Fuel treatment question.....

[Fiat4Fun]

Greetings all.
Just got my 1986 Chris Craft Scorpion back from the repair shop after having the transom redone. I missed most of the season this year, but they seem to have done a great job, as the boat has no sign of water coming in and it is running like it should. However, our season is coming to close super soon, and I am not going to be able to run all the fuel that has been in it since the end of 2021. I do run non-ethanol fuel 92 octane. We did use fuel conditioner when we winterized at the end of last season. So my question is, what should I do at the end of this year? My thought was to put Sta-bil in it before our last time out, run it, and then fill it up with fresh fuel on the way home before putting into winter storage. It stays in an enclosed shop that is heated. Any other suggestions or thoughts?
Thanks in advance

 

[Scott Danforth]

you should use the boat and burn off the fuel or siphon out the fuel thru the sender hole. it wont last more than 12 months. adding good fuel to the bad fuel just makes more bad fuel.

I personally would not let the fuel that is in there go much longer.

 

[Lou C]

I used 1.5 year old fuel (E10 stabilized) after my boat was laid up for engine work and it ran fine with no unusual problems. However in this case I would wait till next season to fill up. Try to use fuel less than a year old if you can. I buy fuel for the generator in August & September and if I don’t need it then I put all of it in the boat in the spring & burn it off.

 

[tpenfield]

Put some stabilizer in the fuel now (2-3X the recommended amount) run the heck out of it to burn as much fuel as you can. Put it in winter storage and call it good.

 

[Lou C]

One time I was very happy I filled it at the end of the season. That year was 2012. Then, we had Hurricane Sandy. I wasn't able to store that much gasoline then and you couldn't get gas easily for 2 weeks. So, I siphoned out 40 gallons from the boat. Had to pull out the rear seats and siphon it from the gas gauge sending unit opening. Used some for the generator and some for the cars.
Now I have lot more gas cans and start buying fuel for possible hurricanes/ice storms in August and Sept. Then if I need it I have it, if not I put it in the boat in the spring and use it up.

 

[dingbat]

So my question is, what should I do at the end of this year? My thought was to put Sta-bil in it before our last time out, run it, and then fill it up with fresh fuel on the way home before putting into winter storage.

Sat out the season after ACDF surgery last fall. Have roughly 25 gallons of stabilized fuel from last July.
Pulled the boat out to fire it up for a trip next week. Fuel actually looked and smelled pretty good. Plan is to add another 25 gallons of 93 Octane E10 and run it.

It stays in an enclosed shop that is heated.

Storing fuel in an enclosed, heated area isn’t the best idea from both a condensation or explosion stand point.

 

[Fiat4Fun]

Thanks for the input. I was planning to go run the boat for a few hours to use up as much fuel as possible. But now I am thinking of not filling it up afterwards and let it sit during the winter, since then that fuel will sit there for 6 months. But rather fill it up with fresh fuel in the spring........
I can check to see how best to drain the tank, but I assume removing the sender and "pumping" it up out the tank? I have a rattle siphon, but doubt that would work to get the fuel out........

 

[JimS123]

I have a 42 year old classic car that gets driven only about 100 miles per year. I only use E10. I usually put about 5 gallons of gas in each Summer, with stabilizer for the 5 gallons at the same time. I would guess that the gas in the tank right now is a combination of 1, 2 and 3 years old.

She starts up right away and runs like a champ.

 

[1960 Starflite]

I have a 42 year old classic car that gets driven only about 100 miles per year. I only use E10. I usually put about 5 gallons of gas in each Summer, with stabilizer for the 5 gallons at the same time. I would guess that the gas in the tank right now is a combination of 1, 2 and 3 years old.

She starts up right away and runs like a champ.

Pretty much same story here. Mine is a 1948 Pontiac convertible. Only time it gets out is hauling Veterans in our Memorial Day Parade and July 4th.

 

[garbageguy]

Greetings all.
Just got my 1986 Chris Craft Scorpion back from the repair shop after having the transom redone. I missed most of the season this year, but they seem to have done a great job, as the boat has no sign of water coming in and it is running like it should. However, our season is coming to close super soon, and I am not going to be able to run all the fuel that has been in it since the end of 2021. I do run non-ethanol fuel 92 octane. We did use fuel conditioner when we winterized at the end of last season. So my question is, what should I do at the end of this year? My thought was to put Sta-bil in it before our last time out, run it, and then fill it up with fresh fuel on the way home before putting into winter storage. It stays in an enclosed shop that is heated. Any other suggestions or thoughts?
Thanks in advance

Greetings - sounds like nice boat, but with no pics - does it really exist?

your plan seems good, re-evaluate where you are in the spring as far as what'll burn well in your engine. Fuel, chemicals in general, have come a long way in recent years

 

[Fiat4Fun]

Cool, going to look into the Quicksilver fuel treatment as well as some of the STA-Bil products.

 

[Lou C]

Boat looks great! No one makes big cuddies like that anymore….only bow riders…big cuddy much better/safer for rough water….

 

[Fiat4Fun]

So, going out for the last time for the season on Friday. Going to treat the fuel I have and run it to get the fuel down. I did noticed that coming out of the fuel tank, there is fuel shut off (never noticed it). Thinking I should turn that off while at the dock and let the carb run out of fuel.
Then put it away in a heated shop until spring....
Any other advice is appreciated.

 

[harringtondav]

So, going out for the last time for the season on Friday. Going to treat the fuel I have and run it to get the fuel down. I did noticed that coming out of the fuel tank, there is fuel shut off (never noticed it). Thinking I should turn that off while at the dock and let the carb run out of fuel.
Then put it away in a heated shop until spring....
Any other advice is appreciated.

If you treat the fuel, the carb will be full of good fuel. I've never had a problem in 26 yrs. I think keeping the gaskets and under jet seals wet would be a good thing. My boating pal removes the spin on fuel filter and runs the carb dry. ....I gave up arguing with him years ago.

 

[Lou C]

I've never run mine dry either and 20 years, never had a problem.
The only time that is needed is if you anticipate not using it for more than a year. Then, it would make sense run the carb out of gas and drain the tank. Stabil says their fuel treatment makes fuel last 2 years and I haven't run into a situation where that proved to be false. Not yet anyway.

 

[Fiat4Fun]

Thanks for the feedback. I have had this boat up here with me since 2008, did not know it had a fuel shut off, so will not drain the carb. I don't drain the carbs on my sports cars for winter, but I do run my snowmobiles dry .....
Do you use regular Sta-Bil or the marine stuff?

 

[airshot]

If you treat the fuel, the carb will be full of good fuel. I've never had a problem in 26 yrs. I think keeping the gaskets and under jet seals wet would be a good thing. My boating pal removes the spin on fuel filter and runs the carb dry. ....I gave up arguing with him years ago.

I remove my fuel filter also but dont run the carb dry, wouldnt want any water in the filter to freeze and it is a reminder to put on a new one next year !!

 

[Dubed]

I've never run mine dry either and 20 years, never had a problem.
The only time that is needed is if you anticipate not using it for more than a year. Then, it would make sense run the carb out of gas and drain the tank. Stabil says their fuel treatment makes fuel last 2 years and I haven't run into a situation where that proved to be false. Not yet anyway.

Nor do I.
I treat the fuel, whatever is left in the tank stays in the tank, fog it till it dies or almost dies, and thats it. In the spring, I change all the filters and separator, pre-fill them and fire it up, and have never had an issue. Have been doing it like this since 1998
Its laid up from December 1st till April 1st ish

 

[tpenfield]

My new tech engines are not supposed to be run dry (i.e. run out of fuel). Big warning messages in the owner's manual about it.

 

[Lou C]

With EFI engines because there isn't a float bowl like in carbed engines, I think they may be less sensitive to fuel storage issues. When we fired up my brother's 2020 Merc 4.5 last spring it just started like any other warm day. We didn't even run it on the fogging mix, just ran out of time the day we winterized. Fuel is not evaporating in a vented float bowl, like in a carb system.