Does Race Gas Go Stale?

[Stormtrooper1320]

I average out all of the answers.

That's fine......

Just as long as you "round up" mine

 

[DavidKFla]

That's fine......

Just as long as you "round up" mine

Yours was thrown out because it screwed up the average. Race gas doesn't last 30 years.

 

[Stormtrooper1320]

Yours was thrown out because it screwed up the average. Race gas doesn't last 30 years.

How about some 100 LL avgas?

It doesn't have any ethanol and it lasts a very, very long time.

 

[DavidKFla]

How about some 100 LL avgas?

It doesn't have any ethanol and it lasts a very, very long time.

If it has ethanol, then it's 30 days.

 

[Stormtrooper1320]

If it has ethanol, then it's 30 days.

No ethanol in avgas. Yet. Can't have it gumming up aircraft carbs and fuel systems. Think about how long small aircraft sit at airports and aren't flown regularly.

 

[Jimmy N.]

It seems to have more to do with how it's stored than anything else. My 200-gallon tank has a vented cap (which I'll try to eliminate soon, since that tank just got filled again), while the cans are completely tight.

Ethanol or not doesn't seem to really matter, though. When vehicles filled up from the 200-gallon tank started getting cranky, the (regular) gas was about two years old. When draining it, it was a pleasant surprise to see that the ethanol and water hadn't separated out at the bottom. That was with using StaBil.

Basically, because that tank can "breathe", the gas lost it's potency. Thankfully, it looks like Star Tron can at least partially counteract that. Does it work the same in a less dry climate? That I don't know. But if the vessel is indeed air tight, humidity shouldn't matter.

 

[HWDan]

How many answers from Google will I get?

Go have some coffee.

Give it a day or 2.

Google search will bring you right back to this thread.

 

[2ndAmend]

I am not a gas expert but I do understand thermodynamics. Based on thermodynamics, integrity is best preserved when stored in full sealed (really sealed) container, cooler the better. Ingredients have different vapor pressures and WILL vent off at different rates if given an opportunity which is why partially full containers and venting is very bad. Old metal containers might become porous from corrosion which is why to keep them off concrete.

I do not know the chemistry of race gas, so I cannot help with how long before chemical breakdown.

Hope this helps a little.

 

[RAMBLE1]

It's oxygenated and my garage gets hot in the summer.

I keep my fuel in a well ventilated building, with wood floors, after stocking up when a hurricane is near. A generous amount of Stabil in the fuel and I have kept gas for two years. I try to get ethanol free, 91 octane. I label the cans, with date and type and try to use the gas, as soon as possible. I have overlooked a few gas cans and they were almost two years old and worked great in the lawn mover. I keep the gas can caps tight and add additional Stabil, periodically, if needed.

As a suggestion, for a hot garage/building, have you considered a roof/attic fan? I have one in my building and one on the roof of the house and they really help on a hot Florida day. The solar fan can reduce the attic/building temperature up to 20 - 25 degrees.

 

[Magnified]

Venting is a necessity. One of my unvented, uninsulated buildings here routinely hits 115+ inside.

 

[Speedy!]

I went into home depot and got one of their little Mini 3' by 3' pallets and I buy my fuel in 5 gallon drums. I store the fuel on the pallet to keep it off the concrete floor in my shop which does have some temperature swings but nothing too crazy. I. I will only use the gas in the car if it is less than 1 year old for a safety factor. Renegade told me if stored properly 1 year is what they recommend. After that I just dump it in my forerunner at least the race gas now that I'm using E85I will just drive it on the street If the fuel gets old.