WHY ADD FUEL STABILIZER TO YOUR ENGINE FUEL SYSTEM?
Adding fuel stabilizer to your boat’s engine fuel system every time you fill up the tank is a simple measure to protect the longevity of the engine.
Fuel stabilizer prevents boat fuel from absorbing water and prevents phase separation. Most of today’s gasolines contain about 10% ethanol, identified as E10 at the pump. Ethanol helps fuel burn more efficiently, which improves engine performance and reduces CO2 emissions. However, ethanol is hygroscopic and hydrophilic, which means it attracts and absorbs water molecules.
Eventually the ethanol reaches saturation point and the ethanol/water mixture separates from the gasoline. It sinks to the bottom of the fuel tank from where it’s drawn into the fuel system and creates major problems for the outboard and/or sterndrive.
Fuel stabilizer slows the rate ethanol absorbs water and reduces the possibility of phase separation occurring in your boat’s fuel tank. This is why you should add fuel stabilizer every time you refuel your boat.
Why It’s Important to Stabilize Your Boat’s Fuel
We’ve listed some information below on what can happen if the fuel in your watercraft is not properly taken care of before storage.
- Loss of Combustion Characteristics
If the fuel in your boat sits for too long, it will start to break down along with a few other not so desirable things as well. After sitting for an extended period of time, gasoline will lose its combustibility. If left for too long, it may cause your engine to run rough or even fail to start.
- Gumming Up and Blockages
On top of losing its combustion characteristics, gas will also gum up inside of your system. Small ports and jets are especially susceptible to being clogged by gas that is not treated and sits for a long time.
- Oxidation and or Rust
Fuel stabilizers help prevent oxidation or rust that may occur due to extended periods of exposure to metals, air, and liquid. If there’s any kind of small air leaks or exposure to the fuel system, moisture can build after some time. The more moisture that builds, the more susceptible the system is of having oxidation or rust form on components within. In addition to having a fuel stabilizer, it’s also recommended to top your gas tank off and make sure your gas cap is tight and sealing properly.
Stabilizer Purchasing Guide
We’ve put together some information below to help make an informed decision when purchasing a fuel stabilizer for a boat when storing.
STA-BIL has been one of Americas #1 fuel stabilizers for a long time and is one of the most popular brands when it comes to stabilizing fuel. Our friends down at Gold Eagle (The owner of STA-BIL) have produced a line of STA-BIL additive designed specifically with storage needs in mind. This fuel additive will work to keep gasoline fresh in a boat you are looking to put away for weeks, months, even years!
Whether you are looking to store your boat or any other combustion engine, STA-BIL Storage has what your machine needs to sit idle safely for an extended period of time. Some of the great attributes that help to keep fuel stable for long periods of time can be found below.
- Long term storage ability keeps fuel fresh for up to 24 Months
- No need to drain and waste fuel when storing your boat
- Prevents gasoline from gumming up and varnishing, making starting much easier
- Works for all types of gasoline, even ethanol loaded gas
- Works for 2-strokes and 4-strokes, universal solution for just about any gas powered engine
Dosage Guide for STA-BIL Storage
Sta-bil Storage comes in 6 different sizes to treat just about any fuel storage need that you have. Starting from the teeny-tiny 4oz blister pack, the sizes range all the way up to a gigantic 1 gallon bottle.
Looking at the normal uses for Sta-bil you will find that the 16oz and 32oz sizes are the most popular, as they are a good balance between individual doses and shelf life. The amounts used to treat gasoline are:
- 1/2 ounce of STA-BIL to treat 1 gallon of gasoline
- 2oz of STA-BIL treats 5 gallons of gas
- 6oz of STA-BIL to treat 15 gallons
- 10oz of STA-BIL can treat 25 gallons
- 16oz is the amount to treat 40 gallons
- 32oz of STA-BIL can treat 80 gallons
- 1 gallon (128oz) of STA-BIL can treat 320 gallons of gas
As you can see by the usage chart, Sta-bil is a highly concentrated fuel additive that will go a long way in treating all your fuel system needs.
Keeping its concentration and effectiveness in mind, there is a downside to storing Sta-bil (and pretty much any other fuel stabilizer) and that is that they use a sacrificial molecule to actually suspend the oxidation process of gasoline. Oxidation will actually attack this molecule before it has a chance to varnish your gasoline.
Because of this, the shelf life of opened STA-BIL that has had the seal broken (but cap replaced and tight) and been exposed to air is about 2 years. Our recommendation is to purchase only the amount that you will need at a time. The good thing is that it can be used in any gasoline equipment that sits for extended periods of time, so a bottle of STA-BIL can be used up pretty quick!
Star Brite has created another very effective and popular product in their Star Tron Enzyme Fuel Treatment. If you’re going to be storing your boat or fuel for an extended period of time, there’s no need to sweat. With their use of enzyme technology, they have built a treatment that is designed to give extra protection to your engine from the harmful effects ethanol in modern gas can create.
As with the other popular products, Star Tron Enzyme Fuel Treatment has many talents and is built to do more than simply protect against ethanol in gasoline. A list of the features can be found below.
- Stabilizes fuel to prepare for storage for up to 2 years
- Restores aged gas to a useable state
- Protection against ethanol water separation in gasoline
- Enhances combustion in gas for better performance and less deposits
- Cleans deposits from engine and fuel system
Dosage Guide for Star Tron Enzyme Fuel Treatment
Star Tron Enzyme Fuel Treatment comes in a variety of different sizes for you to choose from. One of the things we like about this product is the larger selection. With so many different styles of boats, this usually means various gas tank capacities as well. This is where the additional sizes and a lower concentration may be the right choice for you. Below is a list of the various sizes as well as the number of gallons each bottle can treat.
- 8 ounces treats 48 gallons
- 16 ounces treats 96 gallons
- 32 ounces treats 192 gallons
This treatment is capable of treating 6 gallons of gas per 1 ounce of additive. Star Brite had a few tricks up their sleeve as well when they developed their clever bottle. Not only is the bottle clear so you can see the liquid level, it also has a scale on the side so you can measure the amount of liquid you are using without having to pour it in another measuring device! This is convenient if you are using the additive on the go as well as simply making it more efficient at home.
Star Tron Enzyme Fuel Treatment will let you sleep better at night knowing your boats fuel will be covered for an extended period of time. It has an impressive ability to stabilize gas for up to two years! While we have primarily covered the standard version of this fuel treatment, Start Brite also has a line of additional additives in a concentrated and super concentrated formula that may also fit your needs.
With its dependability and practical lineup, its easy to see why so many people choose to protect their machines with Star Brite’s products. Be sure to check their lineup out and get your gas ready for storage today!
Another great product that will help keep your boats gas in original condition is the PRI-G gasoline additive. This treatment will ensure your machines fuel system is cleaned up and stays free of any aged gasoline that could create a blocked passage. With its higher concentration, PRI-G can treat a higher number of gallons of gas per ounce compared to its competitors.
PRI-G has an impressive resume. Here we list some of its notable features and ways your watercrafts fuel system will stay in tip top shape, on top of keeping fresh during prolonged periods of storage: