Gas additive quandry?

[jmarty10]

The last outing of the year I put 10 gallons of 97 octane in the tank (23 gallon tank) that had valvtect in it. Valvtect is supposed to act as a stabilizer for up to a year amongst other things. I'm getting conflicting opinions on whether to add Marine StaBil of just go with Valavtect for winter layup. Any experiences or thoughts here? My biggest concern is adding too much stabilizer.

 

[jmarty10]

Re: Gas additive quandry?

correction: 87 octane

 

[Andy'sDelight]

Re: Gas additive quandry?

Around here alot of the marinas use add valvetech to their fuel. Most people around here still add Stabil on top of that. Never had issues due to it.

 

[Lakes84]

Re: Gas additive quandry?

Just put a can of Seafoam in it and you're done! Great stuff...seriously

See you on the lake


Joe

 

[JimS123]

Re: Gas additive quandry?

Just put a can of Seafoam in it and you're done! Great stuff...seriously

See you on the lake


Joe

Several people have made that recommendation around here. Why?

Seafoam is an engine cleaner / decarbonizer. It is not designed to stabilize gas. If it works in that regard too, why doesn't the manufacturer tout that as an added benefit?

 

[hungupthespikes]

Re: Gas additive quandry?

Several people have made that recommendation around here. Why?

Seafoam is an engine cleaner / decarbonizer. It is not designed to stabilize gas. If it works in that regard too, why doesn't the manufacturer tout that as an added benefit?

per Seafoam website.
"As a fuel system additive, Sea Foam? will clean carburetors, fuel injectors, clean carbon, gum and varnish deposits, add lubricity to fuel, stabilize fuel for 2 years and control moisture."

I've used it and will again if I have time to run to the boat store. It's a better product, but more money too.

 

[642mx]

Re: Gas additive quandry?

I used Seafoam last Fall in my 7.4L MPI. I normally use Mercury brand stabilzer, but I read that SF would lubricate the cylinders... I had a broken foot at the time and couldn't pull the spark plugs and shoot fogger in the cylinders like I normally would. I was hoping that the SF would help the cylinders not to rust. Long story short, the SF treated gas ran horrible in the Spring. The boat missed at idle and ran like crap. Maybe it was the SF, maybe not... but I'm going back with the Mercury stuff that's never gave me any problems (providing I don't do something stupid and break my foot again...lol)

 

[642mx]

Re: Gas additive quandry?

The last outing of the year I put 10 gallons of 97 octane in the tank (23 gallon tank) that had valvtect in it. Valvtect is supposed to act as a stabilizer for up to a year amongst other things. I'm getting conflicting opinions on whether to add Marine StaBil of just go with Valavtect for winter layup. Any experiences or thoughts here? My biggest concern is adding too much stabilizer.

To answer your question, I would put in the recommended amount of stabilzer that you would normally use. I've never heard of a problem with using too much.

 

[Lakes84]

Re: Gas additive quandry?

I used Seafoam last Fall in my 7.4L MPI. I normally use Mercury brand stabilzer, but I read that SF would lubricate the cylinders... I had a broken foot at the time and couldn't pull the spark plugs and shoot fogger in the cylinders like I normally would. I was hoping that the SF would help the cylinders not to rust. Long story short, the SF treated gas ran horrible in the Spring. The boat missed at idle and ran like crap. Maybe it was the SF, maybe not... but I'm going back with the Mercury stuff that's never gave me any problems (providing I don't do something stupid and break my foot again...lol)

YIKES!! Maybe it removed some deposits, that got ran through your system. If you hop on over to walleye central and read some of
the threads on SeaFoam, you'd be surprised at how much it's is universally loved. It's made my motors run BETTER, so not sure what
to tell ya.


See you on the lake

Joe

 

[greenbush future]

Re: Gas additive quandry?

With the gas we run today (ethanol), my biggest concern over winter now is fuel separation, and plugging up the carb. Sta-bil makes a product that is made for this exact issue which I add to all my gas cans, and equipment all the time. Then I run the normal Sta-bil (in the gas tank) and make sure it makes it throughout the entire fuel system before shutting down for the season. Haven?t had any issues with fuel separation by doing this, and I also run Seafoam through the carbs (pure seafom) per the instructions, to really clean the entire system every spring.

 

[Lakes84]

Re: Gas additive quandry?

Not sure how this would work on an I/O or O/B, but on my John Deere garden tractor I pour around a 1/4 cup of SeaFoam down the carburetor intake, just till it kills the motor. I then let it sit for around a half an hour, then start it up. It smokes like a dickens, but thats just the Seafoam doing it's job. Makes my engine idle MUCH better, with less smoking too. Great stuff. I might just do that on my I/O this year.

See you on the lake

Joe

 

[jmarty10]

Re: Gas additive quandry?

I'm putting startron in it. Says you can mix it with other additives and dont have to worry about using to much.

 

[Fl_Richard]

Re: Gas additive quandry?

I know I'm gonna get killed for this but I'm just filling my tanks to the top and going boating like I always do.

How a few ounces in 140 gallons is going to keep the fuel together is beyond me.... However keeping the air out of the tank keeps the moisture out in the first place.

 

[109jb]

Re: Gas additive quandry?

I've been using Sea Foam for many many years and have never had any adverse results from using it. I use it in everything I have including boat, motorcycle, snowmobile, ATV, lawn equipment, gas generator, gas pressure washer. All I can say is that I haven't had to clean a carburetor in anything I've kept treated with the Sea Foam. As a matter of fact, last winter I sold a snowblower that had been sitting for 5 years in the loft of my barn. I got it down, checked the oil, and started it up with the 5 year old gas in it and it ran fine. The fuel had been treated with a double dose of Sea Foam before being stored.

As for ethanol fuel separation, keeping water out is the key. My method is to keep the tank full for storage to prevent any chance of condensation inside the tank and the fuel treatment is for system cleaning and fuel stabilization. There is a whole bunch of threads, including a recent one, on whether it is best to store a tank full or empty.

 

[Texasmark]

Re: Gas additive quandry?

I'm putting startron in it. Says you can mix it with other additives and dont have to worry about using to much.

I have a '63 4 cyl Ford 2000 CC tractor that used to blow black smoke out the pipe like there was no tomorrow. I have been using the Startron Diesel treatment in my storage tanks which I use to fuel the tractor for the last couple of years and to my disbelief, I don't need an engine overhaul after all. Now I have to work to get some smoke out of the old critter.....I don't care what the rest of you guys do, this product worked for me. Now in my 2 cycle engines, I use Sea Foam and have revived chain saws and weed eaters that I thought were dead. Use in in my 2 cy OB and haven't had any kind of fuel problem since I bought the current boat used in Dec. '04.

Mark

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Gas additive quandry?

SeaFoam is a mixture of naphtha, isopropyl alcohol and pale oil per the MSDS....that's it...nothing else. What in there do you think is going to stabilize your fuel?

 

[gregk9]

Re: Gas additive quandry?

SeaFoam is a mixture of naphtha, isopropyl alcohol and pale oil per the MSDS....that's it...nothing else. What in there do you think is going to stabilize your fuel?

I don't think anything. I was using seafoam until my mechanic took a fuel sample this spring....it was a horrible concoction of water, sludge and fuel. No more seafoam for me.

I'm using Johnson/Evinrude 2 + 4 Fuel Conditioner now

 

[109jb]

Re: Gas additive quandry?

I don't think anything. I was using seafoam until my mechanic took a fuel sample this spring....it was a horrible concoction of water, sludge and fuel. No more seafoam for me.

I'm using Johnson/Evinrude 2 + 4 Fuel Conditioner now

That's a classic description of separation of ethanol fuel. I suppose the water was in the sample taken because of the Sea Foam?

 

[gregk9]

Re: Gas additive quandry?

I suppose the water was in the sample taken because of the Sea Foam?

Yeah, the seafoam is what I had been using for about 3 years. For some reason it didn't do the job this past winter. I know I had enough in there. Maybe I got a tank full of bad gas the last fall fill up. My mechanic said they did tests there at the shop with several different additives and the 2 + 4 worked the best at preventing fuel seperation.

 

[109jb]

Re: Gas additive quandry?

Fuel separation won't happen if water doesn't get in. This is true even if no additives are used. I personally don't believe any additive is going to stop separation if water gets in. To prevent separation, make sure cap gaskets are good, cap is tight, and in my opinion, fill the tank before long term storage. That last one people argue about but that's my position.