Association Forum - How long does gasoline last before going bad?

Assn Members Area · Join

Home.

Association Forum

Ships Store

Cruising

Racing

Technical Tips

Photo Gallery - New

Boat Search - Updated

Manuals & Brochures

Swap Meet

Links

Officer Flag Line & Staff

Bylaws & Constitution

Members Area

Join the Association

Notice:
The advice given on this site is based upon individual or quoted experience, yours may differ.
The Officers, Staff and members of this site only provide information based upon the concept that anyone utilizing this information does so at their own risk and holds harmless all contributors to this site.

Association Forum

Username:	Password:
Save Password
Forgot your Password?

All Forums

Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

General Sailing Forum

How long does gasoline last before going bad?

New Topic

Topic Locked

Printer Friendly

Author

Topic

delliottg
Former Mainsheet C250 Tech Editor

Member Avatar

USA
4479 Posts

Initially Posted - 01/09/2007 : 17:33:57

We're probably going to be without power again tonight (high winds again, temps in the teens and lots of snow predicted), and I don't know how long my generator will run on a tank of gas as it's brand new. I've got about six gallons of gas in a couple of small gas cans, and I just picked up a Tempo fuel tank that'll hold another six or so.

My question is, if I go fill up the Tempo, and end up not using the gas in it right away, how long can I store it for later use in the outboards / chainsaws / generators before it goes bad?

David
C-250 Mainsheet Editor

Sirius Lepak
1997 C-250 WK TR #271 --Seattle area Port Captain --

Edited by - on

Happy D
Admiral

Members Avatar

921 Posts

Response Posted - 01/09/2007 : 18:23:07

I know your probably extremely busy right now but get a small bottle of gasoline stabilizer and put some in at your earliest convenience. The gasoline will certainly last until you can get some stabilizer.
Store the gasoline outside in the cold. The colder it is the slower it goes stale.
I have gasoline in my generator that I added stabilizer to a year ago and two weeks ago we needed the generator. It started on one pull and ran great.
The less things you run in the house the longer the generator will run on the fuel.
Even though we had lots of gasoline and a big generator, we lit candles and lanterns for light and only ran the most basic of things to make it last.

Edited by - on

Captain Bill
Navigator

Members Avatar

USA
148 Posts

Response Posted - 01/09/2007 : 18:29:57

David,

I'm certainly no expert on gasoline but last summer I installed a new (to me) Honda 8 and didn't want to use the old gas in it. I read old posts here and finally decided just to use my funnel and poured about 5 gallons of old gas into my 1988 S-10 blazer, with a V-6 engine. It ran great on the trip back from the marina (75 miles) and I never had any problems with it. That old gas was about 12-15 months old as I didn't get a chance to use the C-25 much that season.

I'm not sure how long it will last for your generator or other small engine things but it should be good to go for your automibile, expecially if mixed with some fresh gas. I think I had about a 60-40 fresh to old ratio.

It's predicted to be 70 degrees here Saturday and 70 something for Sunday, so I'll get a chance to burn up some of that old gas before I have to dump it in my car again!

Happy sailing to you.

Bill

Edited by - on

delliottg
Former Mainsheet C250 Tech Editor

Members Avatar

USA
4479 Posts

Response Posted - 01/09/2007 : 18:47:12

Thanks for the advice guys, I can probably pick up some stabilizer this weekend once things have calmed down. Apparently there are already long queues for gas around here. I purposely filled up my truck this morning anticipating that, if I'd have had my brain attached at 0530, I'd have just brought the Tempo tank with me and could have filled it at the same time.

Edited by - on

Dave Bristle
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

Djibouti
10005 Posts

Response Posted - 01/09/2007 : 22:48:17

You can also periodically dump the contents of the Tempo into your vehicle (when it has a half tank or so of fresh gas) and refill the Tempo. Today's gas, with ethanol, degrades faster than the old MTBE gas. Also, the ethanol tends to capture moisture out of the air and then release it into the bottom of the tank (called phase separation). The longer a tank sits around, the more that is likely to happen. Keep the tank filled and the vent closed, and add some non-alcohol-based stabilizer.

Edited by - on

delliottg
Former Mainsheet C250 Tech Editor

Members Avatar

USA
4479 Posts

Response Posted - 01/10/2007 : 00:29:46

Unfortunately, all of our vehicles are diesel, so I don't have an option to run the gas through one of them. I decided to go fill all the tanks anyway, worst comes to worst, I can give the gas away to one of my neighbors or something. At least now I know I've got enough gas to run my generator for a couple of days and keep my fridge running. Of course with temps in the teens as predicted, I guess the entire outdoors is just a giant fridge.

"Storm" update:
So far so good, a very pretty couple of inches of snow, and no wind. It's very quiet outside, not even any tracks down our street yet. Obviously we still have power...

The wind is supposed to pick up later tonight, the temperature drop, and over half a foot more snow is still predicted. Probably not quite enough to keep me home from work...

Edited by - delliottg on 01/10/2007 00:34:04

atgep
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

1009 Posts

Response Posted - 01/10/2007 : 00:36:33

60 mph winds on Whidbey IS WA today. Pretty wild. Now the sleet is coming down. I think work tommorrow will be scrub!

Tom.

Edited by - on

cat1951
Admiral

Members Avatar

USA
636 Posts

Response Posted - 01/10/2007 : 08:01:27

We've got an ice storm headed our way. It will hit here late Friday night and into Saturday. If we have to have one, the weekend works better for us. Some long island ice tea, a fire, and the playoffs..

Edited by - on

djn
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
1561 Posts

Response Posted - 01/10/2007 : 10:57:07

There are additives you can buy at Murrys or any other auto parts store that will keep your gas good for better than a year.....or....you can go to the local airport and buy avgas which MUST, by FAA rules, remain stable for a number of years. The real problem is if you don't run the gas out of your carb before letting the engine sit for a long time. The gas will turn to gum and then require a carb rebuild. Cheers.

Edited by - on

delliottg
Former Mainsheet C250 Tech Editor

Members Avatar

USA
4479 Posts

Response Posted - 01/11/2007 : 12:31:21

Well, the snow finally showed up. Here's a few pictures Rita took this morning after our walk through the skating ri...neighborhood.

Not going to get much of a charge off of my solar array today I think.
<hr noshade size="1">

The wind blew our dinghy over, so now Rita thinks it looks like a frosted cake.
<hr noshade size="1">

This is the view out of our guest bathroom window looking down onto the cockpit.
<hr noshade size="1">

And I just like this picture...
<hr noshade size="1">

And while we haven't lost power yet, we did lose internet access for about twelve hours or so.

The drive home took about 2-1/2 hours last night (normally 45 mins or so). An hour to get into town, and another ninety minutes to get up the hill to our place. My new F250 doesn't do so well in the snow, even in 4WD, I was just slipping and sliding. Stopped at the local supermarket's parking lot and shoveled snow into the bed until my arms were tired. Made all the difference in the world. Need to remember to keep a shovel in the bed of the truck during winter (instead of using a canoe paddle that I luckily just happened to have back there).

Edited by - delliottg on 01/11/2007 12:35:39

KD4AO
Navigator

Members Avatar

USA
202 Posts

Response Posted - 01/11/2007 : 16:08:31

Wow! Am I glad I don't live there any more. Kind of reminds me of when I was a kid living on a small farm between Snohomish and Monroe. I read recently that Gas deteriorates much slower in cold weather which should cover you until May or June. (kidding) I have kept gas in the Motorhome for 3 or 4 months with no adverse results with it or its generator. Hang in there, you will have Crocus (sp) blooming in 3 or 4 weeks. Bob

Edited by - on

Steve Siefken
1st Mate

Members Avatar

USA
81 Posts

Response Posted - 01/11/2007 : 21:14:24

David,

Took me 4.5 hours to drive from Bothell to Issaquah which is normally 45 min to 1 hour drive

Just glad I didn't end up in the ditch.

Thanks,

Edited by - on

delliottg
Former Mainsheet C250 Tech Editor

Members Avatar

USA
4479 Posts

Response Posted - 01/12/2007 : 00:43:28

Steve,
I've been watching the news (after we got cable back), Issaquah is a mess, nearly a foot of snow. We got about 7"-8" total, so not as bad as your place. Lots of people simply abandoned their cars and hiked out.

I know what you mean about the long drive, after watching bumper cars last night on Big Rock Road, and how STUPID some people can be, I decided to just stay home from work today. According to the radio, there were multiple accidents along my route, so it would have probably taken me 2-3 hours simply to get to work, and with the decidedly low temps tonight, it would have been a skating rink getting home again. It's currently 19f here (2230).

Had a guy last night decide to go around me as I was waiting for a suitable gap to develop in traffic up a semi-steep hill (Big Rock Road). He/she decided that I was taking too long, so cut around me, then proceeded up the hill, passing folks patiently waiting their turn by going around them in the left lane, in the face of oncoming traffic. The police had stopped downhill traffic but there were still several folks creeping their way down the hill. This guy was driving up the hill in their lane so they had to dodge around him/her on their way down. He got about 2/3 - 3/4 up the hill and started sliding backwards. On the way back down, he managed to impact another car that was waiting, and caused them to start sliding down together, and hit another car, who hit another car. Amazingly, he was able to gain traction, make the top of the hill and drive off. The three folks he hit on the way up were either in the ditch, or sideways in the road so they were effectively stuck. Amazingly, none of them were completely blocking the road, and the police were right there to assist them. I was able to wind my way past them in four wheel low (with a couple hundred pounds of snow in the bed I'd shoveled there with a canoe paddle) and get up the hill. There were probably over a dozen cars already in the ditch in that short little section (happens everytime it snows heavily), I can't imagine how many are there now. My neighbors across the street didn't get any of their vehicles home, not even their 4x4, so they've been shuttling around on their quads all day.

There were some considerate people out as well, which was nice. As I got to the top of the hill, I was a couple hundred yards behind another full size 4x4, and both of us needed to make a left onto a feeder road. There was a Jeep coming down the hill, who had the right of way, but stopped and let both of us make the (slightly uphill) turn, so we didn't have to stop. Nice. I'd stopped to pick up a guy who was hiking home, turned out he lived in the same subdivision I did, so it wasn't too difficult to drop him off. He was very appreciative, and it was nice to make a new friend in the neighborhood.

Edited by - on

Dave Bristle
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

Djibouti
10005 Posts

Response Posted - 01/12/2007 : 07:51:17

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by delliottg
 Steve,
Had a guy last night decide to go around me as I was waiting for a suitable gap to develop in traffic up a semi-steep hill... He got about 2/3 - 3/4 up the hill and started sliding backwards. On the way back down, he managed to impact another car that was waiting, and caused them to start sliding down together, and hit another car, who hit another car. Amazingly, he was able to gain traction, make the top of the hill and drive off... <hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
So, did they catch him? (Just run an APB for some NJ plates.)

Edited by - Dave Bristle on 01/12/2007 07:54:51

tinob
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
1883 Posts

Response Posted - 01/12/2007 : 09:22:21

Don't know if this will help you but here in N.Y. we used to add mtbe to our gas to help it burn more cleanly. Soon after we discovered that the stuff was contaminating our ground water, so we switched to ethanol to replace the mtbe. So far so good, B U T,if you have any mtbe gas in a tank and then add ethanol gas to top it off look out, the two are not compatable and can really screw up a carburetor. I have a generator with a tank half full of mtbe gas stabilized that's more than a year old and still works, and as Dennis suggests I run all motors dry after each use to prevent gas in the float bowl gumming up. Works for me.

Might be a good idea to run the tank dry today and refill with ethanol gas.

Val on the hard DAGNABIT, # 3936, Patchogue, N.Y.

Edited by - on

Gloss
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
1916 Posts

Response Posted - 01/13/2007 : 12:44:31

So here is a related question:
Last summer I decided to get a car with a 6 cylinder engine so I wouldn't have to drive my 4wd gas guzzling pickup with 121k miles on it. Saves gas, and lets my truck last more years. I bought a used 2005 Mustang convertible with 600 miles on it. The previous owner bought it for his wife, who didn't like it because "it messed up her hair" My gain.
So I don't drive my truck much anymore. I live in Knoxville, relatively mild winter here. should I keep my truck filled up, or just keep a small amount of gas in it and do more frequent gas stops?

Edited by - on

tinob
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
1883 Posts

Response Posted - 01/14/2007 : 11:17:09

Hi Frank,

We have several motor Dr.'s in the New York area and their take on your question is keep it full and stabilized. I don't follow their advice, couldn't keep all the toys filled up, There's a '47 "N" Ford gas tractor in the barn with 1/2 a tank of MTBE gas in it, stabilized for maybe three years that I only occasionally use. When I run it to charge the battery I always run it dry. It still works fine( knock wood). Generator same thing. Ditto, chain saws, weed wackers, tillers, mowers, blowers, etc. etc. My only caution is, as stated above, "don't mix oxigenator additives in any tank. There is a fine Johnson 9.9 hp. in a shed that had run for a short while on a tank of mixed oxygenated fuel, it doesn't run any more...LESSON LEARNED

I think the only way to store for long periods of time is as our motor Dr's recommend. Any other seldomly used vehicle just runs a tank till it finds a cheep price station and then gets a drink.

Val on the hard DAGNABIT, # 3936, Patchogue, N.Y.

Edited by - on

ClamBeach
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

3072 Posts

Response Posted - 01/14/2007 : 14:30:34

"should I keep my truck filled up"

Agree with tinob... keep your fuel tanks full to reduce/eliminate in-tank water condensation...and keep them 'fuel stabilized'. Both gas and Diesel will last a looooong time if stored that way.

"There is a fine Johnson 9.9 hp. in a shed that had run..."

Ethanol and other 'modern' fuel additives can degrade older 'rubber' fuel lines not designed to handle them. Fuel line disintegration is often the culprit in older engines that decide to quit running.

Edited by - ClamBeach on 01/14/2007 14:31:18

tinob
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
1883 Posts

Response Posted - 01/15/2007 : 10:23:07

Bruce, All fuel lines of the '93 Johnson 9.9 were removed and inspected as a first attempt to fix the motor...they were in working order. The problem was intrnal to the carburetor wherein the flow needle wasn't passing fuel to the fuel bowl. I bought a new motor just to get on with the sailing season and put the 9.9 in the shed thinking I'd get to it later...yeah right!!!

Val on the hard DAGNABIT, # 3936, Patchogue, N.Y.

Edited by - on

Gloss
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
1916 Posts

Response Posted - 01/15/2007 : 19:18:08

I'll fill up the truck and get some stabilizer in it.

Thanks

Edited by - on

Topic

New Topic

Topic Locked

Printer Friendly

Jump To:

Association Forum

Notice: The advice given on this site is based upon individual or quoted experience, yours may differ.
The Officers, Staff and members of this site only provide information based upon the concept that anyone utilizing this information does so at their own risk and holds harmless all contributors to this site.