Gas Question!

[djmakko]

Long story short, replaced an 87 Mercruiser motor with a power pack 350ci 5.7, started project 2009 , half done 2011,
about to start finishing the project 2013, In 2009 i filled up the tank which holds 100 gallon of gas. so it comes the time I have to start the boat, my question is:
*dispose the gas
*is the gas still good
*or use the gas
*100 gall is a lot of gas to dispose at 3:50 a gallon, im starting crying already...
SUGGESTION PLEASE OR ADVISE!

 

[smassey22180]

Re: Gas Question!

When I lived there, Fairfax county landfill in Lorton would take haz mat waste. I know they would take old gas. Not sure how much. Worst case drive boat there and pump it out with a cordless drill on a drill pump?? Hopefully someone else will answer about if the gas is still good. Was it ethanol free? If not I doubt it is good.

EDIT - all drills make sparks so the above may be a dumb idea....

 

[agallant80]

Re: Gas Question!

4 year old gas? I don't think it would be good. I can see one of these things happening where someone trys to be cheep but causes twice the amount of work and cost be doing so. I would get rid of it. 4 years old is pretty old. If you cheep side is getting the better side of you Home Depot sells gas restorer, you may want to look in to that before you do anything. At the very least I would take some out and see if I could get it to run in my lawn mower.

 

[r.j.dawg]

Re: Gas Question!

After 4 years all you probably have is 100 gallons of varnish. Dump it would be my advice.

 

[MH Hawker]

Re: Gas Question!

What dose it look and smell like, thats your answer. Pull a sample in a glass jar. If it was treated and stored in a sealed tank it can last 20 years if its not in a sealed tank or treated , well it depends.

 

[81 Checkmate]

Re: Gas Question!

Does it smell like gas..... Id at least lawn mower test it!

BTW - Why would you put a 100 gallons of gas in a boat with a motor thats not running?

Sorry i just had to ask.......

 

[djmakko]

Re: Gas Question!

Does it smell like gas..... Id at least lawn mower test it!

BTW - Why would you put a 100 gallons of gas in a boat with a motor thats not running?

Sorry i just had to ask.......

Well thats the part of the long story, run it one weekend after weekend was over the guy at the marina told me "you need to fill today because my next truck is coming more expensive that would save you some Money" and i decided to fill it up , at that time gas reached 5.00 bucks a gal i bought it at 2.75 gal 87 10% ethanol , next weekend i was there put it on the water rode for about 30 minutes and my drive sized on me had fishing string on the prop broke the seal and water came in, towed in , then i stared looking for a used one couldn't find it so i let go, next thing i knew it was winter didn't winterized on time motor broke from freeze . then i bought a motor start the project got busy at work never finished it until now i have more time .Gas is 3.69 a gal now and dispose 100 gal kinda hurt but will see, ill do the lawn mower test this weekend see what happen .

 

[Bondo]

Re: Gas Question!

Long story short, replaced an 87 Mercruiser motor with a power pack 350ci 5.7, started project 2009 , half done 2011,
about to start finishing the project 2013, In 2009 i filled up the tank which holds 100 gallon of gas. so it comes the time I have to start the boat, my question is:
*dispose the gas
*is the gas still good
*or use the gas
*100 gall is a lot of gas to dispose at 3:50 a gallon, im starting crying already...
SUGGESTION PLEASE OR ADVISE!

Ayuh,... Gas keeps longer in bulk,.... I use my Nose to tell if it's still gas, or not,...

If it Smells like gas, Run it, but keep spare fuel filters handy, 'n change 'em when needed...

 

[achris]

Re: Gas Question!

Dump it. Even if it doesn't smell off (sour) it will have lost some of the lighter elements and so the octane number will be down. That leads to detonation, and an engine rebuild. Lot more expensive than 100gals of petrol...

Chris..........

 

[djmakko]

Re: Gas Question!

Thanks for the suggestions and advice guys, asking around, a lawn scape guy told me he will buy the gas if it runs in his lawn mower.
he can use it on the weeders and blowers" we agreed if gas good" or usable he will pay 1.50 a gal - so what you guys think? its better than dump it right?

 

[achris]

Re: Gas Question!

If he's happy to take it... Take his money...

 

[E4ODnut]

Re: Gas Question!

I'm with Bond-o.

From my experience, as long as it's kept reasonably cool gasoline will still be useable after several years of storage, even E10. It might not be as good as the fresh stuff, but still burnable with no ill effects to an engine run under normal conditions.

 

[matt167]

Re: Gas Question!

Yea, If it will run his equipment and does not smell stale, saves you money, saves him money and it's less waste. Even if he only buys 1/2 but it runs his equipment, you can buy some top tier 90+ octane gas and fill it up 50/50. The top tier gas will put what additives were lost due to age. Gas itself keeps longer in larger quantities.


I know a guy who burned up a cylinder on his 1966 Chevy C30 tow truck from running old nasty stale gas pumped out of his junkyard cars. He took a couple cars from me and I could smell it bad... Sadly his decent restorable wrecker met the wreckers because that was his business.

 

[djmakko]

Re: Gas Question!

Yea, If it will run his equipment and does not smell stale, saves you money, saves him money and it's less waste. Even if he only buys 1/2 but it runs his equipment, you can buy some top tier 90+ octane gas and fill it up 50/50. The top tier gas will put what additives were lost due to age. Gas itself keeps longer in larger quantities.


I know a guy who burned up a cylinder on his 1966 Chevy C30 tow truck from running old nasty stale gas pumped out of his junkyard cars. He took a couple cars from me and I could smell it bad... Sadly his decent restorable wrecker met the wreckers because that was his business.

Well I guess i will find out this weekend when we do the test, so far i have 50/50 dumped and keep it suggestions , I might do the 50% 90 octane premium if doesn't smell stale.

 

[r.j.dawg]

Re: Gas Question!

I'm with achris. Gasoline tends to lose oxidation and deteriorate after 4-6 months of non-use and will be for the most part useless after 1 year. While it certainly will still ignite and burn, the octane content for any engines usability is severely diminished as well the gas at this point may have also become both moisture laden with water vapor, and or particulate matter if it was not in a full and sealed tank when last used. Seeing as it was in a boat with a tank vent, it is probably moisture ladened and being E10...woooo baby. Not only is the gas a really nice varnish by now.....but the tank bottom could be rusted.
If you are going to use it, like Bond-o said......buy lots and lots of filters.....and carb kits.

 

[coolbri70]

Re: Gas Question!

my transmission went out in my mustang it had a half tank, its a holley 600 on a 302. I drove my truck and parked the car, deciding that I would come across a replacement, and that it would be $150 or less. so after 4 years of searching found one on cl 100 miles away for $150. I put it in the car, started her up and drove it, smelled a little and smoked a little like it was running rich, but ran fine, I ran it down to 1/4 tank then filled it up. no way would I throw out 100 gallons. if nothing else run it in a mower, or old truck or farm tractor some of them will run on kerosene.

 

[achris]

Re: Gas Question!

False economy... Save the cost of 100 gallons of petrol at the risk of a rebuild... Yeah, that make sense... :facepalm:...

Here's a tale you might find interesting.

When I had my boat shop, the Merc service rep for our state (a very nice and knowledgeable guy by the name of Phil Donnely. I hope he's still around) was called to check out a new engine in Malaysia that had blown a piston, twice, in the 6 months since installation. The engine had been repaired under warranty, both times. When it did it for the third time Phil was asked to go up and try to find out why this engine kept blowing up. Phil stripped the engine and indeed found another detonated piston. He rebuilt the engine and then checked everything on the engine, timing, cooling, advance... Nothing was wrong... Until he started talking to people around the marina. Apparently there was a guy getting around with a barge full of fuel he was selling off cheap, so most of the boats were filling up on that... This barge had been doing the rounds with this cheap fuel for 2 years! and never once refilled the barge (if you've ever been up that part of the world you'd know that they use bunker barges for refueling, and they can carry over 2,000 tons of fuel!!!). So this guy's selling 2 year old fuel. Phil took a sample of the fuel from the boat he was working on and had it tested... Octane number, 50... Sorry sunshine, no warranty claim, and he had to pay for the previous repairs.....

Now, if you'd like to take the risk with 4 year old fuel (with ethanol!), don't say you weren't warned....

Chris..........

 

[HT32BSX115]

Re: Gas Question!

after 4 years of searching found one on cl 100 miles away for $150. I put it in the car, started her up and drove it, smelled a little and smoked a little like it was running rich, but ran fine, I ran it down to 1/4 tank then filled it up. no way would I throw out 100 gallons. if nothing else run it in a mower, or old truck or farm tractor some of them will run on kerosene.

I too had some 4 or 5 year old gasoline that I filtered and ran in a EFI car. ( and mixed of course 1/2 & 1/2 with fresh gasoline) I would not just throw it away.



If you have an EFI car that doesn't tow, I firmly believe you can use the old gasoline mixed with fresh gasoline (50:50) It might not run well in a carbureted car since very old gasoline will have fairly low vapor pressure making it hard to atomize it in the carb venturi. EFI systems use pressurized injectors to atomize the fuel making it possible to atomize lower vapor pressure fuel.

I would NOT however use it in a tow vehicle or boat engine or any engine that will have to produce anything close to "rated" power. This will probably require you to get yourself a couple of 55 gallon "drums" or other container and some sort of (safe) system to transfer it to the vehicle you're running it in. You should also run it through a suitable filter.

Having lived and worked in the oil fields and run cars on "stuff" that would make you all cringe, I would take that gas in a Texas minute! and I'd pay $1.50/g for it!

ymmv.....


Rick

 

[Oshkosh1]

Re: Gas Question!

Ayuh,... Gas keeps longer in bulk,.... I use my Nose to tell if it's still gas, or not,...

If it Smells like gas, Run it, but keep spare fuel filters handy, 'n change 'em when needed...

X2...
If that tank were 1/2 full, then I'd be leery.
Full? Passes the "smell" test?(and you WILL know the difference...varnished gas is putrid)
I'd run it down about 1/2, then refill with fresh and not loose any sleep.

 

[HT32BSX115]

Re: Gas Question!

I'd run it down about 1/2, then refill with fresh and not loose any sleep.

If it was a year old, maybe......I don't think I would do that in a boat 4 year old gasoline.......... the resultant 50/50 mixture might cause detonation.....you usually don't know it until the damage is done....