Hi gat803,
I wonder what you know that most don't. Not being an ass to you though. Why does the marine industry and motorcycle & small engine industry use stabilizer so much, especially when we put our engines up for the winter.
I'm also an Ultralight pilot and some of the engines we use, the companies void the warranty if you use ethonol gas. Please educate us with your knowlege that I may be over looking. Please use facts and not just hearsay. Again, not trying to be rude, just want knowledge as maybe I'm doing something wrong with my engines.
So his point of blasting stabilizers is, for the most part, its completely pointless to use them.
I never once said fuel stabilizers weren't a good or useful thing.
You want facts....then offer some. Meanwhile, here are a few...
Fact. Millions of engines run just fine on 10% ethanol doped gasoline.
Fact. These same engines run just fine without any type of aftermarket additive in the gas.
Fact. Ethanol laced fuel will store with no adverse effects for at least a month or so.
Myth. Ethanol gas is the Devil.
Myth. Ethanol fuel will destroy your fuel system.
Myth. Most people know that ethanol gas is bad for fuel systems.
Myth. Running fuel stabilizer in every tank of gas is beneficial in some way.
I can back up my few (though I could come up with many more) facts, by simple observation. Look around. Lots of power toys running very well with no great uptake in sales of stabilizers. We can surmise this because we're not ass deep in empty fuel stabilizer containers.
While you could call it hearsay, lots of people relate their experience with un-stabilized fuel burning jst fine in whatever toy they take out of off season storage.
As far as my personal experience....I've been building fast power sports engines, and prepping/storing off season toys for over 40 years in the not so fuel friendly conditions of Michigan. Motorcycles/boats/snowmobiles/sand rails/quads/three wheelers, and all of the common yard equipment/weed wackers/chain saws/snow blowers/roto-tillers/etc that use ICE.
It has been my experience that daily dosing of fuel is a waste of time and money. I've seen guys do it, and not once could anyone ever show that it did any good. Or rather that it did anything other than make their user "feel" better.
The simple fact is....gasoline and methanol are, in themselves, fairly strong solvents. This means that they are doing a decent job of keeping the crud out of your fuel tract all by them selves.
The problem shows up when this fuel is allowed to sit for extensive periods. What's extensive? General consensus amongst those with knowledge that I've spoken with (and my own experience) says most times more than six weeks. This is, incidently, just about the same time that it takes for most/all of the gas to evaporate out of your carburetor.
I've spent a lot of time (and made some good money) cleaning carbs for people that leave things sit too long. When pressed, the usual response is "Well, I didn't run the (insert toy of your choice, here) at all last year"....
I love gas stabilizer. A few years ago put a very heavy dose of Stabil in a snowmobile with half a tank (steel tank) of 10% ethanol gas and then put it on a shelf for three years. When we finally took it of the rack it started in about five pulls and we ran that fuel tank dry. It ran perfect.
All of my stored engines get stabilized. I count storage as unused longer than a month. I suggest the same rule of thumb to my friends/customers. No one who uses this method has reported a problem.
You want to use an additive with every tank of gas....it's your money and your engine. My opinion remains. It carries no benefit, other than in your mind....