Interested in learning about Gasoline Stabilizers

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Hello,

This is my first post on BITOG other than the test posts.

I am getting ready to put various lawn mowers, boats and other seasonal equipment away for the winter.

I have been trying to evaluate good gasoline stabilizers from bad.

I am fortunate to have ethanol free gas available within 30 miles from where I live. I use it in all of my seasonal gasoline powered vehicles.

I have had a difficult time researching how a gasoline stabilizer works and how to determine snake oil from a real stabilizer.

From what I gather, Seafoam has alcohol in it. It seems to be inviting moisture into gasoline that may not have any moisture in the fuel systems.

I always store all the fuel tanks full of non-ethanol gas when the equipment is not in use.

Can anyone enlighten me on how gasoline stabilizer works and what to look for, or what to avoid?

Thanks in advance.
 
Pure, straight gasoline is all anyone typically needs.

This is the best:
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This is the second best:
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Gasoline is basically a mixture of volatile organic solvents. Like most solvents, it is susceptible to evaporation, contamination (mostly from water), oxidation and octane loss.

Most basic fuel stabilizers are nothing more than kerosene or some sort of pale oil, designed to make the gasoline heavier and slow down it's evaporation and oxidation rate. These basic additives really do nothing to control the hygroscopic nature of gasoline, especially ethanol-blended gasoline. They also don't prevent the octane loss and don't clean out deposits left behind previously by old, stale fuel used previously.

My favorite fuel stabilizers are the all in one fuel treatments that have strong solvent cleaners, water controllers and stabilizers all in one formula. I use and recommend K100MG for storing gasoline. I am currently testing Biobor EB and Bell Performance's ethanol defense or marine MXO, which are similar to K100MG but I haven't had enough time to make a determination yet.

I have tried lots of other fuel treatments and so far the worst stabilizers have been the original red stabil and star-tron. Both left me with carb and fuel system problems after a season of storage.

Here are some links for the products I like as well as some good reading from Bell:
Bell performance:
https://www.bellperformance.com/blog/what-makes-a-good-gas-stabilizer-for-your-car

https://www.bellperformance.com/blog/stabilizer-additives-for-the-gas-you-store-at-home

Biobor EB:
http://www.biobor.com/products/biobor-eb-fuel-additives/

K-100 for gas:
http://k-100.com/fuel-type/gas/
 
Hello AMC,

Thanks for the explanation. It helps me understand how the stabilizer works.

The suggestions you provided are interesting. Thanks for the links.

Getting information about "how it works" has almost been futile.

I am hoping that Molakule might be lurking around and have some input...
grin.gif
 
Originally Posted By: frankbee3
Hello AMC,

Thanks for the explanation. It helps me understand how the stabilizer works.

The suggestions you provided are interesting. Thanks for the links.

Getting information about "how it works" has almost been futile.

I am hoping that Molakule might be lurking around and have some input...
grin.gif



You're welcome Frank!

If you go to Bell performance's youtube page, they have many one hour or longer videos all about fuel. Storage, ethanol issues, fuel treatments and the like. They aren't very exciting videos but they are very factual and they are NOT an advertisement or product plug type videos at all. You will probably learn something if you take the time to watch them.

If you do enough research you will probably come away with a few points to keep in mind when discussing gas and its storage.

1. Gas is similar to most other volatile solvents. It wants to evaporate in open air and it is hygroscopic whether it has ethanol in it or not. To keep the gas fresh and prevent it from evaporating, Store it in a tightly sealed container located in a steady temperature environment. I like the No-Spill gas cans as they use thicker plastic than most and they seal very tightly. Plus the dispensing button is very easy to use.

2. Most of the better fuel treatments and stabilizers are a combination of pretty nasty solvents. Butyl cellosolve, Xylene, ether, benzene, ect. All of them will help clean the fuel system, remove water, stabilize or even slightly boost the octane and make the gas more volatile and explosive. The fuel treatments that contain kerosene, mineral oil, pale oil or any type of product that says it can be used both in the gas and the oil are not going to do much for keeping the gas fresh, the octane high, removing moisture or cleaning the fuel system, avoid them.

3.The better fuel stabilizers will have a treatment rate of 1 ounce to 10 gallons of gas, or less. Anything with a treatment rate higher than that, say 1 oz to 20 gallons, just isn't realistic and isn't going to keep fuel fresh. For long-term storage, I won't use any product that has a treatment rate of higher than 1 oz to 5 gallons. My preferred storage product right now, K-100MG treats at 1 oz per gallon....

4. No matter which fuel stabilizer you choose, you need a tightly sealed container system, stored in a temperature regulated environment. No product can make up for those 2 factors. A leaking fuel system IE: leaky fuel lines, gas caps, vent valves, are going to cause a problem. A gas can or a vehicle being stored outside when the temperature fluctuates from 50F to 90F in a day will also degrade the gas very quickly. Do the best you can to avoid the temperature changes.

5. Keeping the gas tanks or containers full will allow less airspace for the fuel to evaporate into and less space for condensation to form. It helps so try to keep the tanks topped off.

Following all of the above, using a good fuel stabilizer and storing the fuel in good conditions should make e-10 gasoline last at least a year. After 18 months of storage, avoid using the gasoline in an engine that is carburated. Fuel injected engines are less prone to problems with degraded fuel. A good way to use up stored fuel is to dump it into your car and then top off the tank with fresh gas.

E-10 gasoline with no treatment added, stored in a tightly sealed container that is temperature controlled should last about 5 months. E-10 gas with no treatment, stored in a poorly sealed container with large temperature fluctuations will start to go bad in about 2 weeks and will be completely unusable in about 2 months.

This is just what my research and experience have shown me. Do your own research, come back to us and let's compare notes.
11.gif
 
I did find Bell Performances website to have a lot of good information. You're right, not a sales type of spin with outlandish testimonials and all that. I probably spent a good hour browsing their website.

I do have a pontoon boat that I am getting ready to store. It has a fuel injected Yamaha outboard engine that I don't want to have problems with. At least I have been able to disassemble gummed up (and more recently corroded) carburetors and get the equipment running. There are a lot of folks throwing away lawn mowers because they wont start in the spring...

I am fortunate that I can get ethanol free gasoline and all of my seasonal equipment never sees ethanol. My wife must think I am nuts for driving 27 miles to go get real gas...

Of course I will continue my research.

BITOG has been a real treasure trove for me. Especially the Motor Oil University.

Thanks again for the follow up.
 
I think steel containers are best due to less leakage of vapors. Are not all plastic containers much more porous?
Originally Posted By: AMC
Originally Posted By: frankbee3
Hello AMC,

Thanks for the explanation. It helps me understand how the stabilizer works.

The suggestions you provided are interesting. Thanks for the links.

Getting information about "how it works" has almost been futile.

I am hoping that Molakule might be lurking around and have some input...
grin.gif



You're welcome Frank!

If you go to Bell performance's youtube page, they have many one hour or longer videos all about fuel. Storage, ethanol issues, fuel treatments and the like. They aren't very exciting videos but they are very factual and they are NOT an advertisement or product plug type videos at all. You will probably learn something if you take the time to watch them.

If you do enough research you will probably come away with a few points to keep in mind when discussing gas and its storage.

1. Gas is similar to most other volatile solvents. It wants to evaporate in open air and it is hygroscopic whether it has ethanol in it or not. To keep the gas fresh and prevent it from evaporating, Store it in a tightly sealed container located in a steady temperature environment. I like the No-Spill gas cans as they use thicker plastic than most and they seal very tightly. Plus the dispensing button is very easy to use.

2. Most of the better fuel treatments and stabilizers are a combination of pretty nasty solvents. Butyl cellosolve, Xylene, ether, benzene, ect. All of them will help clean the fuel system, remove water, stabilize or even slightly boost the octane and make the gas more volatile and explosive. The fuel treatments that contain kerosene, mineral oil, pale oil or any type of product that says it can be used both in the gas and the oil are not going to do much for keeping the gas fresh, the octane high, removing moisture or cleaning the fuel system, avoid them.

3.The better fuel stabilizers will have a treatment rate of 1 ounce to 10 gallons of gas, or less. Anything with a treatment rate higher than that, say 1 oz to 20 gallons, just isn't realistic and isn't going to keep fuel fresh. For long-term storage, I won't use any product that has a treatment rate of higher than 1 oz to 5 gallons. My preferred storage product right now, K-100MG treats at 1 oz per gallon....

4. No matter which fuel stabilizer you choose, you need a tightly sealed container system, stored in a temperature regulated environment. No product can make up for those 2 factors. A leaking fuel system IE: leaky fuel lines, gas caps, vent valves, are going to cause a problem. A gas can or a vehicle being stored outside when the temperature fluctuates from 50F to 90F in a day will also degrade the gas very quickly. Do the best you can to avoid the temperature changes.

5. Keeping the gas tanks or containers full will allow less airspace for the fuel to evaporate into and less space for condensation to form. It helps so try to keep the tanks topped off.

Following all of the above, using a good fuel stabilizer and storing the fuel in good conditions should make e-10 gasoline last at least a year. After 18 months of storage, avoid using the gasoline in an engine that is carburated. Fuel injected engines are less prone to problems with degraded fuel. A good way to use up stored fuel is to dump it into your car and then top off the tank with fresh gas.

E-10 gasoline with no treatment added, stored in a tightly sealed container that is temperature controlled should last about 5 months. E-10 gas with no treatment, stored in a poorly sealed container with large temperature fluctuations will start to go bad in about 2 weeks and will be completely unusable in about 2 months.

This is just what my research and experience have shown me. Do your own research, come back to us and let's compare notes.
11.gif
 
Originally Posted By: Mtnbikerva1
I think steel containers are best due to less leakage of vapors. Are not all plastic containers much more porous?


The weakest link of any fuel container is how tightly the nozzle and cap seal up. The newer gas cans are made of plastic that is less porous and impervious to ethanol compared to gas cans in years past. I like No-Spill brand gas cans. They are made of a very thick plastic and they seal up very tightly. The button dispenser flows the gas very quickly and is easy to use. Metal cans scratch, rust and dent easily, plus they are expensive; I don't care for them.
 
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