Just emptied (into my truck) a couple gallons of about 5 month old mixed gas
and it looked good and didn't smell varnished. Did the manufacturers do
something to 2 stroke oil to keep the mix from souring? I use name brand
oil, whatever Walmart has on the shelf in gallon jugs. I think it's
Pennzoil.
I've always gone by the dump it after 60 day rule.

On Wed, 15 Oct 2008 19:13:24 -0400, "mmc" wrote:

I've always gone by the dump it after 60 day rule.

That's way too conservative. It should be good for at least 6 months
under normal storage conditions, a year or more if a bit of Sta-Bil is
added.

The important thing is to not let stale fuel stand in the carburetor
or injection system. Disconnect the fuel hose and let the engine run
out of gas before leaving it unused for more than a month or so.

"Wayne.B" wrote in message
...
On Wed, 15 Oct 2008 19:13:24 -0400, "mmc" wrote:

I've always gone by the dump it after 60 day rule.

That's way too conservative. It should be good for at least 6 months
under normal storage conditions, a year or more if a bit of Sta-Bil is
added.

The important thing is to not let stale fuel stand in the carburetor
or injection system. Disconnect the fuel hose and let the engine run
out of gas before leaving it unused for more than a month or so.

But then don't you have to drain the gas from the carburetor bowl. I've had
the worst problem with that little bit of gas solidifieing in the bowl and
high speed orifice over the Winter. I've had to disassemble the carburetor
on my outboard, my garden tractor, and my push mower the last two years
because of this problem and I used Stabil and ran the engines out of gas.


Tom G.

On Thu, 16 Oct 2008 03:00:55 GMT, "Tom G"
wrote:


"Wayne.B" wrote in message
.. .
On Wed, 15 Oct 2008 19:13:24 -0400, "mmc" wrote:

I've always gone by the dump it after 60 day rule.

That's way too conservative. It should be good for at least 6 months
under normal storage conditions, a year or more if a bit of Sta-Bil is
added.

The important thing is to not let stale fuel stand in the carburetor
or injection system. Disconnect the fuel hose and let the engine run
out of gas before leaving it unused for more than a month or so.

But then don't you have to drain the gas from the carburetor bowl. I've had
the worst problem with that little bit of gas solidifieing in the bowl and
high speed orifice over the Winter. I've had to disassemble the carburetor
on my outboard, my garden tractor, and my push mower the last two years
because of this problem and I used Stabil and ran the engines out of gas.


Tom G.


Two things: The last gas you put in the tank should be fresh gas with
a DOUBLE dose of stabil. You can put in the excess stabil without any
ill effects. Then, don't make the mistake of thinking you should run
the engine dry. That always leaves small amounts of fuel coupled with
large amounts of air. It also allows seals and seats to dry out, which
is BAD. You want the entire fuel system as full as possible during
layovers of less than 2 years.

BTW - there is now a Stabil specifically for marine use, and gas with
ethanol. It's got twice as much goodness in every drop.

Tom G wrote:
"Wayne.B" wrote in message
...
On Wed, 15 Oct 2008 19:13:24 -0400, "mmc" wrote:

I've always gone by the dump it after 60 day rule.
That's way too conservative. It should be good for at least 6 months
under normal storage conditions, a year or more if a bit of Sta-Bil is
added.

The important thing is to not let stale fuel stand in the carburetor
or injection system. Disconnect the fuel hose and let the engine run
out of gas before leaving it unused for more than a month or so.

But then don't you have to drain the gas from the carburetor bowl. I've had
the worst problem with that little bit of gas solidifieing in the bowl and
high speed orifice over the Winter. I've had to disassemble the carburetor
on my outboard, my garden tractor, and my push mower the last two years
because of this problem and I used Stabil and ran the engines out of gas.


Tom G.


I have had pretty good luck not draining the carburetor. On one piece of
equipment that goes long periods between uses I had never drained the
carburetor until one year I did and the next time I went to use the
machine it wouldn't start. Had to do a little carb work to get it going
again. Coincidence, maybe. But I will never drain a carb again.

"Wayne.B" wrote in message
...
On Wed, 15 Oct 2008 19:13:24 -0400, "mmc" wrote:

I've always gone by the dump it after 60 day rule.

That's way too conservative. It should be good for at least 6 months
under normal storage conditions, a year or more if a bit of Sta-Bil is
added.

The important thing is to not let stale fuel stand in the carburetor
or injection system. Disconnect the fuel hose and let the engine run
out of gas before leaving it unused for more than a month or so.

Apparently I've spent more on 2 stroke oil than I needed to. I was taught
about small boats in the Navy in the early 80's and we used NSN oil. If you
let the mix sit much more than 60 days, you'd be cleaning the carbs. Must be
that dinosaurs were dirtier back then.
I guess the upside is my outboard gas has been fresh for the last 26 years!

On Thu, 16 Oct 2008 08:54:06 -0400, Jim wrote:



I have had pretty good luck not draining the carburetor. On one piece of
equipment that goes long periods between uses I had never drained the
carburetor until one year I did and the next time I went to use the
machine it wouldn't start. Had to do a little carb work to get it going
again. Coincidence, maybe. But I will never drain a carb again.

My cheap Craftsman 2-stroke weed-whacker is going on 5 years
without draining or Stabil.
The 4-stroke Honda engine Craftsman mower is going on 6 or 7 years I
think, same deal. They run fine.
I didn't have a plan, just lazy.
Some carbs handle letting the gas sit, some don't.
That's what I think.
I agree it's best not to let them sit "dry," unless you can blow them
out somehow.
If I wasn't lazy I'd use the Stabil, but it looks like I got lucky
with carbs.
Next time I get something new, I'll pick up some Stabil.
Right.

--Vic

On Oct 16, 9:51*am, Vic Smith wrote:
On Thu, 16 Oct 2008 08:54:06 -0400, Jim wrote:

I have had pretty good luck not draining the carburetor. On one piece of
equipment that goes long periods between uses I had never drained the
carburetor until one year I did and the next time I went to use the
machine it wouldn't start. Had to do a little carb work to get it going
again. Coincidence, maybe. But I will never drain a carb again.

My cheap Craftsman 2-stroke weed-whacker is going on 5 years
without draining or Stabil.
The 4-stroke Honda engine Craftsman mower is going on 6 or 7 years I
think, same deal. *They run fine.
I didn't have a plan, just lazy.
Some carbs handle letting the gas sit, some don't.
That's what I think.
I agree it's best not to let them sit "dry," unless you can blow them
out somehow.
If I wasn't lazy I'd use the Stabil, but it looks like I got lucky
with carbs.
Next time I get something new, I'll pick up some Stabil.
Right.

--Vic

On most of my stuff I leave the gas in and seem to get away with it.
I regularly put stabil in all the gas for my small engine stuff. All
year cause I never know when a piece of equipment is going to sit for
while. The boat gets stabil at the end of the year. But I've got a 4
kwatt generator that I run dry when I'm finished with it. If I don't,
the gas evaporates from the bowl and leaves deposits inside the main
jet. Then it will surge until I pull the jet and clean it out with a
jet bit. I will say the generator runs at a high engine speed so it
is probably sucking all the gas out via the main jet. Letting
something run down at idle may not accomplish the same thing if the
idle circuit is higher in the bowl.

I just got a great deal on a chipper/shredder that was practically new
because it wouldn't start. Bad gas.