Stabil in the mix?

[ericm979]

I put stabil in the gas when I get it home. It later gets mixed to make premix or goes into some other gas engine, preferably lawn mower or log splitter. Those are simple carbureted engines without catalytic converters. Two stroke oil may or may not be good for modern FI cars but it's fine in the older carbureted stuff.

Stabilized fuel seems to stay good for longer, in that the engines still start easily. Ethanol has not been a problem for me so I can't say if it's had an effect on that.

 

[CalG]

I put stabil in the gas when I get it home. It later gets mixed to make premix or goes into some other gas engine, preferably lawn mower or log splitter. Those are simple carbureted engines without catalytic converters. Two stroke oil may or may not be good for modern FI cars but it's fine in the older carbureted stuff.

Stabilized fuel seems to stay good for longer, in that the engines still start easily. Ethanol has not been a problem for me so I can't say if it's had an effect on that.

I've also not had issues with modern gas E-## whatever. But I just use the mandated pump gas, not the high count stuff sometimes seen in the midwest.

 

[mrmikey]

I've also not had issues with modern gas E-## whatever

Nor have I but I attribute it to the fact that I'm diligent about either running the engine and tank dry if it's one I don't use often or keeping it full if one I use a lot along with stabilizer.

 

[Pinecrest]

It seems that all the name-brand 2-stroke oils have it, these days.

But the bigger issue is... who's storing 2-stroke mix long enough for that to matter? Most 2-stroke engines require a pretty high minimum octane, and octane diminishes with days on the shelf in an unconditioned shed. Never buy/mix more than you can use in a couple of weeks!

I go thru maybe 25 gallons of 2 stroke per year, but still mix it in two little 1-gallon cans. As soon as one gets below 30% full, or if I know I have a lot of work coming up a particular weekend, I throw the other in the trunk of my car to be filled next time I'm passing a station. Leapfrogging two 1-gallon cans beats one 2-gallon can, for 2-stroke.

I started mixing it in 1Qt bottles ....the spray bottles you buy at Walmart and Sam's have various markings on the side , I usually mix just what I need for the day using the markings to get 50:1 mixture there is a 25 marking on the bottle I use {the old oil cap fits the bottle perfectly} I have also found when doing heavy work I like a little more oil in my mixture which runs just fine.

 

[dannyojudd]

Any a regular Stabil user that includes the two stroke mix?

My weed whackers hang on the wall all winter.
Some of the chain saws get infrequent use. The back pack blower really only gets used "seasonally", Though I did try it on a fluffy snow last year with impressive results.

A put Stabil in all the full fuel tanks on mower, splitter, and even the old Fordson E27n.

I've splashed a bit in the two stroke mix can off and on, But I'm thinking to make it a regulare thing.

Comments?

Old school here. Pour out fuel run dry. In spring pour in fresh fuel. I do keep a unopened can of fancy premix to use in chainsaw in case of tree blocking drive... Driving tractor 6 miles down the road in winter for chainsaw fuel is memorable....

 

[WinterDeere]

Old school here. Pour out fuel run dry. In spring pour in fresh fuel.

I did this for many years, with pretty good results, but was eventually convinced there's a better way:

1. You can't really run a carburetor dry. You can run a fuel tank and line dry, but the rubber metering diaphram in the carburetor is the primary failure point with ethanol fuel, and that area is still full of fuel when the motor starves and stops.
2. It's not great to run a 2-stroke dry, since the lube is in the fuel.
3. The best way to protect the metering diaphram, keep it pliable, is to keep it bathed in 2-stroke oil or non-E fuel.

So, starting maybe 2 years ago, I just decided to keep a few cans of non-E premix on the shelf, for the sole sake of storage. In the spring, when I know my saws will be sitting mostly unused most of the summer, I dump the pump gas out, run them dry (I know...), put a little canned non-E premix in their tank, and run that thru for a few minutes.

My saw shop actually recommended this to me, buying pre-mix not for daily usage but for storage only, but they'd probably recommend skipping the "run it dry" step. I just can't help mself.

In the fall, when I pull the saws back out, I decide whether I want to just run the pre-mix thru them, or pour it out for re-use in summer equipment that's going to sit unused in winter (e.g. string trimmer).

I order the pre-mix from Amazon, 3 quarts at a time. The stuff is good for years on the shelf, prior to breaking the factory seal.

 

[xyz123]

I learned using the red stabil it dont work with ethanol fuels.

My 4cyl Gen I used to add red stabil. I even went as far when it was setting to run it out of gas to the carb till it shut off on it's own.

One year when needed it wouldnt start. Turned out even though ran out etc. The ethanol crap gas still was able to jell and block up the jets etc in the carb even with the red stabil.

Seen the same crap in my sons kart when he was younger.

But once I switched important things to Efree for storage never a issue. IMHO Efree is the key.
Heck my boat will set for about 8 months with Efree and K100 when put up this winter. My boat cap stays vented 24/7 too.

Ethanol gas with anything IMO dont work in storage. It will draw in moisture in vented systems.

I've had guys saws in so bad from storage with ethanol mix that they wouldnt start for them.
When I dumped their tanks the jell from the crap would clog up my screen in my funnel.

IMO storage use Efree or canned fuel to get it in the system.

 

[P113565]

Every piece (2 or 4 stroke) of gasoline powered equipment, that isn’t a car, gets marine gas (Non-ethanol) and Sta-Bil.
I have never had a gas driven device not start or run with that process. I have engines dating back to 1979 that are still in service thanks in part to being diligent about gasoline management.

 

[Fields_mj]

About a decade ago. I gave Stabil a try. I put it in 5 different engines that fall. 18 months later I had lost all 5 engines. Those are the only 5 engines I've lost in my 32 years of adulthood. I asked my dad about Stabil about 6 moths later, and he instantly launched into a 30 min rant. Turns out he had a similar experience. The difference was that he was over the buildings and grounds for our local (rural) school Corp which included a high-school, middle school, and 3 elementary schools, all sitting on at least 10 acres, so he lost an entire fleet of equipment. I've sworn the stuff off, and never looked back.

Any 2 cycle oil is a fantastic fuel stabilizer. I've started saws that sat for well over a year with a partial tank of fuel, and I've filled up with fuel that had been mixed well over a year prior. No issues. If an engine is going to sit for months, the best thing you can do is use non-ethonal fuel in them. If in doubt, drain the tank (or turn the fuel supply off) and run the engine dry.

 

[RandyT]

About a decade ago. I gave Stabil a try. I put it in 5 different engines that fall. 18 months later I had lost all 5 engines. Those are the only 5 engines I've lost in my 32 years of adulthood. I asked my dad about Stabil about 6 moths later, and he instantly launched into a 30 min rant. Turns out he had a similar experience. The difference was that he was over the buildings and grounds for our local (rural) school Corp which included a high-school, middle school, and 3 elementary schools, all sitting on at least 10 acres, so he lost an entire fleet of equipment. I've sworn the stuff off, and never looked back.

Any 2 cycle oil is a fantastic fuel stabilizer. I've started saws that sat for well over a year with a partial tank of fuel, and I've filled up with fuel that had been mixed well over a year prior. No issues. If an engine is going to sit for months, the best thing you can do is use non-ethonal fuel in them. If in doubt, drain the tank (or turn the fuel supply off) and run the engine dry.

I won't use Stabil in anything. Like you have seen too many failures. Part of the reason is they claim that it protects fuel UP to 2 years, And the reasoning for UP to 2 years is because the unused part of the bottle expires 2 years after opening.