Sydwayz

When I unknowingly filled up with Ethanol fuel (it was marked as Ethanol Free) at a marina in FL; and left it in the boat for the remainder of the winter...
...upon first fire up in the spring; it ruined my all four of my fuel filters/separators; AND my fuel pumps (very expensive). As such, I am very cognizant of which fuel I get, and to ensure it's (over) treated with Star-Tron.

Knot 4 Me

Have owned a boat since '98. We've had gasohol and E-10 around here as long as I can remember. Never had a fuel related problem with any of my 4 boats. I try to buy non-Ethanol when I can but all the road stations that carried it are now gone with the exception of the new Hy-Vee they just put in (91 octane is ethanol-free). My marina is ethanol-free but he is $1.50 over what you can buy it for on the road so I normally pull to fuel up. I think if you roached your fuel pumps and filters on a tank of gas there was something else in that fuel in addition to ethanol. Most of the guys on my dock fill up every October with E-10 and I've not heard of one issue come the following spring. This is everything from stock black motors to built-up blue motors both carb'd and fuel injected. Quality and freshness of the fuel play a big role in this IMO.

Wildman_grafix

I always wonder here when you never see anyone buying the ethanol free gas how old it is. Old non ethanol also is not good.

I don't have to worry about storage anymore but always run seafoam anyway. Seems the inlector guys like it so I mix it in with almost every tank.

mcprodesign

Everyone has their own opinion obviously. I say Bone dry empty and remove the gas caps ( so any moisture can evaporate) I don't start the season with 200 gallons of old gas. And any water would be on the bottom of the tank anyway so it would get through when you are just starting it up.

boats74

Ditto. Whats left in the tank doesn't bother me, as long as its treated properly.

boats74

I'm not sure I understand the removing the gas caps. Is moisture not able to evaporate through the tank venting system/overflow?

Speedracer29

I used to fill with non-ethanol every fall. After draining 75 gallons to replace a fuel tank this spring, I'm running it low and siphoning the rest off to be used in the cars. It was a royal pain to drain, I ended up giving about 15 gallons to a neighbor just to get on with my project, and all gas gets old and loses octane. It's another 600lbs of weight on the trailer, too. So my prediction is an apocalypse/natural disaster will occur sometime after November when I don't have a full boat tank as a reserve.

glassdave

actually i believe the octane never changes, its the volatiles that lose their properties.

eth land and non eth marine fuel have additives that do not mix well together, they can turn into a sludge like slurry

mcprodesign

I think more air would be more evaporation . A test would be 2 burger king cups. One without a lid and one with a lid and a vent size hole cut in it . I believe the larger opening would evaporate better

Speedracer29

http://www.boatus.com/seaworthy/SeaApr10Ethanol.pdf
First line, first answer of this article. I'm just going off the lies I've been fed by the marine industrial complex. Clearly it's a conspiracy to sell fuel additives and extraction devices!!!!