The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop Bad Fuel?

How long does it take this modern fuel to go bad?

Last time I filled my tank with shell 87 was early June.
Have not been driving much but start it and drive a little last three months.
I have less than 1/4 tank left.
Other day the truck started to die at idle.

Check carb (Carter 787s) I no longer get a squirt in throat when I hit accelerator pump.

Pulled new sender in new tank. The gas is a dark honey color, gas bowl fuel pump is same color.

Gas in the tank has a sheen or film on it.
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1, Can this modern fuel go bad in just 3 months?
2, Can I just add fresh fuel and mix?
3, Rebuild carb? If it’s not bad gas what else should I look for.
Thank you

I took my carb apart yesterday to see if float was stuck. It was free, The pump seemed to work. Reinstalled it on the truck and still dont get a squirt in the throat. Truck dies at idel

A few folks I talked to around here dont think the gas will go bad in 3 months.

here is a pic of the fuel bowl.
...pic...

Guess I'll drain all the gas, rebuild carb with kit.

I will change fuel filter. I bought one of those clear filters Denny posted a while back.

Hopefull this will fix my low idel problem that just started.

Im still thinking it could be bad gas

I think gas will go bad in 3 months. I suspect there is something added to it to keep people from hoarding fuel. This is just an opinion. I have no references.

Dads50,one of the problems with the carter YF carbs is that the "new" fuel eats accelerator pumps ,I run a 4480s carter on my 52 with a 235 power glide engine and the thing runs great much better than that B ever ran,but I do keep a rebuilding kit in stock so when I start having problems I'll just take it off and install a new pump.Carb King told me that the pump may only last a year or so depending on what kind of fuel they sell in you're area.


Pete

Thanks for that info. You may have hit something there. Looking back at my records it has been one year since I rebuilt that carb. Sept 30 2010. I have only put on 800 miles in that year.

I do have a rebuild kit on the shelf I bought from Carb King. I was worried about that Honey Colored 3 month old gas gumming up the works.

The pump thats in the carb now is from an original Carter rebuild kit I bought online.

Thank you

I recently went about 6 months without driving my '51 1/2 ton. ('53 235 powerglide engine with a '53 Corvette head) Bad, I know. When I went back to driving it, it would hesitate and cough on acceleration, and I though, "I need a tune up". Suffered for a few days.

When the tank was close to empty, I pulled in and filled her up with high test. within a mile, she was running smooth as silk.

Gas went bad? I'm sure of it. You may not need to drain what you have, just fill it with new and go for a long drive and fill it again.


Kurt

DADS50, one more thing the less you drive it the shorter it will last,don't know why maybe it's because we're not flexing the diaphram and it gets hard faster.


Pete

PS.I'll just have to take my truck every where I go.

I was forced to sell E10 about a year ago, and I'm not sure it even lasts 90 days. There are some guys around here that go out to the airport and buy avgas for their jalopies.

Update.

Got rid of the bad fuel, rebuilt carb...carter yf.. twice. new fuel filter, flushed fuel lines.

side note:
Had to replace my new spectra fuel tank. The liner kit I installed in it was already starting to fail after less than a year. It was separating from the sides.
Don’t know why that happened. I used THIS kit.

Picked up new tank and installed without a liner kit.

After reassembling everything had a hard time to get the truck to run right. The truck would stink on a drive. I was running rich. Re-Adjusted the float settings and now It running right.

I need to Drive my truck more often!


Anyone hear of these new carb pumps being sold. I found THIS one on ebay.
Claim to resist the new fuels. I have not purchased one. They want $20.00 for just the pump. The rebuild kit for my Carter was only $13.00

Remember those TV ads for the gas goo that featured "Poor Ed"? I've only used it in my chain saw gas and that probably wasn't a fair test being 2 cycle fuel. Maybe it's worth a try.

Gus your Spectra Tank is Corrosion resistant so that process probably would not allow your liner kit to stick... The tanks are ni terne steel ... From this web site "Another term you may come across in your Google searches is Ni-terne. This is steel that has been flash coated with Nickel prior to the tin/lead coating to provide an extra layer of protection". Spectra may use this same process... They do not say on their web site what process is used...

And yes, do drive it more!!!

That’s good Info


Back in Feb 2010 when I received the first new tank I did some research on this site and others about lining new tanks. Some info stated that some new tanks showed signs of corrosion after only a few years. The theory was it was due to either the ethanol fuel, other materials in the new fuels, or just bad steel. Back then I did not know about the Ni-terne process on the Spectra tank.

It was an expensive lesson for me. Maybe this info will help others as well.

If the truck will sit for a while I will use a stabilizer.

I was hoping Jon, aka carbking, might chime in here and give us his opinion. Unless I'm
mistaken he’s been saying that there are no pumps being made that will resist the
Alcohol. Who's the source for this pump???
I can't see any reason to line a new tank. Spectra is in the business of manufacturing OEM
fuel tanks and I don't see any reason that they would make the vintage tanks with any less
quality than the OEM ones. If the original tanks lasted half a century with out being lined,
then I don't see any logical reason that the Spectra tanks wouldn't also.
dg

Here is the link to the Carb pump.
...link...

I dont know if its snake oil or not. Just thought I would ask if anyone on the forum had heard of them.

Hmmm...the ad says it's Methanol resistant, not Ethanol resistant...

I just rebuilt my Carter YF's on my '50 after 10 years of running nothing but E-10, one had a port plugged and wouldn't idle and I couldn't get it cleared out by using the old cover the throat with your hand trick. The '50 sits all winter, plus sometimes a week or two in the summer when I'm busy, so the float bowls dry out a lot in betwqeen drives. Last time I rebuilt them was in 2001 and I just used the generic kits from my local FLAPS, nothing special. The accelerator pumps were still in decent shape, a little soft but no tears or mushy spots. I always add a little Marvel oil and Stabil every time I get gas, and hardly ever buy more than a half a tank at a time, that way I usually have to buy fresh fuel every two or three drives.
And yes I've noticed that new gas turns a funky yellow color real quick.

Bob

I recently had to replace the original ( short - 8 inches or so )
connections from a 73 Buick LeSabre fuel tank to it's fuel delivery/return lines.
Why?

This was a near perfect 44,000 mile car with a 455 & turbo 400.
It came from rural WIsconsin where they sell "real" gasoline.

After 3 tankfuls of Illinois "re-formulated" ethanol based fuel the insides of these
short rubber hoses turned into black bubblegum. Think of what it
does to delicate carb and fuel pump parts after a while .... regardless of how old it is......

I'm Using the newer "anti phasing" stuff ( like "Stabil, but for ethanol fuel only) now.
Apparently, it prevents the fuel from separating into 3 parts ( gasoline, water, ethanol) after it passes 90 or so days. After it separates it cannot "go back" to it's
originally delivered state and will ensure that your old truck will sputter and die at some point....

This whole fuel issue is biting old car guys badly and now they want to go to 15%!
mike

In 15 months I’ve gone through 3 pumps on my carter YF. Must be the type of fuel they sell in my area.

I don’t get to do much driving in the summer months due to the heat.

Still don’t know if there is any merit to the pump linked above. Looks like it has a different type rubber diaphragm.

Well when fuel got left in mine for 12 years I just added fuel and ran it. I was sure for the longest time fuel went bad as soon as I put it in. Just a little laugh for you.

that's funny. i was just telling my wife that the other day. i think the same thing. makes sense. gas was a dollar a gallon just about 12 years ago here in texas. yesterday i filled up, because gas was 3.10 a gallon. -WHAT A DEAL. -DVZ

of course fuel system rubber problems wouldn't have anything to do with the rubber quality or composition

Bill

Or age.

I had an almost new fuel pump diaphragm go bad after my truck sat for 2 years while the body work was being done. lucas has an additive for ethanol fuels when the vehicle sits. it is similar to stabil but for ethanol.