Does gasoline really only have a 30 day shelf life?

Question

I have now heard this twice, involving boats, that gasoline only has a 30 shelf life for boats. Is this statement true or false and what happens when you use older gasoline? Less effective fuel economy or poor running??? I'm just curious...

Answer 1

no it will last a little longer than that ,if you add a chemical such as stabil to it it will last a lot longer ,i keep it around for months by adding stabil to i,it keeps it from going flat,it will still burn but not as good if it goes flat,and will often cause a boat or anything you put it in to run bad,good luck.

Answer 2

Fuel will last longer than 30 day's, but I would not store a boat for a year or longer without filling tank and adding fuel-stabilizer and allowing it to mix. Fuel will start to separate after sitting for several months and leaves a thick molasses type substance on the bottom which will clog up any small o*****e that it is pumped through.

Answer 3

Yes, it is true that gasoline degrades over time. 30 days is a bit extreme. I know for a fact that old gas gets gummy and will clog fuel lines and injectors. It also starts smelling very bad long before it gets bad enough to cause a problem. It loses Octane rating every day. It is even worse if it is in a transparent container and left out in the sun. Use dark containers and store it in the shade.

Answer 4

No you can have gas sit in a tank for long the 30 days and still have it be good. In fact most times gas will last as long as 6 months with out breaking down. Now if the gas has been sitting for a year or more then performance will be effected and the motor will not run well. However if you add fuel stabilizer to the fuel, you can make it last up to 10 months. I have been able to start cars that have been sitting in fields for 3 or 4 years with the fuel that’s in them. Granted, they run horrible, knock, ping, spew black smoke, but they will run and start. best thing to do if your storing your boat for a long period, is to treat the fuel with some fuel stabilizer and run the motor for about 3 minutes to allow it to work it's way in to the carburetor or fuel injectors. This way when you get ready to start the motor again, it will start easier and you'll have less maintenance.

Answer 5

With deisal boats this is true. but i dont think with gas ones

Answer 6

Gasoline starts to shift its properties after a certain amount of time could be longer or shorter. You will notice a lack of performance and fouling plugs etc. It will eventually turn into a caramel like substance and gum up the carbs or injection