Old Gas - winterization

[SteveB]

This may be a dumb question. I have no pride so here I go: I have about 1/3 tank of gas left from last year that was stabilized etc. Is it best to just run all that out first and then fill the tanks with new gas or should I fill the tanks up to mix old and new? Our water is 45 degrees here so I can easily justify just cruising around the lake for a week or so to run off the gas.

Thanks all. I am foreign to these MN lakes and procedures!

[Bobby Light]

This may be a dumb question. I have no pride so here I go: I have about 1/3 tank of gas left from last year that was stabilized etc. Is it best to just run all that out first and then fill the tanks with new gas or should I fill the tanks up to mix old and new? Our water is 45 degrees here so I can easily justify just cruising around the lake for a week or so to run off the gas.

Thanks all. I am foreign to these MN lakes and procedures!

Just fill the boat up it will be fine.

[Sunscape fan]

I would fill up the tank. That way you have new gas with new octane that will mix with the old gas. It will be better for the performance of the engine.

[68Slalom]

Fill her up and go

[electricjohn]

I go up to middle or premium grade gas for the first fill-up. That old gas has lost some of its octane over the winter lay up.

[REW]

Fill her up and go

Did just that she ran great

[Killer]

personally I will syphon out the old gas and throw it in the truck. most stabilizers are crap these days and I am anal about gas due to my time with 2 stroke outboards and sleds.

gas is crap now, why chance your perf. motor on a few gallons that you can use anyways?

this is the last syphon hose you will ever buy - best $10 I've spent on anything!

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/SIPHON-HOSE...A1%7C240%3A1318

Edited April 22, 2009 by H20ski Dude

[SacRiverRat]

personally I will syphon out the old gas and throw it in the truck. most stabilizers are crap these days and I am anal about gas due to my time with 2 stroke outboards and sleds.

gas is crap now, why chance your perf. motor on a few gallons that you can use anyways?

this is the last syphon hose you will ever buy - best $10 I've spent on anything!

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/SIPHON-HOSE...A1%7C240%3A1318

Burn in your truck, burn in your boat.. whats th difference? ... other than the time, mess, & pain of syphoning it out

[Killer]

personally I will syphon out the old gas and throw it in the truck. most stabilizers are crap these days and I am anal about gas due to my time with 2 stroke outboards and sleds.

gas is crap now, why chance your perf. motor on a few gallons that you can use anyways?

this is the last syphon hose you will ever buy - best $10 I've spent on anything!

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/SIPHON-HOSE...A1%7C240%3A1318

Burn in your truck, burn in your boat.. whats th difference? ... other than the time, mess, & pain of syphoning it out

for me a lot.

my truck is an 07 EFI V6 w/ emission controls. boat is a 99 carb w/ straight pipes that looks and runs like new & I'd like to keep it that way & it's a high performance marine engine that gets used a handful of times a year in a harsh environment.

if I was keeping my truck for 20 years I'd find something else to use it in... but I don't.

I have a truck because I need it. I have a boat because I love it - BIG difference to me.

I also do ALL of my own maintenance on my boat so I'm meticulous - its already 10 years old and runs/looks like new.

Arguably there are NO daily drivers that are in as good condition with as low mileage/hours as my sporty.

my 2 - doo what you doo, but with my experience in 2 strokes you don't want that fuel anywhere near a motor you care about! - esspecially in a lot of US states. We still have 0% ethanol fuel here in Ontario at 91 octane.

I'm sure its fine in the boat, but for the 5 mins it takes to syphon I can put fresh gas in it for its first run. gas makes it go right?

[CrazyTegger]

personally I will syphon out the old gas and throw it in the truck. most stabilizers are crap these days and I am anal about gas due to my time with 2 stroke outboards and sleds.

gas is crap now, why chance your perf. motor on a few gallons that you can use anyways?

this is the last syphon hose you will ever buy - best $10 I've spent on anything!

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/SIPHON-HOSE...A1%7C240%3A1318

Burn in your truck, burn in your boat.. whats th difference? ... other than the time, mess, & pain of syphoning it out

for me a lot.

my truck is an 07 EFI V6 w/ emission controls. boat is a 99 carb w/ straight pipes that looks and runs like new & I'd like to keep it that way & it's a high performance marine engine that gets used a handful of times a year in a harsh environment.

if I was keeping my truck for 20 years I'd find something else to use it in... but I don't.

I have a truck because I need it. I have a boat because I love it - BIG difference to me.

I also do ALL of my own maintenance on my boat so I'm meticulous - its already 10 years old and runs/looks like new.

Arguably there are NO daily drivers that are in as good condition with as low mileage/hours as my sporty.

my 2 - doo what you doo, but with my experience in 2 strokes you don't want that fuel anywhere near a motor you care about! - esspecially in a lot of US states. We still have 0% ethanol fuel here in Ontario at 91 octane.

I'm sure its fine in the boat, but for the 5 mins it takes to syphon I can put fresh gas in it for its first run. gas makes it go right?

You've still got fuel in the fuel lines. It's significantly less, but i think it defeates your purpose for siphoning out the old and putting in new gas. Filling er up with new gas before the first run is going to be best. Higher octane would be preferable

[Killer]

personally I will syphon out the old gas and throw it in the truck. most stabilizers are crap these days and I am anal about gas due to my time with 2 stroke outboards and sleds.

gas is crap now, why chance your perf. motor on a few gallons that you can use anyways?

this is the last syphon hose you will ever buy - best $10 I've spent on anything!

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/SIPHON-HOSE...A1%7C240%3A1318

Burn in your truck, burn in your boat.. whats th difference? ... other than the time, mess, & pain of syphoning it out

for me a lot.

my truck is an 07 EFI V6 w/ emission controls. boat is a 99 carb w/ straight pipes that looks and runs like new & I'd like to keep it that way & it's a high performance marine engine that gets used a handful of times a year in a harsh environment.

if I was keeping my truck for 20 years I'd find something else to use it in... but I don't.

I have a truck because I need it. I have a boat because I love it - BIG difference to me.

I also do ALL of my own maintenance on my boat so I'm meticulous - its already 10 years old and runs/looks like new.

Arguably there are NO daily drivers that are in as good condition with as low mileage/hours as my sporty.

my 2 - doo what you doo, but with my experience in 2 strokes you don't want that fuel anywhere near a motor you care about! - esspecially in a lot of US states. We still have 0% ethanol fuel here in Ontario at 91 octane.

I'm sure its fine in the boat, but for the 5 mins it takes to syphon I can put fresh gas in it for its first run. gas makes it go right?

You've still got fuel in the fuel lines. It's significantly less, but i think it defeates your purpose for siphoning out the old and putting in new gas. Filling er up with new gas before the first run is going to be best. Higher octane would be preferable

how so? its less bad gas going through the motor even though there is old fuel in there; you're not going to get it all out that's for sure!

but I have about 15 gal in the boat - and realistically I'm not going to put another 23 gal in it anyways!!! I never run the boat with a full tank.

the gas in my boat is over 6 months old now, and I do remember treating it, but how can I be sure the stabil I used was good quality or I used enough? why risk it?

some say why.. I'm saying why not, simple as that.

[electricjohn]

Why did you leave the gas in there all winter if your plan was to pull it out 6 months later. On a funny side note, your using $4.00 a gallon old gas which you could get today for less than $2.00.

[mbdye]

can't avoid the gas / quality / snake oil arguments... ...if there is a petroleum engineer on here maybe he/she could corroborate? It used to be said that you want to keep fuel tanks full when storing for long periods... ...this limits expansion space (dead volume) in the tank and limits condensation that ends up being water in the carb (rust in small orifices / sticking floats)... or corrosion that kills expensive fuel injection systems.

OK, so use STA-BIL... it helps right...

Two things to be concerned with:

1) Water

2) Unstable (crud) fuel that coats fuel system components... ...read: "sticky injectors", "sticky floats", "small drillings in carb plugged with crud"... these are why we add STA-BIL (or similar) and run the engine to circulate this stuff through the engine before winter storage...

OK, why then now do engines run so poorly on that old gas in the spring???? Several people claim this problem (maybe a bigger problem with two-stroke owners???). In anycase, I offer the following (unqualified) advice and seem to avoid problems with this: Store with as little fuel as possible... in the fall, still dose with STA-BIL... fog engine (carb'ed engines)... after final key-off, pull plugs and spray fogger into the cylinders too. Now the important part... ...come spring time - install a new fuel filter filled with "good" gas before starting. Fill up with good gas on the way to the lake (octane isn't really that important... its probably still April or May, right? your engine is cooled by lake water and runs at 160degF coolant temp... - 87 octane). After running that tank down, pull the fuel filter and pour the contents out - water will seperate out in the filter (if you're curious, pour the filter contents into a glass container and look in the morning to see how much water (if any) seperates from the fuel). If there is no water in the fuel you know you're good so long as you keep buying good fuel. If there is water, check again after the next tank until no water is present.

[Killer]

you're right, and I'm no engineer, so I tend to side with caution. I've seen too many fuel related problems with small 2 strokes to trust any gas now. as far as octane I think you're on to something, but my motor was not designed with any ethanol content in the fuel, so i try to stay clear. presently no other fuel in our region is 0% octane expect certain high test 91% type gas. the 310 indmar specs for mid grade..

Why did you leave the gas in there all winter if your plan was to pull it out 6 months later. On a funny side note, your using $4.00 a gallon old gas which you could get today for less than $2.00.

thanks! the gas was bought and paid for, whether I used it in the fall or today, it still cost the same price... I agree I could have drained the tank, but what difference does it make? besides there is always the chance I would have had to fire it up. I'm using it in my car right??

the only thing I'm losing is the evaporation & a few hairs here...

again, the only difference is 5min of syphoning, it might/not have any impact...

[my malibu]

you're right, and I'm no engineer, so I tend to side with caution. I've seen too many fuel related problems with small 2 strokes to trust any gas now. as far as octane I think you're on to something, but my motor was not designed with any ethanol content in the fuel, so i try to stay clear. presently no other fuel in our region is 0% octane expect certain high test 91% type gas. the 310 indmar specs for mid grade..

Why did you leave the gas in there all winter if your plan was to pull it out 6 months later. On a funny side note, your using $4.00 a gallon old gas which you could get today for less than $2.00.

thanks! the gas was bought and paid for, whether I used it in the fall or today, it still cost the same price... I agree I could have drained the tank, but what difference does it make? besides there is always the chance I would have had to fire it up. I'm using it in my car right??

the only thing I'm losing is the evaporation & a few hairs here...

again, the only difference is 5min of syphoning, it might/not have any impact...

I just pour in some sea foam

treats the gas and any water in it

plus cleans injectors line pump etc.

then fill her up

[Bill_AirJunky]

In years past when it came to the end of the season, I was in the habit of running Stabil in the boat the last tank to two before I winterized & put it away. I did the same routine last fall. Then have since read many threads about how crappy the gas is & how it's going to be foul & full of water & so on & so on. So I've been a little uneasy about what was going to happen when I started the boat.

Well I started it tonite. And it runs perfect. Not a miss or studder at all. Purrs like a kitten. Ran the oil pressure up, got the water temp up, shut it down & drained the oil..... reminds me how much I hate working on v-drives.

Anyway, worked out good so far. I'll get her out on the lake this weekend & run it around a bit & will know for sure.

I think next year I probably will run the Stabil the last couple of tanks. But I'll make a point of putting the boat away with the gas tank empty.

[electricjohn]

I have not had any problems with the E-10 gas in 4 seasons now. That includes my 23 year old carbed outboard. Research and experience has proved to me that a maintained and clean fuel system will prevent any problems. E-10 is all we can get in NJ.

[SacRiverRat]

personally I will syphon out the old gas and throw it in the truck. most stabilizers are crap these days and I am anal about gas due to my time with 2 stroke outboards and sleds.

gas is crap now, why chance your perf. motor on a few gallons that you can use anyways?

this is the last syphon hose you will ever buy - best $10 I've spent on anything!

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/SIPHON-HOSE...A1%7C240%3A1318

Burn in your truck, burn in your boat.. whats th difference? ... other than the time, mess, & pain of syphoning it out

for me a lot.

my truck is an 07 EFI V6 w/ emission controls. boat is a 99 carb w/ straight pipes that looks and runs like new & I'd like to keep it that way & it's a high performance marine engine that gets used a handful of times a year in a harsh environment.

if I was keeping my truck for 20 years I'd find something else to use it in... but I don't.

I have a truck because I need it. I have a boat because I love it - BIG difference to me.

I also do ALL of my own maintenance on my boat so I'm meticulous - its already 10 years old and runs/looks like new.

Arguably there are NO daily drivers that are in as good condition with as low mileage/hours as my sporty.

my 2 - doo what you doo, but with my experience in 2 strokes you don't want that fuel anywhere near a motor you care about! - esspecially in a lot of US states. We still have 0% ethanol fuel here in Ontario at 91 octane.

I'm sure its fine in the boat, but for the 5 mins it takes to syphon I can put fresh gas in it for its first run. gas makes it go right?

Gotcha - but we were responding to the OP... and he has a fuel injected engine ... Why did you bring 2 strokes into the discussion?

Congrats on keeping your boat nice, buring a few gallons of last seaons gas isn't going to do any real damage to your engine.. carb or injected. Might not run as great as fresh gas..

Anyway - do what ya like, I've got better things to do than play with 15gal of gas

[Bobby Light]

I will ad a comment to this discussion. Gas will not go bad over the winter period. Put in some stabil to make yourself feel better.

[68Slalom]

I will ad a comment to this discussion. Gas will not go bad over the winter period. Put in some stabil to make yourself feel better.

What hurts gas is evaporation or moisture, it's not too complicated.

[CrazyTegger]

I will ad a comment to this discussion. Gas will not go bad over the winter period. Put in some stabil to make yourself feel better.

What hurts gas is evaporation or moisture, it's not too complicated.

Just a side note, we're still paying $4.00 a gallon for gas up here... lowest it dropped to over the winter in the interior was probably $3.50. We'd be laughing if gas dropped below $0.50/L. Nope, crude drops well over 300% and gas drops about 30%.

Last summer, it peaked around $6.00/g. (I paid a high of $1.64/L for Premium in the Acura) Once again, I hate the USA for their fuel rates.

Edited April 23, 2009 by CrazyTegger

[Bobby Light]

I will ad a comment to this discussion. Gas will not go bad over the winter period. Put in some stabil to make yourself feel better.

What hurts gas is evaporation or moisture, it's not too complicated.

Just a side note, we're still paying $4.00 a gallon for gas up here... lowest it dropped to over the winter in the interior was probably $3.50. We'd be laughing if gas dropped below $0.50/L. Nope, crude drops well over 300% and gas drops about 30%.

Last summer, it peaked around $6.00/g. (I paid a high of $1.64/L for Premium in the Acura) Once again, I hate the USA for their fuel rates.

If it makes you feel better I hate driving through Canada. Between the moose dodging and the gas prices it's a white knuckle ride.

[Bill_AirJunky]

Ouch. Makes you wonder who's makin all the money.

[Bobby Light]

Ouch. Makes you wonder who's makin all the money.

His government.

[CrazyTegger]

I will ad a comment to this discussion. Gas will not go bad over the winter period. Put in some stabil to make yourself feel better.

What hurts gas is evaporation or moisture, it's not too complicated.

Just a side note, we're still paying $4.00 a gallon for gas up here... lowest it dropped to over the winter in the interior was probably $3.50. We'd be laughing if gas dropped below $0.50/L. Nope, crude drops well over 300% and gas drops about 30%.

Last summer, it peaked around $6.00/g. (I paid a high of $1.64/L for Premium in the Acura) Once again, I hate the USA for their fuel rates.

If it makes you feel better I hate driving through Canada. Between the moose dodging and the gas prices it's a white knuckle ride.

You forgot bears, elk, deer, rams, coyotes, skunk, dogs, cats, squirrel's and mice. haha. Personally, I've only ever seen 1 moose while driving on my way to jasper. Tonnes of deer/elk/bear sightings over the years though.

Gov't does take about 40 somethin % of the price for taxes.

Edited April 23, 2009 by CrazyTegger