fuel additives for boats

What does every one use for fuel additives i have a 90 horse evinrude 2 stroke and im debating between sea foam and star tron.

I use an ounce of Seafoam per gallon on all my toys except when I am running hard through fuel. I dont use anything if I am continuously pumping in fresh gas.

What problem are you trying to solve with additives?

Somehow, someway, people got the idea that all this additive snake oil has become mandatory. I suspect this is because of some vague feeling people get that somehow additives “prevent” or “undo” ethanol problems.

They don’t. No additive can remove water from fuel. No additive can undo phase separation once it has occurred. No additive can remove ethanol from gasoline.

In small engines I run non-ox gas whenever possible, but if not possible I run fresh fuel from an high volume service station. I don’t add anything unless there’s some kind of engine problem where a fuel additive can actually help. I don’t let any fuel sit for longer than 6 months in a storage container.

I do use Sta-bil if a machine with fuel in the tank is going to sit and I can’t easily drain the fuel, but exactly for what it’s designed for: A storage additive.

Grouse

suzuki wrote:

I use an ounce of Seafoam per gallon on all my toys except when I am running hard through fuel. I dont use anything if I am continuously pumping in fresh gas.

X2

I use Sea foam fairly regularily.

roosterrouster wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>suzuki wrote:</div>
I use an ounce of Seafoam per gallon on all my toys except when I am running hard through fuel. I dont use anything if I am continuously pumping in fresh gas.

X2

X3

-J.

X4

BigWerm wrote:

I use Sea foam fairly regularily.

I have used the Sea Foam very regularly…even though I agree with all ‘grouse’ states. ‘an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure’…..

Snake oil all the way. Sta-bil if it is going to sit for a couple of months. I would go broke buying seafoam at 50 ounces per each 50 gallon tank fill. Opti oil is expensive enough at $34.50 a gallon per 50 gallons of gas.

TheFamousGrouse wrote:

What problem are you trying to solve with additives?

Somehow, someway, people got the idea that all this additive snake oil has become mandatory. I suspect this is because of some vague feeling people get that somehow additives “prevent” or “undo” ethanol problems.

They don’t. No additive can remove water from fuel. No additive can undo phase separation once it has occurred. No additive can remove ethanol from gasoline.

In small engines I run non-ox gas whenever possible, but if not possible I run fresh fuel from an high volume service station. I don’t add anything unless there’s some kind of engine problem where a fuel additive can actually help. I don’t let any fuel sit for longer than 6 months in a storage container.

I do use Sta-bil if a machine with fuel in the tank is going to sit and I can’t easily drain the fuel, but exactly for what it’s designed for: A storage additive.

Grouse

^^^^ I concur as well.
Mostly on the Sta-Bil for longer term fuels held in a container.

The only problem i have is a little rough idle. The local boat dealer told me to use yamaha ring free. I think i will just use the sea foam.

craighaz wrote:

The only problem i have is a little rough idle. The local boat dealer told me to use yamaha ring free. I think i will just use the sea foam.

Most likely this is from fuel deposits from over-winter storage. Give the engine an “Italian Tune-up”. Add Seafoam and if possible get rid of the old gas and fill with fresh fuel/oil.

Then take that baby out and wind her up. A couple of good 10 minute full throttle runs and some stop/full throttle/stop full throttle acceleration.

BTW, this is the right way to use additives. To try to fix a problem that they can actually help with. It is not clear to me what people are trying to “prevent” with additives. If you run clean, fresh fuel through a properly tuned engine, there is nothing to prevent.

I have small engines like chainsaws, brush cutters, mowers, a generator, etc that have together run hundreds or thousands of hours without a drop of this snake oil prevention juice. I’ve seen aircraft engines that ran 2000+ hours and at overhaul they are clean and bright on the inside still, again with nothing more than good fuel and good oil.

Grouse

Concerning 4 strokes…Most dealerships (at least the 2 Merc dealers that I work with…) tell me to run Sea Foam 24/7 UNLESS you are running them every day. For us weekend warriors they say that leaving that untreated gas in the carbs for 5-30 days (without running the motor…) can gum up the carbs and make em’ run rough (over time…). Hey, these are the guys that clean the carbs when they get dirty so personally I listen to em’. I have had my 4 stroke since 98′ and have yet to even consider bringing it in. Call it a “placebo” or “snake oil” it has worked for me…RR

I am confused, if Seafoam is snake oil and additives should not be used to “prevent” things, what does Sta-bil actually do sitting in a tank for 6 months that Seafoam will not do and are they both not put in there to “prevent” something ?:???: