What's the best gasoline for the Etec 60 ?

[oceanview2]

My Etec 60 is a 2012 factory option. It has approx. Sixty hours on it. New in Oct. 2011-----
I've been using Shell regular gas here in CA. exclusively. It's their nitrogen enriched version.
Any suggestions or comments from the other 26M skippers.
Runs great.
Was concerned about ethanol though.
Thanks

[RobertB]

Regular automotive gas should be fine - read your owners manual.

Learned something interesting about different brands of gas - they are not. Most gas stations are independently owned, just aligned with a major brand for advertising and other minor details, some are franchise. But, all get the gas from the same place. In my area, it is the TRANSCO pipeline. There really is no difference between the different brands of gasoline - face it, they are all formulated/distilled to the same specifications mandated by the Federal government. The biggest difference is what stations have tanks that water leaks into and which ones do not.

[dive4it]

Just my opinion, but I'd never put a drop of ethanol in any of my outboards. Ethonal free is the way to be. Read the report that AAA released last month about ethonal fules.
http://newsroom.aaa.com/2012/11/new-e15 ... confusion/

I can't (by law) use it in any of my airplanes and won't (by wise choice) use it in any marine and especially 2 stroke aplications.

JT

[RobertB]

As a pilot, you have access to ethanol free gas (I guess). I do not know if I have ever seen a gas station I use offer ethanol free. On the other hand, a late model engine should be designed to use gas with ethanol in it (to the low levels generally in standard gas).

Please do not think I am a fan of ethanol in gas - it is a huge waste of resources and keeps my fuel economy down.

[kadet]

10% ethanol blend is fine in the ETEC, water is not and therein lies the problem. Ethanol fuel goes off quicker and can absorb water from the atmosphere more readily. ETECs really really hate any water in the fuel.

If you use ethanol blend then use a good external fuel filter with a water separator and change over the fuel regularly, even if you use regular fuel a water separator fuel filter is not a bad idea. A lot of the earlier problems with ETECs have been traced to water in fuel problems.

The other problem is ethanol is a solvent so if you run it in an engine that has been running on regular fuel for awhile you risk loosening up all that old varnish and gunk and clogging your injectors.

Any fuel is good or bad depending on how you treat it and use your engine.

[Hamin' X]

A lot of marinas sell non ethanol gas, I know that mine does. Also, there is one station in my area that sells it. In both places it is premium and expensive as heck, though not quite up there with 100LL ($5.60/gal at HRI).

By the way, there is a difference in brands. Yes they can com from the same refinery and be hauled in of branded trucks, but be assured that by the time it gets in the brand name station's tanks, it has their additive package in it. Is one better than another? Vehicle manufactures seem to think so. Google "Top Tier".

~Rich

[mastreb]

Just my opinion, but I'd never put a drop of ethanol in any of my outboards. Ethonal free is the way to be. Read the report that AAA released last month about ethonal fules.
http://newsroom.aaa.com/2012/11/new-e15 ... confusion/

I can't (by law) use it in any of my airplanes and won't (by wise choice) use it in any marine and especially 2 stroke aplications.

JT

That article regards E15. While it doesn't sound "that different" E10 is below the threshold that will damage engines that use certain plastics in the fuel system while E15 is above it.

Also, ETEC 60 manual states E10 or below only. You need to stick with those recommendations for your warranty to remain valid.

Matt

[Catigale]

And never mix Mobil brand gas with Shell in any vehicle.....

[Russ]

And never mix Mobil brand gas with Shell in any vehicle.....

You should never mix Mobile and Exxon gas in the same tank either. Oh yea, and never ever add a henway to your fuel.

[Russ]

Oh, for a list of 100% gas stations, look here http://pure-gas.org/

[RobertB]

A lot of marinas sell non ethanol gas, I know that mine does. Also, there is one station in my area that sells it. In both places it is premium and expensive as heck, though not quite up there with 100LL ($5.60/gal at HRI).

By the way, there is a difference in brands. Yes they can com from the same refinery and be hauled in of branded trucks, but be assured that by the time it gets in the brand name station's tanks, it has their additive package in it. Is one better than another? Vehicle manufactures seem to think so. Google "Top Tier".

~Rich

The only one that has a real reputation (additive package) is Chevron. Apparently, this is the one the Detroit companies use in their fuel economy testing. Every once in a while, I will add the TECHRON fuel additive to my gas tank. But, since there are no Chevron stations on my commute, I guess I will use what is there. I usually end up choosing the station based on where I get the best fuel economy from - at over 100 miles a day, does not take long to figure out.
Another point I find interesting, I believe most car manufacturers recommend using no fuel additives.

[RobertB]

Oh, for a list of 100% gas stations, look here http://pure-gas.org/

Interesting - but seems all the stations are on the eastern shore of the state.

[dlandersson]

Well, no. Many marinas (Hammond and Michigan City for example) sell 100% gas.

Oh, for a list of 100% gas stations, look here http://pure-gas.org/

Interesting - but seems all the stations are on the eastern shore of the state.

[Sea Wind]

they are all formulated/distilled to the same specifications mandated by the Federal government

While federal standards require a minimum amount of detergent/additives, each brand can add more additives than the minimum. So the same truck might be delivering gas to a Shell station and a brand X station across each other, but Shell is going to add more additives. That does not neccesarily match the higher price from Shell as they also get a higher margin than the brand X station. In any case, the both get you when you enter the convenience store.

[dlandersson]

So..you are sayin' that $50 is not a good price for the local daily newspaper?

they are all formulated/distilled to the same specifications mandated by the Federal government

While federal standards require a minimum amount of detergent/additives, each brand can add more additives than the minimum. So the same truck might be delivering gas to a Shell station and a brand X station across each other, but Shell is going to add more additives. That does not neccesarily match the higher price from Shell as they also get a higher margin than the brand X station. In any case, the both get you when you enter the convenience store.