what to do with bad gas

[SW Ohio]

Went out to my old truck over the weekend as I wanted to try to get it started again. I let it sit too long and the gas smells like it went bad. What can I do with the old gas?

I assume I will now have to drain the tank and replace the gas but is there any use for the bad gas or any way to give it new life?

Thanks, Brian.

[Old_Town]

It will probably run fine in the lawnmower or a gas powered farm tractor. Give it to someone that can use it in older equipment.

[Shrek]

mixing in some fuel stabilizer , fuel tank added cleaner and gas dryer may stabilize it enough to run it through.

[Jim S.]

How about TUMS???



I pour mine around the outbuildings. Great weed killer. It does not take much to work.

You can also store it, if you have a shop or garage, for use as parts cleaner. THEN pour it around the buildings.

As a former small engine mechanic, I would definitely not run old gas. Old gas is the #1 cause for mowers being brought in to repair shops. Small engines are real sensitive to old gas.

Get a siphon pump kit to drain the tank. They are often real cheap. Get the one with the large diameter hose, not the wimpy small one. Sucking to start a siphon is so '90s...LOL...

[artificer]

How long has it been sitting? How full is the tank? How old of a truck? If it has a carburetor, the gas in them tends to be worse than the fuel in the tank. I'd drain/clean it out.

How much do you drive this truck? If you fill the tank again, will it go bad as well? If you seldom drive it, I would add fuel stabilizer to it. Remember, once you add fuel stabilizer, you have to run the engine long enough to get it to the carburetor to be safe. If its a one time period of sitting, I would just add new gas to the old, and burn it in the truck. 1:4 old to new gas maybe? 1:10 would be almost guaranteed to work, but I wouldn't go that low myself.

Michael

[SW Ohio]

Thanks for the fast replies:

I doubt the Tums will work, Maybe Bean-O?

1968 GMC 3500 flat bed with a 305 V-6 and Stromburg carb. I am worried the carb may be gummed up as well. The last time I ran it I had to use starting fluid to get it to fire.

I pulled the battery to use in my son's truck and time got away from me...
Been sitting a couple years and not much use before that so the gas is several years old. I used it as a wood hauler mostly before. The tires are starting to go and with those split rims I wonder how much it is worth messing with. But I hate to send it to the crusher as it has a PTO on it.

I'll talk to the neighbore to see if he can use the gas or has any ideas. I would have gone there first but he likes to give me a hard time about stuff like this. All in good fun, I think.

[seedspreader]

I personally use old watered down gas as fire starting material when doing brush, etc.

[Shrek]

The viable lifespan for gasoline is about 180 days as I recall. Generally stocks get rotated every 120 to 150 days maximum is what I read in an agricultural publication. Beyond those timeframes its risky to use it without refreshing or in the case of large reserves, refractioning it as it can stress engin components

[Daryll in NW FLA]

Go to a marina and buy some Pri-g it will restore the fuel to new condition. Daryll in NW FLA

[Sammy]

Don't use it as a weed killer around your buildings or as a fire starter !

[GREENCOUNTYPETE]

Originally Posted by Sammy

Don't use it as a weed killer around your buildings or as a fire starter !

So i understand why not use it as a weed killer it will leave ground contamination

why not use it to start a brush fire other than the obviose saftey problem of lighting it cause in it's vapor state it goes very fast very very very fast


personaly i have found that if you use a metal can i usualy only have enought to use a coffee can but if you had a larger one like the kind drive way sealing tar come in and mix about waste oil and gas i ussualy toss in the paper towel i clean up light the paper with and let it burn down the submerged section act like a wick i did rags one time to
but it burns for hours the it burns the best once it is hot enough that the oil is boiling
be carefull lighting it i havent had any problem but i am not you. and i am usualy trying to get rid of the waste oil not the gas but it seemed like i had to add about a pint of gas to get a quart of oil started
as always try at your own risk

i also ued to start the grill with it but i have lost hair to this so stand back and toss the match

[Jim S.]

I disagree on ground contamination. The volatiles vaporize off, and within 3 weeks, weeds will be growing there again.