Fuel Treatment

[Pauper Piscator]

Ok Mea Culpa. Stored the Boat with about 20 gals GAS in the 80 gal tank.

Have not taken off the shrink wrap yet, but getting fired up for hooking the bats back up and turning her over.

Worried about condensation and water in the gas.

I have read regular "dry gas" is not good for marine applications.

Can any of you old salts recommend a product that will get rid of the inevitable condensation/moisture before (or just before) I top her up with new gas at the pump befroe she goes into the slip?

Saw several options at West this weekend, but wanted to pick your brains (so to speak) before I got something.

Thanks in advance.

[maineguideman]

I use the product STA-BIL ita a fuel system cleaner water remover & fuel stabilizer. I use this in conjuction with a Racor fuel separator that has the petcock drain at the bottom I change the fuel separator every season and I only use the fuel additive when I store it. This year my boat is brand new so I havent added the Stabil yet but I installed the fuel water separator first thing. I had a bad fuel water experience one time.

[Roop]

In my discussions with the more experienced boaters that I respect I got two different recommendations for storage: 1. full tank with stabilizer 2. almost no gas with stabilizer.

Last year I added stabilizer and stored it with a full tank of fuel - no problems. This year I stored it with with hardly any and some stabilizer. I plan on filling the tank before I start it up.

Good luck,

Roop

[Bob Parsons]

Full tanks leave less room for condensation to occur.

[SageBoy]

It's true that you want to store it as full as you can get it. As one has already mentioned when it's full there is no room for condensation to form.

I always make sure that whatever brand of dry gas I put in it has Isophryl in it. This chemical is much better for the fuel system then without.

.02

[Pauper Piscator]

Hindsight is 20/20.

Yep, topping off BEFORE stroage IS a good idea but... didn't do it. Storage period almost over. Heavy use period about to start.

So...any futher thoughts since going into the wayback machine with Mr. Peabody to last October and topping off at $1.50.gal (sigh) is not an option?

Sorry for my crabbiness. Monday and all.

[Animal Chris]

I used to add some OMC 2+4 fuel treatment to mine. It works on 2 and 4 cycle engines. Mercury has something similar, too.

[Quicksilver]

I think I will wait until tomorrow to weigh in on this one. I am almost positive that for Sta-Bil to be effective it has to be in the fuel before it is stored. Replacing the fuel/water separator should work. I will call Bibeau's Marine tomorrow for their advice.

[Hooper]

Yeah, I would agree with Quicksilver.

A good quality water fuel filter should get you going without much issue. I haven't ever stored my Seacraft with a full tank and have heard the bad news gloom and doom, but I have never had an issue.

I have always added Stabil fuel stabilizer in the fall before she's put away, but then I just twist a new Racor on in the spring without issue...

Good Luck!

[RogerStg]

The whole condensation in the gas is an old wives tale, possibly perpetuated by fuel retailers trying to find an excuse for why the gas you were sold had water in it. In order to get even minimal condensation you need a number of cycles of sudden hot humid weather followed by cold weather. Even with a minor amount of condensation, the alcohol used to provide the octane rating in modern gasoline absorbs the water. That’s why there is no longer a need for dry gas – it just makes people feel proactive to use it.

The bigger culprit is that old gas, even if stabilized, loses its octane rating pretty quickly. The result is that your rig just won’t perform too well at the start of the season if you left it with old gas. These have been my experiences.

FWIW, I left my 70 gallon tank empty all winter. I checked today, and it’s still empty.

Best regards,
Roger

[mendy]

How often should one replace a fuel separator?

[maineguideman]

Rodger stg
Man Ive got to tell you I disagree with you 100%.
I live here in maine and we have hot humid days followed by cool nights almost every day then it can be 90 degrees inland in my garage and just out side the river mouth its in the low 60s with wind off the ocean. Some of the water in fuel tanks may come from bad gas and some may enter thru the fuel tank vent but most comes from condensation every mechanic I have ever talked to says the same
Even if the alchohol in the gas? did absorb the water it doesnt mean the engine can process it.
Some boats are more prone to this than others maybe your vessel & tank are not prone to this. But to say condensation is a wives tale is a little rough.
Ask any one who has ever had to deal with this and I think they will also tell you its no wives tale.
The only thing a mechanic can do is pump the tank dry theres not much money in it, and its a hassel, so there no reason to promote it. All the mechanics I have ever talked to recomend a fuel separator not dry gas. the dry gas gets the water off the bottom of the tank and into the fuel line if there is no separator the water goes to the engine & stalls it. Every one has there own opinion Im not trying to cause any trouble But Ive had some sort of out board driven boat for 27 years and I would not own one with out a separator. Thanks

[Quicksilver]

Rodger stg
Man Ive got to tell you I disagree with you 100%.
I live here in maine and we have hot humid days followed by cool nights almost every day then it can be 90 degrees inland in my garage and just out side the river mouth its in the low 60s with wind off the ocean. Some of the water in fuel tanks may come from bad gas and some may enter thru the fuel tank vent but most comes from condensation every mechanic I have ever talked to says the same
Even if the alchohol in the gas? did absorb the water it doesnt mean the engine can process it.
Some boats are more prone to this than others maybe your vessel & tank are not prone to this. But to say condensation is a wives tale is a little rough.
Ask any one who has ever had to deal with this and I think they will also tell you its no wives tale.
The only thing a mechanic can do is pump the tank dry theres not much money in it, and its a hassel, so there no reason to promote it. All the mechanics I have ever talked to recomend a fuel separator not dry gas. the dry gas gets the water off the bottom of the tank and into the fuel line if there is no separator the water goes to the engine & stalls it. Every one has there own opinion Im not trying to cause any trouble But Ive had some sort of out board driven boat for 27 years and I would not own one with out a separator. Thanks
Add me to the list.

[RogerStg]

Rodger stg
Man Ive got to tell you I disagree with you 100%.
I live here in maine and we have hot humid days followed by cool nights almost every day

How many of those days did you have this winter? :confused:

This thread is about winter storage, you seem to be talking about something else, which changes the context. ;)

I have a water separator on my boat, never said you shouldn't have one. Just said condensation in a boat's fuel tank is not normally the culprit. Plenty of other ways for water to get in fuel: runoff at the gas station and condensation in their tanks, by the vent line, bad gasket in the fuel cap, etc.

BTW, if your mechanic tells you he is pumping the tank "dry" because of water, he's taking you for a fool. The water will gather at the bottom of the tank, where the pickup is. You just need to pump out the water and leave the gas.

Of course, you don't have to believe me, I'm just relaying my experiences and how they coincide with the science I've read. An explanation of why I don't get condensation over the winter, and why I can run my (trailered) boat all season long with 1/4 to 1/2 tank (70 gal) without water in the gas would be appreciated, however.

Best regards,
Roger (no "d" please)

[RogerStg]

How often should one replace a fuel separator?

It depends, though I usually change mine once a year. The unit is basically just a filter, and because of the way it's configured, water will naturally gather in the bottom, until it is full, then be passed along to the motor. If you suspect any water in the gas, you can empty the filter into a clear container and see if it separates out. The filter can be reinstalled.

[maineguideman]

Just trying to have a disscusion on the subject. It always gets nasty on this board when people disagree. My point is that condensation is not a wives tale we werent discussing the winter coditions. Just the water in the fuel tank issue in General and when I had a bad water problem I just had the tank pumped dry, from the sending unit hole it was a small tank and it was better to just get it all out and start fresh. The Mechanic wasnt playing me for a fool.

Several times this winter I have seen a discussion turn visious. I dont know if it the Passion for fishing & boating or waiting for fish to return etc. I just disagreed with you on the condensation issue I wasnt trying to imply you were wrong just posting an opinion. It gets to the point where you dont want to get in on a discussion for fear of being attacked for your opinion.

Once again sorry, I had a bad summer with water in the fuel and had to come up with some equipment and practices to deal with it. I thaught my experiences might help Pauper piscator avoid the same thing.

[RogerStg]

No nastiness taken or dished out from me. I write in a matter of fact style because I'm not talented enough to convey feelings, just information. Please don't read too much into it. I'm just looking for and conveying information, and am not interested in uninformed opinion. After all, you did disagree with me 100% even though I did not speak about the issue you addressed. To which I took no offense, just pointed out the context issue.

The knowledge that I have about this issue is that my empty 70 gallon built in tank does not accumulate any noticable condensation over the winter. I also know that my motor runs about 800 rpms slower with 6 month old gas and is a dog out of the hole (stabilized does not prevent octane loss). It would be intersting to hear from someone that had lots of water in their tank from leaving it empty for the winter.

Best regards,
Roger

[Quicksilver]

This afternoon I finally got to stop by Bibeau's Marine. I described the situation as described in the opening post. Jeff was super in giving his advice. He wanted to know more about the boat and motor, but I obviously didn't have specific details. Long story short. Too late for STA-BIL now, the time for that additive is before the gas and motor are put away. Ideally, if you are going to put STA-BIL in the gas don't do it at the last minute. The goal is to get treated gasoline in the motor. According to Jeff STA-BIL is a product that preserves gasolines octane rating. Jeff and I both figured that any boat with an 80 gallon gas tank must have a fuel/water separator. (If you don't ya gotta get one now)! He says some fuel/water separators have a filter that looks similar to an oil filter. That type should be changed every year. The Racor filter is clear and has a petcock on the bottom. He says that just by looking at the filter one can see if there is water contamination. If there is water in the Racor it can be drained off with the petcock without replacing the filter element. Jeff also says to check the fuel filter bowls for the carburator(s) for signs of water.