My long term gasoline storage experiment

[Hoosier8]

The key is to keep it away from air. All current gas has ethanol in it and that attracts moisture which degrades it quickly and of course varnish deposits if evaporated. For aircraft the rule of thumb is 6 months for ethonol free auto gas and two years for 100LL. Both can go longer but with aircraft you shouldn't experiment.

 

[cosermann]

... I regularly store in 5 gallon plastic gas cans up to a year, but don’t trust their integrity as much.

Also without stabilizer as the larger drums or with?

Cool thread, btw.

 

[shibumiseeker]

Also without stabilizer as the larger drums or with?

Cool thread, btw.

I stopped worrying about stabilizer a long time ago. The plastic cans leak over time, especially if they have pressure.

 

[planedriver]

Buy 100ll Avgas if you can get it, never goes bad.

Absolutely true.. I have seen airplanes that have been hangared 20+ years with the same 100ll in the tanks (stored full) start with no problems. Btw 100ll will clean a lot of varnish out of a motorcycle’s carbs. Ask me how I know. Lol

 

[manifest destiny]

Great thread, thanks for reviving it! Where might one find 100ll aviation gas? I can source ethanol free racing fuel with high octane, but I wasn't aware of aviation gas prior to this thread. Anywhere an average joe might be able to buy it?

 

[dieselrealtor]

Another question, when do the refineries in Indiana start the summer blend?

 

[gsxr219]

Great thread, thanks for reviving it! Where might one find 100ll aviation gas? I can source ethanol free racing fuel with high octane, but I wasn't aware of aviation gas prior to this thread. Anywhere an average joe might be able to buy it?

Local airport might sell to you. I could potentially help out if you were up north.

 

[Mgderf]

I stopped worrying about stabilizer a long time ago. The plastic cans leak over time, especially if they have pressure.

How did you seal the drums?

 

[indyjohn]

Another question, when do the refineries in Indiana start the summer blend?

2 weeks before they jack up the price at the pump!

 

[shibumiseeker]

How did you seal the drums?

I tightened the bungs.

 

[Mgderf]

I tightened the bungs.

O.k.
I just thought maybe you had adopted special measures.
Follow directions -go figure

 

[shibumiseeker]

O.k.
I just thought maybe you had adopted special measures.
Follow directions -go figure

I do check to make sure the bungs are sealed the first time we get warm weather (soapy water), but then stopped paying attention.

 

[PSOD]

A few of you know that I homestead and am off-grid and have been since the early 90s on a large piece of land in the back beyond. For those of you just tuning in, opsec dictates that's all you're getting...

I have always stored gasoline, diesel, and kerosene, keeping 6 months to two years supply on hand in 55 gallon drums, buying a little more when it is cheaper and buying less when it goes up, keeping my rotating stock within those supply parameters.

A few years ago I wanted to experiment to see how long I can store gas under those conditions so I sealed a handful of drums and set them back. They are in an open shed in deep shade stored off the ground.

I opened one at two years, three, and now four. Gas when stored was whatever I bought (winter or summer) and no stabilizer was added. The drums were filled to within a couple of inches and sealed.

Just cracked one from four years ago yesterday and it looked and smelled like the day I put it in. Put 3 gallons in a generator and it fired right up, no issues. Given my experience with years two and three I was unsurprised.

I have two more sealed from then, so the experiment continues.

I also have one that was left with the bung off from two years ago. Every now and then I siphon off a gallon or so and inspect it. It's starting to turn a little darker and smell a little different, but the generator still runs it fine.

thats actually super interesting, since you bought most of that gas 4+ years ago, is it safe to assume that it is ethanol free? not sure you could replicate that with the modern junk. i cant get much more than 8 months sealed in metal fuel cans before it starts looking like apple cider.

 

[shibumiseeker]

thats actually super interesting, since you bought most of that gas 4+ years ago, is it safe to assume that it is ethanol free? not sure you could replicate that with the modern junk. i cant get much more than 8 months sealed in metal fuel cans before it starts looking like apple cider.

It was not ethanol free. Ethanol content can vary from none to 10% and I did not assay any of these before storage.

 

[PSOD]

It was not ethanol free. Ethanol content can vary from none to 10% and I did not assay any of these before storage.

teach me your ways kind sir. I usually fill up my bulk fuel from the sams club in btown since its the cheapest aroung but i think its all that 15% ethanol junk. Also how are you sealing your 55 gal drums? I currently have 2 with diesel and im concerned that the little metal cap isn't entirely air tight.

 

[Amac91]

It was not ethanol free. Ethanol content can vary from none to 10% and I did not assay any of these before storage.

I have not stored more than individual canisters of gas for longer than 6-12 months and before expanding to my own larger testing, I was wondering if you could point in the direction of reputable general safety recommendations (Dos, and Donts, recommended containers, etc) for long term and higher volume gasoline storage.

Last thing I need is to burn down a shed or 2 from an uneducated decision. Thank you in advance.

 

[dieselrealtor]

Absolutely true.. I have seen airplanes that have been hangared 20+ years with the same 100ll in the tanks (stored full) start with no problems. Btw 100ll will clean a lot of varnish out of a motorcycle’s carbs. Ask me how I know. Lol

Does anyone know if 100ll is safe to run in small 4stroke engines? Honda generator, mowers, etc.

How about 2 strokes?

If it is safe, I may get some to run last fillup each year in small equipment, generators, etc that I dont necessarily want to run dry to store.

Seems to be running about 150% the cost of low octane at the pump from what I have priced online.

 

[planedriver]

Does anyone know if 100ll is safe to run in small 4stroke engines? Honda generator, mowers, etc.

How about 2 strokes?

If it is safe, I may get some to run last fillup each year in small equipment, generators, etc that I dont necessarily want to run dry to store.

Seems to be running about 150% the cost of low octane at the pump from what I have priced online.

I can’t say much for 2 strokes. Not speaking from experience, I can’t see why it would be a problem running high octane gas.

I can say this. Many years ago my son had a new Honda 50 cc mini bike. We kept it at the airport in my hanger, he would very rarely ride it. Bored with it, he decided not to ride it anymore. (The quad at the farm was more fun and just outside the back door in a machine shed.) The minibike sat for a couple years, and the regular gas went bad. The carburetor was gummed up, and the bike would barely run. Finally, he ran almost all of the gas out of the tank after he decided to ride it one day. I had him ride it over to the FBO and we filled the tank with avgas. After puttering around on the bike for about 30 minutes it ran like new. The avgas had cleaned out the gum in the carburetor, the tank and the lines.

I also use a gas in a small portable generator and gas driven air compressor with no negative effects.