| Author | Message | ||
     Johnboy777 |
I use Sta-Bil to stabilize my fuel in the fuel tank of my Uly for the winter. Here’s my question. The Sta-Bil I have on the shelf is about 3 years old. I think it may be stale, so is it? How can you tell? How long does Sta-Bil last and should I have used something to stabilize my Sta-Bil. And if so ‘what’…more Sta-Bil? Thanks . | ||
| Zane_t |
If there was a shelf life on Sta-Bil, it would say so on the container. My attitude is as long as it's capped it'll be fine. As cheap as that stuff is though, when in doubt, get a new bottle. | ||
| Panhead_dan |
Chuck it. Sta-bil now makes a product for ethanol fuel and that is what you need. The old stuff will make e-fuel worse. You will likely get lots of responses saying you should use some other brand. Some of these other brands actually have alcohol in them. Use the new Sta-bil. It works. | ||
| Johnboy777 |
Thanks Panhead - didn't know they had a new one. I always try to avoid ethanol when I can. . | ||
| 7873jake |
There are likely lots of naysayers but I've always had problems when I didn't use it and encountered few, if any, when I did use it. Sooo... As Stabil ages, it gets a grittiness about it and, if its the old red stuff, as Panhead Don says, it can make your life miserable in the spring. I've had the old red stuff sit for so long that when I went to dispose of it correctly, it has a grit in the fluid that was both visable and obvious to the touch. I think that bottle was about 4-5 years old. The new red stuff addresses the ethanol issues but for my money, the marine (blue) is worth the extra $ or two, especially in Florida. If you can find the blue, buy a new bottle and start over. Blue addresses water in the fuel and ethanol concerns for storage. I've used it in boats for several years now and have had great luck. (Message edited by 7873jake on October 16, 2010) | ||
| Froggy |
I honestly feel its a waste. My XB sat rotting for 9 months in my garage after a wreck. It fired up without much fuss after charging the battery. The E10 gas was fine. | ||
| Someday |
There might be less of an issue with fuel injection but with carburetors if the float bowl is full and you lay it up long enough for the gas to evaporate you end up with a substance like varnish coating most of the components in the float bowl. I had this happen to my '98 S3T, the idle jet was clogged but the main jet was free enough for the engine to start but it wouldn't idle. Took it apart and sure enough, varnish coated everything. The new carb cleaners don't do as good a job as the old stuff, I really had to work to get that crap off of everything. Just my .02$ | ||
| Bluzm2 |
I stopped using Sta-bil a number of years ago. It wasn't effective in the bikes or lawnmower. I switched to SeaFoam. It has worked perfectly in all applications. So much so that I use it all year long. I mix it in for gas for all the yard motors and occasionally (once every couple of weeks) toss in a couple of oz in the bikes. Every 3rd tank or so. Remember up here in snow land our bikes and such are in storage from Nov (or so) until April (or so..). I used to have to clean the carb on the snow blower every year. I haven't had to do that since I started using SeaFoam. YMMV | ||
| Natexlh1000 |
I have never used sta-bil. Every F.I. bike I have doesn't care about being stowed away for a few months with just turning off the key. My ironhead? different story! That thing woke up easiest if I turned off the petcock and ran it til the bowl was dry. Otherwise, it would take ether to get it to wake up the first time of the spring. It used to "do" something to the gas if I just let it fester in there. I remember taking out the spark plugs and seeing that they were wet with a "gas-like substance" that wasn't flammable even with a propane torch! But both of my Buells have been troopers about being left in cold storage for three months. | ||
| Arcticktm |
The stuff is so inexpensive I would get new. I have used Sta-bil in any gas I plan to have around more than 30 days for near 20 years with no negative results. Just the red stuff. Never noticed there were other kinds. In plastic tanks, I would drain all the gas in carb and tank, but with steel I like to leave the tank full, to avoid any corrosion in the tank. I also use it in my gas cans for all the lawn/garden/chainsaw stuff. Never had to clean a carb yet, even storing up to 6 months when I lived in northern Minnesota. No experience with any other product. | ||
| Sprintex |
I had a boat I winterized and added sta-bil to a full tank of gas, I didn't use it for two years, when I went to sell it, started right up ran fine, I did top off with fresh gas. So over winter everything not used gets it. | ||
| 7873jake |
Arcticktm, the blue stuff is only a few years old (that I know of) and is a marine formula. I use it here in Florida because of the high humidity, wide temperature changes (condensation) and length of time some of my equipment sits before next use. I have noticed that any equipment that has older black rubber fuel lines or parts tends to breakdown at a faster rate with E-fuels. I noticed that when I started using the blue S-B on a more regular basis, I didn't see tell-tale trails of rubber breaking down in the filter elements or on my fingers when I serviced those items. | ||
| Sfarson |
Been a regular user of fuel stabilizers over the winter, but rethinking my practice as my riding friend tells me he puts his bike away in October, does nothing but put the battery on a tender, and come April the bike fires right up. No stabilizer for 6-7 months. No issues. | ||
| Tootal |
I think a lot of it is what gas did you put in there. Premium usually has cleaning agents in it and it seems to last longer. I never add anything to my fuel over the winter, even on my carbed bike. My garage is kept above freezing and by the time it starts to warm up enough for condensation I'm already riding! My buddy was reading the side of a can of sea foam. Can be used as a gas stabilizer. Everybody that has used that stuff seems to praise it. | ||
| Towpro |
When I moved (16 years ago) I had a lawn mower I did not need anymore. I put fuel with sta-bil in it, parked it outside and put an old pot over the motor. Every spring I would start it just to see it run. The 6th summer it did not start. Now I use the Blue Sta-bil in all my power equipment (including my dirt bike) all year. Then I use it in my street bike in the fall/winter time. I really don't stop riding, I just don't ride as much during the winter. I also can buy non E fuel here so I run it in the power equipment. (Message edited by towpro on October 22, 2010) |
