When Jerrycans go Bad

[Matt]

I exclusively fuel my boat on the high-octane stuff since it has a bit of a tendency to sit and I figure lower ethanol is better.

I'm never quite sure whether it's better to drain the tank when it's going to sit - or leave it full - since on my boat it's a built in tank that is vented, not sealed. I figure drain it out - and run it through the cars - mostly to ensure that when i do run the boat, the fuel is fresh.

And then on the aux motor (2 stroke) - it's been sitting now for 2 years - and still seems fresh enough - used some of it to run the strimmer the other day.

Have you guys used either of these:
* https://www.force4.co.uk/item/Quicks...ment-355ml/W7M
* https://www.force4.co.uk/item/Quicks...stor-355ml/GL5

[Fenlander]

I've been using Quickstor for about three years now. Since it was advised by a local Mercury dealer... and not because he wanted to sell me some as he commented I could get it cheaper online.

Has it changed anything? No idea but in the scheme of life not a huge cost so happy to go with it. Only using the Esso premium fuel now which research indicates... certainly to date... is the least likely to contain any ethanol. Also this year have bought 5l Aspen fuel to check the OB runs OK on it and use towards the end of the season when I'm most likely to have fuel left over.

[Trello]

This fuel lark is a real palaver, isn't it?

Make sure it's got no (or at least minimal) alcohol.
Make sure it's not too old.
Make sure it's not got water in it.
Make sure it's not got dirt in it.
Make sure you add this additive, but be careful how much you add.
And now willk is insisting we throw away what seem to be perfectly sound (if somewhat old) fuel cans...[emoji6].

I have an ancient tractor and it drinks whatever I give it quite happily. I've only cleaned the carb once, and even then it was through a sense of guilt - it had not actually complained at all.

[Fenlander]

Te20?

[willk]

Originally Posted by Trello

So how long do you intend to keep your new plastic cans before chucking them?

Someone offered me a tatty old 5L fuel can yesterday and having (politely) refused it, I remembered this thread. You said new can and I believed that to be the case. However, on inspection today I found that it was a very tidy 2015 which got me thinking about how old is too old? I'm going to filter some of the contents and see how it looks. The generator is playing up again at idle revs and I'm on the war path...

Meanwhile, I've discovered that Aspen cans will accept some of my pouring spouts so I have a new supply of fresh 2024 cans for mixing two stroke in. I'd class them as somewhere between a pukka can and a lemonade bottle...

[Fenlander]

>>>somewhere between a pukka can and a lemonade bottle

I have a growing collection of those Aspen cans and I reckon they are as well made as the standard petrol station cheap green cans. I only have the Sceptre cans now and they are as strong as OE tanks, great cans and good enough to be endorsed by Yamaha.

Re the age old lemonade bottle thing my measure of suitability would be slashing at them with a Stanley knife. It would go through a lemonade bottle in an instant but the OE tanks and Sceptre cans would probably snap the blade.