Fuel Tank Winterization

[Boilers2000]

Thoughts on fuel tank winterization. I have run non-ethanoal fuel all summer. Fuel stabilizer was added when winterizing and tank is full. I know some schools of thought are drain it completely. Asking the iboats world for best practice.

thanks in advance for the advice.

 

[QBhoy]

What you have done is thought to be best practice. I just can’t bear the thought of the expense of filling the tank and not being able to use it. Makes the winter longer, haha.
I run it as low as possible. As low as I dare and just enough to get to the slipway. Sea foam and 2 stroke mixed into the last 10l in the tank before hand.

What you have done is great.

 

[Boilers2000]

If I didn't have 1/2 of a tank before I had to pull it out probably would have drained, but since I know I've gotten 5-6 tanks of non-ethanol through it I figured best to fill it up and stabilize.

 

[Scott Danforth]

I used to run the tank as close to empty as posible

 

[harringtondav]

^^^^^Same. Then add the correct amount of Stabil and run it thru it the carb, fuel system. Condensation is the normal concern. But in the spring fill up w/fresh gas, and change the fuel filter/water separator. After 22 yrs. this has worked for me. I rebuilt my 22 yr old 4bbl Weber last spring just cuz. Waste of time, mostly. It was whistle clean. But the new kit, needle & seat & float height recheck were worth the peace of mind and the small $$.

Hole shots seemed to have a little more pep. Maybe the new accel. pump. Maybe placebo effect. Doesn't matter. I'm good for another 22 yrs - or not. But the fuel system is.

 

[tpenfield]

There is no wrong answer, any amount of fuel in the tank will be fine, because the vapor layer within the tank will tend to keep moisture out. I try to keep the tank as empty as possible. since nothing good can happen to the fuel that remains in the tank.

I pumped out 44 gallons this past weekend, put 7 gallons of 'winterization/fogging mix' back in the tank to do the fogging and winterization. The rest went into the cars.

20th century best practice was to fill the tank, based on an air/moisture theory.

21st century best practice is more towards empty, as folks who leave their tanks more on the empty side are not getting water in their tanks.

I never fill the tank on my boat to begin with, because of the extra weight. 120 gallons is about all I put in on a 160 gallon tank. generally run around 1/2 full (or 1/2 empty . . . not sure which). Folks with smaller boats/tanks may not be as much of a concern.

 

[JoLin]

I've winterized for 10 years with the tank empty, full and everything in between. I add Sta-Bil to the last fill of the season so I know it'll hit the tank, lines and carb. Then I pull the boat. This year I had just nder 1/2 tank in it.

My .02.

 

[dingbat]

I start adding Stabl with each fillup (94 gallons) starting in November. Store whatever is left in the tank when I’m done for the season. Top off in the Spring and go boating.

20+ years without a problem.

 

[stonyloam]

Full tank with non ethanol and stabilizer, you are fine, don’t worry about it you are good!

 

[Scott Danforth]

never used stabl. dont like the way it smells, plus if you let fuel sit too long, nothing is going to prevent it from turning.

when I lived in WI, I would boat until end of November and the boat was pulled from storage by April 1st. there is open water somewhere.