End of trip/season procedures with a fuel injected outboard?

[Shoyrtt]

I upgraded from a 9hp Nissan/Tohatsu carbureted outboard to a 15hp Suzuki EFI electric start this past fall. With the old Nissan, at the end each trip I would always disconnect the fuel supply line and run the engine dry to prevent any gunk or issues with the ethanol fuel we have here in California sitting in the lines. With the fuel injected engine, I have been following the rule that I heard that it was bad on the injectors for them to be run dry, so I leave fuel in the system. I use it almost every weekend so I figure that I only have to worry about the ethanol issue. At the end of the season, my plan is to bring the Suzuki home for a full service and not let the fuel stay in the system for an extended period of time.

What are your suggestions?

 

[JHornsby3]

Why not just treat the fuel and let it go for the season? Then pickle it for the winter.

 

[Shoyrtt]

Why not just treat the fuel and let it go for the season? Then pickle it for the winter.

Treat the fuel with what? With a stabilizer like Sea Foam?

Do you agree with leaving fuel in the system as opposed to running it dry like I did with a carb?

 

[JHornsby3]

I leave the fuel in everything when storing. And I use the ethanol treatment in everything I own. The injected $8k lawn mower gets high test pump fuel with stabil and the ethanol treatment in it since new. Not a single problem. Now the boat is another story. I fill up cans of the non ethanol fuel to fill it up. I don't like to have seals and such dry.

You can also find a "friend" at the local airport and run it on 100LL. Might have to run colder plugs in the outboard. But might be worth asking a tech if you can get it.

 

[Todd320]

I owned a Yamaha 200, never treated the fuel, always used ethanol, kept the fuel relatively full, never an issue. Never any off season treatment, routinely sat unused from December to April, always started first attempt.

 

[Skybolt]

... You can also find a "friend" at the local airport and run it on 100LL. Might have to run colder plugs in the outboard. But might be worth asking a tech if you can get it.

I do this, but have local air field that has drive up pump. Works great, I use it in every thing, Yamaha 15hp, Jet Ski and John Deere lawn tractor. Never an issue. You can leave fuel in over the winter with out an issue.

 

[Shoyrtt]

I will be visiting my local fuel supplier to pick up some race gas without ethanol. To burn what I have, I picked up a bottle of this Lucas product.

 

[JHornsby3]

I do this, but have local air field that has drive up pump. Works great, I use it in every thing, Yamaha 15hp, Jet Ski and John Deere lawn tractor. Never an issue. You can leave fuel in over the winter with out an issue.

Just have to watch the plugs and the heat. Melted the piston tops in a little 4 banger I had years ago. And with 100 octane, I would hope you don't have an issue with things being good for months at a time sitting. That stuff is good for everything from a small Lycombing 60 horse all the way up to the ol Westinghouse J-34's.

 

[Skybolt]

Just have to watch the plugs and the heat. Melted the piston tops in a little 4 banger I had years ago. And with 100 octane, I would hope you don't have an issue with things being good for months at a time sitting. That stuff is good for everything from a small Lycombing 60 horse all the way up to the ol Westinghouse J-34's.

Funny, but the dealer recommends running the aviation fuel, he was the one who told me to run it. You just have to open the jets up a bit to run a bit rich, they need to run a bit rich with aviation fuel. Sounds like like you were running very lean to melt the pistons.

 

[JHornsby3]

It was designed to run on 82 octane regular(leaded) fuel. So running the 100LL or what ever it really was, was a gamble. So the plugs were a hotter plug along with hotter running fuel. So to todays standards, it would have been running pretty lean.

I find it strange that it would be a required fuel. Aviation fuel is not normally to leave by ground methods. All the airports around here won't sell it unless it's in an aircraft or can for an aircraft. I have to get it sneaked off site, when I can get it.

 

[Pirate Lady]

I really doubt efi is much different than a carb. Its all ethanol here in MD. I always mix Seafoam in the gas can. Last winter the zodiac/engine stayed on the rack all winter after i ran it out of gas. Nov to Apr. came April it started first pull.

 

[Skybolt]

It was designed to run on 82 octane regular(leaded) fuel. So running the 100LL or what ever it really was, was a gamble. So the plugs were a hotter plug along with hotter running fuel. So to todays standards, it would have been running pretty lean.

I find it strange that it would be a required fuel. Aviation fuel is not normally to leave by ground methods. All the airports around here won't sell it unless it's in an aircraft or can for an aircraft. I have to get it sneaked off site, when I can get it.

Just to clarify, my local Yamaha dealer recommended it, as he knows it fixes things. It is not a required fuel. Where I use to live, it was the same thing, you could not get near the Aviation fuel unless you knew someone. Where I live now, it is very much like "Mayberry" and you can just walk up to the pump.

But you can just run CAM2, that can be had almost anywhere, I think every town has a race junky gas station that carriers that.

 

[JHornsby3]

Yeah, there is a race gas station to the east, south and west. Only coastal hill to the north. Av gas is only hard now, around here at least, due to terror BS from back when 9/11 happened. Same with the dams and the power station tours. Now it must be that someone might show up with Delta a mask but no shots. I have at least two shots a day to keep everybody away.

I have been told to watch the race fuels. I was told they have a high content of alcohol in them. I have not checked so not sure, but a few race guys have said so over the years. I now choose to hang out with pilots as they are a little bit more stable than the race guys I knew. I mean 150 down the Grape Vine is a bit extreme to me.