fuel treatment for storage

Empty Nest, Soon wrote:
The blue "marine" Sta-Bil is much superior to the normal red. I add the blue to every can of gasoline I buy for the small engines.

I neglected to start my Champion generator for over 2 years. Pulled it out, expecting the worst. Started first pull.

I believe in the blue Sta-Bil.

Wayne

That is what I use after having an issue with the original Stabil about 4 years ago but the fuel was a year old and the EU1000's do have very tiny jets. I tried to use Sea Foam to correct the problem but it did not help at all. The original red Stabil was reformulated to deal with the ethanol issue shortly after that but I have continued using the blue stuff for all of my small engines and my 70 Mustang. I don't leave fuel in my generators for more than a couple of months any more.

Dick

Some former students of mine have a small engine repair shop here. They are a talented crew - one built a small engine in the school shop for a science fair, which ran beautifully. These "boys" don't like Stabil. They recommend Briggs & Stratten fuel stabilizer.

I haven't seen sea foam in Canada.

Everything with a motor that gets parked for winter gets a double-dose of StaBil.

I save the Seafoam for tractors I bring back from the dead. They usually smoke blue pretty bad, and a massive dose of seafoam clears them right up. Get 'em warm, add as much seafoam straight into the intake as they will take without stalling, let 'em sit overnight. Next day it will smoke like a fiend for a few minutes, and clear right up.

Beverley&Ken wrote:
I've used the Home Hardware (not Home Depot) store brand of fuel stabilizer for the past 7 years. No problems with either the V10 or the generator. It was cheaper than Stabil and Seafoam is not available close to me.

Ken

I'm not sure how 'close' you mean, but any auto parts store will likely carry it, as does Chinese Tire so Alliston or Bradford.

Got nothing against Seafoam, my Father uses it and likes it for an additive. I personally have used regular old Stabil in motorbikes, old cars, Coleman and Yamaha generators, and my newer diesel truck (diesel stabil) for as far back as 23 winters on some (November to April, none gets started and run).

No issues so far (just jinxed myself).

I have been using SeaFoam in our Honda generator since buying it. That was over four years ago and NEVER have had a problem starting it. I don't drain the generator, never have. I do make sure that I use only non-reformulated gas in it tho. The generator gets a "shot" of SeaFoam EVERY time I put gas in it.

I use SeaFoam in my Goldwing when storing it for the winter as well. NEVER had a problem with that either, again I make sure the last fill on the bike before storage is with non-reformulated gas.

Dan

I recommend draining generators of fuel for long term storage.

The blue "marine" Sta-Bil is much superior to the normal red. I add the blue to every can of gasoline I buy for the small engines.

I neglected to start my Champion generator for over 2 years. Pulled it out, expecting the worst. Started first pull.

I believe in the blue Sta-Bil.

Wayne

I used stabil for a while in my honda generator, weedeater etc. and ended up with plugged pilot jets. Took a big dose of seafoam to clean it out. Since then I've used seafoam instead of stabil and found it is much better than stabil. No plugged jets, easier starting better idling after having them set fo a while (month or so).

yes, you need more seafoam, yes I think it costs more, but IMHO it works much better than stabil.

I've used the Home Hardware (not Home Depot) store brand of fuel stabilizer for the past 7 years. No problems with either the V10 or the generator. It was cheaper than Stabil and Seafoam is not available close to me.

Ken