Mariner 2.5 2 stroke fuel consumption.

Seashoreman

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Joined
24 Apr 2012
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2,484
Location
Aldeburgh, Suffolk. River Alde
www.pianotuning.uk.com
I am about to use my outboard after many years and am curious as to how often I would need to fill the little tank?
I appreciate there are a lot of variables and I have no idea of fuel tank capacity, maybe 2 or 3 litres?
Any idea in hours please?
I am guessing that 5 litres is going to last me quite a long time of occasional use. And a Litre of oil probably many years.
As an aside, do you store outboard fuel onboard or perhaps at home? I am tending to onboard in lazerette with all the other smelly stuff.
 
Be aware of where any vapour is going - gas locker or anchor locker (if it drains overboard) would be safer.
 
The tank is a little over a litre. I find I can run for about 40 mins before refueling.
People warn against using petrol over three months old but I'm always finding the odd bit in the back of the shed or locker and it doesn't seem to matter- all my two strokes have happily gobbled up petrol even when it was several years old.
 
The tank is a little over a litre. I find I can run for about 40 mins before refueling.
People warn against using petrol over three months old but I'm always finding the odd bit in the back of the shed or locker and it doesn't seem to matter- all my two strokes have happily gobbled up petrol even when it was several years old.

I have old and new gasoline ... if I can - I just mix the two .... if not - I just use whats first to hand.

I usually allow myself a full 5ltr can of fuel mixed so its 'pour and go' and that will usually see me out for a week - 10 days or more cruise using the O/bd on Avon occasionally. I often end up with that container away in the transom locker still with reasonable amount in months later ...

If I was anchoring more - then I might budget for most of that can in a week or less.
 
Be aware of where any vapour is going - gas locker or anchor locker (if it drains overboard) would be safer.
Good point. Dont have gas locker or want any on board, twin spirit stove for cooking.
Anchor locker is fairly full so garden shed is probably safest.
I have a workshop full of valuable musical instruments? No, perhaps not.
Hate petrol, so volatile. Once experienced some builders throwing matches at a tin can of petrol, for a laff. Whooff, very scary stuff.
A friend here, rufty tufty biker beard and leathers, fired up his BBQ ( 4 years ago) with petrol. Whaapp, burnt his lungs out, Air Ambulance, dead.
 
The tank is a little over a litre. I find I can run for about 40 mins before refueling.
People warn against using petrol over three months old but I'm always finding the odd bit in the back of the shed or locker and it doesn't seem to matter- all my two strokes have happily gobbled up petrol even when it was several years old.
Oh, that's not as long as I thought, thanks.
Just read on an American site that high octane petrol lasts longer in storage and 2 stroke will run on anything.
But heck, don't want to get into that argument. Barely scraped through O level Chemistry.
 
I’d think that 2 stroke mixed in the fuel, tends to stabilise and prolong the life of Petrol in a can. Your integral tank holds just about or just over a litre. Anything over half throttle and it lasts about 40/50 mins roughly, from memory.
 
I’d think that 2 stroke mixed in the fuel, tends to stabilise and prolong the life of Petrol in a can. Your integral tank holds just about or just over a litre. Anything over half throttle and it lasts about 40/50 mins roughly, from memory.
A very helpful reply, just the info needed. Many thanks.
Shared info such as this this makes YBW Forum invaluable.
 
If worried about fumes and you have one store the petrol tank in anchor locker ? If these are like merc 3.3 2strokes they last for say 50 mins -rather depends on load and tide of course but never felt need for a reserve tank -used to just put the 5 litre plastic can in bow . Main thing to remember on the merc once started🤣was a supply of split pins for prop -don’t know if mariner has the same though.
 
With my Mariner 3.3 2T I can get 6 miles from Totnes to my mooring on a tank of fuel. That is an hour going one up in the dinghy on half throttle on a slow plane. If I go flat out or going the other way against the current I would need to refill the tank just before arriving.Two up the inflatable won't plane and so will use more fuel.
I think all the 2T Mercury/Mariner/Tohatsu variations use the same 1.4 litre tank so you would get about 3 hours running from your 5 litre can.
 
how often I would need to fill the little tank?
I appreciate there are a lot of variables
Damn right!
What sort of boat is the OB going on
How many up
Up wind or down
Still water or choppy
etc, etc.
Having said that, I mix 3ltrs of 100-1 for my Mariner 3.3 and do a 15 min each way trip down the river ot my boat in a plastic twin hull 3.4 mtr dinghy once every two or three weeks.
The 3 ltr mix lasts me somewhere around five months.
 
mmmm 100-1 ?

That mix was 'cancelled' by all brands while after it was initiated ... it is generally advised by such brands now to use 50-1 which was the original mix ratio for those engines.

100-1 was a knee-jerk reaction to Greenies ... and the coming intro of 4str's
 
Hi .. Lady ... the manuals never changed ... but its a well posted and trod subject of the reverting to 50-1 ...

The fact was - no outboard was ever actually designed specifically for 100-1 ... brands adopted it as a stop gap measure when Greenies started moaning. The engines were still the 50-1 designs - but brands found that you could run on lower ratio. Some people - probably those who may have run the engines far longer each time than yourself - did report various problems. It was then generally accepted to revert to 50-1.

If you are happy with your 100-1 and short trips ... fine.
 
I am about to use my outboard after many years and am curious as to how often I would need to fill the little tank?
I appreciate there are a lot of variables and I have no idea of fuel tank capacity, maybe 2 or 3 litres?
Any idea in hours please?
I am guessing that 5 litres is going to last me quite a long time of occasional use. And a Litre of oil probably many years.
As an aside, do you store outboard fuel onboard or perhaps at home? I am tending to onboard in lazerette with all the other smelly stuff.
Because you’re contemplating using it so little, and the carbureteur jets and orifices in these things are tiny, you might consider adding a fuel stabiliser.. adds a few pence per litre to the cost .

eg
No Nonsense Fuel Additive 250ml - Screwfix

I’m sure there are as many opinions in this stuff as there are posters on here..

I merely present the information
 
We can still get unleaded 95, so I use that. There is a website were you can check if your old car is suitable for ethenol, like E10. On it, it says not suitable for garden equipment or outboard engines..... But no mention of 2 or 4T.

And, if needing to refuel at sea, better use little bottles holding a bit less that the tank and with a smallish top. So you just empty the whole lot onto the tank, rather than faffing about with a 5lt and a funnel.
 
We can still get unleaded 95, so I use that. There is a website were you can check if your old car is suitable for ethenol, like E10. On it, it says not suitable for garden equipment or outboard engines..... But no mention of 2 or 4T.

And, if needing to refuel at sea, better use little bottles holding a bit less that the tank and with a smallish top. So you just empty the whole lot onto the tank, rather than faffing about with a 5lt and a funnel.

Here in Latvia .... 95 is E10 .... 98 is up to E5 ....

95 is pretty universally used for garden gear and outboards ... old and new.
 
Here in Latvia .... 95 is E10 .... 98 is up to E5 ....

95 is pretty universally used for garden gear and outboards ... old and new.
Just quoting the website... Mrs DW's beloved Twingo got a nix on the site for E10, but seems to guzzle it happily.
Pump says lead free 95, not E10, that's next in the row..
Different worlds..
DW
 
Just quoting the website... Mrs DW's beloved Twingo got a nix on the site for E10, but seems to guzzle it happily.
Pump says lead free 95, not E10, that's next in the row..
Different worlds..
DW

The standards actually - believe or not ... say that UP to 5% is not necessary to declare ... 5% is then E5 etc. etc.

The words Lead Free are just that ... nothing else.
 

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