2023 PCM ZR4 6.0 Fuel options

[DonCraig]

My options are (without driving out of area) 91 octane with 0% ethanol and 93 octane with 10% ethanol. I am gonna run 93 octane and complain about ethanol just like everyone else right? I was really trying to put the ethanol free fuel in but realized that this engine is designed to handle to ethanol fuel.

[charlesml3]

No. You're going to run the 10% ethanol fuel and have no complaints. It's perfectly fine and these engines have been built to run ethanol fuel for years now. I run whatever 87 octane 10% ethanol that I can find.

-Charles

[Rednucleus]

I assume this 6.0 requires high octane? I ask because our club boat just got a new 6.0 and uses 87

[xrichard]

You don't need high octane for that motor--87 is fine. That motor is also fine with 10% ethanol. BUT ethanol is hygroscopic--you're more likely to get water separation in your fuel with ethanol, so you're better off running 0% ethanol.

[SANonTellico]

I use 10% ethanol through most of the season then switch to recreation (pure) gas late in the season. I don’t want ethanol in the tank for winter storage.

I also use Sta-Bil 360 Marine every time I put gas in my boats.……an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

[DonCraig]

I read the manual that said minimum 87 with all the stabilization warnings. I am glad to see the minimum is not causing issues. Makes me wonder why after refining the fuel they don’t just go ahead and add stabilizer and market their fuel with a catch phrase.

[srock]

If you are burning through fuel quickly run the ethanol without worry. If the fuel sits, I would find some non-ethanol.

[shag]

Just my opinion, I would use the ethanol free and not worry about fuel sitting...

[kylant]

87 ethanol is all that is available around here. Have not had 1 fuel related issue in the last 24 years with all of my Nautiques

[jpwhit]

If you are burning through fuel quickly run the ethanol without worry. If the fuel sits, I would find some non-ethanol.

This is what our ski club does, and it's what I also do for my personal boats. The benefit of running ethanol gas during the main part of the season is the alcohol in the gas will absorb moisture so it helps to keep your tank water free. But non-ethanol gas is much more stable over time so better for storage.

Before we ran ethanol gas in the ski club boats, we'd have water build up issues in the gas tank every now and then that would cause the boats to not start.

[mlange]

^^^^ THIS

Run ethanol during the summer when you're burning through it quickly, but make sure you have no ethanol in there come winterization time.