Sta-Bil?? Winterization?

I bought an emergency generator..4-stroke gas.
The seller recommended putting Sta-Bil in the gas
'cause it'll be used rarely, if at all.

Any downside to the stuff?

Can/should I put it in the chainsaw/weedeater fuel-oil mix?

I haven't been putting any additives into the
83 Honda Shadow. Has those CV carbs with the
rubber diaphragms. I'm afraid of anything
that might eat them.

And what about float bowls? Should they be
drained? The gas will evaporate over the winter
anyway and leave gunk????yes???

So, what's the recommendation on storing gas-
powered equipment.

Thanks, mike

 

You can go to the Sta-Bil website and look at the Material Safety Data
Sheet for yourself, yannow...

 

Do not use that sta-bil crap on any small eng. I have had much fewer
problems since quiting its use. It may be fine for larger engs but I have
seen so many problems on the smaller stuff its nuts. If you want to use
something seafoam seems to work the best for storage or as I do it doubble
strength first tank of the season and good to go. KB

 

Where do you get REAL gasoline?
Everything here in Oregon seems to be ethanol mix.

 

Thanks,
I thought the MSDS was about toxicity.
Wasn't aware that it included comments from people who'd
actually used the stuff and
who weren't trying to sell you the stuff.
I'll check it out.

 

Kerosene????

Oh, I suppose piston-engined aircraft still use 'proper' petrol. Good
call, then.

 

Sta-Bil is 95% Naphtha. It's had hydrogen gas bubbled through it to
modifiy the molecule slightly and a red dye added to it.

Gasoline is refined naphtha. Your carburetors are designed to contain
gasoline 24/7/365.

How could Naphtha possibly harm your carburetors?

Read Section 10 for chemical reactivity and you'll learn not to mix
Sta-Bil with battery acid or hydrogen peroxide or nitric acid...

You weren't planning to do *that* were you?

 

<Proud>

 

I have used Stabil for over twenty years in my motorcycles and small
engines for winterization

I have had about 8 motorcycles in that time and several lawnmowers and
whipper snippers .

NOT ONCE ~!! have I had any problems with restart in the spring , and
our winters are about 6-7 months long

Small engines are particularly prone to carb gumming but I have never
had a problem with them using Stabil.

The secret is using FRESH gas for a fillup in the fall and adding the
Stabil and running the machine for about ten minutes so that the
Stabil gets through the carb.

I have on occasion run the carbs dry on my bikes but most of the time
I dont bother and here in Ontario Canada the layup season is about 6
months long

I repeat ::: I HAVE NEVER HAD A PROBLEM ON RESTART IN THE SPRING ON
ANY OF MY EQUIPMENT.

If you feel the recommended amount of Stabil is not enough you can
safely add more as per the directions on the container

 

That's what you said when asked to publicly admit you were gay.

 

I always prefered to run the carb and tank dry
and store the gasoline separately.

Easy enough to keep a gallon of gas in reserve.
Occasionally you dump the gallon into your car
and refresh the storage can with new gas.

Using this method, I never had trouble with
my backup generator.

 

Come to think of it, an even better option, if
available, would be a propane conversion for
the motor. Hook it up to a barbie tank and
fuggedabowdit. Coleman used to offer this kit
for its generators.

 

We've had this discussion before. Problem is there is no practical way
to make a propane tank for a motorcycle and still have a usable
motorcycle. They do it with scooters but they lose storage space in
the cargo area. Now when they come up with a material that will let
them shape a propae/lng tanks like on a normal motorcycle fuel
tank...then we can talk until then no thanks I'd rather a closed loop
steam turbine on a motorcycle. Oh and a dobler burners on it so you
can leave sooner.

 

Agreed, but the OP was wondering about fuel for a stationary
backup generator that gets run maybe once a year tops.

A stationary, infrequently run engine is an ideal place to use
propane, with possible caveats about how to handle the stuff
in very cold weather. I did not suggest that he use propane as
a motorcycle fuel.

 

they sell those brand new and there are weedwhackers that use the
little coleman cyl. Heck even in outback montana they have them.
4stroke even.

 

Didn't know that. Used to be you had to buy a
kit and convert a motor. Way better than gasoline
for some specific applications.

In the case of a backup generator, I'd probably leave it
gasoline capable as well, so I had a choice of fuels.
Finding a working fueling station can be a major
challenge after any large disaster.

 

Yep dual fuel conversion are out there and have been for a LOOOONG
time. Since at least the early 70's that I recall.