Old Gas Pains
 

Just bought a boat that hasn't been used since the fall of 06 at which time the tank was filled for winter storage , my question is how long does stabilized gas remain usable for ,its probably been sitting full for 16 months at this point ,would you use the gas? Can you add something to make it more usefull ,or am I stuck trying to suck out 300 gallons and using it elsewhere ??? Anybody been in this situation before and What did you do ? Would you do anything differently next time ?????????:grinser010:

i dont have any idea what to do . but if you where to keep the gas in the boat maybe for safety get about 10 gallons of race gas and throw in the tank just to raise the octane rating in the old gas . maybe that will help and then again maybe it wont .
good luck

Looks like you live in New York so I don't think you will be using it for a while. I would rig up a siphon and a couple 5 gal gas cans and use it in your car. If you didn't feel comfortable with that go 50/50. It should be used up by spring and if not you will be surprised how many friend you will have with free gas.

Torco makes a very good octane boost. They even make a leaded version that I use. Check out there web site and give them a call to find out how much you need. Stay away from the ones in the local parts stores they are a joke. http://torcoracefuels.com/index.php?...ord2=&limit=50

Thanks ,for the input,your right the boats now on Montauk so add at least 3 more months of sitting ,I'm inclined to start pumping it out 5-10 gals at a time,and by spring top it off again with high test,Like Doug Suggested, its just that even taking out 150-200 gals will be a chore!!Still open to more suggestions??????????????????????????:evilb:

P.S. the motors are Merc Racing 500 EFI's ,if that makes any difference???????????:(

why take a chance ? Is the boat accessable ? Mine set for a year and rather than take a chance I got a electric pump from summit and as stated used it in all the family vehicles .. Run a tube thru the drain plug hole up to one of the fuel tank outlets ... use what you can and then fill with fresh fuel in the spring ........m

every year i catch grief from my friends because i pump out all of the fuel from the cat into the cars and start with completely fresh gas in the boat. You either have to pay for gas for the cars or gas for the boat, so no cost difference in my book. It is very hard to hear detonation in a boat compared with a car and the boat motors cost waaaaay too much.:D Being from new york, you have ethenol in your gas instead of MTBE so the gas goes sour very fast. We use the electric pumps in the boat (MALLORY M140) but any good electric fuel pump will work. Please do not take this wrong but make sure you do it safely with the correct equipment. Too many stories of people getting burnt up :(due to a big OOOOOOPs
Jeff

I was told that electric pumps are hazardous, How do you do it safely ???:eek:

Make good sealed electrical connections, keep switch off the ground (away from vapors) and ground the tanks. A marine (read ignition protected) pump would not be a bad idea. Might not hurt to run it through a filter if its going to be used somewhere else. I wouldn't worry too much.

I wouldn't run gas that old in my lawn mower let alone a hi-performance marine motor. Just drain it all out this spring and get rif of it, don't run it through your cars. The Torco product is not a reliable octane boost, the only true octane booster is race gas.

If you can't afford to dump a couple of tanks of gas out of your boat then you won't be able to afford the cost of a re-build if the fuel is bad. If you burn a tank and get light detonation you can beat the soft metal out of the rod bearings. Could be a costly gamble.

Thanks for the advice Lofty, If I took the race fuel boost approach ,is there a formula or ratio I should follow ????

Figure a loss of up to .5 octane per month. 20 months=10 octane points of loss which would bring it down to around 77 octane. Its not an exact science for octane loss.

With that much octane loss you would still need drain off enough to add 55 gallons of 114 octane at $8-10 a gallon.

IMO, you would be better off to start draining it all and using it in your cars in a 50/50 blend with fresh gas.

[QUOTE=Lofty;2440478] The Torco product is not a reliable octane boost, the only true octane booster is race gas.

Before you make that statement you should check out there entire site
http://torcoracefuels.com/component/...d,32/vmcchk,1/ Thats what they do is make race fuels and octane accelerators.

If you were to go with any additive the ratios are all different. Thats why I suggested you give them a call and they will tell tell you what you need.

Good luck and be safe. Doug

I made a pot of chili yesterday and have had gas pains for the last 12 hours!!!!!:D:evilb::hitfan:

















If my boat sits for more than a month, I add 10-20 gallons of 110 and fill it up the rest of the way with fresh gas. Good luck with the new boat!!!

:DThe safest way to remove it is with a W. Virgina transfer pump !!!:D:D No chance for electric shock !!

RHC

[QUOTE=Doug;2440559]Don't take it personally but I wouldn't trust any octane booster or accelerators or whatever they want to call it. You cannot move octane points up with a can of joy juice. I've read quite a bit on Torcos' accelerator and still feel the same way. The additives are not concentrated enough to make any significant changes to the fuel.


I don't trust anything that the engine builder hasn't performed R&D on. You can dilute hi-octane race fuel with low grade pump gas but don't fool yourself into thinking your increasing the octane of the cheap pump fuel.

Fuel goes off very fast, it distills itself and will eventually degrade into turpentine. Race fuel tends to be more stable over time but if left in a fuel tank or anything that can vent it will loose its light ends.

Thanks for all the advice guys,as usual my questions are answered quickly and thoroughly, looks like a spring drain down is in order,anybody need a few gallons of old gas ,LOL , CHEAP!!!!!!!:cool-smiley-027:

Would you be concerned about an electrical spark from the electric pump from Summit?

the electric pumps that i wrote about are mallory marine USCG rated pumps, I do use a filter before the pump, and i run a harness from the pump outside the boat and away from the fueling operation to a battery to turn them on and off. Call me chicken but i do not like fire:(

Sounds smart to me. Too many people a wreckless when it comes to fuel safety.

Should have lost enough octane so it don't taste too bad when you get a mouthful...:cool-smiley-011: