Old Gasoline
Old Gasoline
(OP)
Has anyone had successful experience using old gasoline? Possibly mixed with new gasoline or something to make it usable in a vehicle or lawnmower??
I found a thread with responses from user rmw that led me to join this forum. I do not know how to look for users.
I have ALOT of old fuel that I'd rather use if I can, instead of calling an oil recycler to come pick it up. If anyone has any ideas, please let me know.
I found a thread with responses from user rmw that led me to join this forum. I do not know how to look for users.
I have ALOT of old fuel that I'd rather use if I can, instead of calling an oil recycler to come pick it up. If anyone has any ideas, please let me know.





RE: Old Gasoline
do you have a very large bonfire scheduled in the near future?
RE: Old Gasoline
I feed it to my cars, a few gallons per tank.
Mike Halloran
Pembroke Pines, FL, USA
RE: Old Gasoline
- Steve
RE: Old Gasoline
RE: Old Gasoline
RE: Old Gasoline
Generally I would say if it has no oil mixed with it and is stored in an airtight container it is OK.
I never use old 2 stroke blend as the lighter fractions evaporate off and leave only the heavier fractions and the oil kills the octane rating over time.
I would blend it of at no more than 10% in a lower performance car, but not in something where the new fuel was of marginal octane for the engine and I would still be concerned that the 2 stroke oil might damage the catalytic converter.
Regards
Pat
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RE: Old Gasoline
Thanks for the mention.
I hadn't run my chainsaw since Hurricane Ike just over 2 years ago and had begun to worry about the gasoline I left in it. Not leaving any was worrysome because when I got it out after Ike the gaskets in the Carb had dried and it poured gasoline for a while until they swelled up again. (it still cut the heck out of some mighty big trees and created a bad case of "chain saw envy" in the neighborhood - it is a large McCullough no longer made.)
I don't know what the threshold is, but with the new gasoline I mixed in to do the trimming of stuff killed by the recent cold weather, I think I must be good for another couple of years again.
rmw
RE: Old Gasoline
The first time I put all the gas in my '88 Chevy pickup, which had TBI. I figured it might be more forgiving than a car with MPFI. It also had a 34 gallon tank, and was about half full, so it was diluted. It ran fine but smelled really bad (exhaust).
The second time I put half of the old gas in my '52 Ford, which burned it off just fine and without any smell. I put the rest in the Chevy truck, which again had no trouble burning it off.
Bottom line, I'd use the gas, diluted maybe 50%, in something that uses a lot of gas, not some fuel-sipping econocar.
RE: Old Gasoline
RE: Old Gasoline
I have some of the same fuel in an 8gal cell that's been there for about 14 years...
Naw! That would be pressing my luck...I'll dump it next time I take my oil cans in to the dump.
Never thought too much about it...Will the oil recycle place take old gasoline?
Rod
RE: Old Gasoline
RE: Old Gasoline
Rod
RE: Old Gasoline
If you are going to bury it, just leave it in an open dish for a day or two, or better still, add it to the solvent in your parts washer, so long as you don't breath the fumes or put your hands in it to much.
Regards
Pat
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RE: Old Gasoline
Rod
RE: Old Gasoline
So far no physical side effects. Some may atribute personality traits to the fumes tough.
Regards
Pat
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RE: Old Gasoline
RE: Old Gasoline
On my long-sitting Porsches, most of the injectors were stuck. I hot-wired the fuel pump and used jumpers to pulse the injectors with 2 gallons of fresh gas and a bottle of Techron circulating. After 5 - 10 pulses I could hear them start clicking. Used that mix to start the engine, have had no problems since.
RE: Old Gasoline
Old gas in hand started equipment may just get you a sore shoulder unless you mix it with some hi-octane stuff or warm the engine up before introducing it.
RE: Old Gasoline
Florance, Colorado, winter 1964...starting an old six cylinder Lincoln welder...Oxy-acetylene torch to 'warm 'er up' a bit. Well, let's add a little of the mix to the aircleaner to give it a boost. Hit the starter button...BOOOOOOOOOOM...exit about half the cylinder head, stage left!!!
No worries, mate! Boss hated that POS welder anyway. Whew!
Rod
RE: Old Gasoline
I bought an old general store/gas station,converted it into a cafe, & recently found the old tanks in the ground need to be emptied and removed. 1000 gallons of gas in there since 2000. The state guy that came to check it says, there is no water in it- but it smells old.
Maybe I can bottle it and sell it as parts cleaner to mechanics??? =)
RE: Old Gasoline
RE: Old Gasoline
RE: Old Gasoline
Evaporation of oxygenating additives such as ethanol or MTBE can happen at a pretty surprising rate leaving "base stock", more or less...The 'bad smell'.
I would still try to avoid using fuel that has been in undetermined storage for anything save, feeding my gophers.
Rod
RE: Old Gasoline
RE: Old Gasoline
RE: Old Gasoline
If it is that old, it most likely was not formulated with any Ethanol. It might have MBTE, but that's not bad, however it might have tetraethyl lead that's bad.
Try it in an older car without a catalytic converter first...
B.E.
RE: Old Gasoline
I'd be suspicious of the report that it has NO water in it especially if it is that old. One reason that the gas is 'old' is what can have evaporated off has evaporated off. It is gasoline's high vapor pressure that keeps it from having a tendency to collect water. I have my doubts about the vapor pressure on the top of that gasoline is what it was in 2000. At least with an underground tank it had less tendency to "breathe" as ambient temperatures fluctuate.
If it were mine, I'd mix it in smaller quantities with good fresh gas and have 1000 gallons less of gas to have to buy in the upcoming months. The question is; can you pump it in such a manner so as to be able to mix it in with your good gasoline little by little over time.
If so, your gopher will live longer too. If not, the gasoline won't kill him, it will drown him.
rmw
RE: Old Gasoline
Don't worry about that gopher...I shot that sucker several years ago. ["It's a joke, son"!...Foghorn Leghorn.]
Rod
RE: Old Gasoline
RE: Old Gasoline
RE: Old Gasoline
Mike Halloran
Pembroke Pines, FL, USA
RE: Old Gasoline
But how did that get into this thread?
rmw