All directed Yamaha outboard maintenance is important; the good news is that some of the most important steps you can take to maintain your outboard motor's performance are quite inexpensive. Regular use of Yamaha Ring Free Plus is one such step.
What is the job of Yamaha Ring Free Plus?
This finely engineered, highly concentrated fuel additive has two critical functions:
- Protect your outboard from carbon buildup
- Protect it from the effects of ethanol-gasoline and other gasoline containments.
Minimizes Carbon Buildup
Boat owners often compare their outboard engine operation with that of their car. Yes, both your outboard engine and your car's engine are combustion engines with the same mechanical principles. However, the environments the two engines operate within are quite different.
Outboard engines frequently reach and maintain speeds between 3500 and 6000 RPM. However, your car reaches only about 2200 RPM when running on the highway.
Another big difference is that outboards have oil sumps and exhaust systems that are immersed in water when the boat is not on plane, resulting in much lower operating temperatures. Combine this with the large amounts of time that outboards spend at idle or trolling speeds, and it's easy to see how quickly carbon buildup in the combustion chamber can happen.
Carbon buildup in the combustion chamber will significantly hamper engine performance.
- Piston rings stick in their grooves and are unable to seal tightly
- Cylinder walls become glazed, resulting in exhaust blow-by and excessive crankcase pressure
- A common result is gasket failure
When rings stick and cylinder walls glaze, unburned fuel gets past the rings and contaminates crankcase oil—this causes a condition known as "making oil" that is extremely detrimental to engine performance and engine life.
The problem: Carbon buildup in your outboard's engine harms your engine's performance and longevity.
The solution: One ounce of Yamaha Ring Free Plus to every 10 gallons of gasoline solves the problem.
Ring Free Plus Prevents Damage Caused by Gasoline Contamination
Many marine experts recommend running ethanol-free gasoline in your outboard motor. This might be the best approach for you, but ethanol-free gasoline can be tough to find and is generally more expensive. Much of the gas at the pumps today contains 10% ethanol and, increasingly, 15%.
The problem with ethanol gasoline in outboard engines boils down to basic chemistry. Ethanol prefers to bond with water rather than gasoline. Through many factors—the natural process of condensation, your boat operating in a water environment, and the accidental introduction of water into the fuel system, water finds its way into the fuel tank.
Water is heavier than gasoline. If water and ethanol gas are in the fuel tank, water will sit on the bottom of the tank—your fuel pump is also at the bottom, creating a problem, but the problem is about to compound. If enough water is in the fuel tank, ethanol will leave the gasoline and bond with the water, which potentially doubles the volume of the water in your tank. You can end up with water enriched with ethanol rather than ethanol-enriched gasoline.
**Warning**Do not mix the types of fuel you use. If you use ethanol-enriched fuel, stick with that type of fuel. Do not go back and forth between using ethanol-enriched fuel and non-ethanol fuel (commonly marketed as REC-90).
An additional source of contamination is debris from your gas station's holding tanks. While you run the risk of "old gasoline" at a low-volume station (always try to frequent a high-volume station), even the popular stations' tanks will age, increasing the odds of introducing unexpected contaminants to your outboard engine.
The problem: Using gasoline with ethanol increases the odds of phase separation, which can cause significant damage to your outboard. Even if you run ethanol-free fuel, there is always the risk of contaminants unknowingly being introduced to your fuel system.
The solution: One ounce of Yamaha Ring Free Plus to every 10 gallons of gasoline solves the problem.
Proper Yamaha maintenance requires genuine Yamaha outboard parts and Yamalube products – Yamaha Online Parts is happy to help.
