Milk last longer than gasoline
That is the sad truth. Todays government gasoline is blended to work in modern cars/trucks with compatible closed fuel systems and too heck :angry2: with all the other IC engines. Ethanol is hydroscopic crap that will absorb mosture from the air, which will then cause my pretty tillotson to rust and corrode etc. Todays blends are also high in pH, which when exposed to different materials makes a nice little battery and starts the annode/ cathode galvanic action (Fancy term for corrosion), aluminum, brass, steel, stainless etc. (Side bar: that yellow fuel line they sell is NOT rated for this ethanol, the right material is much more expensive, but that is a whole different thread) All pump gas has some ethanol in it. It's worse/more in the winter as it will not vapor lock like in the summer. Just watch you fuel milage drop in the winter verses summer. E10 is more like E12 in the summer and up to E15 to E16 in the winter. January 1 of this year the ethanol subsidy died, so the price of it will double and hopfully it will just go away (look at the recent gas price increase). Todays gasoline the lighter or more volitile stuff will evporate first (the stuff that lights real quick) leaving the heavy stuff last (the stuff that only burns at higher temperatures), then it gets to stinkin'. This happens in anything that is vented to the atmosphere, small engines and gas cans. The smaller the volume, the quicker it goes bad, like in bowl type carbs, the gas in them turns to crap quickly but the gas in the tank is still good. Add to that the above moisture and corrosion problems. So what can we do? Buy Aviation gas from a small airport as the little cessnas are air cooled carburated engines with all aluminum fuel tanks and there is no way they are going to put this garbage in their tanks. Buy racing fuel with no ethanol. Or third buy small volumes of your local gas from a busy gas station (large turn over). keep your gas cans full, sealed, inside a shed (don't leave outside or on the ground, in the back ou a PU) to avoid mositure absorption. Add fuel stabilzer to straight gas, most 2 stroke mix oils have stabilizer in them. Keep the stuff you use often full of gas, (chainsaws) and stuff you don't drained (generators). I tell people who I work on their stuff that their gas is bad and to buy some fresh. If they don't believe me I tell them to dump it into their car. Hope this helps
Courtney.