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Drain or treat fuel for long-term storage

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post tenebras lux
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Gary
Hi,
So, on motorcycles and/or small engines like generators, what are your thoughts on draining vs treating the fuel, and/or running the carb dry.
I already use no ethanol fuel. I've used mostly sea foam in the past for winter storage.

Would you drain the tank if using no ethanol gas/seafoam?
Leave/treat the fuel in the tank, but run the carb dry?
Fully drain the system?
Thoughts on seafoam vs stabil vs ???

Thanks,
 
I prefer to fill the tank as full as possible with stabilized fuel, so that there's less opportunity for the tank to rust on the inside. I like seafoam but I don't know that there's much difference among the different fuel additives.
 
I don't know about Seafoam in general but I simply have a low opinion of it because most people think of it as the wonder cure for cleaning a dirty varnished carb (which it isn't).

My vote is to use something like Stabil and fill the tank, as others have mentioned. An empty metal tank will rust but I would still be sure to drain the fuel bowls if it has a carb setup. It is worth asking though exactly how long you are going to store it? Might be a few other things worth doing, like fogging the cylinders..
 
I try to run machines like this at least every couple of months to avoid the need for more intense long term storage processes, e.g. fogging cylinders, but... we all know how that goes some times.
 
Well you asked for the $0.02 worth....
The Wing has 4 carbs, in the past I've used every stabilizer known and sometimes have had trouble. There are lengthy discussions on the subject on every forum I frequent. One point made about draining carbs is this will allow the rubber in the carbs to dry out, didn't try it myself, but might have merit. I've for several years now been adding 1 oz. (cheap) ATF per gallon of gas to the tank. The tank normally is very close to full, if not full. Previous to doing this routine the carbs were required to be rebuilt twice (either clogging and/or leaking). Since the Wing isn't ridden very often, I've found that this seems to be quite effective.
 
I use marine grade (green) Staybil. After setting some time I always do a visual on small engines and a sniff test. If anything appears wrong or smell like varnish I drain the tank and refill with fresh gas. I bought a battery operated gas pump from Harbor Freight for less than 10 bucks. The thing works good and uses one D cell battery. . I know I don't get all the gas out but with the influx of 95 % new gas I have not had any problem with lawnmowers. I installed a plastic gas cut off valve on my rider mower and run it out each time because it leaked gas into oil once.
My M/C I don't ever let gas get over a month or two old and have had no problems.
I have been told Marine Staybil is better than regular. Who knows? It costs more so it has to be better, right.:mrgreen:
 
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I have been told Marine Staybil is better than regular. Who knows? It costs more so it has to be better, right.:mrgreen:


Absolutely! Put the word "marine" in front of anything and it's better. Also works with the words "Corvette" and "Harley".
 
I use marine grade (green) Staybil. After setting some time I always do a visual on small engines and a sniff test. If anything appears wrong or smell like varnish I drain the tank and refill with fresh gas. I bought a battery operated gas pump from Harbor Freight for less than 10 bucks. The thing works good and uses one D cell battery. . I know I don't get all the gas out but with the influx of 95 % new gas I have not had any problem with lawnmowers. I installed a plastic gas cut off valve on my rider mower and run it out each time because it leaked gas into oil once.
My M/C I don't ever let gas get over a month or two old and have had no problems.
I have been told Marine Staybil is better than regular. Who knows? It costs more so it has to be better, right.:mrgreen:
Sounds like some good advice. I recently added a cutoff on my riding mower for the same reason.
More expensive is always better, right? ;-)

Well you asked for the $0.02 worth....
The Wing has 4 carbs, in the past I've used every stabilizer known and sometimes have had trouble. There are lengthy discussions on the subject on every forum I frequent. One point made about draining carbs is this will allow the rubber in the carbs to dry out, didn't try it myself, but might have merit. I've for several years now been adding 1 oz. (cheap) ATF per gallon of gas to the tank. The tank normally is very close to full, if not full. Previous to doing this routine the carbs were required to be rebuilt twice (either clogging and/or leaking). Since the Wing isn't ridden very often, I've found that this seems to be quite effective.

I've heard of doing this for carbon buildup removal in heads - slowly feeding a pint or so of ATF through the intake while running up the revs up/down on the engine, then one more round, and shutting it down for an hour, then running the heck out of it on the road for a 1/2 hr. My dad did that on an early 70's Ford that was said to have had a bad rod. After the treatment, it purred. I would think the ATF would help preserve rubber seals, too, even if it's run dry. :shrug:
 
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I've never heard of the atf thing bit I do know my ktm 2 stroke has fired up and run well after sitting for a good while. I've never put any stabilizer in it, just premix. So I can see where the atf might do the trick.
 
I was driving in Tallahassee yesterday and saw Marine 0 fuel at a station yesterday and was wondering if it is worthwhile or beneficial for motorcycles in any way. 0 Ethanol seems like a godsend for the perishable rubber parts. Not sure what other benefit is from the Marine part of it other than at the time I was thinking maybe it has stabilizer added to it already?
 
Sounds like some good advice. I recently added a cutoff on my riding mower for the same reason.
More expensive is always better, right? ;-)



I've heard of doing this for carbon buildup removal in heads - slowly feeding a pint or so of ATF through the intake while running up the revs up/down on the engine, then one more round, and shutting it down for an hour, then running the heck out of it on the road for a 1/2 hr. My dad did that on an early 70's Ford that was said to have had a bad rod. After the treatment, it purred. I would think the ATF would help preserve rubber seals, too, even if it's run dry. :shrug:

IN theory you can do the same with water and supposedly it is the vapor/steam action during combustion that cleans the carbon crud off. You just have to be able to keep the bike running and not get dopey with how much water you pour in so as to not hydrolock stuff.
 
I'm a huge fan of Startron fuel additive. I've had year-old gas that worked just fine. One ounce per 2.5 gallons seems to work very well.

I've quit draining my small gas engines as it seems to make the rubber bits go bad. Only real issue is evaporation over a long period of time.
 
I use both regular Red Stabil and Marine which is Green. Don't know really if there is a difference other than color. I was told marine works better. Best thing is to drain old gas, it never is much. I but it in an old tank and months later use it for burning brush or pour lightly on my long gravel driveway in spots to kill those goat head stickers that love gravel. I know EPA, but they oil the roads. Any other suggestions of what to do with old gas?
 
I use both regular Red Stabil and Marine which is Green. Don't know really if there is a difference other than color. I was told marine works better. Best thing is to drain old gas, it never is much. I but it in an old tank and months later use it for burning brush or pour lightly on my long gravel driveway in spots to kill those goat head stickers that love gravel. I know EPA, but they oil the roads. Any other suggestions of what to do with old gas?

Pour gas in a 55 gal drum, pack tightly with empty feed sacks and ignite. Also, dont get burned. :eek2:

Ps, no, don't do this.
 
I'm a drain the carb and fill the tank kind of guy, too. Even back before ethanol in gasoline, jets would gum up if left for months on end with fuel in them.

As for old fuel, just put it in the car - even premix in small amounts. There is no telling what contaminants are in the fuel at the pump and state testing used to be little more than a tester looking at a beaker full of fuel and judging if it "looks" cloudy. If you're worried about 2 gallons of 10 month old gas mixing with 15 gallon of fresh stuff, then add some injector cleaner, too.
 
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