My take on ethanol and possibly increasing the levels to "save" fossil fuel:

Due to ethanol’s lower energy per unit volume, it should take more fuel to maintain a stoichiometric (perfect) air/fuel ratio, which all newer vehicles will attempt to do (closed-loop fuel control being pretty much standard for the last 20 years). For every 10% ethanol added to the fuel, a Horsepower loss of 4-5% should be expected. So going to 30% ethanol (as some are proposing) would potentially cause a loss of about 15% Horsepower.

That's a loss of 150 HP if you have T-500 HP engines. Might be enough of a drop to change prop pitch??

Ethanol would be fine for most cars at 30% they are saying.

They are saying alot of things But they only say what they want us to hear.

I assure you the second we cut use of gas either the price will go up more or they will cut it to kill what ever program we are working on and then raise it.

Exactly. None of the proposed benefits will be passed on to the consumer.

The biggest problem with Ethonal is that Alchohol evaporates much faster then pterolioum, and it attracts alot of moisture. California has been dealing with Ethonal for a long time. Beyond all the other problems with the physical product itself is that it does not store well at all becuase of ow much moisture it atracts. This is why it is not a big deal in your car, how often does your car sit for a month ? alot less often then your boat. Ethanol does not cuase corrosion or any of the other problems that Merc specifies in their manual, the water that it attracts does. I have pulled fule rails and injectors off engines that had so much rust and pitting in them that they weren't cleanable, I have seen one rust from the inside out.

Yes it does. I posted several other sources above besides the Merc manual that says it is corrosive.

Finally this issue has come to the attention of a boat magazine.

This article was in the November issue of Boating:

Click Here (be patient it may take a minute to download):

http://www.boatingmag.com/article.as...1&print_page=y

What are corrective measures that can be employed to mitigate the problem/protect the engine?
1.) Recommended water separating fuel filter change interval?
2.) Special design fuel filter with better filtration, larger capacity, external warning device to say "change me I am done", etc.? The Boat Doctor article shown mentions a new 10 Micron spin on remote fuel filter with three times the capacity :"MAR-FUELF-IL-TR" to replace the previous remote mounted 25-35 micron filters. Any one know if this filter is a direct replacement for the 496HO filter which is a small 25 micron filter?????
3.) The 10 micron Rayco fuel filter would help protect but without a larger capacity would likely plug up three times as fast with dissolved debris. How to know when to change it?
4.) Gas Stabl, does it really help keep the Ethanol in solution with the gas when it becomes saturated with water and wants to separate out or does Stabil only work to keep gasoline additives in place? When the Ethanol comes out of solution you also loose any octane boost it provides. Hope that it is not a component of the posted octane rating????

The Yamaha Tech Line says that the MARFUELFILTR is a 90 gph with 10 micron filter but did not know if it would work on Mercruiser. A local dealer mechanic says yes it will if the motor installation allows room for the 3 times longer filter.

I will buy one and give it a try. Anyone know of a reason why this would not be a good idea?

Hey Rage,
Are you still happy you bought your boat??

Dave