5 year old gas
Thread Starter
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 45,329
Likes: 1,767
From: Chicago, IL
5 year old gas An old friend just asked me if there is a simple way to drain the gas tank in his 1998 TA MN6. Has 5 year old gas in it.
Or, what do you guys think about him adding fresh gas and just running the car easy until he burns that tank off? I'll link him to this thread.
This is a garage kept car.
Or, what do you guys think about him adding fresh gas and just running the car easy until he burns that tank off? I'll link him to this thread.
This is a garage kept car.
Drain it all out, even mixed it will run like dogshit. I just went through that with some old gas I had in my 2001 2500HD.
No matter how much I added new stuff in it wasn't happening. Would sputter and had no power. Lost the octane so the Knock Sensors were pulling timing due to the detonation. Put the laptop on it just to watch it because I had a feeling that is what was going on.
I drained out the almost 3/4 tank it had and put in fresh 89 Non Ethonal because that's what is close by and what I wanted due to how much I drive it. World of difference, tons of power.
Drain out as much as you can and put fresh stuff in. The simplest way is to get a 1/2" rubber tube into the gas tank through the filler neck and syphon it out. There's a hand pump you can use. I did it that way and got that rubber tube at the lowest part of the tank, pulled damn near everything out. Once you get it started with the hand pump it goes quite fast. I pulled 20+ gallons out and it didn't take long.
No matter how much I added new stuff in it wasn't happening. Would sputter and had no power. Lost the octane so the Knock Sensors were pulling timing due to the detonation. Put the laptop on it just to watch it because I had a feeling that is what was going on.
I drained out the almost 3/4 tank it had and put in fresh 89 Non Ethonal because that's what is close by and what I wanted due to how much I drive it. World of difference, tons of power.
Drain out as much as you can and put fresh stuff in. The simplest way is to get a 1/2" rubber tube into the gas tank through the filler neck and syphon it out. There's a hand pump you can use. I did it that way and got that rubber tube at the lowest part of the tank, pulled damn near everything out. Once you get it started with the hand pump it goes quite fast. I pulled 20+ gallons out and it didn't take long.
Thread Starter
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 45,329
Likes: 1,767
From: Chicago, IL
It has 3/4 tank of gas.
I'll talk to him about the siphon idea. He said he couldn't get a hose down there. I'll send him the link to the thread again so he reads your comments.
I'll talk to him about the siphon idea. He said he couldn't get a hose down there. I'll send him the link to the thread again so he reads your comments.
So the little metal flapper door just hold it open with a thin screwdriver, hose will go down all the way to the bottom. I've had Fbodies too that 1998 has a metal tank in it before they went plastic. Most of them hand pump kits come with a clear 3/8" or 1/2" rubber hose, 3/8" ID will probably work better because once it gets into the tank it'll flex to the bottom. Get like 4ft or so, that way it coils in the bottom and you can pick the gas all up out of it.
Trending Topics
Less than 2 years ago I fired up an ls1 motor with half a tank of 2007 vintage 93 octane. It fired up well enough to drive to the gas station and fill the tank the rest of the way with new gas. I can't really say how much difference the old gas made, because I changed the heads and cam before firing it up, so the idle was **** before doing some tuning anyway.
LS1 Tech Stories
The Best V8 Stories One Small Block at Time
6 Common C5 Corvette Failures and What's Involved In Repairing Them
Pouria Savadkouei
Retro Modern Bandit Pontiac Trans AM Comes With Burt Reynolds' Autograph
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Greatest Cadillac V Series Performance Models Ever, Ranked
Pouria Savadkouei
Top 10 Most Powerful Chevy Trucks Ever Made!
Hennessey's New Supercharged Silverado ZR2 Has 700 HP
Verdad Gallardo
Coachbuilt N2A Anteros Is an LS2-Powered C6 Corvette In Italian Clothes
Verdad Gallardo
Awesome K5 Blazer Restomod Comes With C7 Corvette Power
Verdad Gallardo
10 Camaros You Should Never Buy
10 LS Engine Myths That Refuse to Die
Verdad Gallardo
Just fired up my new 402 after the TBSS has been sitting for almost 3 years, old gas in it from when it was parked. Seems to idle fine but I don't plan on much more than that until it's in driving condition. It does take a bit extra cranking to get it started but that could be the tune as well. I figured use the old gas to let it idle while getting it up to temp, bleeding the cooling system etc. by time its drivable it'll be low enough that it'll be ok to fill with no issues mixing.
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 3,890
Likes: 1,137
From: Grand Rapids, Michigan
I pumped a half tank out of my Formula after it had been sitting in there for 14 years and poured it into my beater VW with no ill effects. The fuel had turned green over that time, but was otherwise still usable, at least for my crappy daily driver.
Thread Starter
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 45,329
Likes: 1,767
From: Chicago, IL
He and I talked on the phone today, here is Plan A. He wants to make sure the engine turns free, so he will use a breaker bar to check. After that, put the new fresh charged battery in and see if it starts up okay. He tried to siphon the gas but he said the hose hit an obstruction deep down and when he pulled it up it was dry, 4-5 foot long 1/2 inch hose. He's not mechanical so is personally not comfortable messing with the fuel system.
I'll update y'all once I hear how the breaker bar went.
I'll update y'all once I hear how the breaker bar went.
Thread Starter
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 45,329
Likes: 1,767
From: Chicago, IL
And... she started!
Breaker bar, it turned very easily, so he put 100% charged battery in, and it started right up no stumbles. He'll add new gas as well, and I told him to buy some stabilizer.
Old friend of mine, here is the money shot, don't see too many convertibles in this color:
Breaker bar, it turned very easily, so he put 100% charged battery in, and it started right up no stumbles. He'll add new gas as well, and I told him to buy some stabilizer.
Old friend of mine, here is the money shot, don't see too many convertibles in this color:
As long as the tanks are properly sealed, the gas will be "good enough" indefinitely. If the tank is not sealed, all bets are off. The more volatile compounds evaporate, leaving sludge, and the water contamination just from ambient humidity helps rust things. The fuel injectors are the real crapshoot. I have had injectors work perfectly after sitting in the vehicle for 10 years, and some where they would not open at all after just a couple of years.
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 6,216
Likes: 236
From: Wichita KS / Rancho San Diego
The gas in my Judge had sat in the tank for 18 years - 1983-2001. When I dropped the tank and poured it out, I was surprised to see it perfectly clean and the inside of the tank pristine. Point is to corroborate the finding in this thread: just because gas is old doesn't mean it's bad.
