Does anyone here use a generic type alternative fuel stabilizer?
Sea foam works for me
Ethanol attracts water and will separate over time. This has ruined many a lawnmower allowed to sit over the winter. You want ethanol-free if you plan on storing it.
Can’t offer any advice on alternate stabilizers.
I have used Stabil, Star-Tron, and Sea Foam to preserve E10 gasoline over winter. I have had no problems with any of them.
I’ve only used the Stabil Marine (blue). It prevents against ethanol-related damage. I rotate every six months from my 5 USGI Scepter fuel cans.
http://www.archoil.com/ar6000-fuel-treatments/
I've used that and the oil friction modifier with success.
Couple of questions
How much fuel are we talking about ?
for how long are you planning on keeping it?
under what conditions do you plan to store it?
If you are talking a significant quantity I would buy a 55 gallon drum, add the Stabil and make sure the bungs are good and tight.
Avoid ethanol if possible and get the 91 octane ethanol free if you can.
Keep the drum as stable in temperature as you can, but short hydrocarbons don’t like to say abround very long before going “sour”. Gasoline is a short shelf life item.
Ethanol gas wont keep over the summer.
Some of the problems of storing gasoline for longer periods of time.
First, ethanol with up to 10% ethanol. Ethanol is soluble in water and what can happen if there is any water around the fuel, including humidity in air, is the you can get a phase separation - a lower octane fuel floating on an ethanol water layer which is corrosive.
A problem with storing both E10 and non-ethanol gasoline, is that the lighter end of the fuel, butane in particular, will vaporize out of the fuel. The octane of butane is about 92, so losing butane lowers the octane of the remaining fuel and makes the fuel less volatile. Being less volatile means the fuel will cause an engine to have a much harder time starting and burning the fuel.
Avoid any ethanol content at all if possible.
Fuel’s enemies are exposure to moisture and air, to light, and to temperature change. Control those things and gasoline should last for many months. Vented gas cans kept in a non-climate controlled garage invite trouble. Newer vehicles have much less tank venting than older models.
AFAIK, all gasoline stabilizers are more-or-less the same.
Mind if I piggyback on to your post with a related question? Should the tank be as full as possible with gas (as treated with stabilizer) when put away for the winter? Or should the tank be as empty as possible (still with stabilizer)? I am thinking of boats and motorcycles in say central Michigan....both are stored in sheds that are not heated.
I have a 2014 boat that has never tasted ethanol and never will! Also used exclusively in my mower! Use boat in the winter up here in NC about once a month. Always have at least 5 Gallons stored.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.AutoLean.puregas&hl=en
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/pure-gas/id454559068?mt=8
I use an enzyme additive. Can’t remember the name. Stabilizes car fuel for at least three years. Or, use 100LL aviation fuel. It never goes bad in storage.
I have used Pri-G for storage fuel, and have used some that was two years old and still ran great in all my machines. The price seems a little high but it only needs about 1/3 ounce for a five gallon container. I have used one bottle for over five years.
For what it’s worth, I have 2 experiences to share, both involving alcohol free, 100% gasoline:
I had a 52 Chevy pickup parked for 3 years. With the old gas in it, she started right up, did not miss, did not seem to lack power. This is common for old farm trucks.
The second experience is 30 gallons of gas was treated with stabil and stored for 12 (twelve) years. Gasoline was put in a 1958 2 cyl John Deere 440 construction grade loader tractor, it started, and ran very poor. This gas was then mixed 50-50 with fresh new gas, the tractor ran excellent.
From my experiences, plain gas stores very well for long periods. E10 and greater does not store very well at all, maybe a year or better with Stabil, and count on in ruining carbs over the winter without stabil.
Preferably for long term storage use ethanol free gas with a stabilizer.
If ethanol free gas is unavailable and the quantities are not that great, you can strip the ethanol out of the gas.
Use a high octane gas, because when the ethanol is removed, the octane level is lowered.
Ethanol has a greater affinity for water than gasoline. It only takes 13 ounces of water in 5 gallons of gas to remove all the ethanol from E10 gas.
Add the water. Shake it up. Let it settle and there will now be 3 layers. The lowest layer is water. Just above it is an alcohol/water layer. Alcohol free gasoline is the top layer.
After the ethanol and water is removed, then add the fuel stabilizer, not before.
I stored a 72 Comet GT for 20 years and had forgotten to drain the gas tank. It had turned to jello.
PR-G. Works great. PR-D diesel. Amazon