help with iffy gas?

[floater212]

what's a good fuel injection cleaner/ stabilizer that you use? got a batch of iffy gas, it runs sluggishly since filling up about 1/2 tank , to clean and stabilize the gas until next fill up which is tomorrow, raining today.

 

[alldodge]

For the most part, once gas starts going bad, adding fresh to it just makes more bad gas. All the additives IMO are sales gimmicks, other then things like Satbil which is used before it goes bad

Differing opinions will be along shortly

 

[Grub54891]

Where you get iffy gas? Usually water got in somehow. have you checked your water separating fuel filter? Dump the contents of it into a container and have a look. Water will sit on the bottom.

 

[achris]

For the most part, once gas starts going bad, adding fresh to it just makes more bad gas. All the additives IMO are sales gimmicks, other then things like Stabil which is used before it goes bad

This is about as good as you'll get.

The only thing you should be doing with bad fuel is getting it all out of the tank and throwing down the drain (just kidding), disposing of it properly. Bad fuel is only good for one thing, killing engines. There is NOTHING you can add to it that will make it 'less bad'....

Chris.......

 

[dubs283]

Differing opinions will be along shortly

Years ago when I drove a beater I'd pump old, rotten, water contaminated gas out the boat and into the car. Ran fine

But, car does not equal boat.

Remove icky fuel, clean tank best you can, start over fresh.....

 

[dingbat]

Define “bad” gas……

A separator full of water produces “bad” gas symptoms as well. Easily remedied with filters and or addatives

 

[Rick Stephens]

Define “bad” gas……

A separator full of water produces “bad” gas symptoms as well. Easily remedied with filters and or addatives

That is entirely dependent on whether there is ethanol in the gas. Once you mix water with ethanol no additive is going to correct the chemical breakdown and lowered octanes.

 

[floater212]

Define “bad” gas……

A separator full of water produces “bad” gas symptoms as well. Easily remedied with filters and or addatives

new filter tomorrow, shop closed today.

 

[dubs283]

Gas thread.....

Let's lay off the ethanol bashing. Farmer gotta eat too

 

[Rick Stephens]

Gas thread.....

Let's lay off the ethanol bashing. Farmer gotta eat too

Who's bashing ethanol? Talking frigging chemistry. Geez.

 

[Silvertip]

It is so refeshing to see on this forum that ethanol is still being blamed for every engine problem as it has been for the last 20 years. Ethanol is the best darned fuel system cleaning you can use and no, it doesn't turn to varnish in 30 days. Adding fresh fuel makes old gas less old and repeating that process a few times should purge the old fuel and any water -- ethanol will help that purge process.

 

[Rick Stephens]

It is so refeshing to see on this forum that ethanol is still being blamed for every engine problem as it has been for the last 20 years. Ethanol is the best darned fuel system cleaning you can use and no, it doesn't turn to varnish in 30 days. Adding fresh fuel makes old gas less old and repeating that process a few times should purge the old fuel and any water -- ethanol will help that purge process.

That you can ignore ethanol is ridiculous. It is chemically different. It poses different challenges, especially when water and time are combined with it. Ethanol has molecular attraction to water - it combines in short time frame with no energy required. And the end result is different chemically. The point is to keep ethanol in mind when working on a fuel problem. Playing ostrich doesn't change the results.

 

[dubs283]

Who's bashing ethanol? Talking frigging chemistry. Geez.

Not bashing it myself, just can't get over the fact it exists and is most likely in every boat gasser fuel tank in US.

Laws are creepy, like a solvent. It shows itself in fuel bowls as corn starch. Don't even bother asking me how I know

 

[nola mike]

I love ethanol in my gas tank and my belly. Very versatile.

 

[Grub54891]

I’ve been running ethanol in my 1985 3.0 for 5 years. No issues. And I don’t add stabilizer For storage.

 

[achris]

Australia has been adding ethanol to petrol for years. You can't buy petrol without it here, and we very very rarely see any ethanol related fuel system problems. Only on very very old cars/boats that didn't have ethanol resistant hoses do you see any problems, and there's so very few engines around that old...

It quite surprises me that in the USA people are still trying to resurrect engines from the 60s and 70s. Even an 80s engine, especially in a boat, is consider at 'end of life' here.

Chris...

 

[airshot]

Australia has been adding ethanol to petrol for years. You can't buy petrol without it here, and we very very rarely see any ethanol related fuel system problems. Only on very very old cars/boats that didn't have ethanol resistant hoses do you see any problems, and there's so very few engines around that old...

It quite surprises me that in the USA people are still trying to resurrect engines from the 60s and 70s. Even an 80s engine, especially in a boat, is consider at 'end of life' here.

Chris...

Just sold my 1983 Islander with original 3.0 140 hp. Ran excellent, idle all day at 600 rpm without stalling. Compression was 148-152 across al 4 cylinders. Didnt use any oil and very easy on fuel. My 22' Islander would do 34 mph with two adults and fishing gear.....no where near end of life !!! Now as for me....well thats another story !!!

 

[achris]

Just sold my 1983 Islander with original 3.0 140 hp. Ran excellent, idle all day at 600 rpm without stalling. Compression was 148-152 across al 4 cylinders. Didnt use any oil and very easy on fuel. My 22' Islander would do 34 mph with two adults and fishing gear.....no where near end of life !!! Now as for me....well thats another story !!!

It's not that they don't still run, but parts are getting hard to get and more expensive, and the shop becomes liable if they take on a job then can't finish it (it's the law)...

Most of the shops (here) won't touch anything beyond 15 years old. It's only us old guys who still know how points and carbs work (but even as an 'old guy', I still prefer the fully electronic version).

 

[dingbat]

Once you mix water with ethanol no additive is going to correct the chemical breakdown and lowered octanes.

No chemical “breakdown”. Ethanol simply combines with the water and falls out of solution lowering the octane of the remaining fuel.

To “repair”, you simply remove the ethanol/water solution from the bottom of the tank and replace the missing octane (ethanol) in the solution.

This could be done with a bottle of octane booster or as more often done, top off the tank with fresh 93 octane fuel and go boating.

Been there, done that

 

[Rick Stephens]

No chemical “breakdown”. Ethanol simply combines with the water and falls out of solution lowering the octane of the remaining fuel.

To “repair”, you simply remove the ethanol/water solution from the bottom of the tank and replace the missing octane (ethanol) in the solution.

This could be done with a bottle of octane booster or as more often done, top off the tank with fresh 93 octane fuel and go boating.

Been there, done that

This is again, ridiculous argument. The point is you need to adjust your repairs with water present. You argue that no, all you *simply* need do is get the water out and replace the octane. Really - no adjustment?

And no chemical breakdown - that why you end up with yellow sludge in your carburetor and the bottom of the tank?

Bah, I give up. You do you.