank. in fact, i am pondering just leaving the main tank completely disconnected from the motor after fogging, since fogging is done from an external tank. but then they talk about moisture collecting in the empty tank etc, dang.
 
SST

SST

Active member
There are 2 marinas in my area that are selling non-ethanol marine gas (there might be others). 1-Former Small Boat Harbor in Buffalo. The other is Wardells in North Tonawanda.

I thought there was a third but they are showing Valvtect which is pretreated ethanol gas. I have used the Valvtect gas before and have never had a problem with it. I still added stabil anyways.

BTW, I've never had my engine fogged.
 
Y

yogi799

New member
Decided to keep tanks full with E-10 gas and stabilized. Read a tonne of sources including some that had quotes from people who know a thing or two about chemistry. They said with tanks full, there is no ability for air to enter and moisture to interact with ethanol and any water that would be created from this reaction will be minimal to the point of being completely negligible. Just the numbers game. Too much fuel and too small of a tank wall area to cause any issues.

Draining the tanks is more of a PITA (I've never done it), any remaining gas will absorb moisture from the massive area of wall tanks which might see condensation, and some small amount of water will be created in the process. Even that amount will not be a big deal according to all sources but it still is a less favorable solution in my view, some rusting could occur from the water.... So #1 it is for me.
 
SST

SST

Active member
No problem as long as you put Stabil into the tank.

I had planned on running my tank down and put in non-ethanol. But during the most phenomenal weather all season and due to a minor health issue, I can’t put the boat in and the temps are gonna drop this coming weekend. Temps low enough that I’ll have to winterize the engine. I had hoped to make one more run to Toronto. But that looks out if the question.
 
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