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jimh posted 02-23-2011 09:13 AM ET (US)
I just noticed that Mercury Marine has revised its fuel treatment product line, and they now have three products with somewhat harmonized brand names:
--QUICKARE
--QUICKLEEN
--QUICKSTOR
Of these, the progenitor of the naming seems to be QUICKLEEN, a product that has been around for a while. The other two products may be re-branded versions of legacy products. We look very briefly at all three:
QUICKARE is intended as a routine fuel treatment to be used in normal operation. It is to recommended to "add to every fill-up." It contains stabilizers.
QUICKLEEN is intended as a non-routine treatment when needed. This product has no stabilizers.
QUICKSTOR is intended to preserve fuel quality over long storage periods.
In addition to new names, the product packaging has been changed. Previously the plastic bottle was typically black and opaque. The new branded products are in clear plastic bottles. This may be a reaction to some incidents where sediment was reported in fuel treatment products, only discovered after use due to the opaque bottles.
http://www.mercurymarine.com/parts-and-accessories/product-overview/ fuel-care-system/
fishgutz posted 02-23-2011 10:06 AM ET (US)
Thanks for the info Jim. I have used QUICKLEEN and Sta-bil for years with great results. The problem was QUICKLEEN mixed 1 ounce for every 6 gallons of gas and Sta-bil was 1 ounce for every 2.5 gallons of gas. Looks like QUICKARE will make mixing much easier. I just wish they had that convenient squeeze bottle like Sta-bil.
jimh posted 02-23-2011 01:56 PM ET (US)
To further help distinguish these QUICK products, the bottle labels are identified with the numbers 1, 2, or 3, and a terse summary of the application, as follows:
QUICKARE has a "1" and says "Every Fill-Up"
QUICKLEEN has a "2" and says "Deep Clean"
QUICKSTOR has a "3" and says "Fuel Store"
pcrussell50 posted 02-24-2011 04:02 PM ET (US)
Thanks for the info, Jim.
On my old, loose, super light, powerful, gas-guzzling, OMC v4 crossflows, I used no additives at all. I do perform the occasional de-carboning procedure, (more involved than merely adding something to fuel), using Sal's technique from a different thread.
Now that I have a big, heavy, carbureted, 4-stroke, (2000 Mercury 90hp 4-stroke), that purrs like a kitten, I want to keep it that way. The previous owner, one of our own, fishnff/Brian, used to add Quickleen to every tank, which, thanks to Jim, I now know does NOT have stabilizers. On top of that, he would add Sta-Bil, if he thought it was going to sit for a while.
I am not nearly the power user that Brian was, so stabilizers will be a must for me. The question then becomes:
Do I just use Quickcare since it has stabilizers AND cleaners? Or am I better off using Quickleen, since I purports to have more concentrated cleaners, AND then add a stabilizer?
This is my first Mercury, and my first 4-stroke, and one of the things I have heard is that the carbs have all kinds of tiny orifices that gum up easily, so keeping the fuel clean is vital.
-Peter
L H G posted 02-24-2011 04:17 PM ET (US)
As I'm sure you are aware, you actually have a carbureted Yamaha engine, with entire powerhead, including carbs, built by them and sold to Mercury for installation on their mid and lower. From the stories I have heard about the tiny passages in those Yamaha carbs, I would use QuickClean religiously, and probably have the carbs taken off for cleaning every two seasons. Check Mercury's website for Maintenance and FAQ information on these mid-range 4-strokes. Might check to see what Yamaha recommends also.
From what I have heard, Stabil (or equivalent) is also a must, since it prevents evaporation and subsequent varnishing up of those tiny passages during periods of non-use.
I would also see if you can determine whether it is recommend to idle the carbs dry after use, when engine is not going to be run for a week or so. Ssince there is no oil injection system, this seems to make some sense, like we all used to do with the conventional carbed 2-strokes.
jimh posted 02-24-2011 11:30 PM ET (US)
According to Mecury, QUICKLEEN is not for routine use. I would follow their recommendations.
Yes, those Mercury 90-HP FOURSTROKE engines are notorious for problems with their carburetors. You can find a lot of prior discussion in the archives. It was a common topic for years and years. No real solutions were found, but there was lots of debate, and plenty of chest thumping by brand enthusiasts trying to blame someone else for the problems. My impression was the biggest problem was bad gasoline, and poor storage procedures. But go look up the old threads, they are fun to read and are loaded with information. Here is a good place to start:
http://continuouswave.com/ubb/Forum3/HTML/009936.html
That thread is my favorite on this topic.
FISHNFF posted 02-24-2011 11:44 PM ET (US)
Allow me to chime in.
I never ran the fuel from the carbs. The longest it sat was maybe 3 months without running. When it was at my house, I ran it weekly on a flusher if not used in the water.
The Merc guys across the bay suggested Quikleen regularly.
The Merc guy on this side said every other.
I ran it all the time. Made my older Merc 75 2-stroke run smoother too.
I had a discussion with mechanics after I had a "clogged" jet. Was told my 2 different Mercury Master mechanics that the 90 4-stroke has very small jets. So, I ask, what about the Merc 50 4 strokes? They are also a 4 cylinder 4 carburator 4 sroke. They must have extremely tiny jets. Smaller than the 90!
They said they are also prone to clogging.
But if the 90 had problems, the 50 must have 2x as many problems!
Enough said. I had a problem fixed by squeezing the bulb and advancing the throttle while the motor was off.
As for the "running the gas out of the carbs" suggestion, the fuel line runs directly into the motor. I ran the boat out of HMB once past the jaws before the motor sputtered from lack of fuel when I forgot to plug the line into the gas tank. Pretty miserly motor!
FISHNFF
jimh posted 02-25-2011 08:46 PM ET (US)
Going back to what Mercury says about the use of these QUICK products--and here I will refer to them by number not name--my interpretation is as follows:
1 == use all the time
2 == use only when needed
3 == use only prior to prolonged storage

Now we already have contradictory advice that says
2 == use all the time, that is, routinely, every fill-up
If we follow the advice of those who suggest this usage, should we continue to use product "1" all the time, that is, will our routine use now be
1 == use all the time
2 == use all the time
If Mercury felt that "2" was for routine use, wouldn't they just come out and say that?

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Author	Topic: Mercury Fuel Treatments: A QUICK Look
jimh	posted 02-23-2011 09:13 AM ET (US) I just noticed that Mercury Marine has revised its fuel treatment product line, and they now have three products with somewhat harmonized brand names: --QUICKARE --QUICKLEEN --QUICKSTOR Of these, the progenitor of the naming seems to be QUICKLEEN, a product that has been around for a while. The other two products may be re-branded versions of legacy products. We look very briefly at all three: QUICKARE is intended as a routine fuel treatment to be used in normal operation. It is to recommended to "add to every fill-up." It contains stabilizers. QUICKLEEN is intended as a non-routine treatment when needed. This product has no stabilizers. QUICKSTOR is intended to preserve fuel quality over long storage periods. In addition to new names, the product packaging has been changed. Previously the plastic bottle was typically black and opaque. The new branded products are in clear plastic bottles. This may be a reaction to some incidents where sediment was reported in fuel treatment products, only discovered after use due to the opaque bottles. http://www.mercurymarine.com/parts-and-accessories/product-overview/ fuel-care-system/
fishgutz	posted 02-23-2011 10:06 AM ET (US) Thanks for the info Jim. I have used QUICKLEEN and Sta-bil for years with great results. The problem was QUICKLEEN mixed 1 ounce for every 6 gallons of gas and Sta-bil was 1 ounce for every 2.5 gallons of gas. Looks like QUICKARE will make mixing much easier. I just wish they had that convenient squeeze bottle like Sta-bil.
jimh	posted 02-23-2011 01:56 PM ET (US) To further help distinguish these QUICK products, the bottle labels are identified with the numbers 1, 2, or 3, and a terse summary of the application, as follows: QUICKARE has a "1" and says "Every Fill-Up" QUICKLEEN has a "2" and says "Deep Clean" QUICKSTOR has a "3" and says "Fuel Store"
pcrussell50	posted 02-24-2011 04:02 PM ET (US) Thanks for the info, Jim. On my old, loose, super light, powerful, gas-guzzling, OMC v4 crossflows, I used no additives at all. I do perform the occasional de-carboning procedure, (more involved than merely adding something to fuel), using Sal's technique from a different thread. Now that I have a big, heavy, carbureted, 4-stroke, (2000 Mercury 90hp 4-stroke), that purrs like a kitten, I want to keep it that way. The previous owner, one of our own, fishnff/Brian, used to add Quickleen to every tank, which, thanks to Jim, I now know does NOT have stabilizers. On top of that, he would add Sta-Bil, if he thought it was going to sit for a while. I am not nearly the power user that Brian was, so stabilizers will be a must for me. The question then becomes: Do I just use Quickcare since it has stabilizers AND cleaners? Or am I better off using Quickleen, since I purports to have more concentrated cleaners, AND then add a stabilizer? This is my first Mercury, and my first 4-stroke, and one of the things I have heard is that the carbs have all kinds of tiny orifices that gum up easily, so keeping the fuel clean is vital. -Peter
L H G	posted 02-24-2011 04:17 PM ET (US) As I'm sure you are aware, you actually have a carbureted Yamaha engine, with entire powerhead, including carbs, built by them and sold to Mercury for installation on their mid and lower. From the stories I have heard about the tiny passages in those Yamaha carbs, I would use QuickClean religiously, and probably have the carbs taken off for cleaning every two seasons. Check Mercury's website for Maintenance and FAQ information on these mid-range 4-strokes. Might check to see what Yamaha recommends also. From what I have heard, Stabil (or equivalent) is also a must, since it prevents evaporation and subsequent varnishing up of those tiny passages during periods of non-use. I would also see if you can determine whether it is recommend to idle the carbs dry after use, when engine is not going to be run for a week or so. Ssince there is no oil injection system, this seems to make some sense, like we all used to do with the conventional carbed 2-strokes.
jimh	posted 02-24-2011 11:30 PM ET (US) According to Mecury, QUICKLEEN is not for routine use. I would follow their recommendations. Yes, those Mercury 90-HP FOURSTROKE engines are notorious for problems with their carburetors. You can find a lot of prior discussion in the archives. It was a common topic for years and years. No real solutions were found, but there was lots of debate, and plenty of chest thumping by brand enthusiasts trying to blame someone else for the problems. My impression was the biggest problem was bad gasoline, and poor storage procedures. But go look up the old threads, they are fun to read and are loaded with information. Here is a good place to start: http://continuouswave.com/ubb/Forum3/HTML/009936.html That thread is my favorite on this topic.
FISHNFF	posted 02-24-2011 11:44 PM ET (US) Allow me to chime in. I never ran the fuel from the carbs. The longest it sat was maybe 3 months without running. When it was at my house, I ran it weekly on a flusher if not used in the water. The Merc guys across the bay suggested Quikleen regularly. The Merc guy on this side said every other. I ran it all the time. Made my older Merc 75 2-stroke run smoother too. I had a discussion with mechanics after I had a "clogged" jet. Was told my 2 different Mercury Master mechanics that the 90 4-stroke has very small jets. So, I ask, what about the Merc 50 4 strokes? They are also a 4 cylinder 4 carburator 4 sroke. They must have extremely tiny jets. Smaller than the 90! They said they are also prone to clogging. But if the 90 had problems, the 50 must have 2x as many problems! Enough said. I had a problem fixed by squeezing the bulb and advancing the throttle while the motor was off. As for the "running the gas out of the carbs" suggestion, the fuel line runs directly into the motor. I ran the boat out of HMB once past the jaws before the motor sputtered from lack of fuel when I forgot to plug the line into the gas tank. Pretty miserly motor! FISHNFF
jimh	posted 02-25-2011 08:46 PM ET (US) Going back to what Mercury says about the use of these QUICK products--and here I will refer to them by number not name--my interpretation is as follows: 1 == use all the time 2 == use only when needed 3 == use only prior to prolonged storage Now we already have contradictory advice that says 2 == use all the time, that is, routinely, every fill-up If we follow the advice of those who suggest this usage, should we continue to use product "1" all the time, that is, will our routine use now be 1 == use all the time 2 == use all the time If Mercury felt that "2" was for routine use, wouldn't they just come out and say that?