Quick Tip to Protect Your Outboard

The product recommendations on our site are independently chosen by our editors. When you click through our links, we may earn a commission. 

To both top-tier touring pros or weekend anglers, a boat is a prized possession; many even call it their “office”. Most anglers do a pretty good job of taking care of the things they can see such as the trolling motor, electronics and the exterior parts of the boat. Taking equal care of the things you can’t see such as batteries and outboard components, however, is often overlooked. 

Today’s fuels contain ethanol—E-10, E-15 and E-85 grades—and can be very harmful to engine parts and even scarier, most anglers won’t notice the degradation until failure occurs. That is precisely where a good ethanol treatment comes in. 

I rely on Safeguard Ethanol Treatment for my outboard and use it religiously. An ounce or two per gallon, depending on application, and you too will have the peace of mind knowing your engine is protected. I also use it in my truck.

Safeguard Ethanol Treatment is a specific blend of conditioners and stabilizers that cleans injectors, valve seats, combustion chambers and other critical fuel components but more importantly prevents varnish and gum formation, too. No deposits means a cleaner and more fuel efficient engine. It also keeps moisture, a byproduct of extended ethanol use from stratifying in the tank also causing failures. It will not harm filters. 

Lucas Safeguard Ethanol Treatment comes in 3 sizes: 16-ounce, 5.25-ounce and 2-ounce, and exceeds manufacturers’ recommendations. When using your boat during the fishing season, use it in every tank full of fuel and when storing your boat use a liberal amount in the tank before winterizing to both protect and stabilize the engine. It also works great when storing your mowers, chains saws and other power equipment. It is not recommended for diesel applications. 

You can buy the 5.25-ounce container at Tackle Warehouse for $6.39 and this bottle will treat 25 gallons of fuel.

Bass Fishing Hall of Fame logo
© Wired2fish, Inc.