Fuel Type

Dmshirkey said:

Everyone running 89 octane? Will higher levels hurt the spark?

I am currently buying 89 pure gasoline from a local propane store because it has no ethanol in it.

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only 'no ethanol' i can find around here is 87...so I run 87...I always run 'no ethanol' in my watercraft...

Are the newer motors built for ethanol abuse or is it still best to run 'no ethanol'?

I run 91 cause its what I've always run in quads and such. Think its ethanol free as well and that's the best octane in my area... A couple hours and half a tank and all is fine.

I'm *honestly* interested in someone more knowledgable than me further discuss this topic.. This will be my first ski and would like to run the best fuel and fluids (i.e. oil, coolant) for the longevity and performance of the motor.. What ethanol ratio is best? Why not some of Shell's V Power 93 octane as found commonly used?

Regards

_CH_ said:

I'm *honestly* interested in someone more knowledgable than me further discuss this topic.. This will be my first ski and would like to run the best fuel and fluids (i.e. oil, coolant) for the longevity and performance of the motor.. What ethanol ratio is best? Why not some of Shell's V Power 93 octane as found commonly used?

Regards

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Ethanol ratio? The best is ZERO ethanol. However the EPA has saddled us with E10 which is primarily used in 87 octane. I buy premium 91 or 93 whatever I can get as premium gas is not supposed to have ethanol in it....California...I don't know. I think they all drive electric cars and seguays.

Ethanol sucks for storage in the winter. Here's an article:

The U.S. may be hitting its ethanol limit. So EPA wants to relax its biofuels goals.

Bug Stomper said:

Ethanol ratio? The best is ZERO ethanol. However the EPA has saddled us with E10 which is primarily used in 87 octane. I buy premium 91 or 93 whatever I can get as premium gas is not supposed to have ethanol in it....California...I don't know. I think they all drive electric cars and seguays.

Ethanol sucks for storage in the winter. Here's an article:

The U.S. may be hitting its ethanol limit. So EPA wants to relax its biofuels goals.

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The manual recommeds 87 octane, I'm running it and ZERO problems, no detonation at all. Buying extra octane fuel when not needed is like a shoe size 2x too big, ZERO benefit.

Higher octane unless required may also net you less fuel mileage.

I LIKE some ethanol blended, it does a great job in keeping fuel systems/tanks very clean. You can check the major fuel makers websites for the blends (There are hundreds) of fuel. As far as I'm aware, ALL (Octane regardless) "street pump" gas does contain ethanol due to EPA requirements. Boating fuel service stations "may" not...

Don't even think of storing fuel over 100~ days (less is better) without a stabilizer added

IF you have an aftermarket tune that alters spark timing/mixture and ultra high RPMS, THEN the octane may be of benefit...

Well in c the subaru and car scene Most people switch to E85. Why you ask? Because E85 when actually 85% ethonal is close to 110 octane. E85 gives you the oprotunity to run higher boost pressures and makes a ton more power. And it runs cooler than regular gas. That's because you generally use 30% more fuel when using e85. Honestly I only have 10% ethonal and that's all I'll be using

Idk how it would affect a 2 smoke. But if it was running lean or rich the Ecu would see that the O2 SENSOR is and adjust. And it it was that lean it might even cause a check engine light. But I'm not sure how advanced this ecu is

Suby2.5i said:

Idk how it would affect a 2 smoke. But if it was running lean or rich the Ecu would see that the O2 SENSOR is and adjust. And it it was that lean it might even cause a check engine light. But I'm not sure how advanced this ecu is

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The spark system is a open loop . No o2 sensor. Kind of what we call a dumb system. Any mods done to the engine must be accompanied by a mapping change or you risk getting into the danger zone of to rich or to lean.. It does however have a knock sensor which would help back timing off in the event of detonation. You would also lose some power. There is a pyrometer in the exhaust but I think that may just be there to make sure its getting cooled by water .
This subject also make me wonder how the spark meets california emmisions . They must be pretty lax for watercraft compared to cars.
As far as ethanol never run in any small engine or watercraft that has periods of sitting. Ethanol fuels break down faster than ever and unless you like buying fuel filters,pumps and injectors stay clear of it. It also has less energy content which means less power and mileage which the ecu cannot compensate for.

wizzer said:

The spark system is a open loop . No o2 sensor. Kind of what we call a dumb system. Any mods done to the engine must be accompanied by a mapping change or you risk getting into the danger zone of to rich or to lean.. It does however have a knock sensor which would help back timing off in the event of detonation. You would also lose some power. There is a pyrometer in the exhaust but I think that may just be there to make sure its getting cooled by water .
This subject also make me wonder how the spark meets california emmisions . They must be pretty lax for watercraft compared to cars.
As far as ethanol never run in any small engine or watercraft that has periods of sitting. Ethanol fuels break down faster than ever and unless you like buying fuel filters,pumps and injectors stay clear of it.It also has less energy content which means less power and mileage which the ecu cannot compensate for.

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Yup that's why the cars use 30% more on average than regular 93. This is my first PWC still learning. Thanks for the info

Would octane booster help if we wanted to throw it in?

No, octane booster wont help performance and might actually hurt performance instead. You need modifications (higher compression, increased timing, etc.) to benefit from running a higher octane fuel.

Ethanol-free gas stations in the U.S. and Canada

This is a great site for those of you searching for gas without ethanol. Just don't expect it to be cheap

GizmoK said:

Ethanol-free gas stations in the U.S. and Canada

This is a great site for those of you searching for gas without ethanol. Just don't expect it to be cheap

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Great information. Thank You

My first time running it I filled it up with 93 because the service writer said it won't harm it and might benefit it a little so I said why not am I must pissing money away? I also have ethanol free gas available near me is that better?

JustSpeed7 said:

My first time running it I filled it up with 93 because the service writer said it won't harm it and might benefit it a little so I said why not am I must pissing money away? I also have ethanol free gas available near me is that better?

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Unless modified, send me the extra money! 87 octane pump gas should be more than fine... No ethanol will net you a gain in mileage but, is the cost to pay and go get to it worth it in modern FI engines?. Some ethanol is a great additive for cleaning and emission control. IT doesn't store "as well" but,, one should always winterize a vehcile with a gas stabilizer anyway.