www.iFourWinns.com

Well, I got the estimate for draining and filtering the fuel from PetroScrub... outrageous... $740 plus $2.75 per gallon.... for my 70 gallon port tank that's right at $1000.00 which seems outright wrong...

So... I am going to try adding filters to the fuel lines prior to the engine mounted fuel filters...

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Stacy & Isora in Annapolis, MD
2005 Vista 298

I had to take a class for refinery science some years back, we even toured our local gas refinery! When they manufacture the fuel, its blended with additives, ect... with an approximate 'shelf' life of 30 days.

If your not going to burn it up in a month, you better add a fuel stabilizer of some sort.

As most of us have experienced with other seasonal engines (lawn mower, snow blower), does not take long at all for fuel to go bad.

When we got our current boat, I know the previous owner didn't use fuel stabilizer and did not use much, first thing I did was go boating to burn it up as fast as we could. Then put fresh in with stabil.


Stacy & Isora,
If I had 50 gallon of bad, I would still try to burn it up, maybe add a little fresh to it.

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2000 248 5.7L DP
'92, '94 SXI 750, '08 STX 15F, '12 Ultra LX 300
Videos

Once upon a time, maybe. But with today's fuels? I don't think it's that bad any longer. I've fired up the mower, weedwhacker and a '69 Coupe De Ville all with gas around 6 months old and they've always run fine. No detectable difference between that and anything new from the pump. I've had the occasion to start a car with gas more than a year old and it was fine. I'd be more worried about the degraded quality of the rubber fuel lines and such as those DO rot out faster than you might think.

Not that I'd deliberately avoid using a stabilizer though. It's definitely a good idea. Just that I don't think it deserves the same level of "worry" as it may have in the past.

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-Bill Kearney, 2005 348 Vista

EVERY YEAR, I run my boat with gas from "last year"


I have never used Stabil or other fuel "stabilizer"

I'm not sure it's the cure-all that everyone may think it is.

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1987 Four Winns Liberator 211, formerly OMC 460 King Kobra powered, replaced in 2006 by a 1997 Mercruiser 454/Bravo III

All I know, is that I have never had an issue with motors that I maintain, but when someone asks for help getting there motor to run, one of the first things I end up doing is cleaning up a gummed up carb.

I too run gas from last year, but with a little stabil added in before I stored.

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2000 248 5.7L DP
'92, '94 SXI 750, '08 STX 15F, '12 Ultra LX 300
Videos

It's just never been a problem for me. When I got this boat from my brother he had left it about 2/3 full of gas and it had sat in an enclosed storeage facility for almost a full 2 years before I got it.

I drained the gas and removed the tank.

The tank was completely clean inside. no debris or water after sitting nearly 2 years 2/3 full.

I used all the gas too. I was worried about using old gas so I didn't run it "straight" ....I mixed it about 1/2 & 1/2 with fresh regular gasoline.

I keep my boat in an enclosed garage. It's currently not heated (but it will be)

Gas sitting for a winter Isn't much of a problem. I don't worry about condensation either. I've left the tank full over the winter and never developed any water due to condensation.

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1987 Four Winns Liberator 211, formerly OMC 460 King Kobra powered, replaced in 2006 by a 1997 Mercruiser 454/Bravo III

With a full tank there is no room for air/condensation to accumulate during temperature fluctuations, being stored indoors helps as well.

Presumably you mean "with a full tank? The consensus does seem to be that keeping your tanks full lessens the likelihood of condensation forming inside the tank. Boat tanks are vented and will 'breathe' during the course of daily temperature changes. This draws in outside air. That and the usual effects of temperature differences between the air outside the sides of the tank and the fuel inside can lead to condensation. I'd imagine it's more of a risk in areas with greater temperature swings and more ambient humidity.

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-Bill Kearney, 2005 348 Vista

As far as old gas and stabil...and how much fuel to leave in it over the winter....well with my yard equipment...once I started using stabil....I didn't have to drain them and had much less trouble getting them started in the spring (or the snow blower in the fall)....so with the boat I have always used stabil...and stored it with whatever level of fuel that was left (usually 1/4-1/2) and I never have seen water in my fuel water sep filter when I winterize it....I still like to start up the yard equipment every couple of months...so gas does not evaporate in the carb....I've had to take the carbs apart if it sits more than a year with the pressure washer....not practical with the boat of course once it's winterized....

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88 Four Winns 200 Horizon
4.3 OMC Cobra-4bbl
2002 Walker Bay 10/2012 Suzuki 2.5
2008 Walker Bay 8

1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4.0/Selectrac
2007 Jeep Grand Cherokee 5.7 Hemi/Quadradrive II

It's hard to say I suppose. There are some that don't think condensation is that big of a problem.

http://www.yachtsurvey.com/myth_of_cond ... _tanks.htm

Having worked at an airport where we had several airplanes that were parked in hangers and outside, Very few of them were parked with full fuel tanks and we never drained much, if any, water out of the tanks from either the ones that were inside or the ones that parked outside. All small aircraft tanks are vented to atmosphere like a boat.

I tend to agree with the guy that wrote that article for Yacht Survey Online, I think condensation is unlikely in partially filled tanks.


I'll also add that your worst problem with old gas is going to be loss of octane from the gasoline by evaporation the "higher ends". If you don't have a knock sensor (carbed and older points type ignition) you could have a detonation event at a high power setting that could punch holes in pistons.

That's probably why it's not a bad idea to NOT have a full tank before winter layup so you can put fresh gas in it at the start of the season. Mine is usually well under half full when I park it for the year.

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1987 Four Winns Liberator 211, formerly OMC 460 King Kobra powered, replaced in 2006 by a 1997 Mercruiser 454/Bravo III

Well, I had two racor filters installed in the fiuel line prior to the main fuel filters and the problem has been solved.

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Stacy & Isora in Annapolis, MD
2005 Vista 298

Excellent news! Thanks for the follow up.

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Walter

2003 248 Vista - VP 5.0 GXi
2009 Toyota Tundra SR5 5.7L 4x4