Ok, my fuel tank holds 123 gallons. After talking to several people i have several answers. Should i store my boat full of treated gas to avoid condensation or empty(or close to it) to avoid stinky fuel…Almost seems like either way i could be screwed. I do have filters and would run off a tank in the lake before spring offshore trips.thanks for any advice.
Top it off with treated fuel (Stabilizer and either ringfree or quickleen). An empty tank will breathe, create condensate, and foul any remaining fuel. A full tank will stay fresh until spring. I’m sure others on here will day the opposite, but this method works for myself and others up north who lay boats up for 6+ months.
Iain Pelto
Edgewater 185CC “Jumpin’ Bean II”
Native Manta Ray 14
leave it as empty as you can and treat the fuel thats in the tank. Don’t forget to run the engines so the treated fuel reaches the carbs/fuel pumps/Injectors(if its injected) etc… Spring time rolls around, top if off with fresh fuel to dilute the fuel in the tank with fresh. Condenstation from sitting low on fuel is total BS, I’ve posted here before where I’ve actually had a fuel tank that had 1/4 tank, I moved the tank all around, under objects, out in the sun, left out over night, under covers, never got a bit of condensate in it. Treated fuel ended up smelling pretty bad though. The fuel mixes we get now go bad pretty quick, if theres any ethanol in it, it will absorb and hold water, I’d rather have a few gallons, even if it has condensate in it, than 100 plus gallons of old fuel
Full and treated. Even ethanol free gas will condensate over a period of time. Ethanol gas is much worse but any gas will condensate over a period of time.
Mr Hardware
FULL!!! put some ring free or stabil and run it a little bit after puting treated fuel in your tank to get it into your engine and you will be fine come summer time. what kind of motor is it?
197 poineer F150
31 yellowfin twin 275
I have a question to go along with this one. I have a 2003 key west/90hp yama that I need to winterize due to a last minute job trip for a couple of months. I currently have nearly a full tank of gas that is ETHONAL FREE. Would it be in my best interest to burn it off/syphon it off, or do I need to add some type of additive to it that would last till the end of April? Also what tips does anyone have to winterize the boat, as this will be my first season having to winterize. Thanks to all and Merry Christmas!
“Son, if you really want something in this life, you have to work for it. Now quiet! They’re about to announce the lottery numbers.” - Homer Simpson
So I should be good with ring free or stabil then? I’m trying to be very carefull since this is my very first boat and very first winter with it.
“Son, if you really want something in this life, you have to work for it. Now quiet! They’re about to announce the lottery numbers.” - Homer Simpson
Use Stabil and ring free (or quickleen). Stabil keeps the fuel from degrading and the ring free cleans carbon deposits.
Iain Pelto
Edgewater 185CC “Jumpin’ Bean II”
Native Manta Ray 14
Thanks everyone, your advice helps…Harbour shocker its a 2008 e-tec 250.
empty…condensation will be caught by the filter…my boat was out of use for 3 1/2 months due to lighting strike…had marine stabile in it but still had to drain the tanks and replace low and high pressure fuel filters on the engines for it to run over 3800 rpms…treat your gas then run it out…stabile helps but it is not a cure
26’ Twinvee Cat
Twin Suzuki 175’s
www.creeksidemetalworks.com
quote:
Originally posted by Phil-LoSo I should be good with ring free or stabil then? I’m trying to be very carefull since this is my very first boat and very first winter with it.
“Son, if you really want something in this life, you have to work for it. Now quiet! They’re about to announce the lottery numbers.” - Homer Simpson
Yamalube now makes a ring free + fuel additive. Just purchased at West Marine in Mt. Pleasant. One OZ. per 10 gallons. I wonder if you use this product and have fuel related issues if Yamaha will still honor their warranty? Fuel for thought.[:0]
“Sometimes I think it’s a shame, when I start feelin better when I’m feelin no pain…”.
GW 205
F200 Yam
You can not stablize old fuel(period). Yamahas web site has some good info, as for winterizing fuel injected engines yamaha wants the VST drained also.
Is there any way to occasionally run your boats with muffs? The extra effort is worth it for you will be passing gas (ha) thru the system and lubrication your cylinders etc. I have never had a problem with gas if you constantly run your motor thruout the winter. I do add some stabil though for good luck.
kms
in the old days (3-4 years ago) when we had real gasoline, i was 100% in agreement with storeing the tank full. now, the ethanol fuel begins to degrade so quickly, that I say leave it as empty as possible. you guys that preach the condensation issue, how much condensation do you think you are going to get over the storage period??? lets say its a 50 gallon tank, and its holding 15 gallons of fuel. 1-2-3cups of water???
I would much rather have a little water in the bottom of the tank, that the F/w seperator will remove, than 50 gallons of low octane, orange, skunky fuel.
the first time you run it after storage, pump the primer bulb, and drain your filters, and add fresh fuel. we store boats here over the winter all the time, and even with stabil, startron,quickleen, seafoam, ringfree, marvel mysteryoil, vanilla extract, oilofolay, miracle grow, or rogain, the little bit of potential water, is alot easier and cheaper to deal with than 50 gallons of bad fuel. this is especially true for 2 stroke engine, that are much more likely to have detonation failures
You cannot dilute good fuel with bad fuel This article will tell you why
http://www.yamaha-motor.com/outboard/events/dynamicevent/3/1175/yamaha_boaters_log_vol_2_no_1.aspx
Capt Ed and Chris V agree…Ill go with what yall say. near empty, treated and run as often as possible is my new storage plan. thanks to everyone who responded.
shain, I agree completely. you still need to add startron or ringfreeplus to your fuel, before storing, and run the engine long enough to get the treatment into the fuel system.
chasman
yes, the more you can run the motor, the fewer problem you are going to have.
Definitly empty for storage nowdays. As stated above, does one want 1/2 gallon or so of cruddy watery gas in the tank or 100 gallons of it to deal with it.
I used to think otherwise as well but after pumping thousands of gallons of old cruddy skunky gas out of folks boats, empty is now my choice.
Russ B.
www.joinrfa.org
God is great, Beer is good, People are crazy
Luckily I have an Ethanol free gas station right down the road, so I never have had to worry about that crappy filler.
“Son, if you really want something in this life, you have to work for it. Now quiet! They’re about to announce the lottery numbers.” - Homer Simpson