How long does it sit between uses? I use a mix of Marine Stabil, Startron and Sea Foam ,all varying, depending on how I'm using a boat. If I am using it a lot it gets SeaFoam only. When I know its going to sit a few weeks ( yes not months just weeks) I add some marine stabil and startron as I feel both have different attributes. I know some 4 stroke guys who swear by adding a couple of ounces of Marvel Mystery oil to every tank of gas for the new injector issues. All the new gas is junk ethanol or not. It is designed to be used up quickly not stored. The additives that gave gas better storage properties have either been banned by epa or dropped/replaced to lower production costs and allow ethanol to blend better. My Seapro I sold had not been on the water in over 1.5yrs was stored outside with local ethanol gas in it, 1/2 tank, Startron, Stabil and Seafoam. added. I just knew I had made a huge mistake not dumping it sooner but took the chance. I fired it up on the muffs for about 30min, ran fine, took it to the river and ran the heck out of it down to less than 1/8 tank. Came home and dumped the filter in a clean bucket. Nothing but gas, no water no milky stuff. Added 10 gal fresh gas, 1/4 can of seafoam and went joyriding again. RPM improved over the old gas but boat still ran fine. New owner uses the heck out of it and has had no issues. Granted mine was a 2 stroke with oil inj and Carbs.
Fuel Additives
Wondering what most of you run in your fuel for the ethenal problem. I have used Star-Tron in every tank of gas for the past 6 yrs, yet dispite my efforts I still ended up with clogged fuel injectors! Having them cleaned now & should be back on the water soon, but don't really know what to use from now on. Any suggestions? I was told by my mechanic that Yamaha suggest using Ring Free. Anyone ever used this & if so what kind of results did you have? Thanks for any input.
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What kind of ratio are you using when mixing all these additives? My Seapro has a 30 gal tank. I typically add one bottle of startron to one tank, of course it's not normally empty either. The boat sat up for about 4 months before the issues started.
I had water injector issues too, cost me lots to fix at dealer. I use ring free religiously now as well as change my 10 micron filter regularly and now no problems.
The mechanic suggest ring free as a one time use to clean the carbon from the motor. (one pint per tank of gas) Once I run one tank of gas out with ring free in it, he said to change the oil & oil filter as most of the carbon deposits would be in the oil. I read online where a lot of people are using it in every tank of gas.
Tons of website discussing the differences and similarities of Seafoam and Ring free. I think what is most important is that you are using anything Marine related and using it regularly. Since the big increase in price of Seafoam it might even be cheaper to use Ring free. I still would add Stabil Marine or Star-tron and more of it when I know it will sit for months. Cleaning agents like Seafoam and Ring free I would mix as stated on the bottle when I want to deep clean but only about 1/3 as much for general maintainence. Using too much too often can hurt the lubrication of the engines. More
so on 2 strokes but still can be hard on them. Storage additives like Stabil I would keep about 1/2 the recommended amount if I run the boat fairly often and a full dose when I know it will be parked a few months. The storage additives aren't cleaners so they aren't has hard on lubrication.
so on 2 strokes but still can be hard on them. Storage additives like Stabil I would keep about 1/2 the recommended amount if I run the boat fairly often and a full dose when I know it will be parked a few months. The storage additives aren't cleaners so they aren't has hard on lubrication.
Thanks guys for all the helpful info!!! Hope to be back on the water soon & maybe get a chance to catch a few Spanish and kings before they are gone!
I bought my 2003 Yamaha F115TXRB used with about 550 hours on it. I had a very bad problem with it dying when I was at idle and then shifting into gear (like when docking). I started running the Yamaha Ring Free after searching many websites and the forums. I began adding Ring Free per the bottle specifications (1 oz. per every 10 gallons of fuel). I only use non-ethanol fuel when I fill up and have not had an issue since (3 years now). I live in Sunset Beach NC and I can get Non-ethanol for about $3.00/gallon BUT I have found a marina near-by that has fuel with Valve tech (-2 for spelling) that is on the inter-coastal for $2.90. After some research on the Vave Tech additive they put in their bulk fuel tanks, I am going to try that since the last 2 times I have bought the non-ethanop at 2 different gas stations, I had water in the fuel. The Valve Tech is "supposed to do the same thing as Ring Free" but I tend to lean towards the Yamaha recommended product (Ring Free). yes it is a bit pricey BUT, A new engine is much more expensive. For the $.10 cent difference and knowing that the Ring Free works .... It is a no brainer. I will post later when I have tried the Inter-coastal marina gas with the Valve Tech and let ya'll know my opinion (for what it is worth lol). Tight lines to all ..... jon
Use any of the name brand stabilizers and do yourself a favor and use marine grade fuel only.
Make sure you buy your ethanol free gas from a station with below ground tanks. Some places have added above ground tanks and they are bad for accumulating water in the fuel because of the heating of the sun and quick cooling at night, vents etc..
As far as treating ethanol, I am skeptical of the claims. How does an additive magically remove the ethanol? I would like to see the science behind the claims. Until then I use non-ethanol and treat with Seafoam. I've been using Seafoam for boat, lawnmower, and edger. Starts every time even after sitting all winter.
They do not claim to remove ethanol, but supposedly help prevent the separation of the water and fuel. A good filter changed frequently is a big help. I have used Stabil and Ring Free in my engines for the past 20 yrs and have avoided any fuel related issues, knock on wood. Will use ethanol fuel when using the boat often and will fill up with non-ethanol when I think the boat will sit for awhile.As far as treating ethanol, I am skeptical of the claims. How does an additive magically remove the ethanol? I would like to see the science behind the claims. Until then I use non-ethanol and treat with Seafoam. I've been using Seafoam for boat, lawnmower, and edger. Starts every time even after sitting all winter.
G
I only use non-ethanol and Yamaha ring free in my 50. Haven't had any problems so far. I learned my lesson last season and decided to buy my fuel at the dock because I was too lazy to stop at the gas station for non-ethanol on the way. I think they raped me for $4.90 per gallon. I coulda filled up my full size Dodge Ram for what it cost me to fill up that little red plastic tank at the marina. ~ Lesson learned.
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