old gas , Can it be used?

V

vi

Seaman
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May 17, 2010
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56
Hi I just pulled the tank out of my donor boat motor hull, can the gas be reused ? Its clear but has the old gas odor.
 
S

Silly Seville

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Re: old gas , Can it be used?

Can the gas be used? Yes. Is there a great enough quantity of gas for its dollar value to mitigate the potential loss of use of your vessel if it runs poorly or not at all because the old gas fouls your carb or fuel injection system?
Most guys are going to advise you to dump an equal amount of fresh gas into the old to "freshen it up", or ad SeaFoam or some other fuel stabilizing product. That may work, IF you don't have particulate matter suspended in your old fuel, which when blended with new gas, will STILL be contaminated fuel. When in doubt, use a good inline fuel filter, and a fuel water separator, and change them frequently. Good luck.
 
thumpar

thumpar

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Re: old gas , Can it be used?

I usually use old gas in the lawnmower. Getting stuck with a non running or poorly running mower doesn't ruin my day as much as getting stuck in the middle of the lake.
 
smokeonthewater

smokeonthewater

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Re: old gas , Can it be used?

bad is bad...... dispose of it.... 1 gal of bad gas plus 99 gal of good gas equals 100 gal of bad gas
 
Bondo

Bondo

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Re: old gas , Can it be used?

but has the old gas odor.
Click to expand...

Ayuh,... I use my nose to tell....

If it Smells like Gasoline, I burn it...
If it Don't, I toss it...
 
H

Home Cookin'

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Re: old gas , Can it be used?

thumpar said:
I usually use old gas in the lawnmower. Getting stuck with a non running or poorly running mower doesn't ruin my day as much as getting stuck in the middle of the lake.
Click to expand...

I like this strategy. Start cutting the grass Saturday morning with bad gas. Break down. Tell wife lawnmower is broke so you have to go run the boat while the mower is in the shop.

"Better to sit in front of an outboard than walk behind a lawnmower" is my weekend motto anyway.
 
jigngrub

jigngrub

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Re: old gas , Can it be used?

I use old gas to kill fire ant mounds, works quicker and better than anything else.
 
Frank Acampora

Frank Acampora

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Messages
12,004
Re: old gas , Can it be used?

Old outboard---old gas--no problem. The engine really doesn't care. I have burned gas that was at least 3 years old and smelled like turpentine in my 70s-80s outboards.

Newer outboard--old gas? Couldn't tell you. BUT--- it certainly would not hurt to use it for something else, like a lawnmower
 
ultra353

ultra353

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Jun 21, 2009
Messages
387
Re: old gas , Can it be used?

A little in the car , a little in the mower ect. Never had a problem
 
V

vi

Seaman
Joined
May 17, 2010
Messages
56
Re: old gas , Can it be used?

sounds like its gotta go, my land vehicles are diesel and in Las Vegas 400 sq ft of grass I've got years of gas. It does smell foul.
 
oldjeep

oldjeep

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Re: old gas , Can it be used?

I just run old gas in the lawnmower, pit bike, chainsaw and weed whip. They'll run on anything that is sort of flamable.
 
oldjeep

oldjeep

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Re: old gas , Can it be used?

vi said:
sounds like its gotta go, my land vehicles are diesel and in Las Vegas 400 sq ft of grass I've got years of gas. It does smell foul.
Click to expand...

Just put an ad on craiglist, thell them to bring gas cans - it'll be gone before lunchtime
 
H

Home Cookin'

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Re: old gas , Can it be used?

I believe you can run old gas in large old motors (a 1980 Ford F150) especially if mixed in, and you avoid the funky stuff on the bottom. If it's old enough to be pre-ethanol, even better. But small engines clog easier and don't handle it as well, neither do outboards, so I disagree with the "yard tools" idea.

Yes I know lots of people have run old gas through small engines with no problem; there are also lots of people who have never fallen off a ladder, but that doesn't mean the gravity wasn't working that day.
 
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