The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk How long to keep gas?

We now have a rider-only 4 wheeler, a 48" Gravely zero turn mower and a Polaris Ranger side by side. All of these use 87 octane gas.

Question: How long should I keep a 5 gallon plastic gas can full before dumping it into one of the Toyotas or my 52 GMC and reloading the can on my next trip to town? The can is kept in a garage that does not freeze nor go over 90F.

If your gas sits around for long periods of time, add Stabil to it when you first buy it. That goes for E-10 and non-ethanol fuel.

I've had E-10 for lawn mowers and whatnot last over a year in gas cans without separating or gunking stuff up , but I wouldn't put it in a vehicle. Mixing "bad gas" with lots of fresh gas doesn't suddenly make the bad stuff good.

If you're buying non-ethanol fuel, a year or so old is ok if it's in a sealed can.

I always add Stabil to my portable gas tanks for small equipment/lawncare stuff and it's usually good for about a year, but I also usually consume what's in the tanks well before a year comes around.

Untreated, I wouldn't keep it longer than a couple of months before adding to your vehicles and filling with fresh gas.

I've encountered 3 month old "gasoline" that hadn't been treated with stabilizer that could just barely be lit with a match- - - -definitely not a spark plug! One of my former students and I struggled for 3 hours to start an engine, and failed miserably until we used fresh gas!
Jerry

I also add Sta-Bil to all my gas containers whenever I fill them up. And since my trucks don't get driven that much either, I add the proper amount to them also whenever I put gas in them.

I could put a reminder on my phone's calendar once a month to drain the gas can into the 2 everyday drivers we have and refill the gas can. Cheaper than putting 5 gallons worth of StaBil in and keeping it for longer.

Toward the end of the mowing season I always add Stabil to the gas in the cans. That way what ever gas is left in the mowers has been treated. I also do not run any ethanol in my outdoor equipment.

John

I’ve been using non-ethanol 91+ in my vehicles for as long as it has been available. One vehicle already requires 91+, which is designed for no ethanol. It does cost a bit more than standard high octane, but what I do have in containers will run the yard tools and generator just fine. Had some cans probably 2-3 years. It also gives me personally 1-3 more mpg on the trips. That is huge on 400 mile trips, which I take 2-3 times a year. It also completely eliminated the pre-ignition ping even compared to standard 91+ octane.

It does make it a challenge to find non-e stations though.

I'm a believer in Sta-Bil, I stored a lawn tractor for unplanned 5 years, Sta-Bil was added to the tractor gas tank and circulated through the fuel system upon storage, machine was re-commissioned, started and continues to run to this day. Winter storage of our jet-ski's, mower, etc always includes Sta-Bil prior to shut down.

Hottod Lincoln - When you say “gasoline” , are you referring to that which is enhanced with corn?

I’m on the Stabol added to non ethanol gas team. I put it in everything but my daily driver.

Just my two cents, but I wanted to share some personal observations about ethanol-blended fuel and its impact on small engines over the years. I can’t back this up with scientific proof, but from my own experience, ethanol has caused me more headaches than I’d like to count.

Years ago, when ethanol was introduced into the fuel industry, I began encountering regular carburetor failures. Having a primary home in the Northeast and a secondary home in South Carolina, my yard equipment would sit unused for months at a time. During these periods, ethanol’s tendency to absorb moisture and gum up carburetors became a real pain. At its peak, I was cleaning out three or four carbs annually—often just as I needed them most! It reminded me of the present day battery failure rate with my yard tractors, wheelers, and even my jet ski, always at the worst possible times.

Back in New York before moving to my retirement home in 2013, non-ethanol fuel wasn’t available, so I was forced to deal with these issues. Now that I can access non-ethanol gas, those issues have nearly vanished. The difference has been night and day.

To cover all bases, I also mix Stabil into every tank of gas (except my daily driver) whenever I fuel up. It’s a simple step that eliminates the guesswork of tracking which equipment got treated. I use this routine across everything: my ’52 Chevy Truck, my wife’s 2007 VW Eos (which also sits for months), all the gas powered yard equipment and all of my toys.

To me, it gives me a bit more time to work on the projects I want to work on, making room for what inspires me, not just what demands my attention.

Okay guys, you've convinced me. I'll dump the 5 gallons of ethanol-laced 87 octane I bought last weekend into one of the Toyotas and buy a couple of gallons of non-ethanol gas in Kerrville (nearest at 20 miles away) the next time I'm over there. And get some Sta-Bil.

Problem is these off-road vehicles don't get used much. Should I drain most of the gas from them now and replace it to the quarter or half level with some Alcoholics Anonymous approved gas/Sta-Bil mix?

You won't be sorry you spent a little more for gas in the end...I've had Non-Ethanol with Sta-Bil in storage for years and it's been fine! When I got my Fire truck it had been parked with non-ethanol for 7 years and it started right up!

It's definitely a factor- - - - -like our resident fuel system guru "Carb King" refers to it- - - - -"Deathanol"!

Perhaps you have hit upon a business plan.

As an aside , it wasn’t long ago that corn was said to be terrible for the environment- high nitrogen requirement, soil depleting , etc.
Now corn is an environmental protection?

As my daddy told me on my wedding night -
You can’t tell the players without a scorecard.

Moparguy,

I live in Atlanta where ethanol E-10 was mandated for clean air in 2007. Unfortunately the fuel companies aren't going to brew up E-10 for the 15 county metro area only and then supply the rest of the state with unadulterated fuel. It's all you can get anywhere with the exception of the random E-free 90 or 91 for $1/gal more.

Anyway, despite all the initial fear and hysteria about old car fuel systems being ruined by ethanol, I have not experienced it in nearly 20 years of using E-10.

I don't like it (It results in lower fuel economy), but it hasn't been the total disaster that many or most feared.

Two months after its introduction, the original fuel pump in my '56 Cadillac failed. Ethanol had stretched the diaphragm and wouldn't pump the requisite amount of fuel. When I replaced it with an ethanol tolerant pump, everything has worked as it should.

Ol' Roy has used E-10 87 exclusively since being brought back to life 5 years ago. I rebuilt the Carter YF carburetor with Jon H's regular kit with the standard black rubber accelerator pump and have had absolutely no ethanol related problems.

Even my chainsaw and yard equipment uses the E-10 without trouble of gunking up. I do use Stabil for long term storage in the can.

I wonder if the same formula for E-10 is used everywhere or if Atlanta has some different blend that is less damaging to rubber parts? I do use all my cars regularly so the stuff doesn't have a chance to sit around and cause trouble.

It seems like the only E-10 related problem I seem to be experiencing lately (never before on any vehicle over the last 20 years since it's introduction) is vapor lock. Several of my cars (not Ol' Roy) have recently fallen victim to the much lower temperature at which modern fuel begins to vaporize.

The installation of helper electric fuel pumps just ahead of the mechanical pumps seems to have solved that issue. When the stuttering or hot start issues begin, turning on the electric pump solves the issue immediately. Once moving down the road, the electric pump is switched off and the mechanical pump is used exclusively.

.

You were hanging around with your daddy on your wedding night?

Hahaha! Good one, Bill.

That was my first wedding. As it turned on I would have been better off skipping it completely.

We are getting WAY off into the weeds here fella's - hahaha! Let's get back to the "gas" conversation please and thanks.

Yeah , but we’re enjoying ourselves.

Back on point ... just to add my voice to this argument -- I've had first hand experience (as has Mike Roache, Mike B and anyone else who was in that awful convoy to Winchester years ago) as to just how destructive that Ethanol crap is -- Nothing like watching (from the driver's seat ...) a freshly painted firetruck catch fire in the engine compartment because the fuel system disintegrated on a road trip. Only Mike Roache's quick, professional reaction saved that truck.

My two modern drivers ('14 E-350 and the '19 VW) are the only things I put that crap in. Everything else (that burns gasoline ) gets real gas. I prefer the 89 octane non-ethanol for the little 2-stroke engines (chainsaws, weedeater, etc) but I haven't discovered yet where that can be obtained in NE Alabama. I recently fired up my little saw (Stihl 250). It hadn't run in more than two years and the gas in it was probably a year old then. Started on 4th pull and ran fine. My other two Stihls (a 440 Magnum and the MS360) are both more than 20 years old now, I've owned them since new and have run nothing but non-ethanol fuel (89 Octane until we moved here) and the Stihl-branded 2-cycle oil. They both run like they are still brand new.If I was not going to use the gas for 5 years, I might add stabil to it. But I don't store fuel that long.

My generator (actually, a Hobart portable welder) is 26 years old. Stays with a full tank of non-ethanol in it at all times (with the fuel valve closed). Kohler engine. To run it, I just open the fuel valve, count to twenty and it'll start first pull. Same with the Robin (Subaru)-engined pressure washer and log splitter. Those who have problems with little engines starting on real gas either have maintenance issues or you have a crappy engine (Briggs or Tecumseh). Go German (Kohler) or Japanese (Kawasaki, Subaru, Honda, Yamaha, etc), and only run REAL gas, if you want good, long reliable life out of a little engine. On bigger engines like our automotive engines, unless the vehicle was designed and built to handle ethanol contaminated fuel ... you are not doing your engine any favors by running that crap.

Bottom line -- if you hate your engine and want it to die, run the ethanol fuel in it. I think it is pure crap and the environazi's are using it to destroy all internal combustion engines.

Around here, I have to go off the mountain to get real gas. And its more expensive. I'm told I have to go to Huntsville to find 89 Octane, but I haven't checked the marinas around here yet. But maybe the more we consumers reject that crap and demand better fuel, it may become more readily available (even out here on the distant end of the supply chain ...)

I wonder if I could mix 87 octane with 100 octane low lead from the airport? Either that or I may just start buying the pre-mixed Stihl fuel at the Co-op. Yes, you pay more for anything that's Stihl branded but my stihl equipment speaks for itself (3 chainsaws, pole saw, weed eater, brushcutter, blower) -- all *look* 20 years old, but they all run like new and start easily. Its more cost effective to pay more for the gas, oil and parts than to replace this stuff after 10 years. I bet when they have an estate auction to get rid of all my stuff in 20 years, it will all still be running great... if I don't neglect it ...

I don't know about Alabama, but the Co-Op stores in Tennessee sell non-alcohol gasoline. The closest one to you will probably be in Fayetteville. The low lead 100 Avgas burns a little slower than 87 octane, so the only downside to using it might be a bit hotter exhaust temperatures even if you don't mix it with 87. On the race engines I used to build, I ran avgas with 5% Diesel fuel by volume mixed in, to get the equivalent of about 105 octane- - - - -at just over half the price the racetrack wanted for the Pure Firebird racing gas they tried to make us run!
Jerry

John, here is the link for where to buy real gas. Check your state. Pure-gas.org

Thanks Wayne!! Found one I'll try.

Thanks from me too Wayne. I pass one I didn't know about on the Pure-gas list every time I go to the gym in Fredericksburg, probably 5-6 times a week. Saves me a 45 mile round trip to Kerrville.

I have doing about the same thing John described for many years and have never had any problems with non-ethanol fuel used in any of my engines that may sit for 6 months+ or for a couple years.
I guess I am lucky in that there is a Caseys station in town, only about 12 miles away, that has its own non-ethanol nozzle.
Yes, it is about a buck higher per gallon, but it is well worth it to not have any issues.
Another site I use mainly when I travel is GasBuddy. It shows Realtime fuel prices in the US.
https://www.gasbuddy.com/gaspricemap?lat=38.822395&lng=-96.591588&z=4

Don

This thread reminds me to pull out the generator and give it a run. We had a mild Winter last year and I didn't have to use it. So, that gas is old!

I use GasBuddy also but I don't think it tells you if the gas is ethanol or ethanol free

I probably should not give voice to the following , but , given the massive scale of the ethanol industry and the government involvement in subsidies , lobbying ,etc. I am amazed that uncontaminated gas is still available.

They have to keep making it for airplane use anyway since ethanol is not allowed in aircraft engines.

As long as they keep making Budweiser, pickled eggs, cabbage rolls, and Taco Bell- - - - -I don't think we'll ever have to worry about a gas shortage! LOL!
Jerry

Fired up the generator this morning. It started right up without issue.

The E10 gas is at least a year old treated with Lucas Safeguard Ethanol treatment.

https://www.lucasoil.com/product/safeguard-ethanol-fuel-conditioner-with-stabilizers/

I always run my generator dry at the end of each hurricane season. I've had it 20 years now and it's never failed to start. I use nonethanol only in it.

Av gas is wonderful stuff. Minimal additives , plenty of lead.
An important part of a preflight procedure is to draw fuel samples from each tank and examine it to verify the correctness of the fuel and freedom from contamination. (Av gas is easy to visually identify because of it’s pretty blue color.) It is common to get gas on the hands when performing that function. I never worried about stinking up the cockpit because all I needed to do was wave my hands around in the open air and the fuel would evaporate with residual odor.
If I get automotive gasoline on my hands it takes multiple washings to get the stink off. What IS all that stuff that stinks so badly ?

Av gas is relatively unadulterated because airplanes cannot pull over and park if the engine stops functioning. Aviation demands GOOD fuel.