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 | cutter
Join Date: Feb 2000 Posts: 1307 The South Shore of Lake Ontario, New York 
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2001-05-14 28152
Hello everyone! Been away from the keyboard the last couple of months trying to catch up with the yard work, barn planning and landscaping. The fill work is almost done and construction should start soon. As luck would have it, the old fishing boat I have been looking for over a number of years, surfaced this month. The deal was very good, so I had to go for it. It is sitting in my yard on blocks and I have to restrain myself from spending ALL of my time working on it. There is one problem that I dare not let go and could use the advise of those familiar with this topic. One fuel tank has roughly fourty gallons left in it and the other has twenty five or so. The craft has sat in a boatyard for five years. Supposedly the marina winterized it in 1996, which may mean stabilizer was added to the fuel left in the tanks (or not). It smells a bit off. I won't be able to have it ready to use for another year. Would I be safe to top the 75 gallon tanks off, and let it go the year then run it out or should I get rid of the stuf? Keeping in mind there are no repair stations in Lake Ontario. I think I know the answer, but petroleum products are not in my line of expertise. Any ideas? Thank You, Cutter.
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 | Murf
Join Date: Dec 1999 Posts: 7249 Toronto Area, Ontario, Canada 
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2001-05-14 28156
You should drain the tanks, for several reasons. First off Sta-bil or any other such product is not a 'cure-all' it only helps keep the gasoline in a useable state, two years from now it will still be old, stale gas, it just won't be Jell-o though. Second, any quantity of gasoline will create condensation problems as it heats and cools, and I doubt you want water in the fuel tanks. Lastly, any time you have gas stored there is the risk of fire, explosion, or at the very least, the bad smell of gasoline in your boat. Do your self a favour, pump it out and burn it up in something, car, whatever you have. Then you know your boat will be full of fresh gas when it finally gets wet. Best of luck. ....
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| cutter
Join Date: Feb 2000 Posts: 1307 The South Shore of Lake Ontario, New York
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2001-05-14 28157
Thank You Murf! I suspected as much. I know someone with an old truck interested in it. I have heard from boaters in the past that topping the tanks was the best thing to do before storage, but they don't have five year old stuf to begin with so that changes the picture. Thanks again. ....
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 | JeffM
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2001-05-14 28162
Hey Cutter, welcome back! I agree with Murf on the gasoline, but as you burn it in your car or whatever, do yourself a favor and try to have at least 50% new gas in the tank so that you don't trade problems on your boat for a different vehicle. ....
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| cutter
Join Date: Feb 2000 Posts: 1307 The South Shore of Lake Ontario, New York
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2001-05-14 28165
Hi Jeff! Thanks for the advise. I have a gentleman with an old Chevy truck that will take it all. He has large portable tanks he uses for his race car and will run it through old relible. I the mean time today, I prepared the engines for start up and I am going to try to use a gas can with fresh gas to run them. Just have to file the points and charge the batteries (I hope). ....
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| Murf
Join Date: Dec 1999 Posts: 7249 Toronto Area, Ontario, Canada
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2001-05-15 28194
A quick word of caution (hopefully) before you fire up those engines. If they have not run for some years you will want to do a little more prep. to them than just the points and a charge. First thing is to is remove spark plugs and give each cylinder a squirt of diesel fuel, this will lossen the rings if sticky, disolve any surface rust and give the best possible compression for an easier start. Next drain the oil (or pump it out as the case may be), replace the filters and oil with new. After all you don't want to pump 5 year old dirty oil through a motor do you? It is now as drained as it will ever be. Lastly, spray carb cleaner down the carbs to remove or at least loosen any gum or varnish that has accumulated there. Lastly, after the engines fire up, don't forget to 'fog them down' after so that they will not rust internally before they go into regular service. Best of luck. ....
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| cutter
Join Date: Feb 2000 Posts: 1307 The South Shore of Lake Ontario, New York
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2001-05-16 28276
Well Murf, I got it almost right. Fortunately, the engines had been preped for storage by the marina with new oil, filers sta-bil ect...I pulled the plugs as you suggested and sprayed wd-40 into the inner banks. I could barely get my hands to the plugs on the outboard sides (forget about an oil can) so I gently rolled the engines over with a breaker bar placed on the fly wheel. They were not bound at all, in fact I believe the only thing that was stuck a bit were the belts to the pulleys. I have been unable to get rid of what I figure is about 100 gallons of gasoline, so I added carb cleaner to the lesser amount of fuel in the starboard tank and away we went. Had to clean the distributors and file the points but they both ran great. Once the new ignition parts are installed and I have time to rebuild the distributors, we should be in business. I plan on running the engines with fresh gasoline as soon as I can, then I will thoroughly winterize them, spending the rest of the summer working on it in my new barn (once it is done). I need one more project this summer to really do me in. Thanks for the advice. ....
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