E10 New petrol

[match]

Hi does anyone know what effect the new petrol will have on outboards.
Thanks

[Steve509926]

I have just been reading the about E10 petrol on the Mercury website :-

http://www.mercurymarine.staging.yar...anol-fuel.aspx

I will be using E5 whenever possible and if I have to use E10, I will only be buying enough for that trip so that I don't have to store it. From what I have read E10 absorbs water more readily than E5, so the less time you have it, the less chance of any water contamination.

[match]

Apparently super unleaded will still be available obviously more expensive a litre of course nothing gets cheaper [emoji35][emoji36]

[Ferryman]

It gets even more complicated - Marinas sell E5 as super unleaded but some brands like Esso sell super unleaded with no ethanol but have to brand it on the pumps as E5? 🤠[emoji19]
As to how much you can carry, Tesco and the BBC think it's 30l, the government web site says 333l but isn't clear (imo). I usually take about 50l.
Standard unleaded is about £1.63/l on the Medina at the moment and I can get super at £1.47ish in cans.

[TmMorris]

Yup. E5 means between 0 and 5% ethanol and some firms like Esso don't add ethanol on their E5 premium grades but only when collecting from some refineries.

For those of us with external tanks it is quite simple to manage in that we can use zero ethanol garden fuel, premium E5 or E10 and if the latter just tip the day's remainder into our car or not store for more than a couple of months.

I think it becomes more complex for users with internal tanks as these are obviously harder to drain off regularly and will also sweat and draw in moisture from the outside to react with the ethanol. Such a boat being used heavily and with a tank being run low each time is probably going to be fine but a light user who mainly tops up their tank could be at risk of separated water going up the fuel lines and blocking a jet much more easily than historically was the case.

[69cmw]

Fit a decent water trap, job done

[Steve509926]

Originally Posted by 69cmw

Fit a decent water trap, job done

Not necessarily so. Ethanol can cause the following:-

Corrosion of metal parts
Deterioration of rubber or plastic parts
Fuel permeation through rubber fuel lines
Starting and operating difficulties

So water isn't the only problem with E10.

[TmMorris]

Originally Posted by Steve509926

Not necessarily so. Ethanol can cause the following:-

Corrosion of metal parts
Deterioration of rubber or plastic parts
Fuel permeation through rubber fuel lines
Starting and operating difficulties

So water isn't the only problem with E10.

Indeed. Most marine systems since the 90s should have been set up using resistant materials but people are still going to have to double check.

Generally speaking when you go through car forums is that injection systems tend to be ok but owners are finding problems with regards to leaving fuel to decay in carb pots.

E10 is most likely to highlight existing bad habits and practices as old fuel is going to be less forgiving.

[brveagle]

Here in USA, we have had e10 mandated in all of our fuel with the exception of premium for quite a few years now. That ethanol really breaks down the fuel more quickly. Luckily most marinas and gas stations still sell ethanol free fuel and it's well worth the extra $$ to get.

[jeffstevens763@g]

How To Neutralize Ethanol In Gasoline – Fuel Stabilizers and Ethanol Removal

[GuyC]

https://www.bellperformance.com/blog...tion-water-e10

[TmMorris]

The real risk is likely to be from the snake oil vendors leaping into the bandwagon to flog product to be honest.

You need to have quite a bit of water in the bottom of your tank and leave fuel in there quite a while to get phase separation.

[GuyC]

Originally Posted by TmMorris

The real risk is likely to be from the snake oil vendors leaping into the bandwagon to flog product to be honest.

You need to have quite a bit of water in the bottom of your tank and leave fuel in there quite a while to get phase separation.

https://www.rib.net/forum/f50/my-thu...tml#post835219

I think roflhat was suffering from it on his Thundercat

[jonp]

I don"t know anyone who uses e10 in their boats over here in Aus. I've yet to meet a car or outboard mechanic that recommends it even though its been available for many years here. This is what the largest boat insurer posted on it a couple of years ago https://www.clubmarine.com.au/explor...hanol-question

[Fenlander]

Jon how do you choose E10 vs no ethanol fuel at the pumps... do all fuel stations have both?

[jeffstevens763@g]

Originally Posted by Fenlander

Jon how do you choose E10 vs no ethanol fuel at the pumps... do all fuel stations have both?

BP premium has no ethanol ive been using that since my water problem David

[Fenlander]

Appreciate that re the UK Jeff... just wondered about Australia when Jon said he didn't know anyone who used E10.

[TmMorris]

Originally Posted by GuyC

https://www.rib.net/forum/f50/my-thu...tml#post835219

I think roflhat was suffering from it on his Thundercat

Yup. That emulsion in the fuel filter is almost certainly due to having quite a bit of water in the fuel tank, which seemed to be coming in externally via a pipe?

[jeffstevens763@g]

Originally Posted by Fenlander

Appreciate that re the UK Jeff... just wondered about Australia when Jon said he didn't know anyone who used E10.

sorry mate its ultimate BP understand re Jon

[GuyC]

Just to add to the rising panic:

Hi Guy,

You may have seen the notices that the Government is switching "standard" petrol from E5 to E10 for cars, but what about your boat engine?

I've seen recently that some marinas are also switching their petrol supply to E10 - Yacht Havens announced the change from 1st September, for example.

Many manufacturers have stated that E10 petrol is ok to use in "modern" engines.

Honda Marine and Mercury have stated a maximum of 10% ethanol for use in their engines which makes E10 fine.

They also note some drawbacks to E10 fuel which include increased water absorption, leading to "phase separation" and a decrease in "shelf life" for fuel in your engine.

Most manufacturers suggest checking the user manual which will state the compatible grades of petrol.

It's definitely worth checking, especially if your engine is an older model, either in the manual or with the manufacturer or your regular service agent.

Even if it's compatible, bear in mind that the shelf life can be as little as a couple of months which means recycling the fuel regularly.

As an option, you could continue to use E5 petrol which is available in "Super" grades at petrol stations - but possibly not at your local marina.

I hope this information helps you keep your boat engine safe and useable.

Best wishes,

Sam.

PS. If you're an RYA member, there's some similar information on their website and you can email them for further details.

Samantha Tilley
Owner - RIBstore
www.ribstore.co.uk