Glen-L.com

The EPA has given the go ahead for 15% ethanol.

Ready for that?

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Some plan to stroll through Saint Peter's Gates, I plan to go through them at 150mph... backwards... in a screaming ball of flame, with a glimmer belt wrapped around my head, and a NOx button in my hand.

As long as I can still find stations with 100% I'll avoid any ethanol.

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Bill

I told my wife we needed a three-car garage for my projects...she told me to ask her for permission next time before I buy a house.
http://www.unitybuild.net

Same here. We have a Road Ranger Station that sells real regular gas (87) and a Shell that sells real premium (92). This begs a question. In my old 69 Merc 500 the manual suggest regular, but I understand a lot of people may be using premium in old Mercs. Any input about that?

Roberta

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Roberta
Built Zip "Oliver IV" and Super Spartan "Jimmy 70"

Many suggest using a lead substitute additive to replace the Tetraethallead that was removed in the 80's...for the older engines but I'm not aware of any specific published info. I'll see what kind of abscure source of information I can find for ya.

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Bill

I told my wife we needed a three-car garage for my projects...she told me to ask her for permission next time before I buy a house.
http://www.unitybuild.net

Thanks, Bill!!

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Roberta
Built Zip "Oliver IV" and Super Spartan "Jimmy 70"

Reading lots of opinions right now...some say absolutely use it if it is 79 or older...others say only use it if it is a 4 stroke.

IMHO from the info I've just read from multiple sources...you don't need a lead additive for a 2 stroke. TEL was used as a conditioner to slow fuel burn and to coat valve seats to prevent excessive wear. I don't want any extra stuff coating the rings or cylinder walls on a 2 stroke except the 2-stroke oil in the gas. Buy and properly use a good quality 2 stroke oil and non-ethanol gas.

Now if you have an older 4 stroke or inboard...that's a whole different discussion with several if's/and's/or's.

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Bill

I told my wife we needed a three-car garage for my projects...she told me to ask her for permission next time before I buy a house.
http://www.unitybuild.net

Thanks Bill!! I guess I'll stick with the regular unleaded without ethanol. I've been using Mercury 50:1 oil. Seems to run just fine.

Roberta

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Roberta
Built Zip "Oliver IV" and Super Spartan "Jimmy 70"

The issue of the valve seats was the no-lead issue. On older engines the facing was not hardened. The seats and valves would deform from the pounding with out lead or a substitute. I had a '67 Healey 3000 that had to have it.

Two strokes shouldn't have an issue.

Bill

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Mini -Tug, KH Tahoe 19 & Bartender 24 - There can be no miracle recoveries without first screwing up.
Tahoe 19 Build

Premium in a vintage 2-smoker, Nothing but a waste of money. Any time I hear someone say you must use premium in an old 2-stroke, I put them into the "knows zero about engines" category. Back in "the day" when your engine was new, premium was sold as "ethyl" not premium, the premium name, as a fuel grade, appeared with the advent of catalytic converters, and no-lead fuel. Vintage "premium" contained a significantly more engine friendly additive package, both anti-varnish, and detergent additives (o clean back side of intake valves... something your 2-stroke is completely lacking), but most of all more tertaethyllead, It acted as a flashpoint elevator (increased octane) but more it supplied an extreme pressure type lubricant for the upper cylinder, and most of all the seats and guides of the exhaust valves; both of which are also missing from a 2-stroke. all 2-strokes, but especially marine engines run downright cold, and they require high oil content in the fuel, both of which make the chance of preignition non-existant.


On your vintage merc, the full load/full throttle dynamic CR is somewhere around 6.5:1 At 32:1 mix, it would run fine on 72 octane.

To be friendly to mother gaia (<---<<read with all intended sarcasm) newer engines have pushed the CR back up, reduced oil ratio, and raised temps in the engine enough to need what passes for high octane these days.

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Some plan to stroll through Saint Peter's Gates, I plan to go through them at 150mph... backwards... in a screaming ball of flame, with a glimmer belt wrapped around my head, and a NOx button in my hand.

LOL....I've gotten plenty of that kind of advice before. Someone once told me how to decarbanize an engine by get the motor really hot by reving it up, pulling the spark plugs while it is still really hot , and dumping in a whole bunch of water Some advice you just choose to ignore from some people because you can't fix...well you know.

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Bill

I told my wife we needed a three-car garage for my projects...she told me to ask her for permission next time before I buy a house.
http://www.unitybuild.net

Thanks everyone!! I guess my continued use of unleaded regular without ethanol and Merc 50:1 oil should be good.

Roberta

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Roberta
Built Zip "Oliver IV" and Super Spartan "Jimmy 70"

Caber is correct regarding fuel in old Mercs. I believe the factory called for 80-octane white gas or the equivalent. Lead is not needed in any two-stroke engine. Ignition timing on Mercs is critical, and anyone having a pre-ignition problem with pump gas should check this before blaming fuel. I have heard of ethanol causing problem with fuel-system components not rated for alcohols. I had suspected some issues with energy density with the ethanol added, but vupilot has run both 100LL and regular unleaded in his Merc, and could notice no difference in power output.

-Mark Shipley

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A boat is just a wooden box with no right angles.

Is that like the guy who tells you to drain your oil then fill oil with kerosine and run the engine five mins then drain and refill with oil. to get the sludge out of the engine. say hello to collapsed lifters

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Don't be afraid to attempt anything. You might surprise your self in the attempt.
http://www.facebook.com/Home.Made.Boat.Building
Modified Jubilee-"Wild Flower" 40' house boat
14' Mr John-Wild Flower 2
32' Supper Huck- Wild flower 3

Rod H

That would work well! After that water hydraulic locks the engine, and the rods look like little "Z"s, you can clean out all that carbon as you rebuild your motor! That one is a new one, never heard it before.

My favourites:
Ajax cleanser into the intake while running will "reseat" rings, keeping the oil burning down down and it extends fuel economy by "smoothing out the cylinders" -

Oil fills the system faster if you get revs way up the instant it fires up.

Magnets on your fuel line will "align the fuel molecules" so they burn more efficently

works, but dumb - spray ether all over the intake to check for a vacuum leak - but you really need to hope there are no sources of ignition, or you are wearing paste-on eyebrows for a few months.

Sugar into the battery will restore acid in a nearly hosed battery.

Fuel tanks can be welded if you keep them pressurized with air while welding. - see eyebrows above.

Rice-powder, and egg mix will seal a cooling system. - Is this an engine, or Chinese take-away? I don't know about the cooling system, but it would be effective on plugging leaks in most people.

I have heard about the kero/diesel oil pan flush. Sounds like a recipe for needing new bearings to me. drain oil, insert kerosene, start, wonder what that funny banging noise is - ya, no thanks. On the other hand, if it was done to a mechanical injected diesel, the kero splashing away might make you get to experience the joys of a run-on. Want to feel helpless??? stand and stare at a diesel that you can't shut off because it's running on the contents of the oil pan - It's a feeling you really need to experience at least once in life.

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Some plan to stroll through Saint Peter's Gates, I plan to go through them at 150mph... backwards... in a screaming ball of flame, with a glimmer belt wrapped around my head, and a NOx button in my hand.

Puts up a hell of a mosquito fog also!!!

At least when I blew the turbo on my truck it sure did!!

I have heard of misting some water into the carb while running at a fast idle to de-carbonize the pistons and valves,but never did it.
Not pouring ,just misting.

I know they had water injection on the old German Messerschmidt fighter planes in WWII, and they sold water injection kits a while back.

Any input on this Caber?

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Boat building can best be defined as an endless series of
tragedies obscured by the occasional miracle, followed by a good bottle of beer.

Don't Dream Your Life, Live Your Dream