Trufuel expiration date

[All U Get]

Hi all,
I have had an issue with my chainsaw (two cycle engine) not starting and got the local service shop to look at it. He asked me how old the fuel was and I replied that I had been using TruFuel and would run it out by the end of the season. He asked if I kept the can for the following year which of course I always have a can around. He said that most people don’t know that TruFuel has a limited shelf life once it’s open. He kept talking but my mind was already racing ahead to the number of two and four cycle engines I own and my personal best practice for the end of the season, including boat motors.

Back home I got online and there’s info about the shelf life being five years if unopened and two years once it is opened. I also watched some uTube videos on where to find that date. I checked my cans and found one full can dated July of 24. The other was April of 25. I bought them in June of this year after using my previous supply which ran the saw every day during May and June that wasn’t raining. (about two gallons of TruFuel) I didn’t run it completely dry but I could see a little fuel in the saw when I filled it earlier this week. My best practice ruined my 25+ year old saw. Now I’m staring at my outboard and wondering if it might have already been trashed as well since I haven’t had it in the water for two years.

So I hope you all can avoid this experience and improve your best practices.

Tom

 

[PEBI]

It's called trufuel? What next. Believe me it's good engine oil.

 

[Davidasailor26]

My best practice ruined my 25+ year old saw. Now I’m staring at my outboard and wondering if it might have already been trashed as well since I haven’t had it in the water for two years

I could understand it going stale, especially after the can is opened, but what about stale gas actually “ruins” the engine, rather than just not igniting properly until the gas is replaced? TrueFuel isn’t like ethanol gas that absorbs water and can cause corrosion, so what else goes wrong with it just sitting there?

 

[dlochner]

It's called trufuel? What next. Believe me it's good engine oil.

It is a premixed 2 cycle gasoline that is ethanol free and is sold in small quantities in a hardware store.

I could understand it going stale, especially after the can is opened, but what about stale gas actually “ruins” the engine, rather than just not igniting properly until the gas is replaced? TrueFuel isn’t like ethanol gas that absorbs water and can cause corrosion, so what else goes wrong with it just sitting there?

It loses octane.

 

[Davidasailor26]

It loses octane

Ah, so engine knocking when you start the engine could be the harm then.

 

[dlochner]

Ah, so engine knocking when you start the engine could be the harm then.

Remember lawyers are involved more in the expiration date than chemical engineers. @thinwater could provide a more authoritative explanation.

 

[thinwater]

That is priceless. We're terrified of e10 (which works fine if maintained properly--hundreds of millions of cars as testimony), only to replace it with something that is out of date.

They run fine on out-of -date Trufuel, but they would have run fine on properly stored e10.

 

[thinwater]

It is a premixed 2 cycle gasoline that is ethanol free and is sold in small quantities in a hardware store.

It loses octane.

Trufuel is 93 octane. Regular is 87 octane. I've seen manufacturer (major--not name dropping) tests of <10 hp outboards running fine on 84 octane (E10 without the ethanol). (I was on an ASTM marine fuels standards committee.) Small outboards are not high compression, and unlikely a car, there is no low-rpm, high-load condition (think manual trans) that exacerbates knocking.

I think this is unlikely to be a serious problem.

I have run some testes on Trufuel. Gum formation. Long-term storage stability. It is very good. But the interesting thing is that e10 can go for 2 years and remain in specification, with only the refinery stabilizers, if it is kept sealed. Longer with added stabilizer. AND the e10 is far more likely to be fresh from the refinery and not old-stock.

I'm not seeing the value. I've been running e10 in all of my equipment for many years, without trouble. I rotate the fuel between yard equipment and outboards, so that it is never more than a few months in the can. I keep a 1-gallon can for pre-mix, so that does not last long either.

 

[Davidasailor26]

I have run some testes on Trufuel.

That sounds uncomfortable

(Sorry, I have nothing else of value to add . But thank you for the info on the resilience of low hp engines to lower octanes)

 

[thinwater]

That sounds uncomfortable

(Sorry, I have nothing else of value to add . But thank you for the info on the resilience of low hp engines to lower octanes)

It burns.

 

[Richard19068]

Hi all,
I have had an issue with my chainsaw (two cycle engine) not starting and got the local service shop to look at it. He asked me how old the fuel was and I replied that I had been using TruFuel and would run it out by the end of the season. He asked if I kept the can for the following year which of course I always have a can around. He said that most people don’t know that TruFuel has a limited shelf life once it’s open. He kept talking but my mind was already racing ahead to the number of two and four cycle engines I own and my personal best practice for the end of the season, including boat motors.

Back home I got online and there’s info about the shelf life being five years if unopened and two years once it is opened. I also watched some uTube videos on where to find that date. I checked my cans and found one full can dated July of 24. The other was April of 25. I bought them in June of this year after using my previous supply which ran the saw every day during May and June that wasn’t raining. (about two gallons of TruFuel) I didn’t run it completely dry but I could see a little fuel in the saw when I filled it earlier this week. My best practice ruined my 25+ year old saw. Now I’m staring at my outboard and wondering if it might have already been trashed as well since I haven’t had it in the water for two years.

So I hope you all can avoid this experience and improve your best practices.

Tom

You went from "not starting" to "My best practice ruined my 25+ year old saw".

Is the saw ruined or just not starting and can be salvaged with some fresh fuel and maybe a carb cleanup?

 

[rgranger]

I have used E 10 in an outboard motor before. And so long as I disconnected the fuel line while the engine was running and let the carburetor run dry, I never had any problems. But then… There’s always that one time you forget and leave the motor for a few weeks with E 10 in the bowl of the carburetor.

 

[All U Get]

OK, I read some replies and got my jaw clenched and went back to the garage. I saw the black line on the cylinder and thought “there’s the score. I rotated the cylinder away from the plug and shot some Fogging oil into the block. I left it for a while to go to the local dump which to my surprise took my old flares. Coming back with new energy, I took the air filter off and added a teaspoon of fuel by the butterfly valve. Two pulls and it sputtered. So I added another squirt and the saw started. I don’t know why it didn’t start three days earlier, but there it was. Glad I didn’t make a scene at the local home center about their fuel. I did have to go there for long Allen wrenches since mine couldn’t mount the muffler on the block.

Sometimes life throws you a cherry. I learned a lot about checking out what I buy. Three trees to cut up to fit in the stove.

Thanks for the replies.
Tom

 

[rgranger]

I spend a lot of time cutting up tree limbs. About three years ago, we had a bad storm that brought down several large trees in my yard. My son came over with his electric chainsaw, and after trying it out, I was sold. I went out and bought one of my own. The torque is impressive, and I definitely don't miss dealing with the finicky nature of a two-stroke engine.

 

[All U Get]

My update, yesterday I filled my PU truck with wood and bought the out to my splitter. I don’t know why the professional shop couldn’t help me but I will let it go. That’s why I always like this forum, I can get straight answers. Surely miss that sailor from Casco Bay.

 

[skipmac]

That is priceless. We're terrified of e10 (which works fine if maintained properly--hundreds of millions of cars as testimony), only to replace it with something that is out of date.

They run fine on out-of -date Trufuel, but they would have run fine on properly stored e10.

Hello. Seems you have a pretty good handle on fuel issues so if I may, some comments and questions. First, I have read several reports of Truefuel problems. Users have claimed the mix wasn't consistent or reliable and blamed Truefuel for damaged engines. My personal experience, I agree that E10 or whatever, even after a year sitting in a can in the barn for a year works just fine in various small engines I have. The problem I have is pump gas of any kind E10 and even ethanol free will gum up carbs over time. Yes I do try to run all my small engines (outboards, portable generators, lawn mowers, chain saws, weed wackers, log splitter) dry when I don't plan to use them for a while but unless I also drain the float bowl, blow out the lines, add some kind of fluid and such I still end up having to redo the carbs.... often. With the stupid, expensive premixes (I usually use VP or Echo brand) I never have that problem, even if I forget to drain or run dry an engine. Any suggestions on how I can use pump gas without all the hassle? What are your thoughts on my experience with fewer carb problems by using the canned premix?

 

[PEBI]

Any suggestions on how I can use pump gas without all the hassle? What are your thoughts on my experience with fewer carb problems by using the canned premix?

If I had your problem I would get an ethonol stabalizer. Fuel stabalizer. Read print on back of product helps when chosing.

Or you could use 100LL avgas haha. Low lead. But lead is toxic. Chose a windy day to mow your lawn.