Gas full or low?

T

Tom1352

Member
Joined
Jun 2, 2002
RO Number
8847
Messages
7
I always get conflicting opinions on this one...but what is best when storing boat, gas tank full or low? I have an I/O with built in tank. This is warm storage over summer in Florida.
Along same lines, in winter cold storage...same thing, full or low?

Thanks!
 
this is always an issue but mostly in the Fall. I keep it full as it has worked for me. So why change and maybe get a bad outcome.
 
We keep our boat's fuel at least 95% most of the time especially when in storage.
Bill
 
My ski boat, since new in 2000, has always been stored over winter with exactly whatever gasoline was in it when it was driven onto its trailer. No more, no less. For ten seasons it has started and performed flawlessly.
 
Knowing the reasons is the key.
The reason to store the gas tank full is to have the least amount of
air on the tank, thus preventing condensation, which contaminates the fuel.
Some people get by doing things wrong. They are just lucky.
Luck, eventually runs out. Knowledge, doesn't.
 
I kept my boat full during the slow winter months for 5 years. One year I neglected to fill it up. The winter, I lost both fuel gauge sender units to corrosion.

So, for now on, full all the time.
 
I clean fuel tanks daily and see all sorts of issues, in most cases it is water in the fuel tank. With the chemistry of the fuel blends changing from MtBE to Ethanol the requirement to minimize the water is very much an issue. The reaction that takes place when the water reaches a critical temperature and a very low percentage will put your boat behind SeaTow, in the shop and deep in your pocket.

I give all my customers both gas and diesel; boaters, equipment operator, farmers, etc. the same advise:
1) keep the tank either 96% full or empty
2) if you treat your fuel, do so by the size of the tank
3) keep a six-pack near by (a six-pack of fuel filters)

Absolute,

"Suckin Sludge & Havin a Gas"
 
absolute,

you say, "1) keep the tank either 96% full or empty"

I thought leaving the tank empty allowed moisture/water to form. I was also told that baffles in most fuel tanks make it damn near impossible to completely vacate the fuel. Have "empty" tank customers had the same problem-free results as customers leaving their tanks full?

Peter
 
Been leaving my tanks with whatever fuel was in them at the end of the season. I treat it well with stabil (past years) and Startron recently. Haven't had a problem yet and fuel water seps have never shown any water or phase seperation. I don't like the idea of 300 gallons of ethanol treated fuel laying in the tanks all winter. Usually the tanks are between 1/2 and 1/4 full at layup.
 
quote:
Originally posted by Cobalt 25

absolute,

you say, "1) keep the tank either 96% full or empty"

I thought leaving the tank empty allowed moisture/water to form. I was also told that baffles in most fuel tanks make it damn near impossible to completely vacate the fuel. Have "empty" tank customers had the same problem-free results as customers leaving their tanks full?

Peter

Click to expand...


"An empty glass will not develop condensation, however once you introduce ice tea you will see the condensation on the surface of the glass. "

The vapors from the gas rise and this causes condensation to form as it attracts the moisture from the air. I see more condensaton in vessles with saddle tanks, those locates both port & starboard that are close tot he hull. They tend to see a greater differencial change in temperature.

As for the baffles and complete draining, I'll get a photo of a tank removed from a 32 Donzi last week. It had to be cut in half in order to remove due to weld failure. Baffles are contructed to prevent rapid movement of fuel within the fuel tank, but not to contain.

Absolute,

"Suckin Sludge & Havin a Gas"
 
Interestubg to read the advice froom the the guys from NJ and other points north. This guy lives in Florida. Gota luv the Internet.
 
4 or 5 years ago I left about half a tank of Sta-Bilized gasoline in my aluminum fuel tank for the winter. The first couple of hours of operation in the spring were fine. I then topped it off with state-mandated ethanol fuel for the first time. That's when it hit the fan.

The moisture that had accumulated over the winter was acted upon by the ethanol. My boat was one of the first ones to experience this issue in my area. It cost about 3 thousand dollars to rectify the problem including new fuel pumps, extracting the contaminated fuel, etc.

I've been storing the tank almost full since then- no problemo.

Peter
 
quote:
Originally posted by sbw1

Interestubg to read the advice froom the the guys from NJ and other points north. This guy lives in Florida. Gota luv the Internet.

Click to expand...


If it helps, the ski boat I mentioned is a Bayliner 1750 near Albany NY. I also have a Bayliner 265 "pocket cruiser" in Key West that survives over summer with whatever fuel remains but that boat is only six years old. No fuel or fuel/water issues yet either north or south of the Mason-Dixon line.
 
We have had a lot of threads about ethanol, and phase separation, and whether to store full, or empty, and using stabil and startron. However, I don't recall ever seeing anyone mention the "water eliminator device" that is offered by one of the largest marine manufacturers. Have any of you used it, what were your results,and does boat fix offer it? I'm surprised it hasn't been mentioned on this board, and I know we always have to watch out for "snakeoil", but this is a product from a big time player in the marine industry. To my knowledge no one has told us that he tried it, and to save our money, because it did not work, so I wonder if anyone here has even tried it?
If it does work, a lot of people that are having water in fuel issues might have a much less expensive, much simpler, much safer, remedy.
I am not affiliated with this company, not repping their products, just wondering why it has hasn't been tried.
 
Empty is considered better by most around here.

The amount of condensation in the tanks when empty is relatively negligible and can easily be addressed with dry-gas.

Having 500gallons of semi degraded fuel is not.

The octane drops steadily over the winter, leavinf people with performance engines in a dangerous position.

If your engines are happy with the lower octane rated fuel (read old gas), then running last seasons fuel won't hurt you.
 
I store my silverton empty. I still treat whatever is in there, but it aint much. In the spring I fill up with fresh gas and add dry gas to be sure. I'm with Mariner36. I dont want a hundred gallons of degraded gas.
 
Just make sure the dry gas you're adding doesn't contain alcohol. We got a notice from Silverton some years ago that this waS a danger in the dry gas combines with water forming a corrosive substance that corrodes the alluminum fuel tanks out from the inside.
 
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