Looking for some feedback. I have a new Mercury 50hp 4 Stroke Injected. It stays put up through the winter. I have been told to stay away from the red stabil, and use the brown marine stabil. But also been reading about Seafoam also. Help!

I use both the Seafoam and the blue Stabil....

Both!

I just got my dad's boat in March 2010. It is a '97 model Triton with a 115 hp Evinrude on it that probably didn't have 100 hours on the motor, and had probably only been on the water 7 or 8 times in the past 10 years. My dad pretty much let the boat sit up for very extended periods of time and never did any maintenance other than putting the old red Stabil in the gas. I went to do a carb job on it last year just as a preventative maintenance tune-up, and I couldn't believe how clean they were. I'm a Stabil only guy from here on out. If you make a habit of using Stabil at every fill-up, I think that's all you need.

I'm a fan of the seafoam. But I also don't know what "put up through the winter" means

I use both at every fill-up,and every 3rd or 4th tank run a little Super unleaded through mine

Marine Stabil at every fill up and have no problems yet.

I know what ya mean Holzer, therefore yours probably dont sit still long enough for gas to go bad!!!

Thanks for all the good info!!!

I got a bottle from one of the major outboard guys, called Phazer 3000. He told me that that were using it up North where they have already approved 15% ethenol. Funny thing is I think I read its from the Dallas area. Would like to more more ? Anyone else heard of this stuff..........Not to hi-jack you post

I use both!!

+1

It is the ethanol now itself in the blended fuels that is keeping the fuel systems really clean, varnish free and looking like new. Ethanol is an efficient solvent and cleaner.

I believe you, but what is the point of Seafoam if Stabil and ethanol can keep a motor that clean?

Additive (sta-bil and similar others ) helps prevent fuel from phase seperation if too much water ( primarily from condensation on tank walls) gets into the ethanol blended fuel.

Also they add rust preventers greater than what the government requires in the sold pump gasoine. And they also add more detergents that get some of the deposits that tend not to want to dissolve. There may be more benefits others know.

So even if you're running your boat every weekend you use stabil?

Ok, I am more picky than anyone I have met but I.....

- Add the recommended amount of fuel treatment to every tank of fuel.

- Test and measure the amount of ethanol at the pump before I decide to pump it into my gas tank. If its is cloudy (phase seperating) or is less than 8% or more than 10% ethanol, I don't buy it. An ethanol test kit is free to make at home and easy to use.

-Keep my tanks 3/4 full or more; so to reduce condensation on the tank walls

- Have a large 10 ucron Racor-Parker water sep fuel filter in the bilge in addition to the factory motor water sep/filter under the engine cover.

- Have a permanent Parker fuel vacuum gauge installed on the bilge filter to tell me whenever it is getting clogged,


- Purchase only major brand Premium grade fuel. (My friend is a refinery chem engineer)

- And I replace rubber hoses parts every 5 years.

I have a buddy who swears by Sea Foam. He claims to have a rough running motor that was a POS transformed into reliable and good running motor by running several tanks through it using Sea Foam.

I bought a rig from a guy on the coast that had let it sit for a quite a while. The motor ran OK on top end but had a lean sneeze. I ran several tanks through it with Sea Foam, but it just never would level out. I finally had a carb job done on it and it's fine, I guess a lot depends on the condition of the motor when you get it. Along with everything else I did to it, I added a Racor water separator filter to the fuel system and still run Sea Foam to hopefully, keep it clean. I may try Stabil at some point. I think that, based on what I have read, both are good products but the key to longevity is going to be to keep the water out of the motor. My boat is also a work boat, so my gas doesn't sit inthe tank long enough to go bad.

If you sample test all fuel before every fill up putting it into a clear tube, you will likely find sometimes it is visually already "bad" before you pump it.

Especially if the station took a delivery tanker 10 minutes before you arrived and stirred up all the sediments and any water that was setting in the bottom of the underground storage tanks. And you never know from day to day what contaminents the fuel delivery truck pumping the fuel had in its tanks or if the the folks at the delivery rack filling the delivery truck added the proper amount of ethanol just as it was loaded. Testing at the pump is easy and confirms the station's gas has the right amount of ethanol and has not already started phase seperating.

Well I decide to add seafoam to my gas tank, and I add the whole pint as directed( 1oz to 1 gallon, and my tank is 19 gallons). But after I add it I read on multiple forums that I should of Add ONLY a 3rd of the can.

Should I be concern? Should I go ahead and dump my gas tank?:help

No, I've always used 1oz @ gallon and never had any problems whether in my vehicles or boat.

I use Mercury Quick care and Quick clean. 1oz to 5 gal of gas.

Lou, you said you can make a ethanol test kit at home? How? Sounds like something I might try?

Materials:
-Any small pint or so empty clear plastic water bottle (like you get at the grocery store or convenience store and throw in trash.)
-ruler
-permanent marker
-funnel

Mark a "WATER" line on the bottle anywhere about 1/4 way up from bottom.

Measure up from this mark "X" inches to somewhere near the top and mark a "Gasoline" line there. (X can be any value).

Whatever "X" value was, divide it by 10 and make a "10%Ethanol" mark X/10 distance above the water line.

Go to station and fill bottle with water to WATER mark. Add gasoline to GASOLINE mark. Cap and shake for 30 seconds, wait 1 minute or so and read ethanol amount by seeing if water has absorbed ethanol and this water-alcohol clear liquid mix is settling in bottom has increased to 10% Ethanol marking.

Empty and reuse.