Sta-Bil gas stabilizer... is it ok to use it regularly for the weekend

[Edward 96GTS]

only Viper? I heard that gas has a very short life, so if i fill up the viper, but drive only on weekends, that means that tank full will last months. do i need to add Sta-Bil to the tank? What are the drawbacks to using it?
TIA
Ed

 

[TAXIMAN1]

I use it when I put my car away for the season. Does it really help? who knows.. But I cant imagine it hurts anything. And for $5, why not?

As for weekend use. I dont think gas goes bad that quick, I wouldnt worry about it. Why not try just putting $10-$20 in at a time, if your worried about that??

 

[plumcrazy]

my car sits all winter long and i never used it. never had a problem

 

[Bad_Byte]

I used it once, never again. I have a multitude of small gas engines, lawnmowers, **** eaters, hedge trimmers etc. Some of them sit for months and never get used. I never had a single carburator problem until I started mixing stabil in the gas. Within a month or two I started getting gummed up carbs. Not on one but on virtually everyone. I've stopped using it! I don't trust it!

 

[carguy07]

I run it through the fuel system before winter storage, I have used it for years with no problems. If I do not put it in my mower/edger etc, I end up with a gummed up carb in the spring.

Down sides? I think that the car is weak when it’s in there (probably in my head). I have heard that white colored cars can get pink spots on the paint (like white stripes). Not sure if that is true or not.

I would only use it if I was going to store the car for several months without driving it. IMO

 

[ViperJohn]

I started using it a few years ago before putting the cars away for the winter. Normally when I would first start driving the cars the following spring, they would run a little rough until I got some fresh gas in them.

After I started using Sta-bil, the cars run fantastic in the spring. I kinda agree there may be some slight loss of power when in use, but since the cars are driven infrequently enough, I debated asking the same question you posed.

Hopefully Tom, our resident chemist, will chime in. I am currently considering using it all the time.

 

[1TONY1]

On a similar note. I have just received my injector flow bench/cleaner. I think it will be a great service to the Viper community especially because of the low miles/winter storage a lot of Vipers get. Removing Viper injectors is an easy DIY thing too. I just did my first set tonight for a buddy with an LS1. While we didn't gain any flow, we could see better atomization.
It's even recommended for new injectors such as with a S/C install where one bad injector could cost you an engine. Sure, they are clean and are "supposed" to flow the same and work correctly when new. Call it cheap insurance for new injectors.

My previous injectors were checked (guess where the leanest one went) and the brand new set I put in back in December were checked before I even installed them.

 

[ViperGTS]

>>>my car sits all winter long and i never used it. never had a problem <<<

My car and bike also. Never had a problem in decades!

 

[Batboy]

I use it regularly (yearly) on my bike and lawnmower. I only use it though if I have a full tank of gas and will not use the equipment for a while. In other words towards the end of Fall if I have a lot of gas in my mower or bike I will put some in. Otherwise, I'll put in fresh gas the next season and it should be fine. I started doing this after I had major gasoline problems with my motorcycle one season after leaving a full tank for a long period of time.

 

[1TONY1]

I use it regularly (yearly) on my bike and lawnmower. I only use it though if I have a full tank of gas and will not use the equipment for a while. In other words towards the end of Fall if I have a lot of gas in my mower or bike I will put some in. Otherwise, I'll put in fresh gas the next season and it should be fine. I started doing this after I had major gasoline problems with my motorcycle one season after leaving a full tank for a long period of time.

I believe Stabil works, but you don't use it to not have a full tank of fuel go bad. You use it to keep the carb/injectors from gumming up. With that reasoning, I don't understand why you would not use it even if the tank was almost empty ?? Of course after you mix it in, you must run the engine to get the Stabil treated fuel thru the fuel system.
I can't count the times I have had to pull carbs on Seadoos, four wheelers etc. because I procrastinated and never used the Stabil.

In the case of the thread starter, I would just put in fuel as needed toward the end of your driving season and only treat it if you have an off season when the car is parked for more than two months.

 

[pdmracing]

I use it regularly (yearly) on my bike and lawnmower. I only use it though if I have a full tank of gas and will not use the equipment for a while. In other words towards the end of Fall if I have a lot of gas in my mower or bike I will put some in. Otherwise, I'll put in fresh gas the next season and it should be fine. I started doing this after I had major gasoline problems with my motorcycle one season after leaving a full tank for a long period of time.

I believe Stabil works, but you don't use it to not have a full tank of fuel go bad. You use it to keep the carb/injectors from gumming up. With that reasoning, I don't understand why you would not use it even if the tank was almost empty ?? Of course after you mix it in, you must run the engine to get the Stabil treated fuel thru the fuel system.
I can't count the times I have had to pull carbs on Seadoos, four wheelers etc. because I procrastinated and never used the Stabil.

In the case of the thread starter, I would just put in fuel as needed toward the end of your driving season and only treat it if you have an off season when the car is parked for more than two months.

Agree, I use it on everything & never ever had a problem with it. stareted because my old boat would gum up & take a battery or 2 to start it every spring, no more.

 

[DAMN YANKEE]

My .02....

I use Sta-bil as follows:

When the same gas will sit in the storage tank for more than 3 months.
When the same gas will sit in the same gas tank for more than 3 months.
When the gas will sit in injectors/line/carbs for more than 3 months.

This is especially true in warm weather storage.

If...

You drive out the whole tank in less than 3 months, not needed.
If you are adding fresh gas to the tank in less than 3 months AND will be running the car with some regularity, not needed.

 

[Tom F&L GoR]

Some more info here

 

[ViperJohn]

Some more info here

I remember reading that thread, however the questions as to whether or not it's ok to use it all the time wasn't covered. My availability to drive the car can get staggered sometimes.

 

[Purdue_Boiler_Viper]

Hey Tom, any idea what Sta-Bil actually does, if anything?

 

[Tom F&L GoR]

The issue that makes it hard for you to figure out if you should use it all the time is the volatility of the gasoline. Gasoline evaporates at a certain rate, and that rate is changed every month or so. Putting summer gasoline in the tank (low evaporation rate) will make it drive rough in the cooler spring weather.

Products like Sta-bil can only prevent oxidation; they cannot prevent or enhance evaporation.

The question we are asking is : would a gallon of July gasoline be the same in the following July weather? Probably close, but maybe not since it would have evaporated a little. Would a gallon of July gasoline create some problem-causing desposits in the following July? Also probably not, since it just doesn't "decay" that fast and the additives in pump gasoline prevent this.

The more important question is because 25% of the additive you put in gasoline actually ends up in the oil. That's because additives are big, heavy molecules and they don't swirl and tumble in the incoming air charge like small gasoline molecules do. They pass the intake valve and kind of keeping heading straight and run into the cylinder wall. The piston ring then wipes it into the oil.

Guessing a little as to what Sta-bil chemistry is, that is probably not a bad thing, I think. The best case is that it also helps the oil, but the worst is that it thickens the oil and ties itself up with another additive in the oil.

I really don't have a good answer for this one. If it were my car, gas, and money, I wouldn't bother if the car had a sealed fuel system (like Vipers) and the gasoline were less than a year old. In a carbureted motorcyle engine, maybe I would if it sat 6 months.

 

[Purdue_Boiler_Viper]

Slightly different question. How do the gas line antifreezes work, and what are the "side effects"?

 

[carguy07]

On a similar note. I have just received my injector flow bench/cleaner. I think it will be a great service to the Viper community especially because of the low miles/winter storage a lot of Vipers get. Removing Viper injectors is an easy DIY thing too. I just did my first set tonight for a buddy with an LS1. While we didn't gain any flow, we could see better atomization.
It's even recommended for new injectors such as with a S/C install where one bad injector could cost you an engine. Sure, they are clean and are "supposed" to flow the same and work correctly when new. Call it cheap insurance for new injectors.

My previous injectors were checked (guess where the leanest one went) and the brand new set I put in back in December were checked before I even installed them.

Now that’s a nice tool to have in the garage! Way better than the pressurized can attached to the schrader valve thing that I used to use. Do you have a per injector donation to the cause number in mind? My dad has been ******** about the injectors on his rx7 for a year or two.

 

[1TONY1]

Now that’s a nice tool to have in the garage! Way better than the pressurized can attached to the schrader valve thing that I used to use. Do you have a per injector donation to the cause number in mind? My dad has been ******** about the injectors on his rx7 for a year or two.

I'm going to start at $12.00 per injector to begin with and see how it goes. That seems to be below what most charge.

 

[Tom F&L GoR]

Slightly different question. How do the gas line antifreezes work, and what are the "side effects"?

Gas line antifreezes are alcohols.

Since gasoline and water don't like each other, they stay separated and form layers. The water layer freezes.

Alcohol and water do like each other, so they mix. Alcohol and gasoline like each other, so they also mix. Alcohol will therefore pull a hefty percentage of water into the gasoline.

This mixture will appear hazy, but eventually "dries" the gas tank and prevents water freezing in the lines. The engine may run rough during this period.

The good side is that removing the water won't allow any rust to form. Most fuel systems today should tolerate the alcohol easily. Usually it is isopropyl alcohol. The downside is the rough running if you actually had water, and the cost of adding it if you didn't have water.

 

[carguy07]

Now that’s a nice tool to have in the garage! Way better than the pressurized can attached to the schrader valve thing that I used to use. Do you have a per injector donation to the cause number in mind? My dad has been ******** about the injectors on his rx7 for a year or two.

I'm going to start at $12.00 per injector to begin with and see how it goes. That seems to be below what most charge.

Yep that's cheap, I will see if I can pop them out and get them to you.

Thanks