Repair/mechanic tricks and or tips?

[jimmer2880]

Ohh believe me, I have done some pretty stupid things with gas & fire. Once had a whole yard on fire because the can caught while lighting the bon-fire.

DOH!

 

[Soundguy]

For the most part.. we are all men here... that said.. i think it's safe to assume that each one of us here has done something that has caused, or been involved with a fire..

Soundguy

 

[patrick_g]

it may say that but I wouldn't use it- it is mostly alcohol which is not recommended for diesels.

As promised, here is the reply I got from Tom Wicks of the STABIL folks:
**********************************************
Hello Patrick !

Re: Tractor Users
Sta-Bil does not Contain Alcohol [ There is a water handler called Ethylene Glycol mono Butyl ether with a trivial name of Butyl Cellosolve]
No Alcohol
Sta-Bil does contain Red Dye so it may be used on any Non Road applications like Tractors : But on road may be an issue, due to the Red dye and Tax issues.
The Use of Sta-Bil in Fuel will normally double the Storage life of fuel and in some cases will be much greater than that

Diesel Fuel forms Gums and varnish which look like small "popcorn kernal skins" the result is pluged fuel filters
Sta-Bil prevents this
***********************************************

Of course you can choose not to believe the guys who make/sell the stuff but I'm going to continue to use STABIL in my overhead diesel fuel storage tank.

Pat

 

[Soundguy]

Now Pat.. what have i told you about interjecting facts into an argument where some good heresay was going over so well

soundguy

 

[patrick_g]

Now Pat.. what have i told you about interjecting facts into an argument where some good heresay was going over so well

soundguy

Galileo Galilei was one of my childhood heroes who when leaving his audience with the pope where he had to "pretend to recant" his theories about the motion of the earth around the sun to prevent being put to death for heresy, was heard to mutter under his breath, "It moves!"

And now this just in from Tom Wicks (the STABIL guy)

*******************************************
Patrick
The safe rule of Thumb for Diesel Fuel is that it may be stored about 4- 6 months, and it degrades rapidly after that, becoming dark in color and forming "skins"
The rule of Thumb for gasoline is only about 4-6 weeks.

Best Regards

Tom Wicks
*********************************************
This was in response to a question from me regarding storage life of the fuels WITHOUT STABIL.

Now before we have a chorus of people lining up around the block to make claims about storing and using "antique" diesel fuel with no apparent harm...

Good for you. You may also routinely walk across the street without looking both ways for traffic but that doesn't mean it is a recommended practice that will be safe in all or even most situations for all or most people.

I'm sure the storage periods Tom mentioned can be considered, if you are slightly paranoid and want to think of conspiracy theories to aid selling product, to be toward the short end of the spectrum as that would serve his business better but it is altogether unlikely to be totally unreasonable.

In the olden days gasoline DID last longer with less deterioration. I don't know about Diesel fuel in olden times as my first diesel was an '84 F-250.

I for one will modify my fuel storage habits in view of this information, by trying to store less gasoline for all the little engines so I buy "fresh" more often and probably not fill the overhead diesel tank to the brim, just maybe 2/3 as a full tank can last over a year.

I also use a biocide (BioBor brand or similar) in my stored diesel (off road for tractor and pyromaniacal fire accelerant) and in my diesel truck tanks (as everyone does once they have experienced the "black death" algae stuff that lives on diesel fuel.)

The dedicated emergency generator in my future will be propane powered.

Pat

 

[BTDT]

Just read this suggestion posted by Bird about tractor tire inflation. Pretty neat way to see how the tire will track (I thought).

Another way some use to determine the right pressure is to pour water on a paved surface and drive over it to see what your track looks like when you go from the water to a dry surface. You'd like that track or tread to show all the way across.

 

[Skyco]

As promised, here is the reply I got from Tom Wicks of the STABIL folks:
**********************************************
Hello Patrick !

Re: Tractor Users
Sta-Bil does not Contain Alcohol [ There is a water handler called Ethylene Glycol mono Butyl ether with a trivial name of Butyl Cellosolve]
No Alcohol
Sta-Bil does contain Red Dye so it may be used on any Non Road applications like Tractors : But on road may be an issue, due to the Red dye and Tax issues.
The Use of Sta-Bil in Fuel will normally double the Storage life of fuel and in some cases will be much greater than that

Diesel Fuel forms Gums and varnish which look like small "popcorn kernal skins" the result is pluged fuel filters
Sta-Bil prevents this
***********************************************

Of course you can choose not to believe the guys who make/sell the stuff but I'm going to continue to use STABIL in my overhead diesel fuel storage tank.

Pat

Well that is interesting. According to info on another tractor forum the MSDS for Stabil showed isopropyl alcohol as the main ingredient. Either that was in error or they changed the formula since then.


Here is the MSDS clearly showing isopropanol as 95% of the volume-



http://www.wd-wpp.com/msds2/00001240.pdf



Maybe you can contact Tom Wicks again and ask him if it has changed formulas or what?

 

[Soundguy]

I have an empty bottle from 2002... ( i use it for the easy measure oz dispenser to make my 2cycle oil mix ).. and I see where it says it has 2-propanol in it.. Sounds like isopropyl to me.. at least back in 2002 anyway...

Soundguy

 

[Iplayfarmer]

Well that is interesting. According to info on another tractor forum the MSDS for Stabil showed isopropyl alcohol as the main ingredient. Either that was in error or they changed the formula since then.


Here is the MSDS clearly showing isopropanol as 95% of the volume-



http://www.wd-wpp.com/msds2/00001240.pdf



Maybe you can contact Tom Wicks again and ask him if it has changed formulas or what?

Here's a link to another MSDS for Sta-Bil that list Napthalene as the ingredient (page 2)...

http://ilrc.ucf.edu/documents/ILRC 00000023/MSDS 00000023.pdf?sample_id=23

I noticed the date on this one I linked to is 1992, though.

This could get fun. How many version of Sta-Bil are out there?

 

[patrick_g]

Here's a link to another MSDS for Sta-Bil that list Napthalene as the ingredient (page 2)...

http://ilrc.ucf.edu/documents/ILRC 00000023/MSDS 00000023.pdf?sample_id=23

I noticed the date on this one I linked to is 1992, though.

This could get fun. How many version of Sta-Bil are out there?

My mind is made up, don't confuse me with the facts. I use STABIL in diesel.

If you want to continue the discussion with the STABIL folks you can google STABIL and go to their web site and click the email or contact them link.

Historical info might be interesting, sort of, and conflicting secondary sources like posted data sheets NOT POSTED by STABIL might be humorous, I think going to the "horses mouth" confirmed it for me. If you turn up anything (recent) that claims STABIL is not suitable for diesel let us know. There is a lot of info on the net and not all of it is correct, unfortunately. Some of us grew up in a time when if it was in print it was the gospel. I got over it.

On a similar note... I had a discussion with a nature smart retired park ranger regarding the fact that the hog nosed snake has fangs at the back of its mouth and can invenomate you. He pulled out his Peterson's guide and proved me wrong. I borrowed his wifes desktop computer and proved the Peterson't field guide wrong.

Pat