My father owns a pontoon boat with an outboard motor. Because of health issues he has not started/used the boat since last summer. The 25 gallon tank of 50:1 oil mix fuel is about 2/3 full.

Can this fuel be salvaged or do I need to pump it out and dispose of it? Removal and disposal will be a real pain because the county waste center is 25 miles from the boat and you must leave the gas in the transport containers.

Any and all tips which will help minimize motor issues are appreciated.

Kenny

 

If it still smells like gas I would top it off with a fresh mix and run it. If you can't run most of it out this summer just add some Sta-bil.
If it's starting to smell like kerosene then dispose of it.

 

Like Larry said, just run as much of it out as you can........then fill it up and add some sta-bil. I wouldn't venture very far when you do run it incase you have problems with the carb or plugs......sometimes when it sits the carb gets gunked up.....

I was taught that when a boat sits for a long peroid of time....it is always a good idea to disconnect the fuel line from the motor, then run the motor until all the fuel is out and the motor dies. This emptys the carborator of gas which will gum up if it sits too long. I usually put sta-bil in the tank and plug up any holes in the motor like the exhaust ports, water pump return, water pump spout, etc. so that insects like dirt dobbers and such don't build nests and clog up the hoses......I've had that happen and it's a pain to get dirt out of the lines.....

 

Only a year old (and you're damn sure about it)? Top it off and go for it as long as it smells good. Doubtful that the carbs are gummed up. Put a new battery in the boat and new spark plugs, then give it a go. What type of motor is it?

And you DO NOT want to run a 2 stroke out of gas. Remember... the oil is mixed into the gas. Take away the gas and you're taking away the oil. You wouldn't want to run your truck with less oil than it needs, would you?

 

Your right.......you never want to run a 2 stroke without oil/gas mixture.....however, I've been doing this to my boat motors each winter for 15 years now. My father even longer, we've never had one wear out pre-maturely or fail because of this method. As soon as the gas runs out of engine stops, acutally, I stop mine as soon as I hear it starting to miss. And anyway, once the gas runs out the engine stops thus it never runs without any oil......unlike an convential motor like a truck engine which can still run with less oil and damage the engine.....

 

waterpump every 2 years, stabilizer in the gas every winter. If it has 2 or more carbs, clean the main jets before firing the engine. It might start and run on both idle circuits but if the main jet is clogged in one carb that part of the engine will not receive the required oil it needs, as already mentioned. 2 strokes with multiple carbs are basically multiple engines sharing the same crankshaft. If you due run it as is put some 2 stroke in the spark plug holes and turn engine over by hand to lube cylinders. Todays gas goes bad quick, alcohol absorbs the moisture in the air, put some "seafoam" in it before running. The seafoam might absorb some water, thats all its good for.

 

Yes, I am sure gas is only a year old - motor is a 2 cycle outboard (not sure of the model). I guess another option would be to pump out 5 or 10 gallons and refill with a fresh mix and stabilizer.

Kenny

 

If its bad its bad, mixing new with old just gives you more bad gas. Most engines from 87 and up are oil injected, are you sure its pre-mixed already.

 

For sure - 50:1 oil to gas - been in tank since last summer

 

Every fall I put the Sta-Bil in all my yard stuff. Mowers, tillers, snowblower, weedeater and chainsaw. After adding it I sit and let them idle for about ten minutes so it circulates through the carb. Never had a problem come spring. They always start right up.

 

Does anyone have any ideas as to if the year old fuel can be salvaged? If I need to pump it out and dispose of it I can but it will be expensive and a PIA

Kenny

 

Can't tell for sure, you can smell it, when it goes bad it smells like turpentine. It also starts to thicken up. As it ages it also looses octane. Take a sample by pumping the bulb and removing one of the fuel lines or end of the quick disconnect.

 

If the engine will start and run with the gas that's in the tank, it's good to go. Unlike your truck engine, these little engines that can are very low compression engines and don't suffer damage with low octane or old gas. If it starts and runs- run it. If it doesn't- then you need to flush the system and if you need to flush it, use either alcohol or acetone for the final rinse to get all of the varnish out of the system. Frankly, I only bet on a sure thing and old women and I'm betting it will start and run just fine.
You can disconnect the fuel line and run the engine until it stops with no damage. If it has enough gas to fire, it has enough lube to do the job. The oil is also slower to burn than the gas so there is always a coating left on the cylinders anyway. Again, these are more like lawnmower engines than your truck engine and are not high compression, high ring tension engines.

 

I strongly disagree with your octane statement. This is a pontoon, it could have anything from 40hp up to 200hp, and @ $100 a hp thats a bit more than a lawn mower engine.

 

A two stroke outboard engine does not have valves, cam or cams, high compression heads, and is the absolute basic technology and still run. It pretty much a crankshaft, rod(s), sparkplug(s), and piston. And considering you didn't understand the statement "more like a lawnmower engine", it also has an intake and exhaust system. Two strokes are not bothered with octane knocking and providing you are using the newer oils like Tc-3W, detonation isn't an issue either. If it will start on the fuel, run it. I can assume you've never been to any of the third world countries where these same engines are running gas that is well over 3 years old and run very well on it. Some of it as it is put in the fuel tank is screened with cheese cloth to get the big pieces out of the gas like varnish, rust, etc. Remember, he said it was carbed so it's not one of the newer EFI units making 350 HP. Most pontoons are sold with 60 HP or less. Here's how one works:
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