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#1
posted to rec.boats.cruising
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Does mixed fuel age?
Hi,
in the back of my mind I seem to recall hearing that the mixed oil and petrol fuel as is used in outboards "ages" Can anyone advise as to whether this is correct? cheers, Peter |
#2
posted to rec.boats.cruising
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Does mixed fuel age?
On Tue, 03 Apr 2007 09:47:55 -0400, Peter Hendra
wrote: Hi, in the back of my mind I seem to recall hearing that the mixed oil and petrol fuel as is used in outboards "ages" Can anyone advise as to whether this is correct? cheers, Peter Please forgive my insistence, but can anyone give me any idea how many months I can keep mixed outboard fuel - petrol and oil. It's great to know that yes, definitively, it does age but it would be really helpful for a cruiser such as myself to know; 1. How long I can keep mixed fuel? 2. What happens when it is aged? - Does it become less useable in any way such as clogging carburetors etc Thanks Peter |
#3
posted to rec.boats.cruising
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Does mixed fuel age?
Peter,
A good rule of thumb is untreated mixed gas will last about 2 months. After that it "sours", fouls the plugs, doesn't burn right etc. I have no idea of the chemical reason for this, I just know I've used this rule since the USN taught me to mess about with rubber ducks 25 years ago and it works for me. MMC "Peter Hendra" wrote in message ... On Tue, 03 Apr 2007 09:47:55 -0400, Peter Hendra wrote: Hi, in the back of my mind I seem to recall hearing that the mixed oil and petrol fuel as is used in outboards "ages" Can anyone advise as to whether this is correct? cheers, Peter Please forgive my insistence, but can anyone give me any idea how many months I can keep mixed outboard fuel - petrol and oil. It's great to know that yes, definitively, it does age but it would be really helpful for a cruiser such as myself to know; 1. How long I can keep mixed fuel? 2. What happens when it is aged? - Does it become less useable in any way such as clogging carburetors etc Thanks Peter |
#4
posted to rec.boats.cruising
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Does mixed fuel age?
On Wed, 4 Apr 2007 09:25:24 -0400, "MMC" wrote:
Thanks MMC (were your parents poor when you were born and couldn't afford a longer name?) This is the sort of practical information that I was looking for. The rest was just curiosity. Have a great day, Cheers Peter Peter, A good rule of thumb is untreated mixed gas will last about 2 months. After that it "sours", fouls the plugs, doesn't burn right etc. I have no idea of the chemical reason for this, I just know I've used this rule since the USN taught me to mess about with rubber ducks 25 years ago and it works for me. MMC "Peter Hendra" wrote in message .. . On Tue, 03 Apr 2007 09:47:55 -0400, Peter Hendra wrote: Hi, in the back of my mind I seem to recall hearing that the mixed oil and petrol fuel as is used in outboards "ages" Can anyone advise as to whether this is correct? cheers, Peter Please forgive my insistence, but can anyone give me any idea how many months I can keep mixed outboard fuel - petrol and oil. It's great to know that yes, definitively, it does age but it would be really helpful for a cruiser such as myself to know; 1. How long I can keep mixed fuel? 2. What happens when it is aged? - Does it become less useable in any way such as clogging carburetors etc Thanks Peter |
#5
posted to rec.boats.cruising
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Does mixed fuel age?
On Wed, 04 Apr 2007 04:58:22 -0400, Peter Hendra
wrote: It's great to know that yes, definitively, it does age but it would be really helpful for a cruiser such as myself to know; 1. How long I can keep mixed fuel? 2. What happens when it is aged? - Does it become less useable in any way such as clogging carburetors etc If you add stabilizer when fresh, it should be OK for at least 4 months, possibly more if stored in a cool place out of the sun. As gasoline (petrol) ages it loses octane and tends to form varnish deposits. Octane loss causes pre detonation and is harmful to pistons, varnish deposits are harmful to the carburetor. |
#6
posted to rec.boats.cruising
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Does mixed fuel age?
On Wed, 04 Apr 2007 10:35:57 -0400, Wayne.B
wrote: Wayne, Thanks for this very practical advice. Would you be able to suggest a stabiliser? I have never heard of this concept but then there are a lot of things I don't know about. cheers Peter On Wed, 04 Apr 2007 04:58:22 -0400, Peter Hendra wrote: It's great to know that yes, definitively, it does age but it would be really helpful for a cruiser such as myself to know; 1. How long I can keep mixed fuel? 2. What happens when it is aged? - Does it become less useable in any way such as clogging carburetors etc If you add stabilizer when fresh, it should be OK for at least 4 months, possibly more if stored in a cool place out of the sun. As gasoline (petrol) ages it loses octane and tends to form varnish deposits. Octane loss causes pre detonation and is harmful to pistons, varnish deposits are harmful to the carburetor. |
#7
posted to rec.boats.cruising
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Does mixed fuel age?
On Wed, 04 Apr 2007 11:41:56 -0400, Peter Hendra
wrote: Wayne, Thanks for this very practical advice. Would you be able to suggest a stabiliser? I have never heard of this concept but then there are a lot of things I don't know about. The brand I am most familiar with is called "Stabil". It is readily available in the US from West Marine: http://tinyurl.com/ynma3p I add it to the tank of my small boat when I'm going to be away for awhile, and also add it to my emergency supplies of generator gas. With outboard motors, generators, etc. it is good storage strategy to turn off the fuel with the motor running until they run out of gas. That prevents deposits from forming in the carburetor regardless of whether the fuel is stabilized. |
#8
posted to rec.boats.cruising
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Does mixed fuel age?
On Tue, 03 Apr 2007 09:47:55 -0400, Peter Hendra
wrote: Hi, in the back of my mind I seem to recall hearing that the mixed oil and petrol fuel as is used in outboards "ages" Can anyone advise as to whether this is correct? cheers, Peter In my experience, "old" gas has never been a problem. By old I mean 6 months or more for mixed oil/gas and as much as 24 years old for unmixed gas. The latter was in an old grass edger that I didn't use any more but would start every year or so just to see if it still started. Believe it or not! We were sailing on Monday with a small 5 hp 2 stroke outboard (Mercury/Tohatsu) that had not been run for 6 months and I had to crank it 5-6 times but then it ran just fine with old gas. I do clean or change the spark plug and lower lubricant every year though. I don't use additives such as Stabil. Our 4 stroke 6hp John Deere lawnmower (Kawasaki engine) started last week on the first try. It was about 1/3 full before I topped it off and started it. My small power washer also started on the first try yesterday. That's my experience. It seems to me that there is way too much hype about "old" gas. YMMV |
#9
posted to rec.boats.cruising
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Does mixed fuel age?
On Wed, 04 Apr 2007 15:59:38 -0500, NoSpam wrote:
That's my experience. It seems to me that there is way too much hype about "old" gas. YMMV Sometimes you get lucky, sometimes not. I'm pretty religious about running my emergency gas generator twice a year - and then letting it run out of fuel before I store it. Forgot to shut off the fuel and let it run out a year ago, and just recently had to have the carburetor replaced. Expensive lesson. |
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