Dispersants Good Idea For Boat Fuel

When it comes to choosing boat fuel, gas is gas, isn’t it?

Actually, all fuels are not created equal. Failing to use quality gasoline and recommended additives can dramatically decrease marine engine longevity. And for those with engines built to run on regular leaded gas, expect that fuel to disappear at the pump - even in Washington and Idaho - in the wake of federal regulation.

With respect to fuels, most engine manufacturers recommend that boaters use fuel additives to reduce a variety of engine problems. In turn, boaters can help fuel retain its quality with proper handling and storage.

“More than ever, it’s important to be selective at the gas pump,” said Claude von Plato, national service manager for Yamaha Marine. “Today’s fuel formulations contain virtually no lead, and this can cause dirtier, hotter combustion in marine engines, especially 2-stroke motors. However, if you use the right kind of gas, the problem can be greatly reduced.”

Gasoline with high levels of dispersants can remedy poor combustion by reducing carbon and other deposits that foul firing chambers and cause piston rings to stick.

Dispersants are chemical additives that help fuel burn more efficiently by helping with the atomization process on intake. The more efficiently the fuel burns, the less residue left behind. Boaters can find these dispersants in high-octane, premium, unleaded gasolines such as Chevron’s Techron and Texaco’s System 3.

“Premium gasoline costs about a dime more per gallon than regular gas. That means an active angler or water skier might spend an extra $100 a year on fuel. But in the long run, premium gas can double or triple the life of an outboard, and that makes the added cost negligible,” von Plato said.

In addition to buying dispersant-rich fuel, boaters can add their own dispersants to gasoline.

A quality fuel additive is designed to clean away carbon and varnish from rings, pistons, ports, valves, intake and exhaust manifolds, jets, carburetors and combustion chambers in 2- and 4-cycle engines. It should also reduce ring sticking and wear in outboards, stern drives, and personal watercraft.

Good additives mix easily with gasoline, and can be added continuously to prevent deposits. They can also be used as a “shock” clean-out treatment to remove built-up engine deposits.

Boaters can also assure that gas has an adequate level of dispersants by mixing it with a quality oil that also contains dispersants. Off-brand 2-cycle lubricants are cheaper because they contain minimal amounts of dispersants.

Conversely, oil produced by engine manufacturers is more expensive, but it contains more dispersants. As with quality gasoline, the added cost can save a bundle in rebuilding or replacement costs down the road.

Finally, boaters can get the most out of their gas by preventing it from degrading or oxidizing while it sits in the fuel tank. The first way to accomplish this is by not allowing gas to rest more than two weeks in the tank. If this is not possible, portable tanks should be kept with the vent closed when not running the engine. Fixed tanks should have a fuel stabilizer added. Any good auto supply store has a host of fuel stabilizers on its shelves nowadays.