Oil & Fuel Stabil in gas mix

[EastTexFrank]

I use a double dose of Stabil and it has always worked for me. Always use premium fuel in my small engines. After about a year of storage, I put the gas with a double dose of Stabil in my truck and start again.

CurlyDave, you da' man.

That's exactly what I do it's worked well for years. I don't see any reason to change.

 

[Skyco]

Quote:
Originally Posted by captaincrab55 View Post
"Only use the octane recommended by the OEM and 93 octane used in a vented tank causes more water"....
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Skyco
I'd like to see the reasoning behind that one

Not sure what was so funny, but in Maryland they put 10% Ethanol in gas...

I'm amused by these "old mechanics" tales is all No offense intended.
I see no reason why 93 octane would pick up more water, in fact I figure the opposite is usually true. Most places the 93 has less ethanol, if any, and the ethanol is what causes the water problem in the first place.
Many people run the 93 (high test?) for this very reason, to avoid water pickup well known in ethanol treated lower octane gas.
Now if Maryland mandates 10% ethanol in ALL gas the 93 would pickup the same water as the lower octane gas, can't see any reason it would pick up more.

So anyway if your source has reasoning behind his statement I'd love to hear it:licking:


BTW there are 5 things I have found that completely eliminate gas problems in storage-

1> Buy ethanol free gas, fortunately I can still find it in SC
2> Run Stabil in it
3> Run every engine I have a few minutes every month, especially important on the smaller engines- smaller engine=smaller carb jets. Smaller jets clog quicker as crud builds up
4> Dump the old gas every 6 months or so anyway, run it in the car for disposal, not too much at once/mixed in with plenty of "new" gas.
5> Keep all fuel tanks full.

Ever since I started the above regimen a few years back I've had no problems, cleaned out many a carb prior to this even before ethanol laced gas.:thumbsup:

 

[Oldstuff]

OK you guys, I am the original poster of this thread and I followed up on my intent to call Stabil and ask a couple of questions and here is what the fellow said. With regards to the red Stabil: temperature has almost no effect on it, what does degrade it is if it is left exposed to air. An unopened bottle will last for 5 years but once a bottle has been opened it should be used within 2 years. They have tested it for mixing at a higer ratios and they say it is OK to mix up 5 times stronger than the recommendations on the bottle. Now to the blue marine version: same thing as far as 5 years and 2 years, it is 2 times as powerful with regards to moisture fighting capablities and 4 times the capability to treat the gas for longevity. I did not ask about increasing the mix ratio of the marine version. He did say it was fine to use the blue version in any engine.

Oldstuff

 

[Dead Horse]

I now swear by the Startron stuff (blue bottle) for my gas engines.

I have experience with it in chainsaws, sleds, high performance hot rods and even use their diesel stuff now, I am such a fan.

Try this: if you have a car engine throwing a cel light and nothing else works, run a couple tanks of gas through it with startron added.........

I have been astounded at the results! absolutely no affiliation what so ever, just a "convert".

 

[redka]

OK you guys, I am the original poster of this thread and I followed up on my intent to call Stabil and ask a couple of questions and here is what the fellow said. With regards to the red Stabil: temperature has almost no effect on it, what does degrade it is if it is left exposed to air. An unopened bottle will last for 5 years but once a bottle has been opened it should be used within 2 years. They have tested it for mixing at a higer ratios and they say it is OK to mix up 5 times stronger than the recommendations on the bottle. Now to the blue marine version: same thing as far as 5 years and 2 years, it is 2 times as powerful with regards to moisture fighting capablities and 4 times the capability to treat the gas for longevity. I did not ask about increasing the mix ratio of the marine version. He did say it was fine to use the blue version in any engine.

Oldstuff

Thanks for posting this info. The 2 yr info is good to know. I don't use much of it, and surely some is going to get too old. Need to write the date on the bottle when opened. Thanks.

 

[Dutch445]

I now swear by the Startron stuff (blue bottle) for my gas engines.

I have experience with it in chainsaws, sleds, high performance hot rods and even use their diesel stuff now, I am such a fan.

Try this: if you have a car engine throwing a cel light and nothing else works, run a couple tanks of gas through it with startron added.........

I have been astounded at the results! absolutely no affiliation what so ever, just a "convert".

I have a bottle in my hand now, going into my boat this evening.
Never used seafoam, and the napa here doesn't carry it or I would be
using that. hopefully this will provide similar performance. this engine
doesn't run enough either.

 

[Oldstuff]

Dutch445- I found Seafoam at Walmart in the auto section where Heet and other additives is.

Oldstuff

 

[Dutch445]

thanks,
i'll see what they have in the stores around here,
and we'll see how that startron works, i put 5oz
in the boat fuel last nite, we only run the motor
a few minutes per outing though........

 

[Ford tractor]

I have an old car that is a summer runner. It was put to sleep last fall in October with a full tank and a strong dose of stabil. It fired up last week for the first time and has run with out missing a beat since.

Always use stabil in all gasoline! The gas here is up to 10% ethanol. I can't imagine that a couple months would be harder on a tractor with the same fuel.

 

[3Bladz]

We started having trouble a few years ago. We had been using stabil in the gas w/ no ethanol. Some of our tanks had lining material in them as they had rusted. (Keeping the tanks full should prevent the rusting). But something seemed to be eating the liner which plugged the carbs and even the fuel shutoffs. So we started using seafoam, which has worked until last year when we could no longer get gas w/out ethanol (even high octane has it here). We put race gas in a couple tractors and they were fine this year when show season came around. But the others with pump gas had stuck floats and plugged carbs again. I am trying the startron now, and in fact one of the tractors I couldn't keep running with out the choke ran fine the next day after refilling it with startron treated gas. Startron also claims it treats gas for 2 years as opposed to stabil which says one.
I think the next move is going to be to AV gas. Now I just need a solution for my 2stroke mix, I go through about 30 gallons a week in Stihl weedeaters and backpack blowers and cant keep gas line and primer bulbs on them. Plus the carbs are hard to get cleaned out in the spring. Maybe I'll mix up some race gas and flush thru them for winter??
I can't imagine what it's gonna be like if they demand 15 percent E gas

 

[TWD]

Dutch445- I found Seafoam at Walmart in the auto section where Heet and other additives is.

Oldstuff

SeaFoam user here too. :thumbsup:

I've used it to get cars running that have been sitting for 3 years, and running the same fuel in their tank as when parked :confused2:

Also works great in a vac line or throttle body too. There are some YouTube videos on this, and how to do it but the instructions on the bottle work. It has smoothed the idle in more than one of my vehicles over the years.

I normally only treat the engine through the TB / Intake once a year, and use it for Generator gas storage or anything that will have gas in it for longer than 3 months.

 

[1950T]

when i use seafoam in my highmilage bmw i put 1/4 can in the gas 1/4 can in the oil and pull the vaccum line off the powerbrake cylinder and pull the last 1/2 can in thru the intake. run it for 5-10 miles bring it home and change the oil. if you run it thru the intake you may wanna do your 10 miles on back roads. it will make em smoke like a SOB :laughing:

here in MD the 10% ethanol is in all taxed onroad gas. ive been cutting 93octane with 110octane unleaded VP race gas(60/40) since they istituted the ethanol ruling here.

on the avaition gas i dont know about in a 4stroke but i was running it in 250r quadracer and it was plugging the powervalve up moreso than the 110 race gas was.

 

[ccsial]

I have been bit by keeping Stabil too long as mentioned by several other posters. It plugged my pressure washer and when I pulled the carb apart there were hard crystals in it. I ran my old bottle of Stabil through a coffee filter and it had crstalized so I chucked it.

I buy a new bottle every year now.

 

[Jerry/MT]

I have a 1963 Ford 2000 tractor with a gas engine that I use once every 6 to 8 weeks and when I do use it I put anywhere from 2 to 4 hours on it. In between the times I use it I leave the tank full of gas and the gas has had Stabil added. Up until yesterday I have had no trouble starting it and it always runs just fine. Yesterday it would not start, checked and I had spark so I took the gas line off the card and gas was coming from the tank just fine and it also smelled like good gas. I took the carb off and lifted the top off to look into the float bowl area and there was no gas, the float was hanging down but the needle valve was up in the shutoff position. I very gently touched the needle valve with a screwdriver and it dropped down. So I took off the float and looked into the seat area where the needle seat is and all looked well and clean. Blew it out and put it together and it runs as usual. As easy as the needle valve dropped down I am assuming I could have probably tapped on the side of the carb without removing it and it may have dropped down and it would have filled the bowl with gas and would have started.
I am thinking about using more Stabil in my gas mix since I am assuming maybe the gas was beginning to deteriorate? What do you think. Will also start to add fuel injector/carb cleaner in my mix, is this a good idea?

Thanks for the help- Oldstuff

I don't see what you hope to gain by adding more Stabil than the label calls for. Deteriorated gas didn't cause your problem.