Gas life?

[toppers]

Kinda ridiculous adding all that to a chainsaw, no offense. It's not like these chemicals all work in unison and do those miracle things when you add them together. Also, weird stuff happens in the combustion chamber when you start making cocktails. I've seed it with Red Armor fuel treatment where it puts a fine red ash on everything (Not good).

All you need to run these saws for eternity with no problems is: run them full tilt on ethanol free gas w/ red armor around 45:1.

 

[WI_Hedgehog]

I figured it wouldn’t hurt. My thought process is the Stabil will keep the gas fresh, the seafoam helps clean the carb, and the red armor adds the extra protection on top of that since it’s a high quality oil.

Stabil, Seaform, and Red Armor...you running any gas in that mix?

Just kidding, just kidding. Run fresh mix and if it's going to sit a few weeks drain the tank and idle it until the engine dies (read that in the recent STIHL owner's manuals, seems smart).

 

[lone wolf]

I figured it wouldn’t hurt. My thought process is the Stabil will keep the gas fresh, the seafoam helps clean the carb, and the red armor adds the extra protection on top of that since it’s a high quality oil.

And all the money you save by not using it could buy a new carb, for instance.

 

[Sidecarflip]

While we are at it, how long should diesel last ?

As long as it's treated with a certified biocide, a long time.

 

[Mad Professor]

If you are getting pump gas E0, I'll 2nd running a gallon or two into your car/truck before filling the equipment cans.

You are storing your gas well, that is very important.

I won't run E10 in any of my equipment. I'll pay $0.40/gal more for E0. The 70 year old tractors I own never had carb problems until they saw E10. The same for my tiller, lawn tractor, etc.....I'm going through rebuilding the carbs again.

I'll mix up several gallons and it gets divided into airtight 1-gal metal Coleman fuel cans. It keeps a very long time.

I always use the same quality mix oil I've used for decades. I'll use pump E0 if I'm burning a lot of fuel. For very long term I go to airport for 100LL, it stores about forever and assured 0% water or ethanol or other additives/oxygenates.

I won't get into health concerns of using 100LL. I've been using it for many years and was born when all gasoline contained lead. My choice.

 

[lone wolf]

As long as it's treated with a certified biocide, a long time.

Which one works good?

 

[trains]

I tend to agree with that, nothing wrong with fresh E10 buy got to get rid of it after about 3 months, trucks, and cars a lot longer. While we are at it, how long should diesel last ?

Diesel will last 5 or more years if kept in an air tight container. 10 with treatment.
you will get some separation, so filtration required before using, or have a filter system set up to cycle if 5000gal or more.

Diesel when it had high sulphur content was more susceptible to diesel bug/ alge if there was water in the fuel, as the bug would be at the boundary layer and eat the sulphur in the diesel.
Low sulphur diesel of today reduces but does not elmininate the problem, keep it in a clean air tight container, and if over 5 years, filter it before use.

I use chemtech diesel treatment.

edited to add

look up storage life on shell, bp, mobil websites, they have interesting articles documenting it.

 

[bwalker]

Does Stabil even do anything? My experience with it has been that it's crap. A quality oil like Red armor has stabilizers and that should be all you need.

It does something but not as much as guys think. In many cases additives once above a certain treat rate don't do anything. A product similar to Stabil is blended to all pump fuel. As a result it's effects are minimal in reality.
Seafoam on the other hand is snake oil pure and simple.
I also believe that Stabil and especially Seafoam cause deposits in a two cycle.
Red Armor also contains fuel stabilizer fwiw.

 

[OM617YOTA]

Which one works good?

I've had good luck with Power Service Bio Kleen.

If you have an infestation and dose with this stuff, make sure you have spare fuel filters on hand and can change them on the side of the road. A diesel owner should anyway.

 

[SAWMIKAZE]

Isn't it redundant to add Stabil and Seafoam to E0 fuel mixed with Red Armor?

I can't speak on seafoam as a stabilizer because I never have gas that long, but it does work as a cleaner.

I've used quickshot from amsoil as well..same thing, it cleans carbon but I have no idea how long it keeps gas good..or if it even does.

 

[Lionsfan]

It does something but not as much as guys think. In many cases additives once above a certain treat rate don't do anything. A product similar to Stabil is blended to all pump fuel. As a result it's effects are minimal in reality.
Seafoam on the other hand is snake oil pure and simple.
I also believe that Stabil and especially Seafoam cause deposits in a two cycle.
Red Armor also contains fuel stabilizer fwiw.

You're usually in the know with this kind of stuff, so what exactly is Sea Foam? Normally the guys I hear praising it's merits can't plunge a plugged toilet without supervision.

 

[bwalker]

I can't speak on seafoam as a stabilizer because I never have gas that long, but it does work as a cleaner.

I've used quickshot from amsoil as well..same thing, it cleans carbon but I have no idea how long it keeps gas good..or if it even does.

I have never seen seafoam remove carbon from a two stroke and I have inspected with a bore scope. On the contrary I believe it actually causes deposits.

 

[bwalker]

You're usually in the know with this kind of stuff, so what exactly is Sea Foam? Normally the guys I hear praising it's merits can't plunge a plugged toilet without supervision.

It's isopropyl alcohol(ie ethanol)and a light oil(pale oil) according to the msds.
As a fuel stabilizer the alcohol content would actually make the fuel less stable.

 

[Lionsfan]

It's isopropyl alcohol(ie ethanol)and a light oil(pale oil) according to the msds.
As a fuel stabilizer the alcohol content woukd actually make the fuel less stable.

So basically the only thing it would do is absorb and suspend moisture?

 

[lone wolf]

So basically the only thing it would do is absorb and suspend moisture?

Empty your wallet!

 

[ace4059]

It does something but not as much as guys think. In many cases additives once above a certain treat rate don't do anything. A product similar to Stabil is blended to all pump fuel. As a result it's effects are minimal in reality.
Seafoam on the other hand is snake oil pure and simple.
I also believe that Stabil and especially Seafoam cause deposits in a two cycle.
Red Armor also contains fuel stabilizer fwiw.

That’s good to know.

 

[bwalker]

So basically the only thing it would do is absorb and suspend moisture?

And pull moisture into your fuel until it reaches the point where the mixture drops out of suspension and starts corroding metal, drying rubber and plastic,etc.

 

[capetrees]

I am wondering the life span of gas.
I have a gallon I bought during the summer so it’s probably 7 months old. It’s 91 octane, no ethanol and had 50:1 red armor oil added to it along with a cap full of seafoam and the proper amount of fuel stabilizer (red Stabil). It’s been sealed tightly in a gallon metal can (the stihl motomix metal can).

I’ve never thought twice about using gas like this because Stabil states gas is good for 1 year when treated but I’ve read old gas can cause piston damage. Gas is cheap. Rebuilding a saw, not so much.

How long will you store gas in this condition?

Toss it every time I’m not going to use it for a while or do you think it’s ok?

Do you run Stabil in your gas if you’re just a homeowner and don’t go through that much?

Let’s hear your thoughts.
-Ryan

4 gallon can of fuel, I put 1 ounce of green Stabil (marine Stabil) and 4 ounces of seafoam. One cleans the engine, the other stabilizes the fuel. I do the marine due to where I am and the humidity in the air.

And seafoam does do the trick in removing carbon deposits.
I had to get my spark plugs changed in my 2008 5.4 gas Ford engine with the spark plugs that would snap off in the engine block due to carbon buildup. Didn't want that so I emptied a bottle of seafoam into 10 gallons of fuel and then did it again on the way to the dealer for the change out. Dealer was impressed as to how easy they all came out, no carbon. Told him my experiment and now he recommends it to all that need the change out.

 

[ace4059]

So it looks like the best is non ethanol fuel and just the red armor oil mixed together stored in a metal can with the cap on tight.

The stabilizer and cleaners do nothing and can cause the fuel to degrade faster? Maybe that’s up for debate.

I’ve read on here running your saw out of fuel can score the piston. Any truth behind that?

 

[Sidecarflip]

Which one works good?

I use Power Service Bio-Kleen myself. You can always tell a EPA certified and tested biocide if the bottle has the required MSDS label on it. If it don't, it's an imposter.

All those products that claim to have a biocide in them, if they don't have the MSDS required label are strictly BS. Bio-Kleen ain't cheap, but it don't take much to treat diesel fuel either. I learned my lesson the hard way a few years back and I won't repeat that lesson. I spent over a grand remediating the issue and I did all the grunt work myself.