Hi there Smoke,
I know a little about this, but don't live in a harsh environment like you do. Stabil is good stuff. I use it in any gas I'm going to store for awhile. I empty my boat cans into the car after every trip, so I'm not storing too much. (Note that I am putting in pure gas, not premixed oil and gas. Doing that would potentially hurt your car's catalytic converter). However, if you are using built-in gas tanks, I would put Stabil in it and fill the tanks all the way. The reason for this is that rising and falling temperatures inside a gas tank create condensation just like it does on your lawn over night.
These droplets of water slide down the sides of the tank and go to the bottom. (Water is heavier than gas). By keeping your tanks full, you keep the temperature of the tank walls from going up and down so much, and you are covering the interior surface of the tank where condensation can happen.
Ethanol will soak up any water in the tank until it can't soak up anymore. What you don't want is a pool of water building up in the bottom of your tank. It can eventually rust through. That's one of the advantages of plastic tanks...they don't rust. But you don't want water in them either as it will get into your engine and cause you problems.
As far as expense goes, I think the cost of rusty gas tanks, carburetor kits,
filters and labor would far outweigh the preventative maintenance costs.
If you are storing gas for more than a year, even using Stabil, I would mix in some higher octane gas before using it, just to make sure it has some good volatile components in it. BTW...I only use Chevron or Union 76 (both owned by the same company) for my boat fuel. That Techron additive is a great product that will keep the inside of your engine really clean.
Last edited by Full_Monte; 12-14-2010 at 10:56 AM.
Age 65.
20 ft. Jetcraft. 90hp Evinrude Etec, 8hp Yamaha kicker, Minn Kota electric troller. Electric 1106 Scotty downriggers, Lowrance HDS7 Fish Finder/GPS. Airmar P66.
Also have a 15 ft. Gregor. 25hp Yamaha electric 2-stroke. Two electric 1106 Scotty downriggers. Lowrance HDS7 Fish Finder/GPS.
Bookmarks