to use or not to use STABiLIZER
- Thread starter douglas1
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pickwood
ArboristSite Operative
:greenchainsaw: I recommend and use Stabil fuel stabilizer in all my small gas engines for years-otherwise you risk build up in the carb. Any gas stabilizer will work and I usually turn the fuel off and let in run out of gas when storing for the season. Hope this helps.
I started about 5 years using stabil in all the gas that is used in the mower, splitter and saws. The gas around here is has ethanol and is reformulated - it's cr@p.
wkpoor
Addicted to ArboristSite
Unfortunately the best fuel is AvGas and it does not stale for a very long time and leaves no residue at all when it dries. This pump gas is terrible these days. Nevertheless I would say 6mos and you wouldn't have a real issue. Couple of yrs ago I got a boat that had not been started in 15yrs. It started up and ran on the old gas in the tank.
Wirenut2266
ArboristSite Guru
Yup, Stabilz or Seafoam are the better ones out there.....
cjk
ArboristSite Operative
From what I have experienced, how you store it makes the most difference. I havent ever used stabil in my engines and have had only 1 problem. Lucky???They are stored in a shed\garage out of the weather. I think its the stable temps that helps.
My motorcycle sits for 6 months in the garage over winter and starts right up in spring. When I had snowmobiles they sat even longer and no problems.
The one problem I had was when I let one sled sit outside uncovered until it was sold mid summer and the fuel was crap and carb needed cleaning.
Im sure using an additive wont hurt anything, I just dont see a need for it if your engines are stored properly. At least thats be my experience.
opcorn:
My motorcycle sits for 6 months in the garage over winter and starts right up in spring. When I had snowmobiles they sat even longer and no problems.
The one problem I had was when I let one sled sit outside uncovered until it was sold mid summer and the fuel was crap and carb needed cleaning.
Im sure using an additive wont hurt anything, I just dont see a need for it if your engines are stored properly. At least thats be my experience.
opcorn:
Rookie1
Addicted to ArboristSite
Years ago old mechanic told me to use seafoam, now I use stabil. I use it year round in everything,boat,mowers,saws,snowblower,eveything small. You never know when you going to park unit for he season. Ive never had a problem.
A. Stanton
Addicted to ArboristSite
I would use a stabilizer if I keep gas in it for over 6 months and didn't run it.
Kate Butler
ArboristSite Guru
Remember, just putting the stabilizer in the tank isn't enough ... you need to run the unit for a few minutes to get it taken up throughout the system. I use it in all of my equipment and run 'em all dry between seasonal uses.
oneoldbanjo
Addicted to ArboristSite
I am not sure that experience or products that worked for you in the past are going to work as well with the new fuel......it has changed significantly over the last few years. My uncle has antique cars and we used to be able to let the cars sit for a year or two and still get them started - now the fuel turns bad in less than a year and can completely clog up the brass carbs and copper fuel lines. We are planning on changing them over to 100LL Avgas for the longer storage ability - not for the extra octane. Strangely enough - the old cars actually run smoother on Avgas - not because of the extra octane but because of the better vaporization in the primitive cars. He has a 1902 Olds that drips fuel over a wire screen to vaporize the fuel in a primitive mixing valve and it won't start or run on the new fuel - but it runs on Avgas just fine. Unless you have a very friendly local airport.....Avgas can be very hard to get.....the airports get real funny about not pumping it into an airplane. Some of the local gas stations carry "racing fuel" for use in high performance cars - but I don't know if it has alcohol in it or not or how the storage life is. We don't really need the extra octane....just better shelf life.
I use Stabil in all the fuel that I put in fuel cans as it can be several months before it is used up. For seasonal changes everything should be run out of fuel. Mowers and trimmers should be drained and run until out of fuel in the late fall, snowblowers should be run out of fuel in the spring, etc. My mother was just letting her mowers sit over the winter with fuel in them as she has always done......and recently they would not start in the spring. I found out that although the engines would not start on the fuel in the float bowl - if you drained the float bowl or just put enough gas in the carb to get it started the engine would run. I believe that the volatile parts of the gasoline evaporated from the float bowl vent and just left alcohol behind - and once the fuel in the float bowl was run out the engine would run and would start again on the fuel that was in the tank.
I will let you all know in about a year the results of a test I am running. I have regular and high test fuel, regular and high test with Stabil, 100LL Avgas and 100LL Avgas with Stabil, and high test and 100LL Avgas mixed with oil all in seperate bottles with vented lids. The bottles are all in my garage and the fuel level was matched in each bottle. I am watching them to see when the fuels starts to appear/smell bad - and what kind of deposits are left behind. The vented lids will act like the vented fuel tank or carb float bowl and allow the fuel to age as it would in your equipment - I don't think much will happen in a sealed container. I am thinking about moving them to the pole barn - as the temperature swings there are much larger as it is not insulated.
I use Stabil in all the fuel that I put in fuel cans as it can be several months before it is used up. For seasonal changes everything should be run out of fuel. Mowers and trimmers should be drained and run until out of fuel in the late fall, snowblowers should be run out of fuel in the spring, etc. My mother was just letting her mowers sit over the winter with fuel in them as she has always done......and recently they would not start in the spring. I found out that although the engines would not start on the fuel in the float bowl - if you drained the float bowl or just put enough gas in the carb to get it started the engine would run. I believe that the volatile parts of the gasoline evaporated from the float bowl vent and just left alcohol behind - and once the fuel in the float bowl was run out the engine would run and would start again on the fuel that was in the tank.
I will let you all know in about a year the results of a test I am running. I have regular and high test fuel, regular and high test with Stabil, 100LL Avgas and 100LL Avgas with Stabil, and high test and 100LL Avgas mixed with oil all in seperate bottles with vented lids. The bottles are all in my garage and the fuel level was matched in each bottle. I am watching them to see when the fuels starts to appear/smell bad - and what kind of deposits are left behind. The vented lids will act like the vented fuel tank or carb float bowl and allow the fuel to age as it would in your equipment - I don't think much will happen in a sealed container. I am thinking about moving them to the pole barn - as the temperature swings there are much larger as it is not insulated.
I used Stabil for quite a few years and I don't believe its done me much good. The final straw was a wrecked car that i kept in my barn for my brother I had for several years and I would start and move it whenever I wanted to all that time until my brother came over and added 5 gallons of gas with about 6 oz. of Stabil about 3 months later it would not start no longer. It would run spraying wd 40 in the air breather but hasn't run on its own since.
I believe gas stored in a cool dark enviroment will keep much longer then in the opposite.
When running an engine dry it doesn't always fully drain the carb and a small amount of gas left in the carb or bottom of the fuel tank will spoil faster then a large amount. If I anticipate the engine will not sit much more then 3 months I usually have the tank near full and leave a little space to give it a bit of fresh gas W/seafoam when I start it. Has worked good for me the last 15 years ( 2 W/seafoam). If I anticipate a small engine will sit 6 months +, I will try to drain everything thorough and keep restarting the engine until it will no longer run choking it several times after it quit the 1st time. If its a float carb I drain the bowl to.
Sometimes I add a little seafoam to the gas before running it dry. I have had many good results with seafoam and none bad.
I believe gas stored in a cool dark enviroment will keep much longer then in the opposite.
When running an engine dry it doesn't always fully drain the carb and a small amount of gas left in the carb or bottom of the fuel tank will spoil faster then a large amount. If I anticipate the engine will not sit much more then 3 months I usually have the tank near full and leave a little space to give it a bit of fresh gas W/seafoam when I start it. Has worked good for me the last 15 years ( 2 W/seafoam). If I anticipate a small engine will sit 6 months +, I will try to drain everything thorough and keep restarting the engine until it will no longer run choking it several times after it quit the 1st time. If its a float carb I drain the bowl to.
Sometimes I add a little seafoam to the gas before running it dry. I have had many good results with seafoam and none bad.
cjk
ArboristSite Operative
The AV gas should evaporate and leave a cleaner residue if any. We use it at work for just that purpose. We run small engines and then pack them for shipping until sold. Stabil is not added anywhere I know.
With the new gasohol/ ethanol boom, all bets are off with pump gas. I have seen tests from a small engine manufacturer that showed the effects of gas evaporating and what was left behind. I will have to bring the info home tomorrow and let you know what it said.
With the new gasohol/ ethanol boom, all bets are off with pump gas. I have seen tests from a small engine manufacturer that showed the effects of gas evaporating and what was left behind. I will have to bring the info home tomorrow and let you know what it said.
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