Old Gas - Use or Dump?

[unadog]

Hello folks,

I bought a boat about 1 month ago that was a bank "repo". I don't know how long it has been sitting. Maybe 1 year, maybe 2 years - maybe more.

It is a 1986 32' Bayliner 3250. I think it has a 200 gallon tank? It has twin Volvo AQ260A engines, 5.7L. The engines seem solid are are running quite well, according to my mechanic.

I don't know yet how much gasoline is in the tank. It is about 100 miles from my house, I have only seen it for 1 hour so far, when no batteries were in the boat.

My mechanic has told me to go ahead and use the gas. My instinct, on the other hand, is to drain it and start with only fresh fuel!

I don't know if the gas was stabilized, don't know if it has ethanol in it, don't know how far on the way to varnish it is, how much water might be in the tank, etc.

I am going to start working on the boat myself in about 10 days.

So, a few questions:

1) Should I use the gas, or should I drain it and get rid of it?​

2) Any tests you would do before deciding?​

3) Any additives you would add to it if you did use it? (Stabilz, Sea Foam, carb cleaner, etc.)​

4) Should I use a mix of old gas and new gas if I decide to use it?​

5) Who do I give it to if I drain it? A farmer running a diesal?​

6) How do I get a tank big enough to drain it?​

With the high gas prices, it is more tempting to take the risk. But but but ... my instinct is just to dump it and start fresh!

Now if I have a tank with 100 or 200 gallons, that may prove to be a bit of a challange ... Wow, 100 gallons would be worth $500, and 200 gallons would be almost $1,000 worth of gas!

Would a farmer pay me $2-$3 a gallon for the old gas to use it around the farm, maybe in his diesal? What about a boat running a diesal - can they burn "anything", like the old tractors? I know a friend says he has a 1,000 gallon tank on his farm.

Thanks for the feedback!

Best, Michael

PS: Sorry for what I know is a repeat question. But a good spring question anyway, right?

I tried to search on "old gas", "gasoline", "gas", etc.

I could not get a single search result!

I also tried to post in the general "Engines" forum, but it said I didn't have the rights needed to post there! I am going to go try to figure out what my issues with search and posting are right now.

I have read a number of threads here and elsewhere. THX!!

 

[Lyle29464]

Re: Old Gas - Use or Dump?

about a month ago I ran an ad in CL "free Gass 200 gallons" Had about 30 people that wanted to get 10 gallons etc. Had one guy take it all. He brought out 4 55 gal drums and I pumped them full.
He and a fried rolled them up the hill and onto a trailer.

 

[spudshaft]

Re: Old Gas - Use or Dump?

With the price of gas being what it is I'd be tempted to use it if I were going to burn it quickly, and it doesn't have the varnish smell/appearance. Maybe change the fuel filters ridiculously frequently.

Also, diesels can't burn non-diesel gas.

Good luck with it.

 

[NYBo]

Re: Old Gas - Use or Dump?

If the gas is bad, it's not going to be usable in any internal combustion engine; significant amounts of gasoline in a Diesel will cause, er, interesting results. The quick-and-dirty test involves a precision instrument: your nose. If it smells like paint thinner, it's shot. If it still smells like gasoline, it's probably okay. Next, draw some out and put it in a clear container. See if it stratifies or if anything settles to the bottom (both bad signs).

 

[Solittle]

Re: Old Gas - Use or Dump?

Some years back I bought a 27' Bayliner and like you did not know how old the gas was. I had the carb rebuilt and dropped it in the water for a planned outing with relatives. We did not get 10' before the newly rebuilt carb was gummed up with crud from the old gas. I had it rebuilt again and had the fuel professionally polished - - what that is is there are companies who do this for a living. They pull up to your dock connect to your fuel system and pump all the fuel through a series of filters thus "polishing" it. That plus new water/gas filters did the job for me.

The other obvious option is to drain the tank and run the old gas through lawn mowers, truck, etc.

 

[unadog]

Re: Old Gas - Use or Dump?

Thanks! I appreciate all of the answers!

I had to do some research to clarify for myself about the "diesel" tractors.

I guess what I was talking about are properly called "Tractor Fuel" or "All Fuel" tractors.

They were made during the first half of the last century, when more refined products were often not available. I had heard that they could burn just about anything that you poured into them when running hot enough (which probably gave me the "diesel" idea). But, I guess they are not "diesels", as I mistakenly called them:

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tractor-fuel/distillate/TVO
Known as tractor vapourising oil or distillate, this once-cheap fuel was commonly used in farm tractors until World War II.

Many manufacturers built low-compression "all fuel" engines designed to burn tractor-fuel, gasoline, or kerosene. The engine was started on gasoline from a small tank, and switch to tractor-fuel once it was warm.

Tractor-fuel was a low grade fuel produced between gasoline and diesel in the traditional distillation of crude oil. The refining techniques developed during World War II made it possible to convert this into more useful fuels, and it began to disappear,

A tractor-fuel engine can be run on modern gasoline. The lowest grade of gasoline available today is often better than the highest grade available when these engines were built.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Once I got about 10 gallons of gas/diesel mix from work. Somebody "forgot" the forklift ran on diesel and topped the tank with gas.. Took it home with me and put in the older tractor at home. The H Farmall LOVED it, never ran better.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------

I'll check around on those BB's and see if they can use the old gasoline.

THX! Michael

 

[unadog]

Re: Old Gas - Use or Dump?

We did not get 10' before the newly rebuilt carb was gummed up with crud from the old gas. I had it rebuilt again and had the fuel professionally polished

OUCH! That was what I was afraid of, gunking up the carbs! And getting stranded ... probably best that you only made it 10', and not 10 miles out somewhere.

I have heard of "fuel polishing" in regards to diesel fuel. I will have a look around to see what the "break even" is, for the cost of having them come out and having it done. Do you remember what it cost you to do it?

If I have 100+ gallons, that might also be a good choice, because I don't know where I could transfer that much gasoline, or how dangerous it would be to haul it without a tanker. Guess an old boat gas tank in the bed of my F350 might do it ...

Thanks! Michael

 

[Art Bernard]

Re: Old Gas - Use or Dump?

I say never trust old fuel. It's not worth saving a few bucks and than possiably being stranded while on the water. Pump and dump it

Art

 

[rallyart]

Re: Old Gas - Use or Dump?

Pump it out, seal the containers, give it to your kids as a family heirloom.
They'll appreciate your wise investment.

 

[sschefer]

Re: Old Gas - Use or Dump?

You can filter it and re-use it but it would involve pumping it out and then putting it back in. That alone comes with storage and safety issues and would be a lot like using cheap gas in an airplaine. You might get reasonable results and you might not. I've got 20 gals of old drained gas in my yard shed that I feed to my mower and I'd just as soon that son of a gun quit so I can justify hiring someone to cut the lawns.

My .02 cents. Drain it, have the tanks flushed professionally, fill her back up and have fun rather than misery.

 

[unadog]

Re: Old Gas - Use or Dump?

Pump it out, seal the containers, give it to your kids as a family heirloom.

Huh, I like that!

"took all the trees, put them in a tree museum
charge the people a dollar and a half just to see em"​

I guess I'm dating myself with that reference! Although **all** of the "adult contemporary" stations seem to have turned into "oldies" stations! I used to listen to "retro" on Sunday mornings, it was a nice change. Now it is on 24x7 and I am sick of it.

Cheers! Thanks!

 

[sstaz]

Re: Old Gas - Use or Dump?

When I got my boat the tank was full and had been sitting for 8 years. Every fall teh owner would put seafoam in it. I decided not to risk it and drained the tank. Granted my tank is only 50 gallons so I was in a little better spot than you.

I decided to mix it in with good gas and run it in my Blazer. Eventually I just ran it straight, to my amazement my Blazer never ran so good.

On a side note, 8 years ago we did not have ethanol in our gas here. Might be a reason why it ran so good.

 

[walcat]

Re: Old Gas - Use or Dump?

My buddy bought a boat that had set for 8 yrs.Full tank with stable in it. Started up on muffs and it purred like a kitten. Put Seafoam in it and ran it hard. Ran good.

 

[wifisher]

Re: Old Gas - Use or Dump?

My mechanic has told me to go ahead and use the gas. My instinct, on the other hand, is to drain it and start with only fresh fuel!

What if you go to the doctor and he prescribes a medication? Do you not take it because you think you know better? Why did you take it to a mechanic if you don't want his advice?


Also, I doubt that a bank owned it for more than a year. They are not going to sit on a boat for long. They will dump it at the first opportunity, even if it is well below market value.

 

[unadog]

Re: Old Gas - Use or Dump?

What if you go to the doctor and he prescribes a medication?

I have had chronic pain for 20+ years. I have been on prescription medications, usually from 3-5 different meds at a time, since 1998.

I have tried at least 30 medications in the past 11 years. It took me **10 years** to find a set of medications that helped my pain, didn't scramble my brain too much, let me function, and also allowed me to sleep.

Lyrica, in particular, is the **worst medication ever invented** for me.

It makes me dizzy, blurs my vision, I babble like an idiot when taking it, and I gained 30 pounds in 1.5 months. I hate that crap!

Yet I tried to take it off and on for more than 2 years, because the doctor wouldn't give me enough other, more effective, but more strongly regulated meds. So, no - I don't just take em!

*************************************************************************

People who lose their house/boat/etc. to repossession usually don't have the money to take care of things, so there is a lot of deferred maintenance. I have been buying bank owned homes since 1994, so I have learned a lot. In this case, I doubt they had a lot of money to pay for gas to go boating.

The boat was sitting at a marina "for sale" by the owner for at least a year before they lost it to the bank. There is a certain "waiting period" after delinquency notices and repo when the owner can reclaim the property, so the banks don't usually try to repo or sell a boat right away, especially in a bad market. The owner can fall behind, make partial payments, catch up a bit, fall behind, and attempt to ?cure? a default over a period of years before the bank will yank a boat. (The average time on first delinquency notice on a house to foreclosure is now at 400 days nationwide. In Michigan they have to wait an additional 180 days before they can sell the house.)

The bank tried to sell it for a while - had them redo the cockpit upholstery, etc. etc. This is an incredibly bad market, so not sure how long they tried to market it. At least 6 months, based on internet searches. Then it finally went to wholesale auction in February, so it has been sitting an additional 4 months.

So I have a pretty good feel that it has been sitting for **at least** 2 years. Probably 3 since it was last gassed up. With this old of a boat, maybe it sat for 3-5 years in the back yard before the owner even tried to sell it? Not unusual here in Michigan.

 

[V153]

Re: Old Gas - Use or Dump?

What if you go to the doctor and he prescribes a medication? Do you not take it because you think you know better? Why did you take it to a mechanic if you don't want his advice?


Also, I doubt that a bank owned it for more than a year. They are not going to sit on a boat for long. They will dump it at the first opportunity, even if it is well below market value.

Agreed. So long as the mechanic will fix it if it proves to be bad fuel?

 

[Sixmark]

Re: Old Gas - Use or Dump?

This is an open ended debate with many variables, how long was it sitting, was it sealed, did water get in it, etc. I know people that say gas after 2 months is bad. I live in Minnesota where our off season can be up to 6 months, I treat the gas, and mix in a little fresh stuff with it at the beginning of the season and never had any problems.

My 84 Rude 75hp has only been in the family for 1 year and I'm still cleaning it out from the previous owner.

 

[the vision]

Re: Old Gas - Use or Dump?

I wouldn't trust it. Dump it and replace it. Better safe than sorry. You don't want to get out and get stranded.

 

[airdvr1227]

Re: Old Gas - Use or Dump?

I don't know yet how much gasoline is in the tank

I think that's the key. If it's got a quarter tank or less I'd say give it the sniff test, treat it, fill the tank the rest of the way with fresh stuff and off you go. Opposite if its 3/4 full.

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Old Gas - Use or Dump?

Treating old gas will do absolutely nothing.