Originally Posted By: Fat Man
What about Seafoam? Is it as effective as Stabil in the fuel preservation role?
Can't say for sure. Never did an A-B comparison and don't have the chemistry lab to do an analysis.
I do know that Stabil will deteriorate on it's own if left sitting on a shelf in the garage. Something about a stabilizer becoming unstable doesn't sit right with me. I switched to SeaFoam years ago and haven't looked back.
I know that Seafoam has proved to me that it works on cleaning carbon from engines and help clean varnish from carbs. I use it as a stabilizer and after sitting for up to six months over winter, the fuel seems fine in the spring.
Personally, I doubt that fuel stored in an air tight container for long periods in cold temperatures doesn't break down that much. During the winter, ice roads are pushed through the bush to access northern communities. That's how they get most of their diesel fuel and gasoline to last them the year. I have bush pilot buddies that fly up to the Arctic in the summer. They arrange to have Beaver float planes set off 45 gallon drums of that same fuel (not necessarily AvGas either) at various cache points along their route. That fuel can be up to seven or more months old. So, either the fuel is pre-stabilized by the oil companies or more likely, just doesn't need it. Regardless, these guys flew that way for many years and never had a fuel quality/contamination issue.