Gas life?

[ace4059]

I am wondering the life span of gas.
I have a gallon I bought during the summer so it’s probably 7 months old. It’s 91 octane, no ethanol and had 50:1 red armor oil added to it along with a cap full of seafoam and the proper amount of fuel stabilizer (red Stabil). It’s been sealed tightly in a gallon metal can (the stihl motomix metal can).

I’ve never thought twice about using gas like this because Stabil states gas is good for 1 year when treated but I’ve read old gas can cause piston damage. Gas is cheap. Rebuilding a saw, not so much.

How long will you store gas in this condition?

Toss it every time I’m not going to use it for a while or do you think it’s ok?

Do you run Stabil in your gas if you’re just a homeowner and don’t go through that much?

Let’s hear your thoughts.
-Ryan

 

[OM617YOTA]

It's fine. Non-ethanol gas so treated and stored in a metal airtight can will be fine for a year.

 

[Seachaser]

If in doubt, pour it in something and run it. I’ve run one year old gas in a boat with no problems. As long as ethanol free. Ethanol, all bets are off.

 

[WI_Hedgehog]

Some gas labeled as 'ethanol free has been found to have ethanol in it, it depends on the station; I bought a test kit so I could test "funny smelling" gas.

50:1 can be run in lawn mowers, snow blowers, ...your street vehicle (though I'd add only 2 gallons premix to a tank of straight gas as to not throw the computer off too much).

The little 2-stokes are basically like fragile race engines that need tons of cooling, why risk ruining them to save "the difference in cost of running premix vs straight gas" in a bigger engine? If premix chainsaw fuel costs you an additional $2 per 5 gallons you're risking your saw to save $2? I would use it in "an air-oil cooled 4-stroke engine that can handle gas that's a little off" and mix fresh fuel for the much more sensitive 2-stroke.

 

[muddy42]

Personally I'd set it aside as a solvent for cleaning bar oil tanks or lighting bonfires. Its only a gallon. I think your gas in the US is purer than in Europe, but here its not just the ethanol that causes problems in engines, but also various other additives, aromatics etc that will change over time. Stabilizers and seafoam are not fool proof.

 

[gerrywoodsy482]

If your storage conditions are cool, dark, and airtight, it should hold up well beyond the 1-year mark. Still, periodic checks for color, odor, and phase separation are wise.

 

[toppers]

I run ethanol free w/ red armor and safely go a year, could probably go a little longer if needed. Air space (or lack of) makes a big difference, if things are topped off it lasts even longer. If you have an inch of gas in a gallon can, bet on it going bad pretty quick.

 

[fields_mj]

I've run non-ethanol gas that was over 18 months old with no issues. I've added Stabil to a total of 4 engines in my life, and those are the only 4 engines I ever had lock up on me. If you just had the gas in a sealed can, you would have been fine. The second you poured Stabil in it, it became a gallon of weed killer in my book.

 

[lone wolf]

Put some in a glass jar and let it sit and look for any water at the bottom.

 

[toppers]

Does Stabil even do anything? My experience with it has been that it's crap. A quality oil like Red armor has stabilizers and that should be all you need.

 

[lone wolf]

OP I run canned fuel in the saws before i put them away for a prolonged amount of time. If in doubt throw it out!

 

[OM617YOTA]

Some gas labeled as 'ethanol free has been found to have ethanol in it, it depends on the station; I bought a test kit so I could test "funny smelling" gas.

Make sure you're buying gas from a station that has a separate hose for the E0 pump.

If it's a shared hose between E10 and E0, and you only buy a gallon, then most of what you bought is actually what was already in the hose from the last person who fueled up. If that was E10, you mostly got E10. Run a couple gallons of E0 into your vehicle first, then fill up your fuel can.

 

[lone wolf]

Make sure you're buying gas from a station that has a separate hose for the E0 pump.

If it's a shared hose between E10 and E0, and you only buy a gallon, then most of what you bought is actually what was already in the hose from the last person who fueled up. If that was E10, you mostly got E10. Run a couple gallons of E0 into your vehicle first, then fill up your fuel can.

Also go to high traffic gas stations, some smaller ones pump older fuel .

 

[OM617YOTA]

Also go to high traffic gas stations, some smaller ones pump older fuel .

100% this. The E0 specifically can be quite old. Most people don't want to pay the price premium if they don't need to, and most don't need to, so E0 sits around awhile.

 

[lone wolf]

100% this. The E0 specifically can be quite old. Most people don't want to pay the price premium if they don't need to, and most don't need to, so E0 sits around awhile.

I tend to agree with that, nothing wrong with fresh E10 buy got to get rid of it after about 3 months, trucks, and cars a lot longer. While we are at it, how long should diesel last ?

 

[OM617YOTA]

I tend to agree with that, nothing wrong with fresh E10 buy got to get rid of it after about 3 months, trucks, and cars a lot longer. While we are at it, how long should diesel last ?

Right, my big block Chevy may get refueled every couple months. I refill at half tank and run E10, so the fuel itself may be months old by the time it actaully gets burned, never had a problem.

Diesel I don't know. Far less volatile than gasoline, so it's not like the lighter ends are going to be evaporating off, like they do with gasoline. No alcohol to absorb water. If your area has a biodiesel mandate, the biodiesel adds back far more lubricity than was lost due to sulfur reduction, but biodiesel also seems a lot more likely to get diesel bug.

I'm sure it depends on the engine too. I have diesel in cans that's probably 5 years old now. I'd run it in my 617 without a thought, that engine will run on school lunch grease and creamy peanut butter. I wouldn't want to run it in my girlfriends 2013 VW TDI without very good reason.

 

[Sidecarflip]

Keep in mind that the last person to use the pump, if they pumped E-gas, what is left in the hose and in the pump itself, you get along with your 'non e-gas'. Best way to buy non-e-gas is from a dedicated pump that only dispenses non e-gas.

 

[Breckinridge Elkins]

Isn't it redundant to add Stabil and Seafoam to E0 fuel mixed with Red Armor?

 

[toppers]

Exactly, I think adding Stabil to these quality 2 stroke oils is counter productive (but I never believed in Stabil to begin with either)

 

[ace4059]

Isn't it redundant to add Stabil and Seafoam to E0 fuel mixed with Red Armor?

I figured it wouldn’t hurt. My thought process is the Stabil will keep the gas fresh, the seafoam helps clean the carb, and the red armor adds the extra protection on top of that since it’s a high quality oil.