# What to do with older gas in chainsaw?



## TommyGun (Feb 20, 2010)

How long does it take for gasoline to go bad? Around here even the premium fuel seems to have at least some ethanol in it. My brother in law borrowed a chainsaw of mine for a couple of months (since October) and has brought it back to me with some of the fuel left in it from when I loaned it to him. I loaned him the chainsaw with a 1 gallon can of gas already premixed to prevent any mishaps. Anyhow, he didn't run the chainsaw (455 rancher) out of fuel once he was done with it and now Im not sure if I should trust the gas thats in it. Will it hurt anything if I dump out the rest of the gas and then let the chainsaw run itself out of gas? I try to use up my fuel within 2 months maximum since everything has ethanol in it and I don't really trust it once it gets old. This gas is now about 5 months old since I mixed it up and loaned it to him. He only used the saw for the first few weeks and its been sitting in his garage since then.


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## BuddhaKat (Feb 20, 2010)

It depends on what kind of oil you mixed with it. Some of the better oils have stabilizers in them that will give your gas a bit more on the expiration date. I don't use pump gas for my saw, but this question has been asked many times here and the consensus seems to be to use the gas up within a month.

If you had cheap gas stored in the saw for a few months I'd throw it out and mix up a new batch next time you go cutting. I'd add 3 or 4 drops of Lucas Injector/Carburetor/Fuel cleaner into the first tank just to clean out the gook that forms over time.


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## pioneerguy600 (Feb 20, 2010)

TommyGun said:


> How long does it take for gasoline to go bad? Around here even the premium fuel seems to have at least some ethanol in it. My brother in law borrowed a chainsaw of mine for a couple of months (since October) and has brought it back to me with some of the fuel left in it from when I loaned it to him. I loaned him the chainsaw with a 1 gallon can of gas already premixed to prevent any mishaps. Anyhow, he didn't run the chainsaw (455 rancher) out of fuel once he was done with it and now Im not sure if I should trust the gas thats in it. Will it hurt anything if I dump out the rest of the gas and then let the chainsaw run itself out of gas? I try to use up my fuel within 2 months maximum since everything has ethanol in it and I don't really trust it once it gets old. This gas is now about 5 months old since I mixed it up and loaned it to him. He only used the saw for the first few weeks and its been sitting in his garage since then.



Dump the gas that is in the tank, start and run the fuel that is in the lines and carb out until the engine stops, no harm would be done by doing this. Put new fuel in when you are ready to cut again.
Pioneerguy600


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## TommyGun (Feb 20, 2010)

Thanks for the replies. The oil I used is the husky XP oil. I planned on dumping the gas, but I was not sure if the remaining gas in the gas lines would hurt the saw when I run it out.


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## GlenM (Feb 20, 2010)

If in doubt, throw it out. (or put it in your p/u)


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## TraditionalTool (Feb 20, 2010)

I have a neighbor I don't like, so I dump it in his bushes next to my retaining wall...:monkey:


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## matt9923 (Feb 20, 2010)

I save it in 5 gallon jet fuel containers, then use it on bonfires.


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## WoodChuck'r (Feb 20, 2010)

Toss it in the gas tank of your car. Won't hurt a thing.


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## mikefunaro (Feb 20, 2010)

This is what I'd do:

1. Dump Tank, let it all drain out. 
2. Mix up some fresh mix and run it through the saw, making sure that all the old gas is out of the lines. Also use primer bulb if you saw has one (I think it does) and clean that out. 
3. If you're not going to use it for a while, then idle it out, but I'd really want to completely flush out the old stuff before you get stuck with it in there (even just a tiny bit) for several more months.
4. Send [email protected] an email and ask them to bring Aspen 2 to the US! They're thinking about it and need a bit more of a push!

To dispose of any remaining gas in the can, either put it in your car/truck when you have a pretty full tank. Or burn it, start fire with it, etc. 

best, 

Mike


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## Alleycat (Dec 22, 2014)

Anybody here use av gas in your saws?


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## 67L36Driver (Dec 22, 2014)

Alleycat said:


> Anybody here use av gas in your saws?



Oh great. Here we go another round of av gas b.s..

Hey! Unless monkeyed with (Randy!!) the compression ratio is in the squat range. So, anything past ethanol free pump gas is a waste.

Hell, I think most of the really old devils will run on Coleman fuel.


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## sunfish (Dec 22, 2014)

Old thread.

Gas thread.

Cool...


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## Joe Kidd (Dec 22, 2014)

I dump it in the wife's minivan.


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## ChoppyChoppy (Dec 22, 2014)

I have been running 100LL just because I had about 10 gals for my race car which I sold this past spring. I do like it's more stable than regular gas so it can be stored for a year or three without issue.


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## lone wolf (Dec 22, 2014)

pioneerguy600 said:


> Dump the gas that is in the tank, start and run the fuel that is in the lines and carb out until the engine stops, no harm would be done by doing this. Put new fuel in when you are ready to cut again.
> Pioneerguy600


You store everything dry?


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## LegDeLimber (Dec 22, 2014)

I'd love to be able to get 100ll and know that I would be able to for some years to come.
I'd do the necessary mods to all my stuff, to take advantage of the avgas.
No point in making the commitment of the modding with uncertain fuel options.

Just Found out that my local non E-gas station won't be getting any more.
Spent half a day on the puregas site and calling other locations in my area
and learning that they didn't have what was listed on the web 
or else getting the "this number is no longer in service" recording.
No new numbers for them on the web either.

Avgas looks to be running in about $5 to $6 range.
After trying all the Non corn-gas numbers, I called about some non-oxy race fuel.
about $9 a gallon for cash, Dollar more gal if you wanna pay with credit card.
plus they don't even have a card processor company at the moment.
Or any of that grade of fuel.

Nice lady gave me a name of a local bike shop that might be able to sell some.
Called and was told that they only sell by the 5 gallon can.
That's IF and WHEN they have it in stock, have to wait till next order happens.
Oh yeah and it would be $60. for that 5 gallon can.

Would actually prefer the avgas 
but I don't know if there's even a self serv location left, in my area , that I could have access to.
The fancy regional airport desk clerk just dryly told me, NO sale,
when I stopped in to ask.
The couple of grass strip spots I knew of just simply rolled up after the 9 1 1 snafu.
anyone got a hint for dealing with the avgas option? please pm me?


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## Mad Professor (Dec 22, 2014)

All my local airports are happy to let you fill as many cans as you want with no questions asked. One of them used to let you drive your car to the pump and fill that up.

There is no non-e10 anywhere near me.

As far as old mix the 100LL mix lasts for more than a year. I used to pour old mix in my 9N ford tractor or had a 5-gal can that was saved for starting brush piles on fire.


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## Weesa20 (Dec 22, 2014)

Fire pit starter


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## Bilge Rat LT 20 (Dec 22, 2014)

Ethanol fuel has a 30 day shelf life.
True non ethanol fuel has 90 day shelf life.
Ethanol is blended into the fuel as it is pumped into the tanker truck to be delivered that day. 
No storage of ethanol blended fuel is allowed at the supplier due to regulations. The regs state this due to corrosion and quality variation in a storage complex. The feds write the regs.

Fuel additives work to a point and only if added when you get the fuel. They do not cure bad fuel.

Store your fuel in sealed containers and use it within 90 days to preserve quality.
Use non ethanol fuel. If not use the fuel in a few days and drain the saw.

AV gas is better filtered, no water and uses lead for octane. It has a better additive package but once you buy it you have to store it properly to has it last.
Real gas with lead is more stable due to lead is a more stable octane modifer than the stuff in use today.
Ethanol is an octane modifier but is very unstable, attracts water and has a different burn rate.

Race cars using methanol, a better alcohol fuel BTW is bought that day, ran then the fuel system is drained and a little real gas is started thru the system or a little silicone spray. Why, corrosion, rubber gets eaten and aluminum pitted by alcohol.

I will fall off my soapbox now.


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## ChoppyChoppy (Dec 23, 2014)

I get it at the airport, they have a set of pumps out near the runway.


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## angelo c (Dec 23, 2014)

LegDeLimber said:


> I'd love to be able to get 100ll and know that I would be able to for some years to come.
> I'd do the necessary mods to all my stuff, to take advantage of the avgas.
> No point in making the commitment of the modding with uncertain fuel options.
> 
> ...




http://www.airnav.com/fuel/local.html

walk up to the office nicely and tell the person at the desk what you are doing, (have a drivers license available and a credit card for ID)
think of yourself as having just moved in to a new neighborhood and are looking for the "local watering hole" and just found it. Now everyone is looking at you suspiciously because they ain't seen you there before...make yourself friendly and TIP THE lineman who pumps for you. if its a self serve station then the system will ask you for an "N" number. thats an ID for the airplane. Just put in N71288 and it will let you pump.


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## LegDeLimber (Dec 23, 2014)

What are the people with ultra-lights and para gliders doing for fueling?
If I still knew anyone that owns one, I'd ask them. Guess I'll have to ask around again 
and see If there's someone or someplace that I've forgotten.

Edit: Sorry, I'm so slow pecking a keyboard the agngelo's post went up while I was dawdling.
The casual, friendly approach was what I tried at the regional airport. 
Who knows, maybe another day would get a different result.


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## angelo c (Dec 23, 2014)

LegDeLimber said:


> What are the people with ultra-lights and para gliders doing for fueling?
> If I still knew anyone that owns one, I'd ask them. Guess I'll have to ask around again
> and see If there's someone or someplace that I've forgotten.
> 
> ...



funny, 
most of the ultra lights are Rotax powered...and run on pump gas....its cheaper and easier to handle.....


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## LegDeLimber (Dec 23, 2014)

Thanks for the airnav link. That's probably the site I was looking at the other day.
KJQF was were I was turned down several months back.
Actual folding Cash type money is short at the moment though. I figure no point in pestering anyone while I'm empty handed.


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## angelo c (Dec 23, 2014)

LegDeLimber said:


> Thanks for the airnav link. That's probably the site I was looking at the other day.
> KJQF was were I was turned down several months back.
> Actual folding Cash type money is short at the moment though. I figure no point in pestering anyone while I'm empty handed.



awe yer not pestering anyone...and trust me "Trees" are enemies of "airplanes"....nobody like trees at an airport...ever......you just might get some work out of your pestering.


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## LegDeLimber (Dec 23, 2014)

I wish I knew how road fuel was working for them. The stuff around me was cracking fuel lines in about 2 seasons. Shut off valves leaking or split after about 3 summers 
I shut off the fuel and let the mowers run dry after each use.
The diaphragms in the 2 cycle gear would often be festered in one season.
They'll run, but you're really stressing the recoil assy to get them going
when the flaps aren't laying flat in the carbs and the idle is piss poor
and you can't tune out a leaking/inconsistent carb. 
Drain and run it dry for 2 cycle gear helped, but that really gets tedious for a fifteen min run of the blower.
It's just way way nicer to be able to leave one fueled for the 5~8 day usage cycles of the summer.
bah, time to get some human fuel now.


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## Jan-Sietze (Dec 23, 2014)

I dumped 5 liters of old petrol in the VW Transporter 2.5 TDI.
In the tank was still 80 liters of diesel, which mixes fine...


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## Poleman (Dec 23, 2014)

Just a headed up using av gas... There seem to be some issues with what mix you use. Some guys were using it with Amzoil and were having issues with there saws. It seemed the plug would get a glaze on it and the saw would quit running until a new plug was put in then it would run 
again until iI glazed up again. 
I checked the plugs and the way they were I coucouldn't get spark from them even though they looked almost new. There were tiny flecks in/under the glaze that I was speculating was lead since it was leaded fuel.
Had them switch to pump gas and different oil and problem has been solved. Their saws would run too with my unethanol premium and ultra. It was the only thing I could figure out as all the saws acted the same and the common denominator was the mix and fuel. All different saws but all cutting and chunking bug trees daily.


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## Gypo Logger (Dec 23, 2014)

If I was me, I'd just drink it.


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