Fuel Age - Keeping It Fresh

[jasonalden]

I've never been one to let fuel sit in my boat unused...we've been out several times a month and so I top off the tank with new fuel after we come back....never have I used a fuel stabilizer.<br /><br />Now I find myself having the same fuel in my boat since January...going on 3 month old fuel now, and by the time the eng is fixed it will be 4 perhaps. <br /><br />Is it too late or can I add something to the fuel to keep it "fresh", or is this even necessary for 4 months time?

 

[JB]

Re: Fuel Age - Keeping It Fresh

Outboard Non-repair

 

[JRJ]

Re: Fuel Age - Keeping It Fresh

I've got 7 month old fuel in my boat without any additives. I'll let you know how it works when it quits raining here. I'm not worried.

 

[rickdb1boat]

Re: Fuel Age - Keeping It Fresh

Jason, don't sweat it. It will be fine....

 

[walleyehed]

Re: Fuel Age - Keeping It Fresh

Today's fuel starts to degrade in 30 days...<br />At 60 days in amounts greater than 10 gallon, the octane rating drops by 2-4 points-or the equivilant of...<br />Detonation is the biggest concern with old fuel and Varnish would be the biggest concern of untreated fuel in the engine.<br />For some reason people want to believe 2-3 months doesn't affect it...well, that's bogus.<br />You can't really add fresh fuel to what you have because all you do there is make bad fuel out of good fuel.<br />4 months with no stab. I think I would pump out what I could and go back with fresh..<br />Save the old and run a bit of it in your auto once in awhile until it's gone.<br />If you would run seafoam in your fuel, you'd never have to worry about it setting.......or building carbon, sticking rings, etc.

 

[Pony]

Re: Fuel Age - Keeping It Fresh

Ditto.....I'm 100% with kenny. <br /><br />When not using my boat once a week I add seafoam to it........ In the last tank of the season I always run seafoam in it, so the leftovers in both the motor and tank wont hurt me.

 

[jasonalden]

Re: Fuel Age - Keeping It Fresh

Thanks Kenny & PONY for your insightful responses.

 

[cobra 3.0]

Re: Fuel Age - Keeping It Fresh

There's plenty of things you can do before dumping fuel! Add a little octane booster and put in some carb/injector cleaner into the fuel. I do this every year with no probs. My fuel sits from october to may. It's never been an issue.

 

[Dunaruna]

Re: Fuel Age - Keeping It Fresh

Originally posted by cobra 3.0:<br /> There's plenty of things you can do before dumping fuel! Add a little octane booster and put in some carb/injector cleaner into the fuel. I do this every year with no probs. My fuel sits from october to may. It's never been an issue.

Ditto.

 

[LubeDude]

Re: Fuel Age - Keeping It Fresh

Originally posted by walleyehed:<br /> Today's fuel starts to degrade in 30 days...<br />

Wow, I value Kennys input, but I just got my boat out after setting from Nov. 8, 2005 to April 1 and it ran great and had no problem starting or running fine. I just filled it this weekend and it made no difference in the way it ran. I did use a fuel stablizer for the first time this winter though, and I dont have the same carbs on it now but the old ones were fine when I removed them, clean as a whistle.

 

[rickdb1boat]

Re: Fuel Age - Keeping It Fresh

I, too, value Kennys opinion alot. But I've pulled many motors out of storage over the years ,using no stabilizer or fogging oil for that matter and they were all fine after sitting from October to April. Years ago I never gave any thought to using stabilizers or fogging the engine. Didn't know they existed(I guess they did??). I'm sure it would be best to always have the freshest fuel, but I've never had any problems. I do use stabilizer over the winter months now and I do fog the motor. But no problems in the past...

 

[Pony]

Re: Fuel Age - Keeping It Fresh

Well I dont know about you guys...........but the fuel here SUCKS. <br /><br />I guess I just find it easier to add stabilizer or seafoam in the tank if I know it is going to sit for awhile.

 

[RobG]

Re: Fuel Age - Keeping It Fresh

I've been using Sta-bil or even the Briggs & stratton fuel stabilizer, here in Texas the fuel does go sour pretty quick (30-60 days). I've had to clean my generator out one time with the gas sitting more than 30 days. I thought I lost it!<br /><br />Rob

 

[Mark42]

Re: Fuel Age - Keeping It Fresh

If you want to know about fuel and aging, go to the big oil company websites and read all about it. Their the ones that make it, they know how it ages, and they put all the answers to your questions right on their websites.<br /><br />See Exxon-Mobil, Shell, etc.

 

[jtexas]

Re: Fuel Age - Keeping It Fresh

couple questions for kenny:<br />Octane rating drops...detonation is the biggest concern...so if the compression on your old engine is a little low you would never notice it? 'cept of course for the varnished carbs.<br /><br />If it's just a matter of dropping octane, wouldn't fresh fuel added to the mix bring the octane level up? <br /><br />Unless you run a tank dry, you always add fresh fuel to old fuel. How many people actually defuel once a month?<br /><br />You talked about quantities > 10 gal...what about 6 or 4 or 2 gallons?<br /><br />I use two tanks and rotate 'em - always use the oldest fuel first - most trips I use all of tank one and part of tank two - two weeks between trips what am I doing to my poor old outboard?<br /><br />How much stabil/seafoam do you add?<br /><br />thanks.

 

[JRJ]

Re: Fuel Age - Keeping It Fresh

There are now fuels rated "Top Tier". I have used Chevron for years without sour fuel problems in my stuff.

 

[artburr]

Re: Fuel Age - Keeping It Fresh

I consider the follwing very authoritative:<br /> http://www.uaf.edu/seagrant/boatkeeper/outboards-maintenance.pdf <br />Read the part on fuels.

 

[JRJ]

Re: Fuel Age - Keeping It Fresh

Originally posted by Art B:<br /> I consider the following very authoritative:<br /> http://www.uaf.edu/seagrant/boatkeeper/outboards-maintenance.pdf <br />Read the part on fuels.

Exactly

 

[roscoe]

Re: Fuel Age - Keeping It Fresh

I add just under an ounce of Seafoam per gallon of gas. Sometimes less than that, depends how much I have on hand and if I plan on using the gas up in a few days.

 

[KaGee]

Re: Fuel Age - Keeping It Fresh

Add some PRI-G and go boating.