preserving gasoline?

[Clay]

How can you preserve gasoline, and how long will it stay good and usable??

Will products like Sta-bil work for large quantities, ie 55 gallon drum?

 

[boljr01]

How can you preserve gasoline, and how long will it stay good and usable??

Will products like Sta-bil work for large quantities, ie 55 gallon drum?

Haven't used a 55 drum exactly, but one of my boats has a 44gal tank and sta-bil keeps it for 6+ months every winter (Oct-March).

 

[10ring]

I use Sta-bil and have for years in my cars (vette, etc.) that gets stored for the winter, lawn equipment, and motorcycles and it has always worked well. No reason it should not work with a 55 gallon drum as long as you achieve the right mixture.

 

[MarkR]

The fuel stabilizers I'm familiar with and have used are Sta-Bil and Pri-G (there is also Pri-D for Diesel fuel). Both should stabilize and preserve gasoline for a minimum of a year. The label on Pri-G says it "preserves the freshness of gasoline for years" but doesn't specify the exact shelf life. Its probably just marketing, but should give some confidence that gas would be good for a year or two.

 

[Jack Ryan]

50 gallons is not really all that much when you are using it, but it's significant increase in cost if you start treating it with stabilizer.

Instead of treating it, just use it up and replace it once a month or so.

Starting on labor day, I always start treating fuel I use in any small engine just in case it sits all winter and the stabilizer in that use is a bargain. I treat the chainsaw gas when ever I mix any up after labor day, treat what I put in the tank of the lawn mower or any other as I put it in the equipment. Every thing else just get's used regularly and replaced. I buy gas cans when I see them are garage and yard sales so I can keep about 60 gallons now in 5 gallon cans. The other thing you can do is use those 5 gallon pickle buckets or paint buckets. Just leave the screw on cap a little loose or the temp changes will pop the top off or worse. I keep about 50 gallons of diesel year round in those.

 

[jedi]

With Sta-Bil if you double the doseage you can keep gas for up to 2 years. However I would NOT recommend keeping gas longer than 2 years as it may "damage" your engine the older the gas is.

"damage" as in the older gasoline is (with or without a fuel stabilzer) the more "gummy" it becomes and thus the more possibility of the fuel leaving behind "gummy" deposits in you engine which overtime build up and can lead to engine failure.

Does fuel go bad on 2 years, 1 day after you add the stabiler. Yes and No. There is no set timeline in which at the 23rd hour of the 700th day the fuel will be gummyand not liquidiy but the longer you keep the fuel the more easily it becomes gummy. It's not going to be gummy like a gummy worm it will still flow like water but the chemical makeup on the molecular level will have changed somewhat. In addition from the chevron website (R&D section) I have read that the older the fuel is the less "effectient" it is so your engie must work a bit harder. Just like medicine. After the expiration date it does not go 'bad" like milk but the effectincess of it decresses.


Side note check you local ordinance becuase you may or may not be able to store 55 gallons of gasoline on your property (even in a 55 gallon tank). Some communities DO NOT allow it permit, no permit, proper fuel tank, etc..

Also while a 55 gallon drum is great for storing large sums what are you going to use it (gas) for? You may consider some smaller 20/16gal marine caddies and have them scattered over your properly in case one goes BOOM, gets stolen,or you need to bug out. It's better to have many smaller units and be able to move them around then just 1 source that you can not move. (eg. Don't put all your eggs in one basket)

 

[bradp]

Hey Clay, If that is race gas you can't keep it good. You have to bring it to my house and I can get rid of it for you.

 

[Clay]

Hey Clay, If that is race gas you can't keep it good. You have to bring it to my house and I can get rid of it for you.

 

[CarmelHP]

As has been noted, gasoline builds gums and varnishes over time, it's much better to continuously rotate your stock than to rely on a preserver. Diesel, by the way, stays usable much longer (for those with diesel engine vehicles).

 

[kludge]

Buy gas every 6 months and the use it when the weather changes.

Buy winter gas now. Use it up in May and buy summer gas; then buy winter gas in November. Lather rinse repeat.

Fuel staibilizer is not a bad idea, but if you're only storing 6 months at a time for SHTF, it's probably not neccesary.

 

[thirty cal]

Just convert every thing to steam power. Wood last alot longer and the earth is over 3/4 water. People may make fun of the amish but a lot can be learned from them. They are used to living without the things we take for granted.

 

[tal35]

gas

I had always heard that 1 year or so was tops on the gas with stabil. I would buy it in 5 gallon jugs though, it is a lot easier to buy and use in my opinion.

 

[Gump]

I store gas in 55 gallon drums for my generator. I put 32 oz. of Stabil in before filling. I fiugre it gets mixed up better as I add the gas to the Stabil, then it sloshes around, mixing more as I drive it home. I keep it for 2 years, then I use it in my suburban and Honda Pilot. I feel that drums are the safest method for storing large amounts of gasoline. Just remember to leave some room in the drum for expansion in the summer heat. I should also note that I do not and would not store the drums in the house/attached garage. Keep them in a shed or garage detached from your house.
Gump

 

[Gunfan]

Harbor Freight has barrel pumps (hand operated) for 24.99 in case anyone is interested. I bought one today because I plan on storing a couple of drums myself. Before I do, I wanted to know a little more. Should there be an air hole in the drum, or should I make it air tight? Also, how much room for expansion?

 

[Gump]

I put 50 gallons in 55 gallon drum and seal the bungs tight. We get chemicals in at work like this and we've never had any kind of problems that I know of. They take a beating being moved all over the plant too.

 

[Warwagon]

I use Sta-bil for my gasoline and change it out every Winter. 1 year is when I rotate my fuel supplies. I know they can last 2-3, but I want a fresh shelf life. Especially for something I use daily.