Old gas

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rsn48

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Jun 7, 2005
257
- - Sewell Marina - West Vancouver
I have a Merc 9.9 Bigfoot which is extremely fuel efficient, so much so that I usually end up with gas that sits around for some time. I know I can add an additive to a new gas to extend its storage life, is there anything you can do to old gas to kind of renew it?
 
P

Pete

get rid of it

burn the old gas in your car and get rid of it. there is not much point in trying to save gas,todays gas is got a 30 day "shelf" life. Best thing to do is put it in you car the fill up the car tank full to dilute the old gas and two stroke oil (if any) and burn it. Start out new in the spring.
 
J

Jack

I 2nd Pete,use it some how

The stuff I use is sta-bil {spelling?}. After 6 months I find a way to use the old gas. Lawn mower, weed wacker, leaf blower, whatever will use it up. Sorry I couldn't answer your direct question. I know of no way to make old gas new again. good luck, Jack
 

jimq26

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Jun 5, 2004
860
- - -
Stabilize, run 10 minutes, store 'till Spring.

We have done the same thing for years and the good ol' 1973 Chrysler 10 always starts right up just before launch. Follow the instructions on the little bottle of stabilizer ($4.00 at CanTire) and make sure you run the engine for a minimum of 10 minutes to make sure everything in contact with gas gets the stabilizer protection. In the Spring, we top up the gas can (left on the boat over the winter) with fresh gas/oil mixture and away we go. All the boats with Atomic 4 engines do the same with their gas. No one ever has a problem.
 
Dec 3, 2003
2,101
Hunter Legend 37 Portsmouth, RI
I Use It in the Car

With today's Ethanol. the shelf life of unstabilized gas is less than 2 months. Even if it is mixed w/oil, you car will love it. I usually dump any left over in the car. I'll start next season with fresh gas which should have a stabilizer added since it is now Ethanol-mixed.
 
T

tom

No Advantage to old fuel

Use it in the car. Unlike fine wine old fuel just gets old. Use it in the car and buy fresh fuel in the spring. It seems that most of the grief that sailers suffer from their boats is the result of old fuel. Even a gallon of additives won't make old fuel new.
 

Ferg

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Mar 6, 2006
115
Catalina 27 C27 @Thunder Bay ON Ca.
Burn it rs .....

Hey rs, how’s it goin’, eh! Anyhow, I have to agree with the bulk of these guys, burn it someplace else and start fresh. For the small amount involved, why worry about the effects old gas and the stabilizer may have on that delicate fuel system. As I recall, we have the same motor, and like me, you prob’ly use the highest octane available. I use the leftover gas in my snowthrower. It isn’t as picky about fuel quality as the outboard. I suspect you don’t have an internal gas tank so just siphon the older gas into the car or some other machine and start fresh in the spring. Handy hint: leave the motor running as you disconnect the gas line and let it run out the remaining gas in the motor. Say, I thought you West Coast guys sailed till January … Later, eh! Ferg
 

rsn48

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Jun 7, 2005
257
- - Sewell Marina - West Vancouver
Feel like Homer Simpson

Ferg, January is when we start to sail again... lol! Serioulsy though, I had hip surgery so my use of the boat was way down. Some here waxed poetical about Princess Louisa Inlet so I thought I would go out near the end of January of some "good days" and check it out. Thanks for tip, can't believe I didn't think to burn it in the car.... duh.
 
Feb 17, 2006
5,274
Lancer 27PS MCB Camp Pendleton KF6BL
I have some problems with

some of the suggestions... 1. The nearest fuel station is about 6 miles away, by water... 2. I have two 30 gal tanks... 3. I burn about 1 gph in my 9.9 Yamaha... 4. We are not allowed to fuel or unfuel dock side in my marina... Old gas has to stay in the tanks until I refill. Wish I could do some of the suggestions listed. :(
 

Rick D

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Jun 14, 2008
7,204
Hunter Legend 40.5 Shoreline Marina Long Beach CA
What I Did, Brian

...on my Dad's 29 PS with exactly the same problem was to purchase an electric fuel pump at an auto parts store. I put long, big leads on it with clamps for the battery terminals and an in-line switch. I picked up a three-way valve and spliced it into the fuel line outside the transom. I then pumped the fuel out into containers. A couple of issues: you will need some big containers. I suggest swap meets, asking around the docks, etc. You may have to do it in several steps. For disposal, call the county and ask where the hazardous disposal facility is and tell them you have old gasoline. They will probably have a couple of times a month you can bring it in, but the containers will be surrendered to them. Thus the need for cheap ones. In my case, my Dad's gardener took it all. It ran fine in the old gardening motors, even tho it wouldn't run in the big OB. Good luck, Brian, it's definitely a PITA and explains why some people just dump it someplace in the middle of the night, which I am NOT suggesting. What I am saying is that there are more barriers than solutions. Also, no fuel station, boat yard or other facility would accept the gas. Rick D.
 
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