Forgot to put stabil in gas tank this year.

dw89lx

New Member
May 7, 2005
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Boston, MA
Will this cause any problems when I try running it in the spring? The tank is full and the car is covered and stored in a non-heated garage. Should I siphon out the gas in the spring before starting it?
 
It should be ok. I would not bother with the syphoning too much anyhow - the gas that is in the fuel line, rails and the residue in the injectors' vicinity is what matters the most IMHO, in terms of varnishing. If it is gonna sit for a few months, it should be ok though. Or if you can, put some fuel stabilizer in the tank and run the car for a lil bit.

Good luck.
 
HISSIN50 said:
It should be ok. I would not bother with the syphoning too much anyhow - the gas that is in the fuel line, rails and the residue in the injectors' vicinity is what matters the most IMHO, in terms of varnishing. If it is gonna sit for a few months, it should be ok though. Or if you can, put some fuel stabilizer in the tank and run the car for a lil bit.

Good luck.

I always like the safe road, so I have to agree with the above post. I know what it's like to get a fuel system gummed up!
 
For 2 or 3 months,it`s not a serious issue,but it`s still advisable to have some fuel stabilizer in there.When you bring it out in the spring,run some RedLine fuel injector cleaner in the tank.

:OT:,I remembered Jay Leno being interviewed some years ago,and he said that today`s gas will "start" to break down and do nasty things after 3 months like gum up and varnish whereas he said that gasoline from the good ol days would last for a year before it would cause gum and varnish problems.
Any truth to this?:shrug:.
 
I wrecked my '88 in 10/2002 with 3/4 tank of gas in it. It was smashed in the front, no chance to start it for a while. It was stored in a carport,semi-protected from the elements for a year then in the attached garage. It was almost 2 years before I got it running again and it started right up and never missed a beat. Didn't use any gas stabilizer at all. It was 93 octane bought at the local mini-mart. I wouldn't get too worked up about storing the car for the winter w/o stabilizer.
 
Bobcat, did you notice any diminished injector flow or balance? That is what I would worry about - not that it wont run, but that the squirters would be partially clogged (poor spray pattern) or that some deposits formed in there.

Did you notice anything?

Seeing you in here reminds me that I gotta send Jerry a PM and see how he is doing.
 
You usually only have a varnish problem with carbs. There isn't enough fuel in the lines or injectors to cause a varnish buildup even if the car sat for years. Additionally there really isn't anywhere for the fuel to evaporate to in a fuel injection system and the fuel must evaporate in quantity to cause serious deposits.

Fuel can go bad though and I've seen it sour in a month but that is highly unusual. You should be okay with your fuel over the winter.

A few notes on Stabil. Stabil will only extend fuel freshness for 12 months. It will extend that period if double the recommended amounts are used but Stabil doesn't say for how long. Stabil has a life of 24 months after the Stabil container is opened. In other words if you've been using the same bottle of Stabil for more than 2 years then it is doing you no good to put it in the gas. Chuck it in the trash and buy a new bottle.
 
Stabil seems to make a vast improvement in my two strokes, Evinrude, Waverunner, and my four stroke lawn stuff.

I will try it in the four stroke Yamaha this winter.

In the Evinrude, if you don't use it, in six months, it will close up the low speed jets in both carbs. If you Stabil it, it will start and run fine in the summer.

I also use it in the cars, and although I have not had a serious problem without it, I would say it is worth it!
 
Over the summer I bought a car out of a field that sat for 4 years with the same gas in it. Once the battery was charged up, the car started right up and drove off without any problems (minus the seriously flat spotted tires)

Yes, it's good insurance... But no you don't necessarily need it.
 
IN my opinion the best way to resolve your concerns
(maybe it is not necessary but you will probably sleep better)is to pour the appropriate amount of Stabil into your fuel tank and start the car up.
Let it run until the engine temp gets up to normal operating levels and the Stabil has a chance to circulate thru the system. Shut it off.Let it cool then park it back in the garage with the cover on. This also allows you to hear the engine run one more time before Winter hibernation :)
I would also consider installing a battery tender or disconnecting the positive terminal from the battery post over the Winter as well.
Scott
 
Maryland, my take is a little different - let me know your thoughts:

EFI motors need injectors flowing at near 100 % capacity - they run leaner than carbs by nature. So any restriction can toss a wrench into the mix.

When the motor is shut off, the waxes in the fuel sit in the injector. They are baked on as heat soak sets in and evaps the adjacent fuel (no cooling effect from fuel moving at this point). The wax deposits can turn into hard varnish deposits as they become seriously vulcanized. Ergo varnishing.

I would note that pintle style injectors seem to be more prone to this clogging than disk and other newer style squirters. And the middle injectors in a bank seem to get baked more than the outer injectors.

MS, I value your thoughts - lemme know whatcha think.
 
steemin said:
IN my opinion the best way to resolve your concerns
(maybe it is not necessary but you will probably sleep better)is to pour the appropriate amount of Stabil into your fuel tank and start the car up.
Let it run until the engine temp gets up to normal operating levels and the Stabil has a chance to circulate thru the system. Shut it off.Let it cool then park it back in the garage with the cover on. This also allows you to hear the engine run one more time before Winter hibernation :)
I would also consider installing a battery tender or disconnecting the positive terminal from the battery post over the Winter as well.
Scott

I agree, even the Owners Manual recommends putting Stabil in the car. I dont bother disconnecting my battery as I run the car up to operating Temp about once a month to keep everything in working order.
 
Hissin, no problems at all. After 2 years I was expecting a little fartin' and popping but it did not miss a beat. I only let it run for 30 seconds or so because it had no radiator on the first start up. I just wanted to hear it run before I pulled it back into shape & welded the new radiator support on. Even after I was able to let it run up to full temp, no problems. We joked about driving around with 2002 gas in 2004. I didn't fill it back up until it had less than a 1/4 tank left.

I see Jerry every now and then. He brought the wagon by the house to show me the new rear skins he put on it a couple of weeks ago. I occasionally hear reports of some "skinny guy" driving my wagon around town :rlaugh: so Jerry must be gettin' around ok.
 
Bobcat, I hear ya man. I have some fuel around that is ~ 8 years old (can we still call it fuel?).

I heard that Jerry's better half was a real terror behind the wheel of your wagon too. :D
 
Yeah, he said he bought the wagon for "her to drive", but I've seen only Jerry behind the wheel! :shrug: Go figure. :D
I've been tellin' him to put a 150 horse shot on the thing and hit a high 10. That low compression motor is BEGGIN' for the bottle!
One of these days I'll get up to Gainesville with him and help re-sort out the car with him. He needs some good ol' seat time at the track to wring the best outta that wagon. He's got a tenth in the bank on me driving the car just on our weight diff alone! :rlaugh:
Me--240
Him--140 soaking wet!