Fuel stabilizer has worked well

[40Mule]

I recently drained ten gallons of gas from an onboard boat fuel tank. The fuel was from August of 2020. When it was stored, I had put slightly over the required amount of stabilizer in the tank. I also put in any popular type of ethanol treatment or injector cleaner that I had. A few years passed and the boat was unused. At some point a few years back I put more various treatments in it. This is a plastic tank stored in an outbuilding anywhere from 15 to 100 degrees. The fuel that was drained had a heavy dark color to it, but no smell of varnish and wasn't rank. I put a small amount in an old push mower that had been completely run out of fuel till dry. Pumped the primer a few times and it started on the first pull and ran well. Have used the rest in lawn tractor and it starts right up. You may have different results, but it has worked for me. The boat motor is a V6 outboard with three two barrel carbs and many adjustments that i do not want to touch. I have always used these snake oil supplements with good results. I turn the fuel supply off and run the carbs empty as well as I can in the fall. The motor is a 1991 and I have never touched a single carb adjustment. If you read the manual you will understand, DIFFICULT. I put five gallons of fresh fuel in the boat tank to mix with the two or three gallons of almost six-year-old fuel that sits in the bottom and the boat started as well as ever this spring.

 

[Buckhammer]

When it comes to boat motors Rec Gas is all i use.

 

[Scott 730]

I recently drained ten gallons of gas from an onboard boat fuel tank. The fuel was from August of 2020. When it was stored, I had put slightly over the required amount of stabilizer in the tank. I also put in any popular type of ethanol treatment or injector cleaner that I had. A few years passed and the boat was unused. At some point a few years back I put more various treatments in it. This is a plastic tank stored in an outbuilding anywhere from 15 to 100 degrees. The fuel that was drained had a heavy dark color to it, but no smell of varnish and wasn't rank. I put a small amount in an old push mower that had been completely run out of fuel till dry. Pumped the primer a few times and it started on the first pull and ran well. Have used the rest in lawn tractor and it starts right up. You may have different results, but it has worked for me. The boat motor is a V6 outboard with three two barrel carbs and many adjustments that i do not want to touch. I have always used these snake oil supplements with good results. I turn the fuel supply off and run the carbs empty as well as I can in the fall. The motor is a 1991 and I have never touched a single carb adjustment. If you read the manual you will understand, DIFFICULT. I put five gallons of fresh fuel in the boat tank to mix with the two or three gallons of almost six-year-old fuel that sits in the bottom and the boat started as well as ever this spring.

Are the name brands and quantities added of your various snake oils a secret?

 

[casecollectorsc]

A friend lost her husband and I am getting 2 tractors running. 706 sat about 10 years, gas not real bad so left it. Got it running and does real well. In a back barn is a M and loader that hasn't seen daylight for 25+ years. Went to drain the tank and can see the shiny bottom and smells like new, gonna leave the fuel and try to start it. A friend has a H that I have to put an alternator on. Sat 5-7 years. Distributor is green inside and the tanks is all rust and crappy thick fuel...plus the engine won't turn over. Been in a dry wood building all the time. A tale of three tractors. Two must have had some sort of stabilizer.

 

[40Mule]

Are the name brands and quantities added of your various snake oils a secret?

I keep Stabil storage, Stabil small engine pro, Seafoam, Starbrite and others on hand. It was a combo of those over the years. This last time it probably was at four times the minimum amount to use. I put it in the fuel winter and summer. I had a dirt bike let me down in the early eighties and I learned from it. I am NOT recommending any, but something has worked. Being stuck on the water makes you worry a little more. The boat was up on jackstands over the years. I was most worried about varnish building in the tank as it is not sloshing around like in a vehicle every day. This is a 175 HP Mercury Black Max on a 91 SeaRay ski boat with SS five blade prop. Instant pulling power and it buried the speedometer at 55 the other day with the motor trimmed out. Something works.

 

[Phill Tibbetts]

Ethanol free has worked well for me. Never have any problems since I switched to it. Nothing but trouble with ethanol.

 

[40Mule]

When we purchased the boat in 91 Rec gas was pretty rare. It is a thirty gallon tank that fills at the stern. Not easy to get to where the pumps were and a lot of cans to carry. Mercury Marine warned of ethanol fuel use and possible problems. They also said if not available, use the highest octane unleaded you could find. That the motor was designed with alcohol fuel in mind. As it is a performance boat, I put premium fuel in it and supplements and never a problem. With a bright light, you can pretty much see through the gas filter. Just the most minor discoloration and seems to flow fuel fine. I cut a couple inches of fuel line off with heavy cracking from the sun and movement at the connection. The inside of the hose wasn't soft or deteriorated, it just looked bad on the outside. It was only when I was checking hose clamps on the motor that I realized since the one year checkup at the dealer, it has never been back. I do water pump impellers and just take care of it. It is thirty five years old and I have never touched the adjustments. It runs with no hesitation and has to as a ski boat. Your results may vary....

 

[40Mule]

 

[40Mule]

This is the hose end at the motor connection. That was a wet swab I scrubbed inside with. Gas has sat there forever and that is all the sediment. Three pics is why I use a laptop

 

[da.bees]

I used Stabil with success for years then switched to Seafoam. As of this Spring I'm going back to Stabil. The reason I started using Seafoam for storage is because I used it to cleanup a couple carbs and decided there was no need to have both on hand. Afterwards I had good luck running SF to clear up fuel issues. My wood chipper started right up last Fall but soon began running bad. I disassembled and cleaned carb, did a tune up and replaced tank to carb hose. Finished up with chipping and put chipper away with SF laced fuel in it. Started slow this Spring then quit. Hose was soft and sticky inside. On teardown I found sticky flim throughout carb. I inspected other equipment and found some hoses in bad shape even though I recall replacing them in less than two years. I'm convinced SF damaged hoses. I'll still use SF but only until it does it's work then back to straight gas and add Stabil for extended storage.

 

[40Mule]

I should clarify this is the old 2 cycle outboard that mixes oil with the fuel, not the new ones. While the hose pictured only has gas through it, a T fitting inside from the oil pump mixes the proper amount of 2 cycle oil. Three carbs, so three accelerator pumps, means six needle jets. The fuel that sits in there for five or six months of the year is a mixture of gas and oil. Whatever I put in there works....never gummed up once so far...have never touched the needles. If you move one, they all have to be moved the same amount. I hope my luck stays on this one. Bought my first used boat in 76 or so, a few years later a little tunnel-hull hydroplane from I think EBKO out of JUANITA, Nebraska. Anyone that worked there, it was a fun little boat. Your luck may vary.

 

[Hobo,NC]

That's a quality barrier lined hose I hope you replaced it with the same. I used to run my boat all seasons then I stopped using it in the winter. I learned my lesson the first winter I parked it as I had to clean out the carbs. I have cleaned a many of of those carbs they are as simple as it gets. I don't remember any adjustments that could be made other than replace the jets. It got to the point I would drain the carbs for storage. The last year I used it was 2004 it set for 7 years I thought I should remove the fuel from the tank. The fuel seamed to be in good condition so I added it to my tow truck. It ran OK with that 2 cycle mix It was not long it burnt a valve. I chalked it up to chit happens but I should have not poured it into my tow truck.

 

[40Mule]

Quicksilver parts only on this. It is a quality hose, cut a few cracked inches off the end that I worried about. Since I owned it, the hose always looked a bit long where it put pressure on the connector. Always watched it, never leaked but I finally took the end off. Took sharp snips to do it. I wanted to see inside it to make sure after six years of sitting. Clean after thirty five years. SeaRay manual said use Stabil or a similar product. Mercury manual said use Stabil or similar type products. They were pretty clear about it, so I did.

 

[Scott 730]

No stabilizer in any of my stuff. Things like generators that sit for extended periods of time get 100LL.

 

[Ray,IN]

I use Stabil Marine with great results in my mowers and trimmers. My genset only runs on LP, but is dual-fuel.

 

[40Mule]

I just realized I walk by something older and never touched every day. 1987 Olds 442. 307 with Quadrajet. Last plated in 2007. Only started and run every few years . use Stabil. Bought new and about 90,000 miles now. Three years ago, had to have neck surgery for nerve damage since infant. If I knew how bad it was, would have fixed it. Suddenly lost sensation in fingers and toes. Could not drive on road. Day before surgery, backed the car out and drove around my side yard. Could be dead or paralyzed the next day. Just one end to the other of lot and remembered how it ran. Rolled back up on the garage pad and stood on it. Twin 8 inch marks for thirty feet. Carb has never been touched other than fuel filter. Anyone that boats has saw the dock tied up with a nonrunning boat. I am not a speed demon on the road or lake. Just fixed junk forever and wanted something nicer. Over thiry years boating, have towed at least five boats on the water. ITS THE LAW>boater signals distress, you must help. Wave a towel, not your hands, boat people are friendly and will wave back. I am pretty sure all were fuel related except one. Took a friend on a windy day to test the hydroplane on choppy water. Upriver is actual old hydroplane course, long narrow and somewhat protected. Wind heavy on main lake when launched. Long way to course, so we sit there. 2,3 and 4 foots waves and dangerous. Staring way out at the water, I see a flash in the whitecaps. Better go look. Over quarter mile out, two teenagers in water with lifejackets floating nearby. Aluminum canoe full of water, had to tow it back into the wind with it porposing like a dolphin and a hydroplane is not meant for towing. It took forever. Got them near the campground and Dad was waiting. They jumped out and I slowly motored away. Did not want to say anything to make it worse. Another time a boat more than a mile. That kind of ruins my day on the lake, but it's the Law and I hope someone helps me one day. Gas goes bad fast. Don't ruin your day whatever you are running. Fuel stabilizer is cheap.