MY only personal experience with the issue was...

I moved my 16 ft Carolina Skiff with 40 yamaha 2 cycle from Texas
(non-ethanol) to Wisconsin (Ethanol) a few years ago. Shortly after I
first used the motor in Wisconsin ( perhaps shortly after my first tank of
Wisconsin gas) my engine started acting weird. It would hesitate; it was
hard to start; and finally ... it wouldn't re-start once I got on the lake.
After doing some reading, I replaced the fuel hose and bulb and all was well
again. I assumed that it was just a failing hose/bulb issue....until I did
some further reading...

What I read ( and what you have already read) was that the first tank or so
of Ethanol "cleaned out" all of the "crud" that had built up in 4 year old
fuel system. That crap made its way to the engine and to the fuel line and
plugged it up. In my case, I got lucky with just replacing a
fuel/line/bulb. It may well be that the inside lining of the fuel/line/bulb
was deteriorating on its own, and Ethanol just helped that process along too
quickly. Other boaters, ( I have read) have had to have their engines fuel
system (filters, lines, carbs ) cleaned more thoroughly. after using a tank
or two of Ethanol based gasoline.

I see that Texas has just introduced an optional mixture of ... 85%
Ethanol/15% gasoline ... in certain stations. I wonder what THAT will do
to my Texas based boat???

RichG TX --
manager, Carolina Skiff Owners Group on MSN
http://groups.msn.com/CarolinaSkiffOwners
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