Export thread

StaBil and ethanol?

#1

D

Danl99

I routinely use StaBil to increase the lifetime of my gasoline in cans. I was just told that StaBil DOESN'T WORK for gas with ethanol. The point being that ethanol absorbs water. Now, my cans are sealed, so the ethanol in my gas isn't going to absorb a lot of water. Now as if I leave my gas exposed to the air. Is this a real issue, or just a myth?


#2

M

MParr

www.goldeagle.com

STA-BIL 360°® Protection™

America’s #1 Ethanol Treatment Everyday protection for vehicles, small engines, outdoor power equipment, and more Cleans entire fuel system of engines with PEA additives for improved power and fuel efficiency Prevents corrosion caused by moisture from ethanol-blended fuels Compatible wit
www.goldeagle.com www.goldeagle.com


#3

D

Danl99

Yeah, I saw that, but some employee at a garden repair shop told me otherwise. I'll presume that to be a myth.


#4

M

MParr

Go to YouTube. “Taryl Fixes All” did some extensive testing on such products.


#5

D

Danl99

MParr said:
Go to YouTube. “Taryl Fixes All” did some extensive testing on such products.
Click to expand...
Without a link, that doesn't help.


#6

A

aussielawny

Here.....https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xY3CXmk19Ag
Personally l only use ethanol free straight fuel, if storing turn off the fuel tap & run the engine dry


#7

R

rswapp

Use Rec Fuel and you won't have issues


#8

K

Kevin Dibling

Here in Ontario Canada, we cannot buy gasoline without ethanol and for that reason are you stable 360 marine ethanol, treatment and stabilizer put about 1 ounce in 5 gallons and keep the cans sealed however when you put the gas in the mower and it stays for a while is vented so therefore it’s absorbing moisture out of the air and this is where we run into the most trouble so the best way to do isit putting the stabilizer in the machine, and that seems to have worked well


#9

Alan46

Alan46

Kevin Dibling said:
Here in Ontario Canada, we cannot buy gasoline without ethanol and for that reason are you stable 360 marine ethanol, treatment and stabilizer put about 1 ounce in 5 gallons and keep the cans sealed however when you put the gas in the mower and it stays for a while is vented so therefore it’s absorbing moisture out of the air and this is where we run into the most trouble so the best way to do isit putting the stabilizer in the machine, and that seems to have worked well
Click to expand...
Sorry, but I don’t understand.
Kevin Dibling said:
so the best way to do isit putting the stabilizer in the machine, and that seems to have worked well
Click to expand...


#10

G

Gord Baker

aussielawny said:
Here.....https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xY3CXmk19Ag
Personally l only use ethanol free straight fuel, if storing turn off the fuel tap & run the engine dry
Click to expand...
Our out of touch Govt has legislated Ethanol in ALL Gasolines, including Premium. Idiots.
Keep full cans tightly sealed and run carb Dry and drain float bowl at end of Season.


#11

B

butchc14

Myth #2: “STA-BIL products don't work with ethanol-blended gasoline.” STA-BIL products treat ALL types of fuel—and that includes every ethanol blend, from E-10 to E-85Opens a new window, as well as pure gasoline and diesel.


#12

G

Gord Baker

Too many ads!


#13

B

Back44L&G

Alan46 said:
Sorry, but I don’t understand.
Click to expand...
I use Marine StaBil because it is more concentrated than regular StaBil. I use it in the gas cans of my outdoor power equipment before filling them up with non-ethanol. (My neighbor uses regular StaBil mixed with ethanol fuel with no issues.) On average, I get two years or more storage out of the fuel with no starting issues.


#14

J

Joe657

Danl99 said:
I routinely use StaBil to increase the lifetime of my gasoline in cans. I was just told that StaBil DOESN'T WORK for gas with ethanol. The point being that ethanol absorbs water. Now, my cans are sealed, so the ethanol in my gas isn't going to absorb a lot of water. Now as if I leave my gas exposed to the air. Is this a real issue, or just a myth?
Click to expand...
No myth, ethanol will suck up moisture (humidity) to the point of saturation which is not enough to ruin your gas mixture and keep it from functioning. Some crooks have, in the past, added water to their ethanol to stretch it and steal profits. By the time we get to buy it, it most likely will be maxed out with moisture. More importantly, the ethanol fuel mixture is very unstable over time and with sunshine and heat, will rapidly deteriorate and go non-functional for internal combustion engines. In time, it will also help contribute to gumming up the internals of your carburetor. Run your carb dry if it won't be used for several weeks. A very good carb cleaner/de-gummer/gas stabilizer is, Startron. Sold in Walmarts, automotive supply shops and most anywhere engine chemicals are sold. 8 oz. is good for 50 gallons for on-going maintenance but if the engine is running a little rough, double the mixture.


#15

kbowley

kbowley

I add Sta-Bil Red to my can prior to filling it and have never had fuel go bad. I get the 32 OZ bottle and mix as instructed. Two ounces to five gallons and it comes with a built-in measuring tank in the Sta-Bil bottles. The red states it will keep gas fresh for two years and the marine version for one year. I use the red and I have never had fuel go bad.


#16

T

TobyU

Danl99 said:
I routinely use StaBil to increase the lifetime of my gasoline in cans. I was just told that StaBil DOESN'T WORK for gas with ethanol. The point being that ethanol absorbs water. Now, my cans are sealed, so the ethanol in my gas isn't going to absorb a lot of water. Now as if I leave my gas exposed to the air. Is this a real issue, or just a myth?
Click to expand...
You were told wrong. Lol
While it may have been someone's personal opinion that it was a waste of time to use sta-bil in ethanol fuel or their point was you'd be better off to get ethanol free fuel and I don't know whether or not they're wanting you to put sta-bil in that or not but the fact is putting a good strong dose of it which is what I do at 1 oz for every gallon, absolutely makes ethanol fuel last longer and eliminates 99% of the problems.

I have been doing this for every drop of my fuel since March of 2011 and have had pieces of equipment sit for over 3 years and start right up.
I see no reason to take the time or waste the money on ethanol free fuel when a simple 1 oz a fuel stabilizer to every gallon of fuel makes my current gas last as long and work even better than the ethanol free fuel I used in the 70s and 80s.
It was quite common to have to remove the float bowl on every Tecumseh engine that had them to flush some gas through it before it would run properly for the season.
Briggs engines never had this problem because they had the different style carburetor as opposed to the float bowl and what you got them running by putting a little gas in there or holding your hand over the carburetor hole to help the little butterfly seal off even more... they would clear themselves out and run just fine.

There's a lot of crap personal opinions on the internet that people portray to be 100% true in every situation and for everyone when this simply isn't the case.
I have no idea what someone else's fuel is like in their area or their climate, or even their storage conditions BUT I do know the facts from my own experiences.

I also have run a commercial shop for almost 14 years and I can tell you that over 85% of the no starts and running issues are caused by contaminated or congealed fuel.
Ethanol is surely part of the reason for this but we still had issues before the fuel went to ethanol because of people storage conditions etc.
All I know is that with a nice little one ounce dose of stabilizer put into your empty gas can for every gallon of fuel and then put the gas in the gas can and THEN and only then pour that into the tank on your equipment....will eliminate almost all of these problems and put you in better shape then you would have been back in the seventies and '80s for starting each year back when there was no ethanol fuel to speak of.
I simply know that this works.


#17

T

TobyU

Joe657 said:
No myth, ethanol will suck up moisture (humidity) to the point of saturation which is not enough to ruin your gas mixture and keep it from functioning. Some crooks have, in the past, added water to their ethanol to stretch it and steal profits. By the time we get to buy it, it most likely will be maxed out with moisture. More importantly, the ethanol fuel mixture is very unstable over time and with sunshine and heat, will rapidly deteriorate and go non-functional for internal combustion engines. In time, it will also help contribute to gumming up the internals of your carburetor. Run your carb dry if it won't be used for several weeks. A very good carb cleaner/de-gummer/gas stabilizer is, Startron. Sold in Walmarts, automotive supply shops and most anywhere engine chemicals are sold. 8 oz. is good for 50 gallons for on-going maintenance but if the engine is running a little rough, double the mixture.
Click to expand...
Some of those things you say can be true in certain situations but it feels like a lot of Doom and gloom. Lol
Also, there is no need for a "really good" fuel stabilizer like startron which is more expensive.
Plain old traditional red Sta-bil is what I've been using commercially for almost 14 years.
You don't even need to buy the 360 shield or The ethanol or the boat or any of the other overpriced ones unless you can manage to lower your cost per ounce because those are all more concentrated.

One caveat to all of this though.
I DO NOT use at the lowest recommended dosage which for regular sta-bil is 1 oz for every 2.5 gallons.
This is what they used to say for regular maintenance use.
Then, they had a pink one inch wide box across the back of the label on the full size bottle that said:
"For long-term storage up to 2 years, use at a ratio of 1 oz for every gallon of fuel."
They stopped putting this on there 8 or 10 years ago probably because there were too many jackholes calling up in 1 year, 11 months and 29 days wanting their money back because their engine wouldn't start because they left them sitting out in the rain or their gas can had water in it etc.

I have always and only used the one ounce per gallon ratio and you should ALWAYS AND ONLY put the one else into an empty gas can and then put your fresh fuel into it from the gas pump at the station.
NEVER cheat like a lot of people do and just add a capful or whatever to the gas tank on your equipment even if you try to shake It up or run the equipment for a few minutes..
JUST DON'T!

Doing it this way of 1 oz per gallon makes all the lousy 10% ethanol fuel I have used over the past 10 plus years maybe 15 plus years perform and last just as long as the gas in the mowers I had back in the 70s.
I still joke about it but it's very true that back then it seemed almost every year my Tecumseh mowers would have to have their carb bowl take it off and at least dumped out and let some fresh gas run through the needle valve before they would run.
You normally didn't have to touch the jet because it wasn't clogged it just had big moisture water bubbles floating around in the bowl.
This is with pure 100% fuel and even leaded fuel before that.
We never had to do anything to the Briggs engines because the earlier ones didn't have the float bowl style carburetor but the tecumseh's every time!
The fuel now even though it's lower quality, as long as you add the 1 oz of stabilizer correctly to each gallon of fuel, is far better than this old gas situation and these engines run fine and start right up at the beginning of the season.

Gas is lower quality and junky overall compared to what it used to be and I really don't think all the problems are strictly due to ethanol.
There's a lot of other crap in gas that I don't think used to be there and certainly a different ratios.

It also seems to vary about times and even brands or types of fuel you get.

Today it seems that when they evaporate at minimum you'll get a white chalky powder.
Theen a little bit more you'll get a greenish thicker residue.
Then the next step of lousy fuel would be a dark red mahogany almost brown or black goopy tar looking build up.

It's not like this didn't happen though with old fuel.

We had a vehicle sit for 17 years and probably had a full tank at the time or at least a lot of fuel in it.
The gas was purchased in 1971 so it was good quality leaded fuel by today's standards.
It turned into a Brown almost dark brown black at least caramel looking or peanut brittle looking concoction.
It was thick and sticky like tar and certain parts had dried up and would chip off just like peanut brittle but a little bit darker.

This certainly wasn't due to ethanol in the fuel.

So yes, ethanol fuel may have a shorter lifespan and doesn't store as well and it's raw form out of the gas pump but 1 oz of plain old regular Sta-bil makes it just as good if not better than the stuff we were using way back then.


#18

R

rhkraft

Stabil works to keep moisture from creating gunk in your carbs during winter storage, especially if stored outside. Failure to start in the spring is usually the result of crude in the cab. Requires carb removal and cleaning. Stabil will prevent that. Been using Stabil about 40 years.


#19

D

davis2

Danl99 said:
Without a link, that doesn't help.
Click to expand...
Can you take the info and maybe type the information in yourself? Why did they invent search engines? Is that toouch work? Geez...


#20

A

Auto Doc's

I use the mid-grade Ethanol and mix a cap full of cheap ATF per 5 gallons (shake gently, but well). The mid-grade seems to last quite a bit longer than the low-grade budget stuff.

The ATF encapsulates the humidity/moisture in the plastic gas cans. "Knock on wood" I have not had any issues for years. It is certainly not enough to create smoke from an engine.

It is important however to empty the fuel out of anything that is going to be sitting for more than 60 days. Catch it in a fuel jug and pour it in one of you gas vehicles. Simply repeat has needed.

Sta-Bil is not one of my go-to products because I have had it jell up on me too many times in the past.

For standby and emergency generators I only use non-ethanol because it is available in my area. I also keep small solar powered battery maintainers on all of my equipment batteries year-round. That keeps them from sulfating which is the biggest enemy of wet cell batteries.

Other than that, for my own equipment, I use manual inline valves to cut the fuel off, so I can run the carburetors as dry as possible. To prevent the fuel solenoid tip from sticking in the carburetor, I cut the tip of the needle or plunger off totally. Sorry, I have never liked those solenoids and after fighting with mine many times over the years, I decided that manual fuel shutoff was the way to go.


#21

kbowley

kbowley

TobyU said:
Some of those things you say can be true in certain situations but it feels like a lot of Doom and gloom. Lol
Also, there is no need for a "really good" fuel stabilizer like startron which is more expensive.
Plain old traditional red Sta-bil is what I've been using commercially for almost 14 years.
You don't even need to buy the 360 shield or The ethanol or the boat or any of the other overpriced ones unless you can manage to lower your cost per ounce because those are all more concentrated.

One caveat to all of this though.
I DO NOT use at the lowest recommended dosage which for regular sta-bil is 1 oz for every 2.5 gallons.
This is what they used to say for regular maintenance use.
Then, they had a pink one inch wide box across the back of the label on the full size bottle that said:
"For long-term storage up to 2 years, use at a ratio of 1 oz for every gallon of fuel."
They stopped putting this on there 8 or 10 years ago probably because there were too many jackholes calling up in 1 year, 11 months and 29 days wanting their money back because their engine wouldn't start because they left them sitting out in the rain or their gas can had water in it etc.

I have always and only used the one ounce per gallon ratio and you should ALWAYS AND ONLY put the one else into an empty gas can and then put your fresh fuel into it from the gas pump at the station.
NEVER cheat like a lot of people do and just add a capful or whatever to the gas tank on your equipment even if you try to shake It up or run the equipment for a few minutes..
JUST DON'T!

Doing it this way of 1 oz per gallon makes all the lousy 10% ethanol fuel I have used over the past 10 plus years maybe 15 plus years perform and last just as long as the gas in the mowers I had back in the 70s.
I still joke about it but it's very true that back then it seemed almost every year my Tecumseh mowers would have to have their carb bowl take it off and at least dumped out and let some fresh gas run through the needle valve before they would run.
You normally didn't have to touch the jet because it wasn't clogged it just had big moisture water bubbles floating around in the bowl.
This is with pure 100% fuel and even leaded fuel before that.
We never had to do anything to the Briggs engines because the earlier ones didn't have the float bowl style carburetor but the tecumseh's every time!
The fuel now even though it's lower quality, as long as you add the 1 oz of stabilizer correctly to each gallon of fuel, is far better than this old gas situation and these engines run fine and start right up at the beginning of the season.

Gas is lower quality and junky overall compared to what it used to be and I really don't think all the problems are strictly due to ethanol.
There's a lot of other crap in gas that I don't think used to be there and certainly a different ratios.

It also seems to vary about times and even brands or types of fuel you get.

Today it seems that when they evaporate at minimum you'll get a white chalky powder.
Theen a little bit more you'll get a greenish thicker residue.
Then the next step of lousy fuel would be a dark red mahogany almost brown or black goopy tar looking build up.

It's not like this didn't happen though with old fuel.

We had a vehicle sit for 17 years and probably had a full tank at the time or at least a lot of fuel in it.
The gas was purchased in 1971 so it was good quality leaded fuel by today's standards.
It turned into a Brown almost dark brown black at least caramel looking or peanut brittle looking concoction.
It was thick and sticky like tar and certain parts had dried up and would chip off just like peanut brittle but a little bit darker.

This certainly wasn't due to ethanol in the fuel.

So yes, ethanol fuel may have a shorter lifespan and doesn't store as well and it's raw form out of the gas pump but 1 oz of plain old regular Sta-bil makes it just as good if not better than the stuff we were using way back then.
Click to expand...
In my opinion, adding one ounce per gallon is superfluous and will not significantly extend storage time. That is three times the suggested ratio of mix. I follow the directions and have never had any problems. All my machines, though, are kept year-round in a heated garage. Some of my "stuff" fires right up after sitting for three, four, or even more years. But there is nothing wrong with that if it gives you more confidence; it will not hurt anything.


#22

G

Gord Baker

I think it is time to put this Issue to the grave.


#23

J

Joed756

Danl99 said:
Without a link, that doesn't help.
Click to expand...
Google


#24

S

ScagOwner

What do you gentlemen think o PRI-G


#25

G

Gord Baker

kbowley said:
In my opinion, adding one ounce per gallon is superfluous and will not significantly extend storage time. That is three times the suggested ratio of mix. I follow the directions and have never had any problems. All my machines, though, are kept year-round in a heated garage. Some of my "stuff" fires right up after sitting for three, four, or even more years. But there is nothing wrong with that if it gives you more confidence; it will not hurt anything.
Click to expand...
JUST RUN THE ENGINE DRY OF FUEL. DONE!


#26

G

Gym123

Red StaBil isn't made for fuel that contains Ethanol but they do make stabilizers that are appropriate.

I have been a marine mechanic for more than 25 years and boat engine manufacturers like Mercruiser, etc had training material that showed/explained the problems with Ethanol in gas, but those fuel systems are required by the US Coast Guard to use vented fuel tanks, which cause all kinds of problems because they 'breathe' when the temperature changes, so the fuel expands with higher temperature, then contracts as it drops, allowing warm, moist air to enter and then, condensation occurs. More hot/cold cycles introduces a lot of water and then, phase separation occurs- that can't be reversed by additives, it must be removed, so many boats have a fuel/water separator.

At the last dealership, we used Volvo-Penta fuel stabilizer when we winterized boats and it seemed to do a good job of preventing problems. I have been using the StaBil for Ethanol for at least five years without problems- snow blowers and push mower start on the first pull, but I don't just start yanking on the cords, I pull gently a few times to pull fuel into the tank and build compression.

The link is from BoatUS and has some good info. FWIW- a friend has a Carver yacht that was built in 1989 and next to the fuel filler is a plastic plaque with "Using gas with Alcohol is dangerous".

I got an Ariens 42" riding mower on Friday and I drained the tank yesterday- will post a photo of the gas- it was cloudy when I poured it into the container but the water settled out after it sat for awhile.

www.boatus.com

Three Ethanol Myths Clarified

In the few years since ethanol began to be widely used in the United States, a lot has been written about its properties, the problems it's created, and how to best cope with its possible effects. It's time we get to the bottom of how E10 is affecting our engines.
www.boatus.com www.boatus.com


#27

kbowley

kbowley

Gym123 said:
Red StaBil isn't made for fuel that contains Ethanol but they do make stabilizers that are appropriate.

I have been a marine mechanic for more than 25 years and boat engine manufacturers like Mercruiser, etc had training material that showed/explained the problems with Ethanol in gas, but those fuel systems are required by the US Coast Guard to use vented fuel tanks, which cause all kinds of problems because they 'breathe' when the temperature changes, so the fuel expands with higher temperature, then contracts as it drops, allowing warm, moist air to enter and then, condensation occurs. More hot/cold cycles introduces a lot of water and then, phase separation occurs- that can't be reversed by additives, it must be removed, so many boats have a fuel/water separator.

At the last dealership, we used Volvo-Penta fuel stabilizer when we winterized boats and it seemed to do a good job of preventing problems. I have been using the StaBil for Ethanol for at least five years without problems- snow blowers and push mower start on the first pull, but I don't just start yanking on the cords, I pull gently a few times to pull fuel into the tank and build compression.

The link is from BoatUS and has some good info. FWIW- a friend has a Carver yacht that was built in 1989 and next to the fuel filler is a plastic plaque with "Using gas with Alcohol is dangerous".

I got an Ariens 42" riding mower on Friday and I drained the tank yesterday- will post a photo of the gas- it was cloudy when I poured it into the container but the water settled out after it sat for awhile.

www.boatus.com

Three Ethanol Myths Clarified

In the few years since ethanol began to be widely used in the United States, a lot has been written about its properties, the problems it's created, and how to best cope with its possible effects. It's time we get to the bottom of how E10 is affecting our engines.
www.boatus.com www.boatus.com
Click to expand...
Thank you for the interesting topic and enjoyable read on the link. But instead of talking about boats, we are talking about outdoor power equipment. A product designed specifically for marine use is produced by Sta-Bil. Although the bottle claims that the Marine Sta-Bil will keep fuel fresh for a year instead of the two specified for the red, I have used it with similar results to the red. That is merely a result of the surroundings and tools it is utilized for. The Sta-Bil "blue" maritime product merely includes an emulsifier for water, which accounts for its shorter half-life in an environment where condensation eventually leads to separation. I might be in error. With all due respect, Kevin


#28

G

Gym123

kbowley said:
Thank you for the interesting topic and enjoyable read on the link. But instead of talking about boats, we are talking about outdoor power equipment. A product designed specifically for marine use is produced by Sta-Bil. Although the bottle claims that the Marine Sta-Bil will keep fuel fresh for a year instead of the two specified for the red, I have used it with similar results to the red. That is merely a result of the surroundings and tools it is utilized for. The Sta-Bil "blue" maritime product merely includes an emulsifier for water, which accounts for its shorter half-life in an environment where condensation eventually leads to separation. I might be in error. With all due respect, Kevin
Click to expand...
Gas with Ethanol needs to be stored properly, whether in boats, cars/trucks or outdoor equipment. Red StaBil is compatible for all gasoline, with or without Ethanol, according to the link. I have read that it wasn't best for marine, so I use the Blue although the link says it has more anti-corrosion, rust inhibitors and cleaners.

Also shows that it's guaranteed to protect for 24 months.

"The STA-BIL® Marine Formula has been specifically formulated to be used in a harsh, humid environment for marine engines, such as boats, jet skis and even snow blowers.", so it's our call as far as which one is going to be picked.

I don't like storing gas in containers for long periods but I still use stabilizer and I look at it as a 'worst case scenario'.

The photos show the gas I removed from the tank- the last one is after shaking- it also had what looked like fine grass clippings. The color tells me it wasn't stabilized.

Attachments









#29

G

Gord Baker

ALL: Keep your spare Fuel Containers FULL. Use within 30 days if possible. Don't drain out the last dregs when emptying them. If you cannot run the equipment Dry (some fuel remaining in the tank) Fill it and Cap it.
The enemy is moisture in the AIR which enters the tank through any vent during temp cycles.
I have NOT used any type of Moisture Separator/Evaporator in 50 years. See Taryl tests.
After 30 days, pour the fuel into your vehicle. Done.


#30

G

Gym123

Gord Baker said:
ALL: Keep your spare Fuel Containers FULL. Use within 30 days if possible. Don't drain out the last dregs when emptying them. If you cannot run the equipment Dry (some fuel remaining in the tank) Fill it and Cap it.
The enemy is moisture in the AIR which enters the tank through any vent during temp cycles.
I have NOT used any type of Moisture Separator/Evaporator in 50 years. See Taryl tests.
After 30 days, pour the fuel into your vehicle. Done.
Click to expand...
This is the reason I use a 2 gallon gas can. I don't use so much that I need a large container and I live close to a lot of gas stations.

"vehicle", as in, 'the much more expensive to repair vehicle that I depend on for transportation"?

Nah, I would rather take my chances on a mower that's far easier to service and clear out any water in the tank. All it takes is:

Find a container
Disconnect the fuel line after the shut off valve, if it has one (at the carb works fine)
Put the end of that line into the container
Open the valve, so the fuel can drain out until the water has been removed.

That should take about a minute.

The fuel I showed in the photo amounted to about one liter and the water seen at the bottom is what was in the tank. The previous owner said the smoke was white.


#31

S

slomo

Used to run machines dry in the fall. Fuel lines would dry up, crack and leak. Replaced lines either yearly or bi-yearly. This is in 2 and 4 strokers.

Now use Stabil year round. Leave fuel in the machines year round. Never have to worry "how old is this fuel" anymore. Fuel lines get replaced at much much longer intervals. All machines start in 1-3 pulls in spring.

Oh and everything stored in my attached garage. No E-10 just plain ol' 87 octane.


#32

G

Gym123

slomo said:
Used to run machines dry in the fall. Fuel lines would dry up, crack and leak. Replaced lines either yearly or bi-yearly. This is in 2 and 4 strokers.

Now use Stabil year round. Leave fuel in the machines year round. Never have to worry "how old is this fuel" anymore. Fuel lines get replaced at much much longer intervals. All machines start in 1-3 pulls in spring.

Oh and everything stored in my attached garage. No E-10 just plain ol' 87 octane.
Click to expand...
The shut off valve is a good thing to have, as long as it's not too far from the carb- changing a short piece of fuel line isn't a big deal.

I had two different paddle type snow throwers that stopped working well- they ran fine for awhile, then it was like they just had nothing more to give. Both needed new fuel lines- they were sucking air, but fuel didn't leak out of the lines. They never had that problem after replacing the lines.


#33

G

Gord Baker

Gym123 said:
The shut off valve is a good thing to have, as long as it's not too far from the carb- changing a short piece of fuel line isn't a big deal.

I had two different paddle type snow throwers that stopped working well- they ran fine for awhile, then it was like they just had nothing more to give. Both needed new fuel lines- they were sucking air, but fuel didn't leak out of the lines. They never had that problem after replacing the lines.
Click to expand...
If your Paddle type Snow Blowers don't have a Fuel Pump, they don't Suck! If a fuel line has any sort of split, it will leak Fuel.


#34

G

Gym123

Gord Baker said:
If your Paddle type Snow Blowers don't have a Fuel Pump, they don't Suck! If a fuel line has any sort of split, it will leak Fuel.
Click to expand...
I was wrong- one fuel line was on my 2 stage, which I still have and I still have the second paddle type, which is much newer.

That's true- one is gone, still have the other so I'l look (it's covered). I checked the lines for internal delamination & blockage and found nothing, but I have had zero problems with the two stage running since the fuel line replacement.


#35

G

gearz

I use No-Spill gas cans with Sta-Bil 360 and Star Tron
and have never had a issue in my life time. My tractor is used year round but my blowers & pressure washer all have full tanks over the winter and they start right up. They can sit for 6-8 months before they are used again. The test that Taryl did was not what I Had for results. My fuel never sit for 2 years and I believe these products work.


#36

G

Gym123

gearz said:
I use No-Spill gas cans with Sta-Bil 360 and Star Tron
and have never had a issue in my life time. My tractor is used year round but my blowers & pressure washer all have full tanks over the winter and they start right up. They can sit for 6-8 months before they are used again. The test that Taryl did was not what I Had for results. My fuel never sit for 2 years and I believe these products work.
Click to expand...
And it's easy enough to find out if it will be a problem- shake the container and pour some into a clean, clear bottle. If it's cloudy, let the gas in the gas can settle, then pour the good gas into a different container so the water can be removed. I stopped filling my 5 gallon container and only use the 2 gallon- there's almost no chance that I'll have gas that's old enough to collect water.


#37

K

KA1J

Make your own ethanol free gas; easy, safe and quick. Find this on youtube.

In short: Water and alcohol both hate gasoline. Alcohol will live with gasoline but water will not; water and gasoline separate instantly and will not mix. However, alcohol loves water and will go to it instantly and will happily stay with it.

When you add water to ethanol gas and shake for 30 seconds all the alcohol jumps to the water, leaving pure gas behind. The water/alcohol mix goes to the bottom and at first it looks murky between the two. Let it sit overnight and the cloudiness is gone as gravity pulls the water mix to the bottom. You now have 100% gas on top, alcohol/water on the bottom.

Do this with homebrewing beer/wine equipment. Use a 5/6 gallon glass carboy to put the ethanol/gas in. Put 4 gallons of gasoline in it. Add 1/2 gallon of water. Put a rubber stopper in the carboy and set it on cardboard or plywood. Slosh vigorously for 30 seconds and leave it till tomorrow. Next day put the carboy on a chair to siphon things out. Use a metal tube and motorcycle clear gas line tubing to suck the water gas at the bottom till only gas remains. (If you look at the volume of water coming out you'll see it is much higher than the volume of water you put in, that's from the alcohol which has left the gasoline and gone to the water). What is left is pure gasoline, no water. Siphon that to a marked tank so you know what gas is what.

I'm a bit OCD so when I siphon the pure gas I do so with another homebrewing tool, another stainless tube with hose, but this one has a spacer on the bottom. In homebrewing the spacer prevents yeast from being sucked up. In this case it prevents any water I might have not sucked up from getting into my pure gas can. I leave that small 1/3" of gas in the carboy and repeat everything the next time I do this.

Important: Only use the highest octane ethanol gas you have available. The ethanol increases octane and removing alcohol lowers your octane by two points. So 93 octane ethanol gas becomes 91 octane. & by the same calculation 97 octane ethanol gas becomes 95 octane with the alcohol removed.

Look on youtube if that isn't clear enough. I find many doing it there are sloppy and in a hurry and they are definitely moving some water along with what they think is alcohol freed gasoline. FWIW, I've been doing this for the last 10years and have had nothing but great success with it. I just pulled on my snowblower to bring it from the shed where it has sat since last January and it started on the first pull. I used my wood chipper this summer with this gas that was 3 years old and absolutely zero issue starting and running.

I have not added any form of fuel stabilizer since doing this 10 years ago. Zero need to.

Cheers!


#38

G

Gym123

KA1J said:
Make your own ethanol free gas; easy, safe and quick. Find this on youtube.

In short: Water and alcohol both hate gasoline. Alcohol will live with gasoline but water will not; water and gasoline separate instantly and will not mix. However, alcohol loves water and will go to it instantly and will happily stay with it.

When you add water to ethanol gas and shake for 30 seconds all the alcohol jumps to the water, leaving pure gas behind. The water/alcohol mix goes to the bottom and at first it looks murky between the two. Let it sit overnight and the cloudiness is gone as gravity pulls the water mix to the bottom. You now have 100% gas on top, alcohol/water on the bottom.

Do this with homebrewing beer/wine equipment. Use a 5/6 gallon glass carboy to put the ethanol/gas in. Put 4 gallons of gasoline in it. Add 1/2 gallon of water. Put a rubber stopper in the carboy and set it on cardboard or plywood. Slosh vigorously for 30 seconds and leave it till tomorrow. Next day put the carboy on a chair to siphon things out. Use a metal tube and motorcycle clear gas line tubing to suck the water gas at the bottom till only gas remains. (If you look at the volume of water coming out you'll see it is much higher than the volume of water you put in, that's from the alcohol which has left the gasoline and gone to the water). What is left is pure gasoline, no water. Siphon that to a marked tank so you know what gas is what.

I'm a bit OCD so when I siphon the pure gas I do so with another homebrewing tool, another stainless tube with hose, but this one has a spacer on the bottom. In homebrewing the spacer prevents yeast from being sucked up. In this case it prevents and water I might have not sucked up from getting into my pure gas can. I leave that small 1/3" of gas in the carboy and repeat everything the next time I do this.

Important: Only use the highest octane ethanol gas you have available. The ethanol increases octane and removing alcohol lowers your octane by two points. So 93 octane ethanol gas becomes 91 octane. & by the same calculation 97 octane ethanol gas becomes 95 octane with the alcohol removed.

Look on youtube if that isn't clear enough. I find many doing it there are sloppy and in a hurry and they are definitely moving some water along with what they think is alcohol freed gasoline. FWIW, I've been doing this for the last 10years and have had nothing but great success with it. I just pulled on my snowblower to bring it from the shed where it has sat since last January and it started on the first pull. I used my wood chipper this summer with this gas that was 3 years old and absolutely zero issue starting and running.

I have not added any form of fuel stabilizer since doing this 10 years ago. Zero need to.

Cheers!
Click to expand...
My next door neighbor has someone service her mower and snowblower but she wasn't great at starting them, so I showed her after she came over to ask since mine always start easily.

I explained that pulling the cord slowly a few times draws gas into the cylinder and builds compression. The first pull works, even after Winter/Summer storage.


#39

A

Auto Doc's

Stabil does nothing for the Ethanol, it only keeps the gasoline portion from oxidizing. High contents of Ethanol will collect moisture and that will corrode aluminum carburetor badly. Moisture in the air collects like dew during frequent climate changes.

How the equipment is stored or not stored plays a huge factor in fuel breakdown (oxidation).

All gasoline oxidizes eventually, stabilizer just gives the fuel a little more time. (short time)

In the late Fall, I usually empty the fuel and run my equipment dry, and it has saved many Springtime headaches. For my Kawasaki Mule that I use year-round, I use non-ethanol.

For the recovered fuel, I put it in one of my vehicles.

As for fuel additive, I use Lucas Ethanol fuel conditioner, but I do not use low budget fuel, only mid-grade.

Once upon a time I did use Stabil (red) but kept having problems with it eventually gelling if left sitting for long periods over 6 months. Stabil is not an indefinite solution to prevent fuel breakdown.

Stabil Marine (blue) is said to be better, but I have not used it.

I also have some professional lawn care clients that add a little 2-stroke mix to their fuel, and they swear by it, but I have never tried that.

The government as recently passed legislation that all gasoline will be 15% Ethanol instead of 10%, so the problems are only going to get worse for storing gasoline in equipment or unsealed fuel safety cans.



#40

G

Gym123

Auto Doc's said:
Stabil does nothing for the Ethanol, it only keeps the gasoline portion from oxidizing. High contents of Ethanol will collect moisture and that will corrode aluminum carburetor badly. Moisture in the air collects like dew during frequent climate changes.

How the equipment is stored or not stored plays a huge factor in fuel breakdown (oxidation).

All gasoline oxidizes eventually, stabilizer just gives the fuel a little more time. (short time)

In the late Fall, I usually empty the fuel and run my equipment dry, and it has saved many Springtime headaches. For my Kawasaki Mule that I use year-round, I use non-ethanol.

For the recovered fuel, I put it in one of my vehicles.

As for fuel additive, I use Lucas Ethanol fuel conditioner, but I do not use low budget fuel, only mid-grade.

Once upon a time I did use Stabil (red) but kept having problems with it eventually gelling if left sitting for long periods over 6 months. Stabil is not an indefinite solution to prevent fuel breakdown.

Stabil Marine (blue) is said to be better, but I have not used it.

I also have some professional lawn care clients that add a little 2-stroke mix to their fuel, and they swear by it, but I have never tried that.

The government as recently passed legislation that all gasoline will be 15% Ethanol instead of 10%, so the problems are only going to get worse for storing gasoline in equipment or unsealed fuel safety cans.

Click to expand...
Blue StaBil is made for with Ethanol- their site shows that the red is too, but I have read that it's not as good as the blue. I have all three- they also make an amber version and while I don't leave a lot of gas in the tank of anything, my engines all start easily. Draining a tank isn't so difficult if the gas goes bad, but it's just something else to add to the list when I need them to work.

I worked on many boats with old gas- it has a very nasty, distinctive odor and if I smell that, I eliminate it before doing anything else. I tend to run the tanks close to empty, then fog the engine- the stabilizer is added to the gas as soon as I refill a gas can, so it's one less thing to do when Winterizing.

WRT E15- as usual, Congress didn't listen to the manufacturers and WE have to deal with their stoopidity.

Anyone who stores combustible liquids in unsealed containers needs to have them taken away.


Footer Links 1

Top