How long can it sit before it goes bad? Engine Car

In.

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In the John Travolta (Scientology) sci-fi movie "Battlefield Earth", it was the year 3000ad, aliens took over long ago and people were like pets and lost the ability to verbally communicate. Some humans escaped and found some moss covered Harrier jets from the 20th century, got in, fired them right up no problem, and hovered around defeating the aliens.

You guys are just talking about old cars, so what's the big deal?

 

I recently discovered that chainsaw fuel has no ethanol and already has Sta-Bul in it. The only downside that I can find is that it costs in the neighborhood of $22 per gallon.

 

In some of the posts we are to believe that gas that is 30 years old can be still good enough to fire an engine?

 

To the OP.
A good rule of thumb is to fire em up once a month and let them idle for 45 min. to maintain "homeostasis" (unless of course you enjoy repairing and replacing.) I only use "real" gas and I make my rounds with a good hot battery and starting fluid. I will pull the auto transmissions in gear to make sure they are still pulling and the brakes work. We have fired up some old (ancient) 4 bangers that had been sitting for ages. Sometimes the oil will get thick and clumpy requiring an oil change and bath but as far as I know, old American iron has an indefinite expiration date. The only things that go bad (to my knowledge) are the "perishables," rubber, cork, stuff like that. And of course it's not good to leave straight water in one either due to freezing. There are many folks on here more knowledgeable than myself, this is just my 2 cents.

 

For storage purposes Coleman fuel (aka "Blazo" or "White Gas") naptha is tough to beat. First distillate of gasoline, octane of about 50 so it won't run very well but it doesn't turn to gum or varnish. This stuff is used in lanterns and stoves, and lasts indefinitely pretty much. I've read it is used in items like "jaws of life" and other stuff that has to start first time every time. Just the ticket for generators or things where people aren't good about draining at the end of the season.

 

better to be beat on, than piled on. get them out of the garage and drive-em.

 

Sat inside, luckily, over 50 years. Purrs like a *****cat now. New gas tank, fuel line, fuel pump, carb rebuild, tuneup parts, oil, filter, battery, radiator recore, water pump rebuild, all new brake parts.

 

Old thread but thought id throw in my 2 cents. My dad got to where he uses recreational vehicle gas. It's 85 and 90 octane I think. He says it stores better and his ot car runs better on it than the 93 octane e10. Only available at one station in town and is the same price as 93 octane e10 last he filled up, his car usually sits at least 3 months at a time and is only driven short distances. But it's made for boats so there is no ethanol. Most regular pumps sell e10 (10% ethanol), ethanol is basically alcohol and attracts water. After 1 month a tank of summer 93 octane premium will get pretty skunky, at least it does for me. I've got 1/2 a tank in my truck and its been sitting 2-3 months already getting work done, will be a few more before its done so I expect to have to drain this ****, all 10 gallons down the sh*tter.... The key to getting the rubber hose to last is using high pressure fuel injection hose, they usually keep it in the back of the store and like to sell the cheap stuff to everyone. The efi hose is a different type of rubber and I don't know anyone whose had those hoses come apart like the standard fuel hoses.

 

"In" on a 6 year old zombie thread and a 1st post... not the record but close.

 

Manufacturers say to drain your tanks if it will sit for 3 months: http://ethanolrfa.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Evaluation-of-Water-Uptake-by-Ethanol-RFA-09-16.pdf