Potential Fuel Problems

jasonbailey

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Jul 25, 2004
Messages
253
My brother has a 21' Proline with a Merc 150 O/B. He last used it summer of 2007. Summer of 2008 it got no use. When he put it away in the fall of 2007 he left it with a quarter of tank of fuel. I was over at his house yesterday and he was cleaning up the boat and getting it ready for this season. He did dump stabilizer in it. Should he be worried about water in the fuel? Should the fuel be pumped out and disposed of?
 

Chris1956

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Mar 25, 2004
Messages
27,036
Re: Potential Fuel Problems

Pump some into a clear container and sniff and look it over. If it smells stale, pump out as much as you can store and refill with fresh gas. You can mix a bit into the fresh stuff and use it up as you go. Gasoilne stabilizer keeps it from spoiling, but does not rejuvinate it. The gas might just be fine, as well.
 

dingbat

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Nov 20, 2001
Messages
15,417
Re: Potential Fuel Problems

There could be a bigger problem than just moisture in this case. Mixing MTBE fuel with E-10 is a no-no

Your in an area and time frame where there is a distinct possibility that the fuel in question may contain MTBE. Unless he is positive that it is not MTBE gas I would drain the tank and start over.
 

kenmyfam

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Aug 10, 2006
Messages
14,385
Re: Potential Fuel Problems

When did he put the stabilizer in ?? Before storage or now ???

I am a big fan of "if in doubt, dump it out"
 

jasonbailey

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Jul 25, 2004
Messages
253
Re: Potential Fuel Problems

Before storage. I did not write that too clearly in my previous post.
 
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