Fuel stabilizers

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richhodg66

Well-Known Member
Getting close to the time tyo pull the batteries off the bikes and bring them in the house and also fill them with good gasoline and fuel stabilizer.

A while back, there was a thread or maybe it was just posts in another thread where several mentioned a really good fuel stabilizer which is a lot better than the commonly available Stabil stuff. For the life of me, I can't remember the name of it, can someone help me out and tell me where I can get it? Thanks.
 
Winelover

Winelover

North Central Arkansas
I use Mercury/Quicksilver furl stabilizer. Purchased by the gallon, off Amazon. IIRC, the mix ratio is half of what it is for Stabil. Besides the 115HP Mercury outboard, it is added to all the gasoline dedicated for small engines and the Polaris Ranger SxS.
 
Missionary

Missionary

Well-Known Member
When we leave Peru for our 5 months up here we drain the gas and use it in the Suzuki Samurai.
Also pull the bowls off the carbs (no injection) and let them drain out completely. Then plastic bag the carbs with the bowl inside the bag so bugs do not nest. Never had an issue in 38 years of doing this.
Return to Peru and buy some new gas.
 
Cadillac Jeff

Cadillac Jeff

Well-Known Member
I use stabil, I put up around 35 or 40 gal. In 5 & 6 gal cans every fall just for emergencies, if it doesn't get used I will run it in my jeep in the summer....never had a problem.
 
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Petrol & Powder

Well-Known Member
When it comes to long term storage of gasoline powered engines, there are two distinct schools of thought:

  • Simply remove all the gasoline for the duration of the storage, This is precisely what Missionary wrote about.
  • Introduce a fuel stabilizer to the fuel system to prevent damage from storage.
The first method is clearly the least expensive and unquestionably effective. Although it requires a bit more effort.

The second method requires that you purchase the fuel stabilizer and spend a little time to get that treated fuel distributed throughout the fuel system.

If the fuel stabilizer prevents damage for the required amount of time, I’m not sure how one product could be judged superior to another. It either works or it doesn’t. I guess less expensive could be said to be better.

If you had a lot of engines to treat, Winelover’s method may be the way to go. However, if you only have a couple of small engines, The small, conveniently purchased bottle of Stabil may be the path of least resistance.

Regardless of the presence of ethanol or not, gasoline does not store well for months on end. And a tiny bit of varnish in a fuel system will be far more costly and annoying than either method 1 or 2 listed above.
 
L Ross

L Ross

Well-Known Member
My experience with Startron stems from a purchase of a Yamaha TW 200 4 stroke motorcycle. I bought it from a friend who had broken his arm trying to ride up a hill on my property. He had it in storage for 6 years in the basement of his home. Because it was in the house with a furnace etc. I thought he was smart enough to drain all the fuel from it. After all he was a doctor. But no! When I got it there was almost a full tank of fuel, 6 year old fuel, but says he, "I treated it with Startron, the best fuel stabilizer available."

I did not even try to start the engine. I drained the tank, drained the carb, and put fresh fuel in the tank. The darned thing started on the second kick and ran fine. I had assumed I would need a carb rebuild from it being varnished up. Yes, my friend had used, Kwik Trip non ethanol premium in it, but still 6 years. Since then I buy and use Startron.
 
P

Petrol & Powder

Well-Known Member
L Ross said:
My experience with Startron stems from a purchase of a Yamaha TW 200 4 stroke motorcycle. I bought it from a friend who had broken his arm trying to ride up a hill on my property. He had it in storage for 6 years in the basement of his home. Because it was in the house with a furnace etc. I thought he was smart enough to drain all the fuel from it. After all he was a doctor. But no! When I got it there was almost a full tank of fuel, 6 year old fuel, but says he, "I treated it with Startron, the best fuel stabilizer available."

I did not even try to start the engine. I drained the tank, drained the carb, and put fresh fuel in the tank. The darned thing started on the second kick and ran fine. I had assumed I would need a carb rebuild from it being varnished up. Yes, my friend had used, Kwik Trip non ethanol premium in it, but still 6 years. Since then I buy and use Startron.
Click to expand...
While that's a good endorsement, there’s no control in that experiment.

The same results might have been obtained with Stabil, Seafoam, or some other brand.

Not disparaging the results, just saying the test isn’t conclusive.
 
CWLONGSHOT

CWLONGSHOT

Well-Known Member
Hawk said:
I use Seafoam. I get it at any auto parts store.
Click to expand...
Sea Foam here too. I go a little farther ALL MY small engines ONLY EVER run Sea foam laced fuel. Every gas can I fill has Sea Foam.

Been using it for many years and Its been solid preformer for me.

CW
 
RicinYakima

RicinYakima

High Steppes of Eastern Washington
popper said:
Aren't they all just a version of denatured alcohol?
Click to expand...
Nope, you may be thinking of "HEET" for winter driving and it is methyl alcohol, wood alcohol.

Ian and I have had this discussion a couple of times, and his position is that it depends upon where your motor fuel is formulated. Here at 47 degrees North, fuel is made to work at -25 degrees. In south Texas it is made to work at +20. He said that "Sta-Bil" in particular would make the long chain molecules in southern formula fuel drop out of suspension.
 
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JonB

JonB

Halcyon member
I use Seafoam. Used it for about 30 years with many small engine from chain saws to lawn mowers. The only time it failed me was with the 13hp Honda engine on the wood splitter...but it does sit outside all winter in Minnesota with a tarp covering it. Ian suggested MMO (Marvel mystery oil) in the gas for that specific motor with the specific problem it seems to have...the float valve rod seems to stick after 6 months storage. I am unable to see any junk/crud making it stick, maybe just close tolerances? The float valve rod is plastic and the carb body is alum. The first time it happened I ordered a replacement float valve rod and a metal (aluminum?) one arrived. The engine wouldn't work with the new one, so I cleaned up the old one (didn't look dirty, LOL) and put it back in. It would stick after storage every Spring, until I did as Ian suggested and put a dose of MMO in the gas during the last running tank full of the season.
 
RicinYakima

RicinYakima

High Steppes of Eastern Washington
Spent some time looking at the chemistry of this operation. It appears that most companies have their own "secret" formula. However, this is the best general statement I could find.

"Fuel stabilizers can contain one or more antioxidants such as butyl-p-cresol and/or a metal deactivator/corrosion inhibitor such as a heterocyclic sulfur-nitrogen compounds in a light oil, with possibly some odorants. These agents prevent the fuel from oxidizing and separating out the individual components of the fuel, as well as preventing any corrosion due to moisture. "
 
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JonB

JonB

Halcyon member
Back in the 90s, A Auto-talk radio guy, who advertised for Seafoam products, said the contents of the motor treatment Seafoam is "about" 1/3 Iso Alc, 1/3 Stoddard solvent (mineral spirits), and 1/3 light machine oil.
The Current MSDS Seafoam Motor Treatment says less than 25% Iso Alc and less than 95% Hydrocarbon blend*
So, I wouldn't call that alcohol based.
 
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