# Refreshing stale gas



## A.T. Hagan (May 1, 2002)

So, I screwed up and didn't keep on top of properly rotating some of my fuel storage. This has resulted in a drum full of gasoline going way past its "best by" date.

In a nutshell I have a full drum of gas that was treated with Stabil three years ago and has been sealed up tight and stored out of the weather in the shade ever since. I'm hesistant to put it into my vehicles now without "refreshing" it somehow.

I've read a lot about PRI Fuel Stabilizer over the years that it can supposedly make "good gas from bad" when used. I've never tried it myself because no one carries it locally and Stabil worked for me.

Anyone tried it? The gas was originally treated with Stabil and has been sealed tight ever since. Will PRI (or SeaFoam) do the job?


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## anniew (Dec 12, 2002)

I don't know about three year old gas or whether PRI G or Seafoam will make it new again! But my local small engine guy has said that part of the problem with old gas is that it loses its octane, so suggested it be mixed with a high octane "new" gas. I use older gas (only a year old with Stabil) in my older lawn mower, but that would take a long time to use up 55 gals. For my older gas, I found someone who will take it (uses it, I guess to make bonfires???) and just give it to him as it is a way to get rid of it and get new. If you go ahead and try the PRI G or SeaFoam and have good results (or bad), that information would be totally valuable to the rest of us.


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## isaac338 (Jul 29, 2013)

I'd be tempted to burn it in my car/truck 5-10 gal at a time and replace it. It won't hurt anything if you mix it with fresh gas in the tank.


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## CajunSunshine (Apr 24, 2007)

I have personal, real-world experience with Pri-G. Good stuff!

I will re-post what I said about it in this thread along with some fresh updates and edits (link provided, so you can get more info/input about it): https://www.homesteadingtoday.com/t...n-these-shtf-investments.542890/#post-7538683


The manufacturer of Pri-G claimed that the stuff would restore gasoline to refinery conditions. Recently, I had the opportunity to test that claim.

I inherited a car that had been sitting up for a couple of years or more...with a nearly full tank of fuel in it. The gasoline was definitely past its prime. When I started the car, the tell-tale varnish smell was very strong; enough to hang in the air for some time after turning the ignition off. Ugh.

Because it had an anti-siphon type of gas tank, I had two options: drop the gas tank and drain it or put Pri-G in it.

I put Pri-G in it and topped the tank off with about 4 gallons of fresh fuel. After I drove it around a few times, the varnish smell disappeared! I have been driving it for almost six months now with no signs of fuel injector problems. It runs great. (For extra insurance, I add an ounce of Pri-G to every fill-up.)

Color me pleasantly surprised.

EDITED TO ADD: I am still driving this same car for going on three years now. The fuel injectors must be clean as a whistle because although it is an old car, it is one of the quietest and smoothest running vehicles I have ever driven. I also add one ounce of Pri-G to every tank of gasoline because it does not get driven enough miles to use up a tank's worth very quickly.


Speaking of storing fuel...

Once upon a time, I used Stabil fuel stabilizer until I met Pri-G. I've been using this stuff for almost 15 years, and can personally vouch that there is nothing like it out there. Google it. Read the reviews (Amazon.com, etc.) Every word you read about it is true.

I am a bit of a skeptic by nature and until I (or someone I trust) personally test something, I probably won't put much faith in it. I used to think that some of the Pri-G claims were seriously far-fetched: Restoring old gas/diesel to like new; keeping fuel fresh pretty much indefinitely (as long as you re-treat it every year); better fuel mileage; cleaner fuel injector systems, and better engine performance...for about 6 cents per gallon. Umm...no waaay.

Well, I (and more than a few others) have been putting it to some hard-core testing for years and have been amazed. We are not alone. Now it is very popular among survivalists (and my Cajun-folk in deepest darkest Louisiana, too).

Fresh fuel and good engine performance can be a matter of life or death in the swamps and marshes of South Louisiana. Old or poorly stored fuel can spell a really bad day when dealing with hurricanes, houseboats, airboats, shrimp boats and such. Sometimes all the fuel is not used up, and with Pri-G (or Pri-D for diesel), we can maintain freshness in stored fuel for seemingly forever (something that Stabil cannot do).

Since I have moved away from home, I have bought it online. But whenever I go home to visit, I head to the nearest marina supply store (C&M Marina) down on the bayou to pick up my stash of Pri-G.



.


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## TnAndy (Sep 15, 2005)

Stabil is only good for 6 months to a year. If you store gas long term like I do....3-5 years in sealed 55gal drums....PRI is the only product out there that will do the job. Crack open a barrel after 5 years and run it in any engine.

I store for regular use on the homestead a 300 gal tank of gasoline and a 250 gal tank of diesel, in addition to 15 -55gal drums of diesel/gasoline, which get rotated into the big tanks from time to time and replaced. This is my storage shed for the big tanks. Drums are kept in another isolated, cool storage shed.










Lot of fuel to keep on hand, but ask anybody in Puerto Rico (etc) if they would like to have the same setup right now.

I have not personally tried to 'renew' old gasoline already smelling like varnish, but I have no doubt PRI is the only product I would try. I believe Cajunshine's experience is exactly what you would have happen.

The only downside to PRI is they have a lousy distribution system....you either find a marine supply store that carries it, or buy it online....never seen any in any auto supply store, even though it would put Stabil out of business based on performance. I simply can not say enough good about PRI products.


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## TnAndy (Sep 15, 2005)

anniew said:


> But my local small engine guy has said that part of the problem with old gas is that it loses its octane, so suggested it be mixed with a high octane "new" gas.


I think your guy needs to learn more about gasoline chemistry. Octane is the rating assigned to gasoline for the purpose of lower to higher 'explosive' response of the fuel. The less explosive, the higher the octane rating, the less it will cause engine 'knock' in high compression engines (which most small engines are not). The compound which make up liquid gasoline (there are several hundred) that cause that "explosivness" are the lighter components, such as benzine, which are the first to evaporate off.....thus, older gas will have a higher octane rating, but have trouble being a quality fuel due to breakdown of other compounds in the mix....where that varnish smell comes from.

Interesting enough, alcohol is added to gasoline to increase the octane rating.....why Indy type race cars burn pure alcohol, it's very high octane rating in very high compression engines. Problem with alcohol is it is also hygroscopic....it will attach to water, even out of the air, and lead to a whole host of other problems likely seen by your small engine guy.


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## Meinecke (Jun 30, 2017)

Just burn it in a car/lawn mower/Chainsaw etc...it should just good enough to use...
Generators are also welcoming waste suckers...
As long you are not utilizing a turbo charged or European car with it you should be good...
Any US or Chiniesean brand will forgive you...


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## Blu3duk (Jun 2, 2002)

PRI-G for gas is in all my stored gas, i currently have no need for diesel, though if i do, i would use PRI-D for that too. 

I amazed a friend a few years back, i had an old rig that had half a tank of fuel was sitting for 4 or 5 years, i took a gallon of fresh fuel, added enough PRI-G for the half tank, and kept a cup full for the carbuerator [84 suburban with a quadrajet 4 bbl] he bet me it would run rough til the fuel was all gone "if it would fire at all" it spun, caught and we warmed it up for a couple minutes and drove it away.... never hiccuped a lick. 

The one drawback ive personally had with the PRI products is that it tends to swell up any rubber fuel llines if left set for any length of time [I use the PRI treated fuel in my volkswagen sawmill and have an improvised fuel tank using a rubber fuel line]. Its a great product and the inside engine fotos ive seen of after running treated product after defined lengths are amazing looking and somewhat improved [seafoam treated fuel also does this to engines over time, though i have not tried to renew fuel with seafoam]

Years back a person could purchase PRI products in quart, gallon, five gallon and 55 gallon drums, havent seen a drum advertised in awhile, and that would treat enough fuel for several families....

William
Idaho


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## solar (Feb 11, 2010)

TnAndy said:


> If you store gas long term like I do....3-5 years in sealed 55gal drums....PRI is the only product out there that will do the job. Crack open a barrel after 5 years and run it in any engine.


Hey Andy, Are you referring to non-ethanol gas or "regular" cheap gas that has ethanol in it? I use non-ethanol on any engine that doesn't get regular use but it's 60 cents a gallon more than regular.


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## CajunSunshine (Apr 24, 2007)

I'm not Andy, but the kind of gasoline that I referred to in my post was non-ethanol. My friends use "regular" ethanol gasoline with equal success with Pri-G.

Pri-G's website has a wealth of additional info, specs, etc.

.


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## muleskinner2 (Oct 7, 2007)

M


A.T. Hagan said:


> So, I screwed up and didn't keep on top of properly rotating some of my fuel storage. This has resulted in a drum full of gasoline going way past its "best by" date.
> 
> In a nutshell I have a full drum of gas that was treated with Stabil three years ago and has been sealed up tight and stored out of the weather in the shade ever since. I'm hesistant to put it into my vehicles now without "refreshing" it somehow.
> 
> ...


Mix it 50/50 with new gas and you will never know the difference.

Muleskinner1


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## RazrRebel (Apr 16, 2013)

So is Pri G , and Seafoam the same?


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