How long does gas last?

Discussion in 'Newbie Corner' started by branchd77, Oct 28, 2016.

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  1. branchd77

    branchd77 Administrator Staff Member Gold Supporter
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    I was wondering what everyone's opinion was about old gas. I have heard that gas can last for years if you put stabilizer in it. Any thoughts on what is the best storage option? What if you don't have fuel stabilizer or didn't put any in, would you still be able to use the gas?
     
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  2. lonewolf

    lonewolf Societal Collapse Survivalist. Staff Member
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    i was told Petrol lasts about 6 months , Diesel a bit longer, any older than that and it can clog up the jets and carbs, I have heard of people using fuel older than this but you always take the risk, in an older vehicle a lot of residue can be left at the bottom of the fuel tank and "running on empty" stirs up this residue which is why I never let my tank go below half.
     
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  3. Arkane

    Arkane Master Survivalist
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    Never had a problem with old fuel!
    I have had problems with fuel that has been left open to the air and had a large amount of evaporation!

    Keep your fuel in sealed containers and it lasts quite a while as in years!

    Most of this fuel going off bull is just hype to stop hoarding!
    Store as much fuel as you safely can in proper containers and rotate it out when you can but don't panic if your stores are a year or two old!
    more than that and you may want to cut it into fresher stuff if you are using a modern vehicle!

    Bought a bus last week, had been sitting for a few years, after charging the batteries she fired up no worries and ran for the next three hours and 200km just fine
    all on three year old or longer diesel sitting in the tank!
     
    1. WarHorse52
      I couldn't agree with you more. I have over 1000 gallons stored of diesel and gas and have never had a problem with long term stability. One of my prepping friends has had some for over 10 years and he has not had a problem either. Of course we both use stabilizers, and I try to freshen up the gas/diesel with a little new fuel in it ever year. (((I have heard this will refresh the fuel, but I am not sure on the sources!))) So far no problems. Also, keep in mind regular gas and diesel will last the longest. God Bless!
       
      WarHorse52, Sep 19, 2018
  4. Mekada

    Mekada Master Survivalist
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    Well that depends on the the octane level in fuel. An engine needs a decent amount potency to burn efficiently and run smoothly to run through its 4 or 2 cycles. Some manufacturers recommend an octane level of no less than 89. Lower than that and it simply won't burn well enough and will flood the engine partially Too much octane isn't good either. If the mixture is too rich it will start to eat at the engine seals and gaskets. I saw this when i ran my old mazda on some spare avgas. Ordinarily it has a octane rating of 125 and added lubricants to protect costly aviation parts. This fuel was stored for 8 months and we figured that the octane level had fallen to below a 100 so i put it in half and half with my 93 normal fuel. It ran great for a while until it started to jerk uncontrollably. After some troubleshooting we found out that the seals in the carburetor were badly damaged. That being said older cars are less picky with what you fuel them with. Diesel can last a very long time and any sensible prepper would have such a vehicle.
     
  5. branchd77

    branchd77 Administrator Staff Member Gold Supporter
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    Interesting, I bought a gas powered generator recently and I wanted to store some fuel for it. I can't decide how much I want to store. I don't want it to go bad and waste but I want to have plenty in an emergency. Thank you for the answers.
     
  6. Mekada

    Mekada Master Survivalist
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    Depending on the output it might be frugal on its fuel use. Remember to get or make a muffler for it to silence it. You don't want to people finding you from a noisy generator. Their tolerances aren't that stringent so it will probably run with old fuel or even alcohol. Remember when storing your fuel not to fill it to the top. You have to account for gas buildup inside the container.
     
  7. Keith H.

    Keith H. Moderator Staff Member
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  8. James98

    James98 Well-Known Member
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    pure gasoline can last for a long time however what you get from the gas station is not pure gasoline. Gas stations have additives in their fuel. Gasoline additives increase gasoline's octane rating or act as a corrosion inhibitor or lubricants, thus allowing the use of higher compression ratios for greater efficiency and power. Types of additives include metal deactivators, corrosion inhibitors, oxygenates and antioxidants. It is the addition of these additives that greatly shortens the life of gasoline. Each company and even gas station uses different types or amounts of additives. Because of this, the shelf life of your gasoline can vary depending on where you get it. In addition, different temperatures and humidity levels can also affect the shelf live of gasoline. Gasoline with the longest shelf life will have few to no additives and be stored in a cool dry place. Because of this variation gas can be expected to keep anywhere from 2-3 months to just over a year without stabilizer. This is a large range and the only way to know for sure is to store some and see how long it lasts for you.
    fuel stabilizer depending on the brand treats your fuel to be safe for 6 months and if you double the amount you double the rating to be 12 months. the stabalizer companies generally do not say anything past this, however some say (though I have not tested) that if you keep adding stabilizer as that time runs out that you can keep fuel safe to use indefinitely
     
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  9. sarky

    sarky Expert Member
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    The more refined the fuel the shorter its useful life span. Regular gas about a year, diesel up to 10 years. This without any gas stabilizers. Jet plane fuel (JP-4, JP-5) is very similar to diesel except for the ice inhibitors in it.
     
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  10. Old Geezer

    Old Geezer Legendary Survivalist
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    You simply gotta cycle that fuel. Give it a few months, then pour it into your truck's tank and buy some new fuel.

    If you've got some old tank, get rid of it & buy new, or slosh some gas around in it and pour it into the ground to get any crud out of that dirty tank (sorry Mother Nature). Can't start a fire with dirty gasoline if you want to keep your eyebrows.

    When it hits the fan, there will still be gas, but you'll pay for it; and too, you may have to use ration stamps. I've seen my family's ration stamps from WWII.

    Gotta have barter money (that's a whole nuther topic) for fuel and non-storable stuff. My dad, his brothers, and "business associates" were involved in activities on the other side of the law, so they had to pay-off police and state congressmen. Post SHTF, everybody is going to have to make some payoffs to idiot/evil people in power, plus local soldiers & deputies. Part of prepping is putting back barter. Want extra ration stamps, well you're gonna have to have some under-the-table barter on hand (and a big revolver so as to hold onto that sort of "money").

    Once upon a time, I was talking to a young man who I knew to be involved in black market crap. I said, "Who are you paying off?!" He said, "No one." I said, "You are already in deep ####." Yes, he ended up doing time.

    moral: Put back "oh sh##!" "money" to pay for fuel -- fuel just doesn't last forever. When the SHTF, we'll be talking about a whole new set of economic rules. Unfortunately, I'm right about this topic.

    "... with an octane rating as low as 72 ..."
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UAZ-469
    "It was powered by the same 75 hp (56 kW; 76 PS) 2,445 cc (149.2 cu in) UMZ 452MI inline-four engine as the UAZ-452 and was able to run on gasoline with an octane rating as low as 72 (although 76 was preferred)."
    These puppies even came with a hand-crank. "Get your thumb outa the way!"
     
  11. sarky

    sarky Expert Member
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    When it comes to gas, if you are going to store it, store enough to last you thru the event, or if this is unreasonable, enough to get to to your BOL. Fuel stabilizers with lengthen the storage time of your fuel. As to gas cans, I use the same plastic ones our military uses.
     
  12. jeager

    jeager Master Survivalist
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    As usual I LOOK THINGS UP ON THE WEB.
    Invaluable sources.
    Motor gasoline may be stored up to 60 days in an approved container. If it is to be stored for a longer period of time, a fuel stabilizer may be used. This will extend the life of the fuel to about 1-2 years, and keep it fresh for the next uses. Fuel stabilizer is commonly used for small engines such as lawnmower and tractor engines to promote quicker and more reliable starting."

    I doubt storing gasoline long term will do any good.
    Long term = years.
    I don't know.
    A lot would depend upon HOW it's stored.
     
  13. lonewolf

    lonewolf Societal Collapse Survivalist. Staff Member
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    I was told 6 months for petrol, maybe 12 months for diesel, pretty academic really because by then you wont be able to replace so once your store is used up you'll be walking anyway.
     
  14. sarky

    sarky Expert Member
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    Diesel is up to 10 years without a stabilizer..... provided you can keep water out of it, otherwise bacteria will grow and ruin your diesel
     
  15. lonewolf

    lonewolf Societal Collapse Survivalist. Staff Member
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    not what I was told. I think 10 years is a bit optimistic.
     
    Last edited: Mar 31, 2017
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