Gummed Up Engine?

[bubbler]

Ok...so i havent fished for like 6 months from my boat cuz the local lake put a quarantine on the local boats. I have no idea if the engine is gummed up and dont know how to check. any suggestions, and also can someone give me an estimate if it is gummed up. I heared like 1200

[Fishing Rhino]

While you likely don't "winterize" outboards in California, you need to do the same process when you aren't going to use the engine for an extended period of time.

You don't say if your engine will run. Have you tried to start it?

If it won't run or doesn't run well, before you spend 1200 dollars, drain all the fuel from the engine and the tank(s), and start with fresh gasoline. If your engine has carburetors, they'll have to be drained. All fuel lines should be drained and inspected.

A lot more info is needed before anyone can begin to make a reasonable "guess" as to what you should do. The info should include the make and year of the engine. Anything you did to prepare it for a six month storage period. How was it running the last time you used it?

For starters, you need to get rid of all the old fuel and start with fresh. You should also treat your fuel every time you add fuel. There are several products available. Engine makers have their own brands, but you can use Stabil Marine, Startron, etc. Some prefer one brand over another. Ask several folks, and you'll get several different answers as to which is best.

[bubbler]

yah, its a 150 merc optimax....runs great...havent started it for like 5 months. 2009

[Fishing Rhino]

What makes you think the engine might be gummed up?

[bubbler]

i had a dude tell me that if your boat sits for more than like 4 months your screwed....idk if its gummy but i figured its a safe bet

[Fishing Rhino]

Don't you think it would be a good idea to put the rig in the water, to find out if it runs or not, before trying to "fix" a problem that might not exist? Don't unhook the boat or its tie downs. Back it down the ramp so the water intakes are well beneath the surface of the water, and try to start it. If it seems to be running ok, then you can launch the boat and take it for a test ride.

Before doing the above, I'd drain the old fuel and replace it with fresh gasoline.

[Nitrofreak]

Don't you think it would be a good idea to put the rig in the water, to find out if it runs or not, before trying to "fix" a problem that might not exist? Don't unhook the boat or its tie downs. Back it down the ramp so the water intakes are well beneath the surface of the water, and try to start it. If it seems to be running ok, then you can launch the boat and take it for a test ride.

Before doing the above, I'd drain the old fuel and replace it with fresh gasoline.

X2

I would also add some fuel treatment to it, as was mentioned in another above statement of his.

[bass crazy]

I would try to start the motor with fresh fuel after draining as much as the old fuel as possible. Treat the new gas with stabill ethanol and seafoam addative. If it starts and runs I would run a few tanks of gas through it with the addatives . I would use the stabill and seafoam evertime I had to fuel up as a general preventive maintance. Once i got it running I would run it hard for at least a couple tanks with the addative to clean out your craburators.

[Fishing Rhino]

I would try to start the motor with fresh fuel after draining as much as the old fuel as possible. Treat the new gas with stabill ethanol and seafoam addative. If it starts and runs I would run a few tanks of gas through it with the addatives . I would use the stabill and seafoam evertime I had to fuel up as a general preventive maintance. Once i got it running I would run it hard for at least a couple tanks with the addative to clean out your craburators.

He said it's an Optimax. It doesn't have carburetors.

[bass crazy]

Thank you Fishing Rino. I stand corected. I should have said fuel injectors evidently. I am senior with a 1988 merc 70 hp 3 carburator motor.and not up on the latest technology. Regardless the seafoam treatment will help I even use it in my tow vechile which is fuel injected.

[Fishing Rhino]

Thank you Fishing Rino. I stand corected. I should have said fuel injectors evidently. I am senior with a 1988 merc 70 hp 3 carburator motor.and not up on the latest technology. Regardless the seafoam treatment will help I even use it in my tow vechile which is fuel injected.

No biggie. Didn't mean to sound terse in my reply. You are correct that fuel additives are beneficial to injectors as well as carburetors.

[bill-sb]

Here's the good news: 6-month old gas is not "old"

We have used 3-year old gas with zero problems. Yes, we treated it with our product,

I'm Bill at Star brite, the makers of Star Tron Enzyme Fuel Treatment. We have moderator approval to help answer fuel-related or boat maintenance-related questions. As you can see from the banner at the top of the page, we are advertisers/supporters of bassresource.com

Star brite is a 40-year old company that makes almost all of its products here in the US at our plant in Montgomery, Alabama. Our headquarters is in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. We make about 1,000 products under the Star brite brand as well as many more for companies that you would recognize very well. A few of them are also present here on bassresource.com

We do not sell directly to consumers or to retaiulers, so you won't see us trying to sell you anything. We will be happy to provide information. You can ask us any questions you want to here or you can call our tech line at (800) 327-8583. In addition to fuel treatments we also make polishes, boat washes, motor oils, brushes, tie downs, and a lot more.

Ethanol-blended fuel has its own set of issues. Some can be overcome, while others cannot. As an example, ethanol (which is alcohol) degrades some rubber and plastic parts and fuel lines, but not all plastic or rubber components. This is a chemical reaction and if it is going to occur, there is no fuel treatment or additive that can prevent this. Most fuel lines are now made to be much more alcohol-resistant than they were even a few years ago. The same applies to most new carburetor components.

In Florida, we have been using E10 fuel for almost 4 years now, and we have learned how to deal with it. We have not given up and abandoned our boats for golf carts.

Ethanol-blended gas includes E10 (10% ethanol/90% gasoline) and E85 (15% gas/85% ethanol) which can only be used in Flex Fuel vehicles. E15 (15% ethanol/85% gas) can legally only be used in cars and trucks manufactured in 2001 or later; it cannot be used in boats, motorcycles, chainsaws, older vehicles or any other non-road applications. There are many engine manufacturers actively fighting the expanded use of E15 fuel. It can possibly void warranties and will only make the problems related to ethanol more pronounced. Very few boat engine manufacturers allow the use of fuel with any more than 10% alcohol/ethanol.

Ethanol and gasoline do not form a chemical bond, which is why the ethanol is added only when the tanker truck is ready to go to the gas station or fuel dock. E10 fuel is formulated to be used in cars and trucks (99% of the fuel market) and is designed to be used within 30 days. This is fine for most cars and trucks, since we tend to go through a tank of fuel every week or two - it doesn't have the chance to begin to degrade. However, if it sits for longer periods - and has not been stabilized - it can begin to degrade as gums and other solids begin to form. This debris is what can clog injectors or carburetors, resulting in engines that are suddenly difficult to start or which run rough. If untreated (unstabilized) ethanol-blended fuel is allowed to sit in carburetor bowls or injectors, it can form a film that will cause the engine to run rough or be hard to start.

Water and ethanol do form a very tight chemical bond. While 100% gas cannot "hold" any moisure, E10 can hold up to .5% water. If the amount of water exceeds .5% (note: this is .5% - NOT 5%), a situation known as phase separation can occur. This is where the water and ethanol mixture weighs too much to remain in suspension with the gas, so it falls to the bottom of the fuel tank. When the engine draws in the water/ethanol mix, it can run rough or stall. This water can also affect engine components such as fuel pumps.

No fuel treatment or additive can magically make water disappear from E10 fuel. The ones that claim to do so are often an alcohol-based formula that emulsifies water. Emulsifying is not the same as removing - the water is still there, but is now clumped in big droplets that will not allow for a complete burn of the fuel charge. This simply means the engine won't run well and will see large formations of carbon deposits. The FAA and DOD forbid the use of emulsifiers in aviation fuel. You should not use them in a car or boat engine, either. Emulsifiers degrade the fuel quality and negatively affect its combustibilty. You need to look at the ingredients of the fuel treament you are using with ethanol-blended fuel to make sure it does not contain alcohol (if the ingredient is listed as IPA it's isopropyl alcohol; if it ends in "-ol" such as methanol, it's an alcohol)

Review the Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) of the product prior to using it in your fuel. The MSDS should be readily availalble online. If it is not, or if it lists all ingredients as "proprietary", you should be concerned. It's ok for some percentage of the ingredients to be proprietary, but not 100% of the ingredients.

Ethanol is a very effective solvent, which is why the first time you run E10 fuel in an engine that has previously run on 100% gas you can see bits of varnish clog injectors, carb jets or fuel filters. This varnish is usaully all removed by the time you run the 2nd or 3rd tank of E10.

Ethanol does not provide as much energy (BTUs) as gasoline, so by diluting the gas with ethanol, the engine cannot develop as much power (hp) or fuel economomy as it did when buring 100% gas.

While there are problems, there are soutions, too. Use the fuel as soon as possible and use a fuel stabilizer. You need to do more than just stabilize, but we can go into that at a later date.

[Glenn]

Great information Bill! I learned a lot.