Do I need fuel stabilizer?


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Old 08-13-21, 11:41 AM
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Do I need fuel stabilizer?

I always assume I need to put fuel stabilizer in motorcycle (and lawn mower) in the off season or else the fuel would go bad and gum up the fuel injectors or carburetors. Then I recently read the reason fuel go bad is because the gasoline (majority component of fuel) evaporates and leave behind fuel addictive and these additive is what is gumming up, and all fuel stabilizer do is prevent the gasoline from evaporating.

If I tighten the gas tank cap so gasoline cannot evaporate, then I don't need to use fuel stabilizer?
 
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Old 08-13-21, 11:56 AM
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With small engines I've always run them dry before putting them up for the season. Done so for over 40 yrs and never no fuel issues when it comes time to use them again. I've recently started adding stabil to last tank although I doubt it's needed.
 
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Old 08-13-21, 01:01 PM
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Every fuel tank is vented so no matter how hard you tighten the cap the lighter more volatile hydrocarbons will evaporate away. And, even gasoline stored in a completely sealed container will still degrade and form varnish. Automotive gasoline is a very high volume product intended for immediate use and it is not refined for long term storage.

Running the machines out of gas and completely emptying the fuel system is the best long term storage method for an engine.

Fuel stabilizer can help gas last longer without forming varnish. It does nothing to stop the lighter volatiles from evaporating away so even old, stabilized gas is harder to ignite and can cause starting trouble in some machines.
 
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Old 08-13-21, 02:40 PM
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fuel go bad is because the gasoline (majority component of fuel) evaporates and leave behind fuel addictive and these additive is what is gumming up
fuel stabilizer bonds with gasoline to prevent evaporation.
Actually it's the opposite, it slows the evaporation of volatile hydrocarbons which leave all the crud behind!
 
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Old 08-13-21, 07:00 PM
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yes u need it
 
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Old 08-16-22, 08:56 AM
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I would definitely use stabilizer and I'm not a Sta-Bil fan, I use StarTron in my mower, chainsaw, outboard, and weed whackers. Buy the good concentrated StarTron if you can find it, those little unconcentrated bottles in the auto parts stores go quickly. You will use a fraction of the concentrated version at a fraction of the price when you figure it out.

Sta-Bil coagulated on me once in my outboard and stranded me 7 miles from the marina and I had to be rescued. It turned into a brownish snot-looking glob that got stuck in the fuel connector of the power head. The only Sta-Bil product that I used in Sta-Bil 360 in the fuel tank of my classic car when I store it since its supposed to create a protection of the inside of the tank as well as stabilize the fuel. StarTron says that it stabilizes fuel for 2 years as compared to 1 year with Sta-Bil.
 
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Old 08-16-22, 11:07 AM
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There is a small engine youtube channel called Tyrell fixes all. He did a test on stabilizers. Here is the results video.
See what you think. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iWL7p0Pnb8Y
 
 

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