Gas Stabilizer?

[hhornig]

Is there something better to use for winterizing the gas in the engine and tank than Stabil?

 

[Another retired guy]

Re: Gas Stabilizer?

Check out Startron.

www.mystarbrite.com/Startron/

 

[thumpar]

Re: Gas Stabilizer?

I use the green Stabil that is for marine with ethanol use. It always starts in the spring and runs great with what is in there.

 

[HT32BSX115]

Re: Gas Stabilizer?

Is there something better to use for winterizing the gas in the engine and tank than Stabil?

I have been "Winterizing" my boat gasoline for many years by doing nothing with no apparent ill effects.

My boat is kept in a dry garage from about SEP to JUN of every year. I usually park it with about 1/4 tank of fuel or less.....

I replace the filter and fill it up every Summer.

 

[dan t.]

Re: Gas Stabilizer?

If its an outboard pull the fuel line and run the carb dry , otherwise do nothing , all that stuff is snake oil, never used it never had a problem.

 

[F14CRAZY]

Re: Gas Stabilizer?

From my experience, small engines (lawnmowers, snowmobiles, snowblowers, etc) have carbs that plug up if not stabilized but I haven't had issues with an I/O or carbed automotive engine.

At any rate I run Startron all season so I haven't had to worry about it

 

[Georgesalmon]

Re: Gas Stabilizer?

Sea foam

 

[hamishmcduff]

Re: Gas Stabilizer?

I use the green Stabil that is for marine with ethanol use. It always starts in the spring and runs great with what is in there.

That is not a fuel stabilizer, it is just a fuel treatment.

 

[thumpar]

Re: Gas Stabilizer?

That is not a fuel stabilizer, it is just a fuel treatment.

Well the website says it will stabilize fuel for up to 12 months so maybe the manufacturer is wrong.

 

[hamishmcduff]

Re: Gas Stabilizer?

Well the website says it will stabilize fuel for up to 12 months so maybe the manufacturer is wrong.

I must have read it wrong, that's where I got my info.????

I retract my earlier statement

Marine Formula STA-BIL?

America's #1 Selling Marine Fuel Additive Brand!
BEST Ethanol Blended Fuel Enhancer!
More than FOUR TIMES the Fuel System Cleaner than in Regular STA-BIL? Fuel Stabilizer
DOUBLE the corrosion preventer than in Regular STA-BIL? Fuel Stabilizer
Prevents corrosion from moisture & water attraction
Improves marine engine performance YEAR-ROUND, not just for seasonal storage

Goes on to say doubling the concentration compared to standard Stabil is the recommended dosage.

 

[HT32BSX115]

Re: Gas Stabilizer?

Well the website says it will stabilize fuel for up to 12 months so maybe the manufacturer is wrong.

maybe the manufacturer has a good reason to promote the product.

THEY MAKE MONEY IF THEY SELL IT! it doesn't matter if you don't really need it for only 12 months of storage.

I have had 2 Year old gasoline that I have used with no ill effects. I wouldn't use it in a boat but it ran fine in all my cars.

Just store the tank at around 1/4 and fill it with fresh gas when you are ready to use the boat.

 

[thumpar]

Re: Gas Stabilizer?

maybe the manufacturer has a good reason to promote the product.

THEY MAKE MONEY IF THEY SELL IT! it doesn't matter if you don't really need it for only 12 months of storage.

I have had 2 Year old gasoline that I have used with no ill effects. I wouldn't use it in a boat but it ran fine in all my cars.

Just store the tank at around 1/4 tank and fill it with fresh gas when you are ready to use the boat.

It is not the gas in the tank that concerns me really. It is the small amount of fuel in the carb that worries me. I don't want it to gunk up my newly (well 1.5 years) rebuilt carb.

 

[HT32BSX115]

Re: Gas Stabilizer?

It is not the gas in the tank that concerns me really. It is the small amount of fuel in the carb that worries me. I don't want it to gunk up my newly (well 1.5 years) rebuilt carb.

When I got my boat from my brother in 2005, it had about 25 gallons of gasoline in it that had been sitting in it for 2 years in a storage facility.
I of course drained it all out and put it in 5 gallon containers.

I ended up running in my car with no difficulty at all.

I then removed the Holley 4160 4v carb from the OMC 460 in the boat because I thought after nearly 20 years and sitting for 2 years with whatever gas was in it, it would need rebuilding.

Once I got it apart, the only thing wrong with it was the gaskets I destroyed taking it apart. It was absolutely pristine inside. It didn't need rebuilding at all and only needed the gaskets I ruined.

Maybe it's a problem in engines that sit for many years but 1 or 2 years? I don't think so.

For a Winter to Summer sit (SEP/OCT to about JUN or so) The only thing I do is park the boat with around 1/4 tank of fuel. Next summer, fill it up and replace the filter and go boating. ( last summer I didn't replace the filter )

I really think the fuel "stabilizer" thing is very over-rated.

 

[hhornig]

Re: Gas Stabilizer?

I really think the fuel "stabilizer" thing is very over-rated.

You are probably right. I have a rototiller that is over 30 years old. I use it in the spring and fall and it starts on the first pull every time. No additives, but I do not run ethanol in it.

Just to be safe however I am going to use Stabil Marine in my mercruiser and also not use ethanol in it. The cold damp weather in Arkansas seems to rust everything.

 

[HT32BSX115]

Re: Gas Stabilizer?

I really think the fuel "stabilizer" thing is very over-rated.

You are probably right. I have a rototiller that is over 30 years old. I use it in the spring and fall and it starts on the first pull every time. No additives, but I do not run ethanol in it.

Just to be safe however I am going to use Stabil Marine in my mercruiser and also not use ethanol in it. The cold damp weather in Arkansas seems to rust everything.

Yeah. We know a little about "cold damp weather" in Western Wa. It never seems to stop raining for very long.

If it makes you feel better to use it, then by all means use it. I don't have an easy way to get non-oxygenated gasoline........... don't know what the difference would be with it.

I have never had a problem running E-10 in anything I own so, I don't know what would change if I did.

 

[Fleetwin]

Re: Gas Stabilizer?

I use Sea Foam but have also and still use StaBil. Both seem to work fine.

The point is to use something to stabilize the fuel.

 

[HT32BSX115]

Re: Gas Stabilizer?

I use Sea Foam but have also and still use StaBil. Both seem to work fine.

The point is to use something to stabilize the fuel.

My point was that it doesn't seem to need to be stabilized.

AND I have used NOTHING in my gasoline, ever, and it seemed to work fine.

Both of the above examples are known as "testimonials"

 

[matt167]

Re: Gas Stabilizer?

I never used anything either. Started using Sta-bil when I got a backup generator as it was recommended in the manual. Now I use it in everything because I have the stuff and I might as well... 4 years ago my dad and I pumped 25 gallons of fuel out of the 80 gallon belly tank in his boat. It had not been used since the 1st owner sold it to the guy my dad got it from, and he had it a couple years. My dad had the boat 2 years before we pumped it, so 4 year old gas at least. It was clean so we ran it in the mowers, smelled a little bit but ran just fine.

FWIW, Seafoam is pale oil and alcohol ( as per MSDS ) That does not make up a stabilizer even tho the cans are marked as such last I checked.

 

[emilsr]

Re: Gas Stabilizer?

Is there something better to use for winterizing the gas in the engine and tank than Stabil?

Yes. Stabil marine formula (the blue stuff).

Many people get away with not using fuel stabilizer and that's fine for them, but why take the chance? A bottle of Stabil is cheap insurance. A briggs and stratton lawnmower engine might run fine on old unstabilized fuel, your super gee-whiz marine engine may not.

I didn't used to use the stuff either, but once I did I noticed my equipment running better in the spring. Have a lawnmower that sat unused for 3 years; all I did was run stabilized fuel through it before I shut it down. When I filled it with oil and gas after storage it started on the first pull. Did the stabilizer do this? I don't know, but it obviously didn't hurt.

 

[F14CRAZY]

Re: Gas Stabilizer?

I've had to clean out snowmobile and lawnmower carbs so many times...fuel stabilizer really does work.

I'm not too worried about the Quadrajet on my 455 plugging up though (though I've had stuck needles twice)