[Shop-talk] Storing Gasoline; was: Re: OT--car won't start

[Bob Spidell]

FWIW, I've been running a long-term, informal 'experiment' with my lawnmower gas can. I have a small lawn and a 2-gal can; the same gas can sit in the can for a year or more. The inside of the can appears to be just shiny sheet steel, though it may have some sort of transparent coating. The can is about 15 years old, and there isn't a spot of rust nor any sort of gum or residue inside (and this with whatever passes for gasoline in California these days). The lawnmower always starts easily and runs fine (yes, I know lawnmowers don't expect much in the way of fuel, but still ...). 

I have some education/training in chemistry, but have never understood how an organic compound like gasoline--or an inorganic compound, for that matter--can be 'stabilized.' The only thing that seems rational to me is gasoline is a volatile organic compound; some components will vaporize more easily than others and change the composition of the fuel. Moral of the story: store gas in a sealed (can) or nearly sealed (tank) in moderate temperatures. Anything that purports to 'stabilize' gasoline would have to modify its chemical makeup, and possibly its vapor pressure. Not a good idea in general. 

I have a sneaky feeling the makers of fuel 'stabilizers'--like the makers of oil additives--have a nice scam going; if the gas is actually serviceable for a year or more, and people put the 'stabilizer' in to 'preserve' the fuel for a winter layover, they credit the 'stabilizer.' If the engine won't start after some down time, they blame something else. It's a known phenomenon that it makes people feel good to dump something in the gas tank or the crankcase; the additives business has been quite profitable for a long time. Must drive the people that formulate gasoline and oil crazy. 

This is just an observation, a single data point. YMMV . 

Holiday wishes to everyone. 

Bob 


-------------------------------- 
Bob Spidell - San Jose, CA 

----- Original Message -----
From: "Gerald Brazil" <gerrybraz at cablespeed.com> 
To: "Tim" <tputland at charter.net>, shop-talk at autox.team.net 
Sent: Wednesday, December 21, 2011 7:26:51 AM 
Subject: Re: [Shop-talk] OT--car won't start 

I now avoid gas stabilizers like the plague! They have caused more gum up 
than just leaving gas in it. On my lawn equipment I put a cutoff in the fuel 
line and always run them dry. 
_______________________________________________