fuel stabilizer

[sal64]

hello all how do you guys store your small engines for extended time? the way ive been doing it is i run all gas out of tank plastic or metal tank.is that correct, i do put blue stable in each gas can, should i put the red in for storage ? that means i would have both in at times is that ok ? should i keep metal tanks full ? after a yr or more should i drain all gas and throw it out or can i put it in my truck ? i bought a new generator with a 6.3 gal tank if i dont use it for a yr or more i would be wasting all that gas $ . tuvm for any help

 

[IslandTractor]

I put Stabil in and if I don't use up the fuel in a year I transfer the fuel to either my lawn mower or car. I also just let the engine run out of fuel to keep the carb clean.

 

[sal64]

I put Stabil in and if I don't use up the fuel in a year I transfer the fuel to either my lawn mower or car. I also just let the engine run out of fuel to keep the carb clean.

do you use the red or blue? tu

 

[Diamondpilot]

Red Stabilizer is a waste of money. Buy marine grade ethanol formula. Its usually blue or black in color.

It may look more expensive but its very concentrated. A 10oz bottle for $7 treats 100 gallons.

Chris

 

[IslandTractor]

Red Stabilizer is a waste of money. Buy marine grade ethanol formula. Its usually blue or black in color.

It may look more expensive but its very concentrated. A 10oz bottle for $7 treats 100 gallons.

Chris

I also use the marine formula for everything.

 

[KYDan]

I use Stabil and ethanol-free fuel. Alcohol polluted fuel degrades faster and can create problems if left more than a few months. If I were storing it over an extended period and I could not obtain ethanol-free fuel. I would drain the tank, run the fuel from the carb and system, remove the carb bowl to insure it was drained, and then fog the engine with fogging oil. You can check the puregas.org website to see if there is ethanol-free fuel in your area.

 

[IslandTractor]

I use Stabil and ethanol-free fuel. Alcohol polluted fuel degrades faster and can create problems if left more than a few months. If I were storing it over an extended period and I could not obtain ethanol-free fuel. I would drain the tank, run the fuel from the carb and system, remove the carb bowl to insure it was drained, and then fog the engine with fogging oil. You can check the puregas.org website to see if there is ethanol-free fuel in your area.

That sounds like museum quality work but would take a day or so to do if you had multiple small gas engines like I do. I just shut off the fuel line and clear out the carburetor by allowing the engine to run til it stalls. Ethanol free fuel is not easy to come by either. Adding stabil, double amount if you want to, does fine for up to a year. I just make sure the fuel gets used in one engine or another before a year goes by. Haven't had any trouble.

 

[Copperhead]

In Iowa, ethanol is just about in every grade of gas out there anymore and regular non-enthanol is a problem to find. Haven't seen a non ethanol formulation for quite a while. I started using a product called PRI Advanced Fuel Treatments . They have formulations for gas and diesel. Have never had a storage issue when using this stuff. And a little goes a long, long way.

 

[paulharvey]

Typically if you need ethanol free gas your best bet is to look for "boat gas". Its normally more per gallon, but doesnt destroy two cycle motors as fast.

 

[joshuabardwell]

hello all how do you guys store your small engines for extended time? the way ive been doing it is i run all gas out of tank plastic or metal tank.

I have had to replace two carburetors now because of leaving ethanol gas in the machine for too long. I use red Sta-bil in all my small engines now, and even then, I try not to leave the same gas in the engine for more than three months or so. This is usually not a problem at all during the summer, when I'm mowing and cutting all the time. By the fall, I drain all the gas out of the tank and then run the engine until it goes dry.