Fuel question for you

[Tom on Icarus]

Does anyone know how long it takes for gasoline to go bad if it has been treated with ethanol stabilizer?
I have 300 litres (80 us gallons) left in the fuel tank since August. I am worried that I may not get to use it up before it goes off.
I use mid-grade gasoline too if that makes a difference.
Thanks for your help.

Cheers,
Tom

PS We are proud of our "Miss October" on the Brats calander.

[localboy]

Some products claim 2 yrs. Others 1. I have used Sta-bil (both red & blue) and have had good results with the 1 yr claim, but this is at home and with REAL dyno-gas; no E-10. Use in the mower, power-washer, generator etc. I stock 10 gallons all fall/winter for our generator. When spring comes I use it in our mowers etc and put any left into my wife's SUV prior to the next fall.

[thataway]

You will get all sorts of answers. I don't like to leave it more than 2 months for ethanol laced fuel. I have left it longer, and then diluted it with fresh gas. Often this is the case on the boat which is on my lift, since it is about 12 miles on the water to the nearest marina. I will leave a few gallons, treated with Stabil, and Startron, and then add another 5 gallons of ethanol free fuel, for the run to the marina.

Honda web site says in some engines and climates no more than 15 days. On the other side there are many folks who fill the tank up, winterize the boat and it will be 8 months before they run it again.

I will pump it out of the tank, run it thru a 2 micron racor and then run it in my car--diluted 5 to 1 with fresh gas (5 parts fresh0

[Tom on Icarus]

Thanks for your replies. This leads me to another question.
Is it redundent and overkill to add Stabil Red to the fuel since it has already been treated with Stabil Blue or do they do totally different jobs?

Cheers,
Tom

[AstoriaDave]

As Bob says, it depends. I have gotten maybe 6 to 7 months out of stabilized E-10, with no issues, in aluminum tanks, boat stored inside a fully enclosed, soffet-vented, weatherproof, unheated space. I use Stabil, blue currently. The stabilizer is cheap insurance, and I have somerimes doubled up on it.

I believe if your boat experiences big swings in temperature, you will likely get more condensation inside the tank, promoting fuel degradation, so my conditions are very benign. Open carport storage I might not get 6 months, in our wet climate, with fairly big temp swings during the winter. Most years I have run the boat every month or two, on the water, going through a tank on each side, over the winter, which assures me of good fuel in the spring.

I also use the mid grade fuel.

[AstoriaDave]

[Tom on Icarus]

Thanks everyone......and Dave, I don't know how I missed that one. Thank you for posting the link. My question has been answered....I think.

Cheers,
Tom

[Larry Patrick]

I filled fuel up put startron in there and had OB winterized. Now reading 1/4 tank of fuel may be better idea. Makes sense when in spring diluting whats in there with 3/4 of fresh fuel. Missed out on reading this sooner.

[hardee]

As to the Red vs the Blue Stabil. The Blue is designated as Marine Stabil. I do as Dr Bob does and as my Yamaha mechanics say. Add both the Marine Stabil and Startron (and that is into E-10 fuel) and it has lasted for 6 months with no problem. Boat is stored in an unheated garage. always starts right up, no problem after sitting over the winter. It has always been oil changed and fogged prior to layup.

Harvey
SleepyC

[BrentB]

Star Tron is >95% naphtha which also used in lighters (es Zippo tobacco lighters)

To me it is overpriced compared to purchasing a gallon of naphtha at a home improvement business and frankly I dont understand the use of stating it has enzymatic activity.
Usually organics solvents like naptha do not have this activity or it is does it is called a catalyst

maybe someone can enlighten me

thanks a million

[PeterQ]

Been using Marine Stabil blue with E10 gas for many years with good results in a 3.0L Mercruiser.

My Honda dealer recommends Valvetect. Anyone have experience with this additive?

[BrentB]

I have not

I dont see the MSDS on their web site and believe it contains kerosine and a phenol derivative

[AstoriaDave]

Valvetect makes several additives for marine use. Probably the first one listed here is the one of interest. http://www.valvtect.com/marineGasAdditives.asp

They claim there is a detergent and a corrosion inhibitor in the product. I also could not come up with an MSDS for that one. Did find an MSDS for their gasoline and diesel stabilizer (down a couple screens), which has phenol and kerosene listed, nothing else hazardous. Naphtha very similar to kerosene, with kerosene heavier and higher boiling than naphtha. Both should mix well with E-10.

Got curious about Startron. It is 95% naphtha and the rest is proprietary organic compounds, identified as having a mixture of enzymes. They claim the enzymes chemically alter the fuel for more complete combustion. As a longtime organic chemist, I am skeptical about that last claim. YMMV

[thataway]

I have shared Dave's concerns about Startron. However, my good friend had a 20 gallon diesel tank in the keel of his boat which he had for gotten about since 1979 transpac (and it turned out the "missing" 20 gallons we could not find to run the generator or prime the engine when we got to Honolulu). He had the boat's engine replace in 1999 in Spain. (20 years later)--and they found the fuel line from this built in tank. The fuel had gelled. The mechanics said--do not worry, and put Soltron (same thing as Startron), into the fuel tank. By the time they had crossed the Atlantic the diesel had become liquid again--and it could be pumped out and disposed of--putting in fresh diesel.

I did find some of the early european studies which seemed to show some good effects of the product--so I have used it in both diesel and gas tanks when I was storing the fuel. Scientific it is not. But enzymes....who knows?

[AstoriaDave]

Dr. Bob,

I buy dejelling diesel via enzyme attack. Do not buy the claim enzyme action on gasoline helps give complete combustion.