Gas stabilizer, Whats good and whats not as good??

[smitty 1]

Good morning guys,

I know we should fill up our rides before storage to avoid condensation. There are many stabilizers out there, but I ran into one that seems to make me go Hmmmmmmmm. Its called Pri-G, They claim they have restored gasoline that is 15 years old.
have the test results to prove it. makes gas last up to 2 years, including our favorite E10 fuel. They have many big name companies giving testimonials. http://www.priproducts.com, Whats your take on it?

Smitty

[slvrlng]

So who is going to be the guinea pig?

Looks interesting.

[Aswaff400]

we use Sentry in both our boats and our mechanics in the marina use it in alot of boats we store. 1 qt is good for 80 gallons or more. i usually mix half a quart every other fill-up in the AS and 1 quart every other fill up in the SR...

[flounderpounder225]

I have been using Startron from west marine, did some research, talked to a few that use it... also, look at the Pri-G site, they say "Inhibits" Phase seperation, which most of the new ones state, I don't think it can be "prevented"  I'd say try it, but then, I just found out at the Marina on the Navy Base, they have Non Ethanol real gas.  Put a 100$ in today, Mid grade 89 Octane, 3.39 per gal?  Not bad.

[Skoot]

we use Sentry in both our boats and our mechanics in the marina use it in alot of boats we store. 1 qt is good for 80 gallons or more. i usually mix half a quart every other fill-up in the AS and 1 quart every other fill up in the SR...

Im a big fan of Sentry..
I did a test in an small olive jar. 1 part water, 3 parts ethanol gas, 1/4 part Sentry. Reacted just as claimed, Left it sit for months and no change what so ever.

[fitz73222]

I'm also in the Startron camp... So far so good. Keep it in the boats, generators, chain saws, and lawn equipment. The only issue I cant solve is the 9.9 Merc on the Orlando Clipper is I get about 1 year out of the primer diaphragm before its toast after 8 years on the original. When I replace it; its wrinkled or cracked. I always order Mercury parts, maybe try Sierra and see if its more ethanol resistant.

[John Jones]

I have read so many contradictory things about the subject that I'm not sure what to do.  I can find just as many articles that say keep the tank empty as the ones saying keep it full.  I can find plenty of articles and tests that say all the additives are snake oil.


I am either lucky or doing something right.  My little boat with it's 16 gallon tank will sit for weeks or sometimes months anywhere from 1/2 to full.  I have not had a water or phase separation issue.  I do religiously empty the Racor after every trip but never get more than maybe a tablespoon of water out of it.  It has had nothing but E10 in the last couple of years.  I do put in the recommended amounts of Marine Stabil and Sea Foam with every gallon.  With such a small tank I just use 5 gallon cans to fill it rather than drag the boat to the gas station.  I put the oil, Stabil, and Sea Foam in the cans before I go fill them.  It may bite me on the butt the next time I try to run the boat but so far no issue.

David Pascoe is a respected boat surveyor and he says the condensation thing is a myth and backs it up with math.  http://www.yachtsurvey.com/myth_of_cond ... _tanks.htm

[Capt. Bob]

JJ,
I've been a Sea Foam fan for quite a while. Started using it in the motorcycles and tried it in the boat. I believe it works as well as anything else on the market based strictly on my past experience.
I also like the moniker and the retro looking graphics on the can.

[gran398]

My experience with the jon boat has been pretty much like JJ's. Guess have been lucky. I use Stor-n Start, plus Marvel Mystery Oil added to the gas....run a 25 hp 3 cyl. Johnson, the mechanics here love the Marvel for any Johnson.

Have great respect for Pascoe...he makes logical points on a number of subjects...he saved me a ton of money when was thinking of repowering the Hatt from gas to diesel.

[smitty 1]

Curious,

Seems like most of the replies came from us southern boaters who use our boats more months a year then those up in the north side of the mason dixon line. How do you store your boat, full, empty, stabilizer no stabilizer? When I lived up there the only corn was the kind ya eat or the kind ya drink (and better not get caught) and they made leaded gas.
The only unleaded stuff was from Amaco and that was high test.
Smitty

[MarshMarlowe196]

David Pascoe is a respected boat surveyor and he says the condensation thing is a myth and backs it up with math. http://www.yachtsurvey.com/myth_of_cond ... _tanks.htm

In order to condense water out of the atmosphere a surface must be much colder than the air. The problem for the condensation in tank theory is; how do we end up with a fuel tank that is much colder than the air? One way would be to have a very cold day that suddenly warms up dramatically, but when does this ever happen? The weather can turn cold very fast, but does not suddenly get very warm.

I question that assertion.  That happens here almost daily from Late Feb. to April.  Also- a tank generally being below the waterline is kept cooler than the warmer air entering the coffin chamber from above the waterline.  Also- many below deck fuel tanks are encapsulated, and surrounded by foam flotation which acts like insulation to keep an already cold tank colder than the ambient air.  John boats typically have fuel tanks above the deck out in the open air.  The ice chest on the deck of my 19-6 is insulated with foam, and still holds ice for hours.

 I'm no expert, just saying there might be some holes in his theory.

[gran398]

Good points well taken, pariticulary the closed and insulated thoughts.

[Aswaff400]

i believe the condensation thing is  mostly bologna... when i bought my AS a few years ago, its tank was 1/2 full, didnt have it hooked up, ran the boat on portable tanksfor 2 years, when i repowered this past summer, i removed the sending unit and siphoned all the gas out and there wasnt a drop of water in the bottom of the tank and who knows how long that gas was in there... even after almost 150 hrs this summer there wasnt a drop in the water separator...

in our marina, 9,000 gal gas tank and 7,000 gal diesel tank, once a year for our state inspection they see if theres any water in the tank theres no more than 1/2 quart, we dip the tanks once a month and the amount of water never changes in fact its barely enough to show on the dip stick....

[MarshMarlowe196]

i believe the condensation thing is  mostly bologna...

I tend to agree. Mostly.

One reason why you might have not found any moisture in your tank that sat for 2+ years is that the Ethanol, which was most likely present in the fuel, "soaked up" whatever moisture entered the tank (phase separation).  That's one of the things that makes Ethanol fuel so problematic- once it absorbs the moisture, which it does progressively over time, it's difficult to see a defining layer of fuel and water.  

Running your boat all year with no water in the separator isn't necessarily proof that condensation isn't occurring- merely that you're running through a lot of fresh fuel (which I'd bet you are with that bad-to-the-bone 200 'Rude :twisted: ).  If condensation does occur in fuel tanks in a boat enough to cause an issue, it would have to be over a long period of time and would mostly occur in a boat that was kept in a climate with temperature swings, and more-so in a boat that is moored constantly.

Pops and I just uncovered an old Hydra-Sports Bass Boat to put up for sale (anyone interested?  :)  ) that's been living inside of a garage, under a cover for 3+ years.  The fuel that's in the tanks had a little water in it that was not there before.  How did it get there?  .. ?  

I agree that the condensation issue has been exaggerated and blamed for more water intrusion issues than it could ever cause, but to say it's impossible, is in my opinion, bologna.  

[TheKid]

Condensation makes sense to me. Do I believe it? Not sure, maybe a very small amount.

What I don't get is the people that say don't use gas over a few weeks old and then fill their tanks over the winter to prevent condensation. Seems to me it should be one or the other.

In my past 20 years of boating I've always had inboards. I would fill the tank and add Stabil for the few months of winter here on the left coast. Never had an issue.

The AS is my second outboard, really the first because I rebuilt the last one and never used it(want to buy a rebuilt 1985 75hp Merc?).

So...WTF? Either you can use older gas that is treated or you cant.

That is the question!