www.iFourWinns.com

what is the best type of fuel to use in my 195 SD?

Gasoline. Leaded or non-leaded in many different types of octanes and blended with alcohol up to 10%. I would avoid the leaded stuff if you have a catalyst but you shouldn't on a 195. It could also run on propane, toulene, nitromethane, and one of the two different types of alcohol (methanol or ethanol) with a little bit of work. Toulene should work without any modifications now that I think about it. Quite expensive though.

Propane is VERY expensive in Florida but in other parts of the USA it's extremely cheap, like $1-2 a gallon. Would be worth wild especially since gasoline is mid $3's to almost $4. It offers the same MPG/GPH as Gasoline.

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1981 Columbia 8.7
2015 Yamaha FZR - 87mph - sold
2006 Yamaha GP1300R - sold
2003 Chaparral 215 SSI - sold
2009 Stingray 195CS - sold
2000 Four Winns H180 - sold
1976 O'day Daysailer II - sold
Rick's Four Winns H180 Mods/Upgrade Thread

Just trying to keep my engine clean and make it last.........I also haven't paid too much attention to motors until I bought a boat. I know it's a ford motor just want to make sure I'm not hindering performance or longevity..

Running anything more then 87 octane is a waste. It will run 10% ethanol gas just fine, but if you're running a carburetor I would read the plugs and see if it's running lean.. E10 tends to run a tad lean. Might have to go up a jet size or 2. Most fuel injected boats have the ability to add more fuel so they don't need tuning. E10 runs cleaner then E0. Really clean actually. First time running it in an old cruddy boat usually clogs up fuel filters from removing all the sludge in the gas tank.

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1981 Columbia 8.7
2015 Yamaha FZR - 87mph - sold
2006 Yamaha GP1300R - sold
2003 Chaparral 215 SSI - sold
2009 Stingray 195CS - sold
2000 Four Winns H180 - sold
1976 O'day Daysailer II - sold
Rick's Four Winns H180 Mods/Upgrade Thread

Given the age of your boat, I would avoid E10 like the plague. And, there is no need to pay for expensive non-ethanol gas on the lake because more and more distributors are going back to real gas and not that government mandated pisswater that the libs are pushing down our engines' throats.

List of non-ethanol gas stations
http://pure-gas.org/

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Current Boat: 2000 Four Winns 298 Vista
Previous Boat: 2000 Carver 406MY

In many places you have no choice. Like here, it's E-10 or nothing.
In a marine engine I would run premium even if you think the engine doesn't call for it. Reason being, that marine engines are under high load all the time, they never coast. And when you get a bit of carbon build up (likely because they run richer and colder than automotive applications) they need higher octane gas. And because of the engine being behind you and the noise of the wind, you may never hear detonation until it's too late and you burn valves because of it.

If you have to use E-10, make sure you have a good tight gasket on your gas cap to keep water out. I was helping a neighbor a few years ago with his twin engined Wellcraft, he had a water in the gas problem. Like the gas filter was 3/4ths full of water! I told him to get the tank pumped and put a new gas cap on it. I saw him out on the water a few months later and he held up a beer bottle full of the water/gas mixture from that tank. I guess he never did what I told him to do.

Change those filters at least once a season and pour out the contents in a glass jar and let it sit. See if you get a layer of water on the bottom of the container. If so get the tank cleaned, it will be the best option in the long run.
I have been lucky so far, I have not found water in the filters, but I do replace those cheap gas caps every few years because you can see the gaskets start to swell and don't seal perfectly.

Proper attention to the fuel system pays off. I just started my boat after its long winter nap (winterized in Oct) and on the second crank over it fired right up. Original gas tank, but filters changed yearly. OE fuel pump, carb rebuilt 2x in 10 years of my use.

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88 Four Winns 200 Horizon
4.3 OMC Cobra-4bbl
2002 Walker Bay 10/2012 Suzuki 2.5
2008 Walker Bay 8

1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4.0/Selectrac
2007 Jeep Grand Cherokee 5.7 Hemi/Quadradrive II

I use Recreational Fuel and it doesn't contain ethanol and I haven't had a problem with it ! It's 90 octane from what I remember.

The book that came with my boat recommends 89, 87 minimum.

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2002 Horizon 190 5.0gl

Thanks guys!