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73-87 Chevy _ GMC Trucks => 73-87 Chevy & GMC Trucks => Topic started by: SUX2BU99 on January 06, 2010, 02:46:17 pm

Title: Using Stabil in fuel
Post by: SUX2BU99 on January 06, 2010, 02:46:17 pm
I haven't used this before. I have gas in my truck and my new pressure washer that is from Sept I'd say. Should I put some of this in? Both of these aren't used much over the winter. How old can gas get before it becomes damaging? Thanks.
Title: Re: Using Stabil in fuel
Post by: Jim Rockford on January 06, 2010, 03:34:11 pm
just so you know, a couple of months isn't gonna hurt gas,  and if you have and ethanol laced crappy gas like they force on us down here, sta-bil really doesn't help anymore. Its best just not to keep any more gas in something around anymore cause the ethanol in the Gas attracts moisture . Boat guys are having a heck of a time with it.
Title: Re: Using Stabil in fuel
Post by: 1980c10 on January 06, 2010, 06:18:02 pm
when gas goes bad it has a very noticable rotten smell to it. I would at minimum check it every month and if it's bad use it up of drain it but somehow take care of it before it gets gummy. I don't see how using stabil could hurt so why not try it and also try to avoid gas with ethonal if at all possible. I found a gas station near my house that doesn't use ethonal in any of its gas so thats where i fill my gas cans and whenever possible my vehicles too. Hope this helps.
Title: Re: Using Stabil in fuel
Post by: SUX2BU99 on January 08, 2010, 12:06:44 pm
Thanks for the input guys. Not too many stations use ethanol around here so I might be fine without the Stabil.
Title: Re: Using Stabil in fuel
Post by: Jim Rockford on January 08, 2010, 01:23:21 pm
just a note, I bought a 73 J4000 that had been sitting for 5 years , Installed a battery, poured some gas in the vent on the carb and it fired riht up and ran off 5 year old gas...this stuff just doesn't go bad over a few months.
Title: Re: Using Stabil in fuel
Post by: 1980c10 on January 08, 2010, 07:44:05 pm
I've seen gas go bad in as little as 30 days. So you just really don't know what you are going to get. Stabil might not be needed but it wouldn't hurt either.
Title: Re: Using Stabil in fuel
Post by: Jim Rockford on January 08, 2010, 09:03:10 pm
I'd like the see that ...
Title: Re: Using Stabil in fuel
Post by: Irish_Alley on January 09, 2010, 02:17:30 am
i let my 86 sit for a year or two went out to start it one time granted it need a jump but it did start, and run fine
Title: Re: Using Stabil in fuel
Post by: 4x4orbust on January 09, 2010, 06:23:26 am
i have to ask this, but i don't want to start a war.    does the stabil do anything to gas with ethanol in it? 
Title: Re: Using Stabil in fuel
Post by: 1980c10 on January 09, 2010, 05:36:59 pm
I worked for john deere dealer for a while and new tractors, gators atv's etc. would be set up for the show floor with gas in them. most of the times the gas wouldn't go bad but it was not uncommon to find it had gone bad in 30 days. it was easy to check the time the gas was in them against work orders to set the units up. most of the time gas will last over 6 months. Who knows what you are getting when filling up at the gas station though. If you do plan to use stabil; after you add it-run the engine a while to let it work its way throught the carb and fuel lines.
Title: Re: Using Stabil in fuel
Post by: Chevalade on January 09, 2010, 10:55:47 pm
I let my bike sit over winter usually with a half tank in it, then in the spring I top it off with fresh stuff and never have had a problem.
Title: Re: Using Stabil in fuel
Post by: Torque454 on January 10, 2010, 12:43:33 am
i've burned 15 year old gas before. Even in a riding lawn mower, put some in the tank and started it. It started on the fresh gas and ran until the tank was empty. Wouldnt start on the old gas but it did burn it. The rest of the old fuel i dumped in one of my cars which had half tank or so of fuel in it still. Ran fine..

Its not too likely to go bad over the winter...
Title: Re: Using Stabil in fuel
Post by: Stewart G Griffin on January 14, 2010, 12:27:19 pm
i would say, it depends;

The gas in my truck is from dec. 08 , before the engine swap.  It started on the first try last week.

From my best recollection, the gas is from exxon.
Title: Re: Using Stabil in fuel
Post by: Jim Rockford on January 14, 2010, 07:50:06 pm

From my best recollection, the gas is from exxon.
Brands make no difference ,Your local refinery pulls fuel from a pipeline that serves everyone, the gas in your tank may have been put in the pipeline by shell, or citco...
Title: Re: Using Stabil in fuel
Post by: Layne on January 14, 2010, 08:26:24 pm
How's come shell gas seems to be better for my g/f's car? It stalls and runs like crap on anything but...
Title: Re: Using Stabil in fuel
Post by: Jim Rockford on January 15, 2010, 06:28:48 am
Some terminals add the additive package  when they fill the truck, If you have time one day, you can follow the truck that delivers  the gas to that station and find out what other stores get the same gas...the trucks service multiply stations , its not just a trip to the specific brand stations. History Channel had a good show  explaining this .
Title: Re: Using Stabil in fuel
Post by: smitty77 on January 15, 2010, 09:30:41 am
i've burned 15 year old gas before. Even in a riding lawn mower, put some in the tank and started it. It started on the fresh gas and ran until the tank was empty. Wouldnt start on the old gas but it did burn it. The rest of the old fuel i dumped in one of my cars which had half tank or so of fuel in it still. Ran fine..

Its not too likely to go bad over the winter...
The octane boosters and other detergent additives (and ethanol) were not present, or were present but in lesser amounts, in gas made fifteen years ago.  And the gas was likely made with MTBE which does not attract water the way ethanol does.  Ethanol has a strong affinity to moisture in a tank and the combined ethanol/water solution separates from the gasoline and sinks to the bottom of the tank.

Keeping your tank full or emptying it completely will minimize this, and they also recommend adding stabilizer.  I put a shot of Stabil in my lawn mower and snowblower at the end of their respective seasons and have never had any problems starting either again 6 months later, and the lawn mower is over 25 years old (though it IS a Honda).  I also treat the 5 gallon fuel can I keep on hand with a double-dose of it because that 5 gallons usually lasts me a year.  I don't want to be fighting with my snowblower at 10*F wishing I spent the $2 on Stabil.  Just cheap insurance.
Title: Re: Using Stabil in fuel
Post by: Captkaos on January 15, 2010, 10:13:09 am
For the most part (At least here in Birmingham) if you are buying 87, 89 and 92 octane gas as Jim stated has the "branded" companies additive added to it which makes the gas less combustible (higher octane).  I know where the terminal is and have seen the trucks.  It may be a Shell, EXXON, BP, etc truck that comes out, but it is a combination of every companies gasoline coming out of there.  What makes it Shell gas is the additives, same goes for all the other companies.