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Author Topic:   Uh Oh ethanol?

Nauti Tauk posted 08-06-2008 05:33 PM ET (US)
Got back to Florida and dropped the Montauk in for some freshwater fishing this morning and....uh oh rough idle, then a stall. Got started and went to the first spot at cruise, ran alright. Caught a couple of fish and off to the next place only this time I put it on the firewall. Fully trimmed out and just me....5000RPMS! My usual WOT is 58-5900. I filled up yesterday and it looks like Ethanol is in Florida now(E-10),could this be my problem? PLEASE tell me I don't have to have the carbs gone through (2003 90merc.4s)I use Startron in the recommended ratio and up until now the engine has run very well for me. Any suggestions to try? Thanks, Jerry
WT posted 08-06-2008 05:56 PM ET (US)
Do you have a fiberglass fuel tank? If so, shine a flashlight into it and see if any debris is floating around. Then get rid of it asap, even if you don't see any debris.
Do you have a fuel filter?
Warren
4whaler posted 08-06-2008 06:00 PM ET (US)
Same happened to me. Filled up in Florida with E-10 in May, not paying attention, ran two days and on third it bogged down when we tried to leave Panama City Jetty to go back to ramp at Navy marina, wouldn't get up on plane. Got it to clear after a few starts and slow downs we got back to ramp. I thought it acted like seaweed or a plastic bag in prop, but it was clear. Got home and started trouble shooting and reading up on symptoms. Had Pate tank, now replaced with plastic moller under my 15ft Center Console bench seat. Took it to the Lake Guntersville in Alabama close to where I live. It was fine running out to Goat Island but it started acting up again coming back. I got back home and blew out carbs on my 70 HP Yamaha with carb cleaner and a bunch of black tar/gunk came out of the bowls, especially the lower one. We took back out to lake again on good gas in a 6 gallon plastic tank. Ran fine and has since. Going back to PC FL. in the morning but will fill up boat in Alabama with non E-10 gas if I can find even though I now have a plastic tank. Anyone intrested in a 18 gallon under seat Pate? I think the alcohol would up cleaning out the tank and carbs which fouled up the carb jets. I now have a merc fuel filter installed on the inner transom wall in the splash well and am using startron too. Hopefully the problem will not come back even if I have to use E-10 gas.
Nauti Tauk posted 08-06-2008 06:05 PM ET (US)
Will do the light thing in the morning. fuel filter in the engine is the only one I have. It IS a Pate 27 gallon tank but one of the last they built(early 2007) and is suppose to be Ethanol proof.? The thing that bugs me is I ran it last week in Georgia and it ran like a top. Could a load of fuel down here cause that much havoc that quick? Man Ethanol is gonna be a real challenge for we boaters isn't it. Thanks.
Casco Bay Outrage posted 08-06-2008 07:55 PM ET (US)
Don't wait a day longer.
DUMP THE TANK!
There is no such thing as an ethanol proof fiberglass resin.
Run on a portable till you decide to go with either a Moeller or even better, a Mirax aluminum tank
You really need to read up on what ethanol blended fuel is like. There are many precautions to take:
Add a fuel/water separator
Add fuel treatment for every fueling.
Don't store blended gas for long periods.
Watch out for phase separation.
See the Mercury FAQ article, it applies to everyone.
http://www.mercurymarine.com/serviceandwarranty/outboardfaqs/ethanol.php
4whaler posted 08-11-2008 05:06 PM ET (US)
Well the new 15 gallon Moller underseat plastic tank, external fuel filter and startron added to the gas refill on Thrusday (non E-10)seemed to do it. We had no problems for the three days we ran the Yami 70HP 2 stroke down in Panama City Florida this weekend making 3 runs to the jetty and back to the boat ramp at the navy marina by the Hathaway Bridge. Now to tackle the 2003 GLS II 15 ft Whaler with the nice 2003 white Pate fueling my 60hp Yami 4 stroke. It hasn't complained yet but I don't think Ive put E-10 in it yet, and its always had a fuel filter and ran on the Yamaha Ringfree stuff in the fuel. Ohh and thens there is the red Mischief with its 70 hp Yami 2 stroke, but its alway had plastic tanks. I did buy a filter for it though, need to put than on soonest. Must be a market for Pates somewhere, got two nice ones a 18 gallon in red and a 15 gallon white painted one. Maybe in Kuwait or Saudi where they dont' have to mess with their gas and us....
TRAFFICLAWYER posted 08-12-2008 01:14 PM ET (US)
E-10 will be coming around to everybody, thanks to the assholez at Archer Daniel, Midlands and our Washington politicos.
Operaman posted 08-12-2008 04:09 PM ET (US)
Welcome to the Hell that is Ethanol. You got off easy and I hope people read what was advised to you and follow accordingly.

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Author	Topic: Uh Oh ethanol?
Nauti Tauk	posted 08-06-2008 05:33 PM ET (US) Got back to Florida and dropped the Montauk in for some freshwater fishing this morning and....uh oh rough idle, then a stall. Got started and went to the first spot at cruise, ran alright. Caught a couple of fish and off to the next place only this time I put it on the firewall. Fully trimmed out and just me....5000RPMS! My usual WOT is 58-5900. I filled up yesterday and it looks like Ethanol is in Florida now(E-10),could this be my problem? PLEASE tell me I don't have to have the carbs gone through (2003 90merc.4s)I use Startron in the recommended ratio and up until now the engine has run very well for me. Any suggestions to try? Thanks, Jerry
WT	posted 08-06-2008 05:56 PM ET (US) Do you have a fiberglass fuel tank? If so, shine a flashlight into it and see if any debris is floating around. Then get rid of it asap, even if you don't see any debris. Do you have a fuel filter? Warren
4whaler	posted 08-06-2008 06:00 PM ET (US) Same happened to me. Filled up in Florida with E-10 in May, not paying attention, ran two days and on third it bogged down when we tried to leave Panama City Jetty to go back to ramp at Navy marina, wouldn't get up on plane. Got it to clear after a few starts and slow downs we got back to ramp. I thought it acted like seaweed or a plastic bag in prop, but it was clear. Got home and started trouble shooting and reading up on symptoms. Had Pate tank, now replaced with plastic moller under my 15ft Center Console bench seat. Took it to the Lake Guntersville in Alabama close to where I live. It was fine running out to Goat Island but it started acting up again coming back. I got back home and blew out carbs on my 70 HP Yamaha with carb cleaner and a bunch of black tar/gunk came out of the bowls, especially the lower one. We took back out to lake again on good gas in a 6 gallon plastic tank. Ran fine and has since. Going back to PC FL. in the morning but will fill up boat in Alabama with non E-10 gas if I can find even though I now have a plastic tank. Anyone intrested in a 18 gallon under seat Pate? I think the alcohol would up cleaning out the tank and carbs which fouled up the carb jets. I now have a merc fuel filter installed on the inner transom wall in the splash well and am using startron too. Hopefully the problem will not come back even if I have to use E-10 gas.
Nauti Tauk	posted 08-06-2008 06:05 PM ET (US) Will do the light thing in the morning. fuel filter in the engine is the only one I have. It IS a Pate 27 gallon tank but one of the last they built(early 2007) and is suppose to be Ethanol proof.? The thing that bugs me is I ran it last week in Georgia and it ran like a top. Could a load of fuel down here cause that much havoc that quick? Man Ethanol is gonna be a real challenge for we boaters isn't it. Thanks.
Casco Bay Outrage	posted 08-06-2008 07:55 PM ET (US) Don't wait a day longer. DUMP THE TANK! There is no such thing as an ethanol proof fiberglass resin. Run on a portable till you decide to go with either a Moeller or even better, a Mirax aluminum tank You really need to read up on what ethanol blended fuel is like. There are many precautions to take: Add a fuel/water separator Add fuel treatment for every fueling. Don't store blended gas for long periods. Watch out for phase separation. See the Mercury FAQ article, it applies to everyone. http://www.mercurymarine.com/serviceandwarranty/outboardfaqs/ethanol.php
4whaler	posted 08-11-2008 05:06 PM ET (US) Well the new 15 gallon Moller underseat plastic tank, external fuel filter and startron added to the gas refill on Thrusday (non E-10)seemed to do it. We had no problems for the three days we ran the Yami 70HP 2 stroke down in Panama City Florida this weekend making 3 runs to the jetty and back to the boat ramp at the navy marina by the Hathaway Bridge. Now to tackle the 2003 GLS II 15 ft Whaler with the nice 2003 white Pate fueling my 60hp Yami 4 stroke. It hasn't complained yet but I don't think Ive put E-10 in it yet, and its always had a fuel filter and ran on the Yamaha Ringfree stuff in the fuel. Ohh and thens there is the red Mischief with its 70 hp Yami 2 stroke, but its alway had plastic tanks. I did buy a filter for it though, need to put than on soonest. Must be a market for Pates somewhere, got two nice ones a 18 gallon in red and a 15 gallon white painted one. Maybe in Kuwait or Saudi where they dont' have to mess with their gas and us....
TRAFFICLAWYER	posted 08-12-2008 01:14 PM ET (US) E-10 will be coming around to everybody, thanks to the assholez at Archer Daniel, Midlands and our Washington politicos.
Operaman	posted 08-12-2008 04:09 PM ET (US) Welcome to the Hell that is Ethanol. You got off easy and I hope people read what was advised to you and follow accordingly.