Ok, so i have bugger all expectation of actually getting anything useful from this thread, but occasionally I'm surprised so here goes.
Fuel stabilizers. After weeks of reading I get the impression they try and prevent fuel degradation by retarding oxidation and evaporation. I can see how that might work, and enough people use them I suspect in some way, shape or form they actually do something.
In our gear (mowers and generators mainly) we use non-ethanol fuel, and generally drain both the carb and the tank before we put them away. The remaining fuel goes back into a sealed container, and in "general" it doesn't hang around for more than 12 months because we don't keep much more than a US Gallon handy and get through it in less than a year. The Generator however might be stored for 18 months before it's pulled out again.
If I were to logically preserve an empty fuel system, I'd probably coat the inside from the tank to the carb in an oil of some kind while it was empty. Pretty much every fuel stabilizer says it protects the inside of the fuel system against corrosion. I suppose the question is do they leave any usable protective film behind or do they only protect the system if it's actually full of fuel?
I blow the generator fuel system clear with low pressure compressed air for storage. I could easily flush a bit of 2 stroke oil through it before I put it away. Would something like Sta-Bil in the fuel leave any protective film once the system has been emptied?
Frankly most of it reads as snake oil, so I'm a bit perplexed.
Fuel stabilizers. After weeks of reading I get the impression they try and prevent fuel degradation by retarding oxidation and evaporation. I can see how that might work, and enough people use them I suspect in some way, shape or form they actually do something.
In our gear (mowers and generators mainly) we use non-ethanol fuel, and generally drain both the carb and the tank before we put them away. The remaining fuel goes back into a sealed container, and in "general" it doesn't hang around for more than 12 months because we don't keep much more than a US Gallon handy and get through it in less than a year. The Generator however might be stored for 18 months before it's pulled out again.
If I were to logically preserve an empty fuel system, I'd probably coat the inside from the tank to the carb in an oil of some kind while it was empty. Pretty much every fuel stabilizer says it protects the inside of the fuel system against corrosion. I suppose the question is do they leave any usable protective film behind or do they only protect the system if it's actually full of fuel?
I blow the generator fuel system clear with low pressure compressed air for storage. I could easily flush a bit of 2 stroke oil through it before I put it away. Would something like Sta-Bil in the fuel leave any protective film once the system has been emptied?
Frankly most of it reads as snake oil, so I'm a bit perplexed.