Buy gas in the winter and use it in the summer?

[RobertB]

Considering gas cans cost $15 to $40 for a 5 gallon can, can you buy gas for $3 less per gallon to justify the cost of the storage cans?

[K9Kampers]

FYI- If considering using with fuel already containing additives, read their FAQ Caution:

Fuel additives and stabilizers may allow water to pass thru filter. Add additives directly to tank.

Don't know what they cost, I was given one. Haven't used it yet as all my summer reserve fuel tanks have Stabil in them.

[seahouse]

Bush pilots use a chamois (the real kind) in a funnel to remove water from fuel, particularly when they use fuel scrounged from drums (sic) in their plane or helicopter. Been there, done that- very effective. The fuel passes through the chamois, but water cannot. A wool sweater is also supposed to work in a jiffy too, but I can’t address the science behind that, and haven’t tried it. Seems iffy.

Sailors who are aware of the chamois trick are allowed to use it too!

Stale fuel has way more things wrong with it than can be fixed by removing water. Water absorption and phase dropout are the least of your worries.

Your nose is a very reliable instrument to use to tell you when fuel has gone bad. Sniff bad fuel (just a light wiff, you are on your own after that) and save that smell for later recognition! Small 2-cycle engines are really sensitive to stale fuel, like a few months old sometimes, but a sealed airtight container (unlike the fuel tank in most things) helps keep it fresher.

I have used Sta-bil for decades, and if dosage is appropriate it will keep fuel fresh and usable for a couple of years. It is (or once was) Mil Spec’d product (other products may be as well, I’m not familiar with the others) to carefully controlled and tested standards, and the military uses it in their standby equipment. It is safe to overtreat with Sta-bil, and using a little extra is safe, and, except for a bit more cost (though I do buy it by the litre) is better than undertreating.

I know of no consumer product that is capable of rejuvenating stale fuel. (No snake oil salesmen need call, please). It’s a bit like trying to “undry” concrete; the numerous chemical reactions, and selective evaporation, have happened and are not simple to reverse.

While it might not work if the fuel is too far gone, I once used up a tank of older fuel on an old outboard without ill effect. I always had two tanks. I started the engine and warmed it on the fresh tank, and while in full cruise switched to the older fuel, then back again at the end of the trip a few minutes before shutting down.

I noticed no difference in the running of the engine (a 1982 carbureted 3-cyl, 75 hp Chrysler), and would have switched back to the fresh tank and abandoned the experiment if I had. If the fuel were quite old I would not try that with a modern fuel injected engine, though; it’s not worth the risk.

- Brian.

[Russ]

I used to drain the remaining fuel from my 12 gal tanks into the truck at the end of the season. It was a PITA to do and seemed dangerous to move the fuel from container to container. So now I simply add some SeaFoam (1 oz to a gal) to the tanks and run it through the lines a bit before putting her away . Haven't had any trouble. Starts right up in the spring.

[dlandersson]

I do that aloso..based on another owner's rec.

I used to drain the remaining fuel from my 12 gal tanks into the truck at the end of the season. It was a PITA to do and seemed dangerous to move the fuel from container to container. So now I simply add some SeaFoam (1 oz to a gal) to the tanks and run it through the lines a bit before putting her away . Haven't had any trouble. Starts right up in the spring.

[seahouse]

I used to drain the remaining fuel from my 12 gal tanks into the truck at the end of the season.

Hey Russ – I’ve done this in the past too, and it’s another good strategy. (It’s no secret – I like to experiment). It was made much neater and easier by an accessory fuel nozzle that fit directly in place of the tank cap. It had a large flexible spiral metal spout with a loose-fitting rubber hose that terminated an inch or two from the end of the metal spout. The rubber hose allowed air in at the same time as the fuel was flowing out, so it was fast, and there was no glubbing or spillage. A very neat gizmo, but it is dedicated to the proprietary fitting on the tank, so I sold it with the boat.

I don’t have one for my present tanks, and don’t know if they are even available for them. I also found it’s difficult to get the last bit of gas out of the plastic tanks anyway, which can be a problem at some point because that’s where any water will be. A squirt of fuel stabilizer should take care of the little bit of fuel left over, though.

So now I simply add some SeaFoam (1 oz to a gal) to the tanks and run it through the lines a bit before putting her away

Seafoam is another good option, and it did well in recent (August) Practical Sailor (the most objective sailing magazine I'm aware of, at the level of Consumer Reports) tests in the corrosion inhibition department (“the most economical choice and a top performer” in their words). Ethanol in fuel is very corrosive to metals, aluminum (carburetors) in particular.

Those particular tests were not relevant to my personal situation because it involved testing only the corrosive effects on metal by vented fuel that had some salt water added. I don’t expect to be in salt water for a few years yet, and the fuel injection system functions as an effective barrier to oxygen.

Interestingly, but not surprisingly, some of the aftermarket fuel corrosion inhibitors had no effect at all. (I won’t name the name brands here, because some people (and not the moderators) jumped all over me the last time I did that).

So- it will pay to research before you buy products like this (Yawh! As if you didn’t already know that)!

- Brian.

[Christian]

Catigale,
What is a water seperator? And what's the cost? Is it for gasoline from an auto store, or something home made? I've never heard of it.

Christian

[Catigale]

Defender has a pretty good selection for gas/petrol/benzine/go juice

http://www.defender.com/product.jsp?pat ... id=1494533