how long till fuel goes bad?

[screaminglemon]

my cars been sitting for several months now, waiting on parts and my procrastination. i just realized my tank is full. now i know they sell a gas stabilizer for things that are rarely driven, like boats but i didnt have the foresight to use that. so how long does gas last? if it is bad, would an octane booster help? i'd hate to get my car running again only to blow the motor the first time i boost becuase of something stupid like old gas.

[figgie]

Well fuel doesn't go bad. It just evaps and starts leaving the gunk and dust that has settled. Now of course after about a month. I woul dnot boost hard on a tank of gas that was sitting there.

[americanjebus]

was the tank completely full or was is almost empty, the less gas there is filling hte tank the more air there is in the tank that just condenses into water on the top of the tank. that just gives you dilluted gas. after 6 months gas loses is touch give or take a while depending what additives were already in it.

if its been sitting for less than 8 months and the gas tank is failrly full drive it lightely and fill it up at gas station as often as possible hopefully you can start dilluting hte watery gas that developed. i usually store my car in the winter so i fill it to the brim almost to where it spills out of filler hole and i let it run for an hour every other week and keep topping it off and go easy first month of driving.

[lagged]

just dont boost on it. drive it around for a week, when you get to half a tank fill it with good gas. keep NOT boosting until the tank is almost empy and fill it up with new gas.

[JerzeySlowpra]

or you could just drain it

[screaminglemon]

actually i am draining it so i can drop the tank to install the walbro. i'll probably just put enough back to drive to the petrol station then use the rest in my beater.

[IJ.]

Don't know if they pull the same shit with Gasoline that they do with Petrol but from time to time they'll get a dud load of petrol here at the Depot and cut it with benzol/benzine to lift the Octane rating....... the problem with doing this is it is quite volatile and evaporates really quickly so if left sit you're back to crap octane and the death rattle under boost!

[mrnickleye]

Don't know if they pull the same shit with Gasoline that they do with Petrol but from time to time they'll get a dud load of petrol here at the Depot and cut it with benzol/benzine to lift the Octane rating....... the problem with doing this is it is quite volatile and evaporates really quickly so if left sit you're back to crap octane and the death rattle under boost!
Right !!! Right !!!
I 'just read' an article in "Underhood" magazine (for professionals, but I recommend it to all who want to know more about cars), that was about the octane boost additives evaporating, and separating, from the gas when it sits too long in the tank. And...how some of them actually attract water. And... too long was mentioned as short as a month or so, depending on the additive. So....everyone in USA (and others ??) keep that in mind.