[Canadian Charlie]

How long should gasoline be good for if left in a car's gas tank? I have a parked pick up and I think the gas has been there for maybe 2 years. I can't get it to start so I'm suspecting bad gas or the carb that keeps backfiring on me.


thanks

[67Mustang Al.]

What i would do is get a can of starting fluid. It is ether- based and smells really good or really bad depending on your habits. I have a pressure pack can of Valvoline starting fluid which works well. Pull the choke open , squirt some down and turn engine over.
If it did not kick with the startin fluid then the plugs, coil connections, distributor points or ignition wiring to the coil need looking at for corrosion. Check that the plugs are not wet from internal condensation.
If it fired with starting fluid but will not run then the fuel may have to be changed out.
Cheers good luck
Al.

[Guy Hiltz]

If you do a google search,you will find all kinds of opinions on the shelf life of gas,anywheres from 14 days to several years.It seems that how it is stored has a lot to do with it,and weather or not an additive such as Stabil is used.From my own experience,I had a half full gas tank out of my car over one winter,and the gas did indeed go bad.I became quite good at pulling the float bowls off of my old Holley carb in order to clean varnish out of the jets.Here in Canada,we get a lot of different weather conditions,so there is a good chance that your gas tank has collected lots of condensation over the past 2 years.Maybe you should drain that old gas and clean or rebuild the carb,see if that helps.I would not recommend using ether.After sitting for 2 years,you dont want any oil being washed off of the cylinders from ether.Just my opinion !!!
Guy

[Torque454]

I have burned 15 year old gasoline i pulled from a car. I did mix it with some fresh gas but i used some in my mower that didnt have much fresh gas in it and it still ran fine. Smoked a little more as if it was high octane and it stunk but it burned it pretty good.

[67Mustang Al.]

Originally Posted by Guy Hiltz

If you do a google search,you will find all kinds of opinions on the shelf life of gas,anywheres from 14 days to several years.It seems that how it is stored has a lot to do with it,and weather or not an additive such as Stabil is used.From my own experience,I had a half full gas tank out of my car over one winter,and the gas did indeed go bad.I became quite good at pulling the float bowls off of my old Holley carb in order to clean varnish out of the jets.Here in Canada,we get a lot of different weather conditions,so there is a good chance that your gas tank has collected lots of condensation over the past 2 years.Maybe you should drain that old gas and clean or rebuild the carb,see if that helps.I would not recommend using ether.After sitting for 2 years,you dont want any oil being washed off of the cylinders from ether.Just my opinion !!!
Guy

Just to let you know that the valvoline starting fluid contains Upper Cylinder Lubricant. In other words it will coat the cylinder walls with lubricant rather than "wash it off" as would raw petrol tipped down the carb throat. As the engine starts ,oil is sprayed under the skirt of the piston almost immediately replenishing any oil that would have been missing from the cylinder walls, especially after two years of non-use. In other words the starting fluid adds lubricant that would be missing as well as creating a highly combustible mix. "Aerostart" does not state the additive on its can.