stale gasoline

[B]

What is it that goes wrong with gasoline when it's "stale"? I have some that stalls my lawnmower, so I'm not putting it in the car, either. How to get rid of it?

-B

[*CBHVAC*]

From:

8.6 What is "stale" fuel, and should I use it?

"Stale" fuel is caused by improper storage, and usually smells sour. The gasoline has been allowed to get warm, thus catalysing olefin decomposition reactions, and perhaps also losing volatile material in unsealed containers. Such fuel will tend to rapidly form gums, and will usually have a significant reduction in octane rating. The fuel can be used by blending with twice the volume of new gasoline, but the blended fuel should be used immediately, otherwise teh old fuel will catalyse rapid decomposition of the new, resulting in even larger quantities of stale fuel. Some stale fuels can drop several octane numbers, so be generous with the dilution.

[Joseph Meehan]

Several chemical changes take place including changing the size of the hydrocarbon chains and their for the whole product.

If you mix it with fresh gas and use it soon, it will not harm anything. Getting rid if it almost any other way will cause harm. I just dump the end of the year's gas in the girlfriend's car (I have a diesel) or if I get stuck with some from a year or two ago I make sure she has at least half a tank and dump a gallon or less in. followed by a fill up, usually using a mid grade to counter the lower octane hit.

[I-zheet M'drurz]

Not trying to be a smartass (been told I can do that at times) But "doing the math": Upgrade 1/2 tank to mid grade - cost of small amount of potentially wasted gas = come out ahead?

I guess it pays for not knowing how to otherwise get rid of the old stuff.

Speaking of math:

OK, I give up! Care to enlighten up slow learners? :-)

[The Masked Marvel]

[Joseph Meehan]

It depends on the difference. However you are looking at coming out ahead financially only. I consider disposing of the old gas in a safe, minimal polluting manner more important than the small difference in cost.

26 Counties of the Republic (The South) and 6 Counties of the North equal one whole country, people and island as it was before the English

[Martin]

I've been avoiding that problem for the last 9-10 years by putting an ounce or so of fuel stabilizer in the mower tank, usually half full, at the end of the season. I run the engine for a few minutes to distribute the stabilizer and park the mower for the winter. Comes spring it hasn't taken more than 2 or 3 pulls to start it.

You can buy fuel stabilizer at most auto supply stores.

[Richard J Kinch]

Yeah, but where do you find stabilizer for the stabilizer?

[Richard J Kinch]

For small amounts, pour it into a coffee can with kitty litter (no burning spill hazard that way), and light it off out in the driveway. (Obviously you have room for this if you need a lawnmower to start with.) After it self-extinguishes and cools, you won't detect even an odor, since the heat has volatilized any remnants. Tape on the can lid with duct tape and into the trash it goes. Larger quantities may be divided into several portions done in the same can. NB: No whining about the tiny amount of carbon particulates generated; a diesel truck makes more running about 10 seconds.

[TURTLE]

This is Turtle.

Every Spring. i take all the fuel left over from last year and dump it in my 1 ton Chevy Cargo van 350 Ci.In. used for my HVAC/R business and fill the gas cans back up. Sometimes i will do it at the end of the summer. It has a 33 gal. tank and i have it just a little low on fuel when i dump it in there. that thing likes anykind of fuel and I think it like old lawn mower gas also.

TURTLE

[John Hines]

If you use it, then the consumption solves the problem.

You do make a good point, in that one has to match the quantities used of both, so they don't sit around, a lifetime supply of fuel stabilizer is nonsense.

[Dan Lanciani]

In article , [e-mail] (Richard J Kinch) writes: | Martin writes: | | > You can buy fuel stabilizer at most auto supply stores. | | Yeah, but where do you find stabilizer for the stabilizer?

Good question. Just yesterday I was preparing my "spring supply" of lawn mower gas (having disposed of last fall's in my car). As I was pooring the stabilizer into the storage container I noticed a bunch of granules in the bottom of the bottle of stabilizer. One of them escaped into the container. I poked at it to try to break it up and make it dissolve, but it gave me a bad feeling. The stabilizer is from last fall and it claims that you can use it for one year after opening. (Of course, it doesn't mention anything about before opening and I don't know how long it sat on the shelf at the store. :( ) It isn't clear whether the granules came out of solution of are the result of some decomposition of the cap seal.

Dan Lanciani ddl@danlan.*com

[Martin]

The OP was talking about a lawn mower. Worrying about lifetime supplies and matching quantities seems a little overblown. You just use about an ounce every year for a quart or two of gasoline left in the mower. I bought a

16oz bottle of stabilizer when I first started using it, about 10 years ago, as I said; cost me about $8, and I'm still using the same bottle.

As to stability of the stabilizer, unless you heat it and keep the cap off exposing to the air, it should last for many years.

I have a friend who has been storing an old car, an '89 Ford Probe, for 7 months in each of the last 4 years. He adds about 4oz to half a tank and it starts like a charm when he gets back. (Unless he forgets to reconnect the battery.) :-)

[Dan Lanciani]

| As I was pooring the

Ouch, did I really type that? :(

Dan Lanciani ddl@danlan.*com

[HRL]

WOW, around here (Denver area) that will guarantee a visit from the local fire department and a hefty fee for their services in putting out the fire. In town, we can't burn anything outside other than charcoal.

[jim]

put it in the car. you probably have about 10-20 gallons of gas in there already and when mixed into the other gas there is no problem... matter of fact all the instructions for getting rid of gas tell you to do that... if you still dont want to then just pour it on the lawn where you have ant hills and then the ant will disapper..

[zxcvbob]

Chevy Cargo van 350 Ci.In. used for my HVAC/R

summer. It has a 33 gal. tank and i have it just a

think it like old lawn mower gas also.

Just don't try it with dirty paint thinner. Don't ask me how I know this...

Best regards, Bob

[TURTLE]

ton Chevy Cargo van 350 Ci.In. used for my HVAC/R

summer. It has a 33 gal. tank and i have it just a

I think it like old lawn mower gas also.

This is Turtle.

No I won't ask because my brother in law has already done it with a gal. of Gas that he washed some paint brushes down with.

TURTLE

[TURTLE]

This is Turtle.

You forgot to put the 5 gal bucket over the hill after the gas to make the vapors go down in the ground to kill all of them.

TURTLE

[Stormin Mormon]

At an auto auto parts parts store store.