One more time: Bad Gas

[Texasmark]

Well, the skeptic gets whacked one more time. You guys have posted about bad gas many times and I just blew it off.....as I usually do, till I've had an encounter.

Well, yesterday I got my 2 cycle tiller out, which hasn't been run for a long time, maybe a year.

Tried to start it and it did start, but died repeatedly and would not develop more than about 30% of normal rpm's.

In short, I drained the gas and refilled with fresh mix and that was it. Ran like a top.

So, again I have egg on my face.

Maybe this post will help another die-hard convert to reality. Grin.

Mark

 

[Silvertip]

Re: One more time: Bad Gas

Was the fuel treated? How old was it? Since winter is just around the corner up here in the tundra, over the weekend I rearranged things in the shed and took the snow blower out of its stall where it had sat since last spring. Put the choke on, turned on the fuel, hit the primer button a couple times and she popped right off. No stalling, no hesitation. The fuel was treated and was at least six months old, but probably closer to seven. The only engine I do not leave fuel in is my ice auger as it gets transported and I don't need fuel leaking anywhere in or around my vehicles or on top of my ice fishing shelter as it's being towed behind the four wheeler.

 

[Barnacle_Bill]

Re: One more time: Bad Gas

What did you do with the bad gas? I've got about 5 gal to get rid of and I don't want to run it in anything. Small amounts I just throw on my burn pile but this is way too much.

 

[jeeperman]

Re: One more time: Bad Gas

I have run gas that is so old (seven years old I think) that was not treated and had lost it's gasoline smell in my lawn mower.
I think it depends on gas quality versus age.

Or maybe it runs in my 37 year old Cub Cadet just because it likes old stuff?

 

[Texasmark]

Re: One more time: Bad Gas

Only had about a pint and let evaporation do it's thing.

Don't know if treated or not.....did have premium 2 cycle oil in it however.

Usually don't have a problem as I periodically run all engines and usually drain the old, or mix with some new.

No experience with stabil and ethanol. Heard rumors that it doesn't work. Will see as time passes as it just became popular here.

Mark

 

[Silvertip]

Re: One more time: Bad Gas

Stabil has been around for years and is the fuel treatment of choice up here in the tundra. I use both SeaFoam and Stabil depending on what's on my "additive shelf" at the time. Neither will bring fuel back to life but it sure prevents it from going sour during long periods of storage. Both work great for me.

 

[gss036]

Re: One more time: Bad Gas

I noticed the last time I bought Stihl 2cyle oil for my chain saw , it said it had fuel stablizer in it already.
I don't have gas sitting around w/o stablilizer in it any more, I've learned the hard way w/my old motorcycles over the years. I just bought a qt of stabil.

 

[ztim]

Re: One more time: Bad Gas

Try mixing that old gas with some new in your car. I did that with mine. It did smoke a bit, but it didn't hurt anything.

 

[Texasmark]

Re: One more time: Bad Gas

ztim, great idea and I used to do it all the time, but with the computer controlled engines and cat converters, and annual state emissions testing, it's not worth it to me anymore.

But the riding lawnmowers qualify if I need to get rid of some.

Mark