FULL OR EMPTY GAS TANK

[Craig Mac]

For winter storage in aluminum tank has there been a consensus regarding ethonal fuel?

[Rawleigh]

I still think empty and deal with the little bit of moisture and bad gas in the Spring, rather than risk a whole load of bad gas with a lot of ethanol/water mix in the bottom of the tank! i'm sure others have different views on it.

[Charlie J]

keep it full and add stabilizer

[jspiezio]

keep it full and add stabilizer

I agree, especially with aluminum. Sitting with that moisture on those aluminum walls all winter has to result in some corrosion. Just my opinion of course, and I fully expect to be shown in the wrong.

[Charlie]

Empty

[Carl]

Depends on the market.
If you see fuel price going up by the spring, I'd top it off now.
If you have a feeling they will drop, wait till the Spring.

Other then that, it's Dammed if you Do, Dammed if you Don't.

[John F.]

I've been wondering what to do myself--first winter with the new tank in my B31. At this point, I'm going to lay her up as empty as possible. First, she'll sit for 4 months or so, and even with stabilizer, I don't trust the ethanol gas to be OK in the spring. If its not OK, dealing with 230 gallons of bad gas would be a huge PIA and would cost a pretty good amount of $$. Also, I've seen aluminum tanks corrode, but generally from the outside--so I figure if its going to corrode through eventually, it'll be on an outside spot well before any inside spot. I also like to lay up my boat with as little weight in her as possible--don't need the extra 1500 lbs or so. My 2 cents.

John F.

[MarkS]

No matter which you decide I would recommend that new stabil with ethanol protection to slow the phaze separation.

I have a stainless tank but my preference would be as empty as can be and still a bunch of ethanol Stabil.

my $.02

[Mikey]

Lots of talk about gas, how about diesel?

[Charlie J]

mikey
same keep it full and ad stabilizer, just my 2 cents , been doing all my boats for years this way gas or diesel have not had any problems. iam only out for 4 months out of the year

[bob lico]

in my humble opinion launching 1500 boats in the spring time the diesel doesn`t make much differants one way or the other (with the addition of winter additives) empty/full same differance.ethanol gas is a completely differant story ,it has a short storage life possibly breaking down or fuel seperation .whatever the case spingtime startup on those 454 mercrusers is always a bear!! i think fill it up ,add additive and circulate the gas with a bypass pump before startup at least a few minutes to mix the additive and ethanol together .i amm not saying polish the hold damn gas tank!!!

[In Memory of Vicroy]

Diesel - keep it full all the time and add stabilizer often and biocide once a year. The orginal Bertram glass tank does not "sweat" like a metal tank, but the less humid air in the tank, the less water you will get in the bottom. Remember, the fuel/water interface is where the algae (actually bacteria) grows that leaves the black sludge in your filters.

UV

[Mikey]

Vic,
Thanks. If I added stabilizer when I initially filled the tank and in a year haven't used all of the fuel should I add more? How often? Just did my annual biocide per Rawleigh's directions, so should be o.k.
Changed all fuel filters and ran out a cup from both Racors and got nothing but clean diesel.
Want to keep it that way.

[In Memory of Vicroy]

You should be okay....diesel does not go to hell in a handbag like gas does. I have a 275 gallon above ground farm tank for my home diesel genset and some of that fuel has been in there since the early 90s and its still fine - put stabilizer in it originally and a little now & then...its not critical.

UV

[Wingnut]

I bought my boat ( B 28) this spring. It had been stored for two years with a full tank of ethanol / gas in Haverhill, MA. The previous owner had replaced the fiberglass tank in 2007 and filled it. Then it sat.

So, this spring I had 165 gallons of two year old gas with ethanol but in a new tank. It had been stabilized once per year. In short, I had no issues at all this year. I simply started and ran the boat.

Its now full of fresh gas and I will store it full for the winter with Stabil.

JD

[Mack]

Store full with Startron stabilizer/additive. Never had a problem although my winter layup typically only lasts 3.5-4 months.

[bob lico]

i should have explain myself on the spring boat launch . over the years the yardmen have devise a smart idea for first start. they take the same type of straps that the travel lift uses. and put them on the forks of the huge forklift. one forward one 20' back . now they can take up to 40' boats off a trailer and drop them in the water every 15minutes or so.what happens is boats that do not dock at one of the three locations of oakdale yacth just come in the spring to launth. they are very few ramps on long island that can accomodate a 38' boat . so low and behold we witness thousands of attempted starts. needless to say it is work for us to try and start these engines that have layed over the winter some without additives some with some with full tanks and some without.lets keep in mind south shore of long island may go down to 15 degrees while storage in mississippi would never see that and the condensation thats goes with it.personally i would keep diesel at least 1/2 full in the north ,change filters prior to taking out of water .outboards absolutly have to be fog out lower unit removed (incidently the big 300hp/350hp outboards) cost far more then diesels to prep every winter don`t listen to the bullshit you read in the magazines . just stand back and think droping and storing 3 lower units after fogging each powerhead. then filters and oil (4-stroke) then sometimes 3 gas tanks have to be filled and stabilize.---big bucks.last but not least those gas inboards. after the fog out and fill the tanks they cover the intake and exhaust with tape.when the fork lift gets under the boat the gas is sloshed around somewatt but usually it is the gas inboards and e-tec outboards that are farting,spiting and smoking trying to start in the spring.

[Rawleigh]

Mikey: I have a setup to polish your fuel if needed! It is actually a Cummins fuel/lube oil blender for adding 5% used engine oil to the fuel, but it also polishes and you don't have to add the oil. It has a couple of big filters built into it. I am using it to fuel my farm tractor out of the saddle tanks on my Mack road tractor right now.

[John F.]

I just gotta' say--my 454s start up almost instantly every spring and just purr. They may be down on top-end power, but they start and idle great.

[bob lico]

john over the last few years in the launth area they have added 5 slips to the basin . usually those 20 some odd feet renken,bayliner, and whatever people that don`t do maint. they drive up like a hambuger joint get out of the car the lift picks up the boat drops it in the water and they attemp to start. there is always a bunch that make that famous "lockup noise" they pull those boats to one of those slips and remove valve covers .oh-boy! valve suck into one of the cylinders ---crash into the piston or they get lucky on the low performance engines the pushrods bent and valves are stuck closed. oh sir how would you like to proceed with this as the boat owners face drops!!!------every year for sure!!