Old Gas Disposal or Use?

[Angelfire]

Hiya Folks,
I just recently relocated back from Ireland after being there 3 years. Before I left, I added stabilizer to all my vehicles and whatever cans of petrol I had on hand. The vehicles have run just fine (started right up in fact....was a bit surprised). With regards to the cans of gas, two of them have mixed oil/gas for a chainsaw and pruner. The chainsaw started right up and is running well on what was left in its tank. Haven't messed with the pruner yet. The ATV started right up and is running well with what was left in the tank as well.

I have a 5gal container for gas for the ATV that has about 2 gallons in it. My thoughts were to add 3 gallons of fresh stuff and just run it. For the chainsaw, I have 1 gallon on hand with room for one more, so same story there, add another gallon of fresh (plus oil of course) and run it. Haven't really thought much about the pruner as I don't need it all that urgently.

Does this sound reasonable or should I be looking to dispose of anything in the cans and starting from scratch with fresh all around? The cans were well sealed and smell, well like gas. I could instead pour bits of them into my tank of the truck but with FI, I'd be a little leery of doing that, unless the collective here has good experiences with this. Disposing of the old stuff is a pain in the neck and I'd probably lose the containers it's currently in which are in good shape so would rather look to reuse this stuff. That being said, I don't want to ****** up my equipment/vehicle so thought I'd better ask ahead of time.

Thanks for the help.
Cheers.

 

[astroracer]

Add fresh gas and run them... Won't hurt a thing.
Mark

 

[SJR033]

If it was me, I would get fresh gas. Just to be safe. I would hate to not and have my stuff stop running. Then spend the next year wondering if fresh gas would have prevented it.

 

[rlitman]

Fuel injected systems deal better with old gas than carbureted systems.
I'd put the 2 gallons into a vehicle while doing a fill up, and then refill the can with fresh gas. I'd also burn any extra gas-oil mixed 2-cycle fuel in the car too (it won't hurt).

 

[kwschumm]

Fuel injected systems deal better with old gas than carbureted systems.
I'd put the 2 gallons into a vehicle while doing a fill up, and then refill the can with fresh gas. I'd also burn any extra gas-oil mixed 2-cycle fuel in the car too (it won't hurt).

This has always worked for me as well. I never use more than one gallon of old gas with a fill-up so it gets well diluted.

 

[Chasbec]

Fuel injected systems deal better with old gas than carbureted systems.
I'd put the 2 gallons into a vehicle while doing a fill up, and then refill the can with fresh gas. I'd also burn any extra gas-oil mixed 2-cycle fuel in the car too (it won't hurt).

This is exactly what I did last week. I had a few gallons of gas sitting around for about 1.5 - 2 years and I wasn't sure if it had Stabil in it or not. I took the can to the gas station, poured the contents into my truck, filled the gas can with new gas and then topped the truck off with new gas. And I thank God I now have a local source of ethanol free gas. That stuff is murder on small engines!

 

[theoldwizard1]

I have a 5gal container for gas for the ATV that has about 2 gallons in it. My thoughts were to add 3 gallons of fresh stuff and just run it.

First, drain any fuel left in the ATV. Add some fresh, slosh it around and drain.

Buy another 5 gal can and a large funnel. Pour the old gas through a shop rag in the funnel ust so you don't get and "chunks". Put 2-3 more gallons in "old" can. Swirl it around and then poor through the rag/funnel.

If you are really paranoid, add this mixture of new and old petrol a gallon at a time to the fuel tank of your car shooting for a 10:1 mixture.

For the chainsaw, I have 1 gallon on hand with room for one more, so same story there, add another gallon of fresh (plus oil of course) and run it. Haven't really thought much about the pruner as I don't need it all that urgently.

I would do the same with this pre-mixed fuel. Run it through a shop rag and then blend it with new petrol/2 stroke oil but again, try and shoot for a 10:1 mixture of new versus old.

[/QUOTE]

 

[kbs2244]

If everything is working fine, what is the question?
Add fresh fuel at the half tank level and run with it.

 

[Angelfire]

Thanks folks. Pretty much did what most advised. Filled the old containers with new (so more than 50% new petrol in there) and will add to what's in the tanks already. Found another container a neighbor had given me several years ago.....that stuff just smells too funky to add to anything so will haul that back to civilization and dispose of properly.
Cheers.

 

[langss]

I had a car parked for approximately two years. It was not planned, so no stabilizer got added to the tank although I did fill the tank in anticipation of use. Car started right up and even passed smog. So I say burn it up.

 

[Thumper68]

I run into this every spring with the gas for the boats. I just top off the tanks with fresh and have never had a issue

 

[CNGsaves]

For small engines (mower, chainsaw, etc) I'd drain and put in fresh gas that has NO ETHANOL !!! I also mix in some SeaFoam, Stabil, and octane booster with those cans of fuel just for those small engines.

As others have said, slowly use up the old fuel in vehicle by diluting them down when filling up at the pump.

 

[Boilerhouse]

I run into this every spring with the gas for the boats. I just top off the tanks with fresh and have never had a issue

True.....same here...but that is 6 months vs 3 years. And for the chain saw, they can act up at the best of times. I had one go into a funk due to old gas and I was part way through a standing tree.

 

[NUTTSGT]

Got any brush piles that need burnt ? Mixed fuel works good for that.

 

[Angelfire]

Not in this part of the country! The last thing I need is burning the entire forest down.
Cheers.

 

[tinmanwpk]

Fuel injected systems deal better with old gas than carbureted systems.
I'd put the 2 gallons into a vehicle while doing a fill up, and then refill the can with fresh gas. I'd also burn any extra gas-oil mixed 2-cycle fuel in the car too (it won't hurt).

Agree.

Maybe just add a little on each fill up, but just use it.

 

[jimgood]

I wouldn't be afraid of putting small amounts into the tank of my daily driver. A gallon or so per tank isn't going to hurt anything.