Fuel stabilizer questions

[Elmo]

We live on an island in a rural area in N Ontario and have 3 outboards, 2 lawnmowers, 3 chainsaws, 2 snowblowers, 2 motorcycles, a wood splitter, 2 generators, a pump, a rotavator, a trimmer, etc. all gas. So for years now I have only purchased premium gas which has no ethanol in our area, and a couple of years ago started putting stabilizer in the gas cans before I fill them.

Our small engines have only been burning stabilized gas. The car and our trawler's diesel are the only engines not using a stabilizer.

So I have a question... are there any downsides other that cost for the pervasive use of
a fuel stabilizer?

I know from experience there are major downsides if you forget to add stabilizer when you thought you were going to run the motor soon, and then you don't. With around 20 small gas engines it is impossible to keep track.

P.S. My current cost is about 15 cents a litre for 1 year protection and double that for 2 years. That is about a 12 & 24 percent additional cost based on local gas prices.

 

[rslifkin]

I don't know of any downsides. In general, between the boat, lawn equipment and any less used cars, I add stabilizer to fuel immediately at purchase if I'm not sure I'll burn it within a month or so.

 

[AKDoug]

I just had my Webasto forced air heater serviced, and the technician I spoke with on the phone said that the carbon deposits (sooting) caused by diesel additives significantly shortened the interval requiring service. Based on his recommendation, I am only going to add stabilizer the last fill before winter storage and more closely ratio the additive to the fuel than in the past.

I use 60-70% of the tank capacity between fills in my usage, and will make it a point to draw down further before topping off at the end of the season.

 

[skyhawk]

think he's talking gasoline...not diesel...

I've been using marine stabil in my 115HP outboard 2-stroke, my motorhome for several years now...and my small engine lawn equipment when I had them (I've slowly progressed to all electric for my lawn equipment). I generally will only not run it through my motorhome only when on a longer trip that I know will take multiple tanks of fuel...in which case I'll run the last tank of the trip with it and be sure to run my generator a bit to get it cycled through before putting it to bed.

My boat engine sadly sits for long periods of time, and the RV will sit often 1-3 months between trips.

I've never been aware of any negative issues because of the stabil.

 

[AKDoug]

Yepper! I just threw that in because the thread was about stabilizer, and the information from the tech was new to me. I pick of lots of general information not specific to the threads here on the forum

 

[localboy]

Any/all small engines and my classics cars: I use only 100% dyno gas and Stabil in them, especially for long term storage. I have to get it from a farm co-op (see below). Never a problem. I see no downside to fuel stabilizer use and the cost in minimal.

On the boat I use the blue “marine” Stabil religiously. Since we live in the Socialist Republic of WA locating/getting non-ethanol gas is harder and harder and very expensive. Very few places even sell it anymore.

 

[Lepke]

The right fuel additive stabilizes for about a year and improves fuel burn and decreases soot. So small diesel burners like diesel heaters don't carbon up. It also makes my diesel stove burn cleaner. I use an additive every fueling and never have fuel problems in diesel or gasoline. Any portable fuel can gets a small amount of stabilizer when filled and I have stored them as long as 2+ years w/o problems. My gasoline powered pressure washer sat for 2 years and was recently started with 2 pulls. I have used Archoil AR6200 for about 10 years. 8oz. bottle treats 250 gallons and costs about $3/oz. I haven't replaced an injector in Detroit mains, generators or Ford pu since I started using it and get about a 6% mileage boost. Archoil has some other interesting products, too. Archoil.com

 

[catalinajack]

I was once at a garden shop that sold lawn mowers and two-cycle tools such as string trimmers and leaf blowers. While waiting my turn, a guy came in with a string trimmer he said he tried and tried but could not get it started. The shop guy squirted some Seafoam into the carburetor. Several pulls later and the trimmer was running like a top. Some call additives "snake oil". I think not.

The right fuel additive stabilizes for about a year and improves fuel burn and decreases soot. So small diesel burners like diesel heaters don't carbon up. It also makes my diesel stove burn cleaner. I use an additive every fueling and never have fuel problems in diesel or gasoline. Any portable fuel can gets a small amount of stabilizer when filled and I have stored them as long as 2+ years w/o problems. My gasoline powered pressure washer sat for 2 years and was recently started with 2 pulls. I have used Archoil AR6200 for about 10 years. 8oz. bottle treats 250 gallons and costs about $3/oz. I haven't replaced an injector in Detroit mains, generators or Ford pu since I started using it and get about a 6% mileage boost. Archoil has some other interesting products, too. Archoil.com

 

[localboy]

Archoil has some other interesting products, too. Archoil.com

I use their AR9100 friction oil additive in my diesel p/u. Works as advertised. No ore stiction or cold start issues. The International 6.0 is a finicky beast.

Only diesel fuel additive I’ve used is Stanadyne.