Fuel stabilizer in bulk?

[Boomyal]

There must be somewhere that you can buy a fuel stabilizer in bulk quantities, say by the gallon. The small quantities that you buy in auto parts stores are a real rip off. I just poured 16 oz in to my 94 suburban with a fill up of non alcohol gas. It about emptied my overpriced bottle of fuel stabilizer.

I've got many more motors to stabilize than just the Suburban.

I have tried to google the subject to no avail.

 

[geneseo1911]

Re: Fuel stabilizer in bulk?

I'm not sure where the "original" Vancouver is, but here in IL, we have farm stores. Lots of them.
Rural King
Tractor Supply Co.
Farm & Fleet
Big R
All of the above carry Stabil red in 1 gal containers and blue in 1/2 gal. I think the red is $35/gal.

EDIT:
I did a little research. Vancouver, WA? If so, Coastal Farm & Ranch looks promising (from half a continent away...)

 

[Rocky_Road]

Re: Fuel stabilizer in bulk?

Marine Sta-Bil only uses 1 ounce per 10 gallons of gas...using your post you would have treated 160 gallons of gas.

You might be confusing what most of us call stabilizer, with some sort of fuel system cleaner that takes a full can per tank?

Happy boating!

 

[Boomyal]

Re: Fuel stabilizer in bulk?

.......You might be confusing what most of us call stabilizer, with some sort of fuel system cleaner that takes a full can per tank?....

No RR it is Sta-Bil fuel stabilizer. It was a 1 qt container that treats 2.5 gal per each oz of stabilizer. That makes 16 ounces for the 40 gal tank in my suburban.

geneso, I will check the local farm supply businesses in my area.

 

[puddle jumper]

Re: Fuel stabilizer in bulk?

I would think any indusrial supply store would have it in large containers

 

[Rocky_Road]

Re: Fuel stabilizer in bulk?

No RR it is Sta-Bil fuel stabilizer. It was a 1 qt container that treats 2.5 gal per each oz of stabilizer. That makes 16 ounces for the 40 gal tank in my suburban.

geneso, I will check the local farm supply businesses in my area.

On their website, they say that 16 ounces of regular Sta-Bil treats 40 gallons.

But...16 ounces of their Marine formula treats 160 gallons, and has:

" More than FOUR TIMES the Fuel System Cleaner than in Regular STA-BIL
- DOUBLE the corrosion preventer than in Regular STA-BIL"

http://www.goldeagle.com/products/product3CC6.aspx

Why not take advantage of using the marine formula?

Happy boating!

 

[Tim Frank]

Re: Fuel stabilizer in bulk?

You need fuel stabiliser in a daily driver?
Why?

 

[KDAVID1]

Re: Fuel stabilizer in bulk?

I buy 32oz bottle of marine formula sta-bil for 28 bucks. And in your boat you do not want to put more than they say to use. Sea Foam you can use as much as you want i've been told but is way more expensive--you can get it in gallons at Napa or just about any auto parts store.

 

[Boomyal]

Re: Fuel stabilizer in bulk?

On their website, they say that 16 ounces of regular Sta-Bil treats 40 gallons.

But...16 ounces of their Marine formula treats 160 gallons, and has:

" More than FOUR TIMES the Fuel System Cleaner than in Regular STA-BIL
- DOUBLE the corrosion preventer than in Regular STA-BIL"

http://www.goldeagle.com/products/product3CC6.aspx

Why not take advantage of using the marine formula?

Happy boating!

Ya but Rocky, I want stabilizer not cleaner or corrosion preventative.

 

[Boomyal]

Re: Fuel stabilizer in bulk?

You need fuel stabiliser in a daily driver?
Why?

Not daily drivers TF. My 'burb is grounded. No current license and no insurance. It's a 10 mpg hog that I have not had reason to drive and it is worth practically nothing. It only has 44k miles on it. So until I either need to drive it or figure what to do with it, I do not want it sitting outside, thru another winter without protecting the fuel system.

 

[bassman284]

Re: Fuel stabilizer in bulk?

You need fuel stabiliser in a daily driver?
Why?

He didn't say it was a daily driver. Maybe he only drives it once a year.

:Edit: OK. sports fans, I typed this up about an hour ago but got distracted by Sunday night football and forgot to hit the post button. Obviously answered by da Boom.

 

[Rocky_Road]

Re: Fuel stabilizer in bulk?

Ya but Rocky, I want stabilizer not cleaner or corrosion preventative.

Marine Sta-Bil is one of the premier fuel stabilizers on the market...they wrote the book.

It is a 'plus' that it cleans and prevents corrosion at the same time.

I'm lost as to what you actually want...I have shown you a stabilizer that won't break your wallet, and is an improvement over their legendary 'red' stabilizer formula. There is nowhere to go from here....

Good luck, and

Happy boating!

 

[geneseo1911]

Re: Fuel stabilizer in bulk?

If you look on the Stabil website, they specifically recommend using the RED for long term storage and the BLUE/Marine for day-to-day use in marine engines. I would say the OP is using the products as the manufacturer intends.

I've been running red stabil with every tank in my boat. There may be times when it doesn't run for a month, and at the end of the season, I know the fuel, including that in the carb, is protected. In addition, the red product is 95% isopropyl alcohol, which acts as a binder to keep the ethanol and any water in solution. That said, the blue is actually cheaper if you follow the recommended dose, so next year I will run blue until september and then switch back to red for winter layup.

And yes, the small bottles are a rip. If I remember right, the price per gallon nearly doubles with each successively smaller bottle. Apparently the stuff has a shelf life though, so you can't buy more than you can reasonably expect to use. The goodies that make it work (the 5%) are actually antioxidants that act like a sacrificial anode. They bind the oxygen before it has a chance to work on the gas, so an open bottle will use itself up over time. The website says to look for a color change.

 

[Rocky_Road]

Re: Fuel stabilizer in bulk?

If you look on the Stabil website, they specifically recommend using the RED for long term storage and the BLUE/Marine for day-to-day use in marine engines. I would say the OP is using the products as the manufacturer intends.

I've been running red stabil with every tank in my boat. There may be times when it doesn't run for a month, and at the end of the season, I know the fuel, including that in the carb, is protected. In addition, the red product is 95% isopropyl alcohol, which acts as a binder to keep the ethanol and any water in solution. That said, the blue is actually cheaper if you follow the recommended dose, so next year I will run blue until september and then switch back to red for winter layup.

And yes, the small bottles are a rip. If I remember right, the price per gallon nearly doubles with each successively smaller bottle. Apparently the stuff has a shelf life though, so you can't buy more than you can reasonably expect to use. The goodies that make it work (the 5%) are actually antioxidants that act like a sacrificial anode. They bind the oxygen before it has a chance to work on the gas, so an open bottle will use itself up over time. The website says to look for a color change.

I just pulled my bottle of Marine Sta-Bil from the truck, and it states:

"For fuel system clean-up or seasonal storage use 1 ounce (30mL) in 5 gallons (19L). Marine Formula STA-BIL will keep fuel fresh for 12 months."

That is what is on the directions, and my first post was 1 ounce per 10 gallons for everday use. The exact wording from the bottle is:

"For everyday protection and performance use 1 ounce per 10 gallons (38L)."

It is a long term stabilizer, and will go farther than whatever the OP posted that he used. Period.

Happy boating!

 

[Boomyal]

Re: Fuel stabilizer in bulk?

Gottcha Rocky. Thanks for all that info.

I wonder if you refridgerate fuel stabilizer, if it slows down its degradation?

 

[Rocky_Road]

Re: Fuel stabilizer in bulk?

Gottcha Rocky. Thanks for all that info.

I wonder if you refridgerate fuel stabilizer, if it slows down its degradation?

Certainly couldn't hurt!

My bottle usually lasts me for a year, so I have never had to worry about this.

Happy boating!

 

[joed]

Re: Fuel stabilizer in bulk?

Gottcha Rocky. Thanks for all that info.

I wonder if you refridgerate fuel stabilizer, if it slows down its degradation?

Maybe you can get a stabilzer to make it last longer.

 

[ondarvr]

Re: Fuel stabilizer in bulk?

I've been running red stabil with every tank in my boat. There may be times when it doesn't run for a month, and at the end of the season, I know the fuel, including that in the carb, is protected. In addition, the red product is 95% isopropyl alcohol, which acts as a binder to keep the ethanol and any water in solution. That said, the blue is actually cheaper if you follow the recommended dose, so next year I will run blue until september and then switch back to red for winter layup.

Where did you get this info? Stabil is not 95% Isopropyl alcohol, it's 95% Naptha, which is similar to many other fuel treatments. The red and blue are similar, only the blue has more of the corrosion inhibitors and a few other things. So your use of them is opposite of what it should be, or actually using only the Blue would be fine.. Also using these products all the time is a waste of money, they are only of value if you plan to not use the fuel for an extended period of time, and I don't mean a month or two.

Stabil does nothing to help prevent Phase separation, it does not bind the water in solution. Although you are correct on one thing, adding more alcohol to your fuel will allow more water to be absorbed before phase separation takes place. But like in other parts of life, the solution to alcohol problems is not more alcohol.

 

[geneseo1911]

Re: Fuel stabilizer in bulk?

Ughh. I always swore I'd never get embroiled in a Stabil debate on the internet. :facepalm:

I stand corrected on the IPA/Naptha thing. After some more research, it apears the MSDS I was looking at was incorrect. Which is odd. I should have known better than to trust an internet source without confirming it elsewhere.:facepalm:

I'm using Stabil with each tank because I'm not totally certain when my next trip will be. It would not unusual for the boat to sit for a month or more if I get busy working. And this time of year, any trip could be the last. I have had small engines gum up their carburetors in a matter of a month or two. The boat has an open vented fuel system; both the tank and the carb., so the fuel will oxidize quickly. I'm willing to open up & clean a small engine carb, but I'd rather avoid working on the Carter 4v, so I figure the stabil is cheap insurance.

I agree that I should be using blue day-to-day, which I plan to do next summer.

Here is a quote from the FAQ on the Gold Eagle site:

Q: Should I stop using STA-BIl Fuel Stabilizer and use the new STA-BIl Ethanol Treatment or Marine Formula STA-BIL instead?
A: There are specific needs for each product. As a general guideline, if you are STORING your gasoline vehicle or equipment for 30 days or more, we recommend you use Red STA-BIL Fuel Stabilizer. For EVERYDAY PROTECTION against Ethanol blended fuels in your Marine gasoline engine, we recommended using Marine Formula STA-BIL at every fill up during the season. For protection in all other non-marine gasoline vehicles, use new STA-BIL Ethanol Treatment at every fill up. For Diesel vehicles and equipment, use Diesel Formula STA-BIL Fuel Stabilizer.

 

[Boomyal]

Re: Fuel stabilizer in bulk?

......the solution to alcohol problems is not more alcohol.....

ondarvr, did you mean to say "is no more alcohol"?

I certainly hope that succeeding administrations put an end to this subsidized madness!

In the meantime, is there any solution for stabilizing ethanol in the fuel tank?