Didn't use Stabil ... now what?

[Lpennington]

I took delivery of my boat in October. We filled it with ethanol free gas and then took it out on the water twice for approximately 2.5 hours total.

Before the temps started to get into the 30's (mid/late November) I bumped the throttle a few times to blow most of the water from the engine. I bought a battery tender but I did not put Stabil in the fuel tank (had not read about fuel separation at the time).

Should I try the boat out or is there a high possibility that the fuel in the tank has gone bad?

 

[ACRDSPORT14]

In my outboard, yamaha 150, i don't use ethanol free, and i don't use stabil. never had a problem. I only use the boat 1 week a year. Owned it for 10 years. You'll be fine.

 

[Scottintexas]

I wouldn't worry about it, I've had a few winters I didn't add any, if you're concerned you could add some sea-foam fluid, some think that really helps,

 

[Neutron]

If you used non-ethanol gas it will take a long time to go bad, like more than a year.
You will be fine. Ethanol gas is the crap that has no shelf life

 

[Shannon]

You will be fine. I grew up on a farm and we had lot of old dump trucks and tractors that ran on gas. Sometimes they would set for almost a year before being cranked. We never had an issue with the non ethanol gas. They always fired up and ran great My grandfather and dad never used stabil or gas treatments.

 

[Beachbummer]

It's all good. As per important instructions, Run it like you stole it to restore full performance. refill with new fuel often. I would wait for 1/2 tank or so, refill as able (No way I'm suggesting stopping the fun to refill, just if you got down to half and you can, I would refill), and not think about it again.

Glorious Fuel Injection.

 

[DBamaC]

I took delivery of my boat in October. We filled it with ethanol free gas and then took it out on the water twice for approximately 2.5 hours total.

Before the temps started to get into the 30's (mid/late November) I bumped the throttle a few times to blow most of the water from the engine. I bought a battery tender but I did not put Stabil in the fuel tank (had not read about fuel separation at the time).

Should I try the boat out or is there a high possibility that the fuel in the tank has gone bad?

You need to buy yourself an old Jeep. Whenever gas get's old in my various lawn equipment, boat, motorcycle, generators, etc, I siphon in out and put it into the Jeep. It'll burn anything.

 

[Jgorm]

"bad" gas will never cause a no start. Possibly slightly less octane that may ping in high performance application tuned to the limit. My friend started a 69 mustang after 15 years and it started right up

 

[Coheeba]

No ethanol, no problem

 

[Lpennington]

Good to hear. Thank goodness for the old independent gas stations selling the ethanol free stuff.

 

[Lpennington]

I’m too much. The past 12 months all my extra time has been up at the lake getting our lake house and boathouse constructed so 2020 was another summer w/ light use of the boat. I also didn’t add any fuel treatment before the winter (we’re in Raleigh). Went searching for guidance and found my thread from a couple years ago (LMAO ... totally forgotten that I’d done this b4).

Hopefully this is the last season with this low use pattern. Beginning tomorrow, my boat’s new home will be on the lift at our boathouse!

 

[Lpennington]

Safely delivered to her home. I think I checked things 5 times before covering and leaving to head back home 75 mi away. (Just remembered I left the drain plugs in!)

As normal, I had no problem with the year old gas in the tank. It was about 5/8 full. Ran it down to approx. 3/8 today.