Shelf Life of Gasolene & other facts

[DougVieyra]

Last week I finally bought 'Real' gas - no corn ethanol. Like most of us, I have several hand-held gas-powered tools, as well as seldom used gas engine machines. The currently available 'Corn' gas (ethanol) is well known to bring ruination to a great many gas operated engines. So I thought the extra expense was with the extra cost ($5.70 per 'real' gas gallon vs. $2.45 per ethanol gallon).

Many of my uses are of the oil/gas mix requirements - 40:1 , etc. And this mix sits in my 'Gas Mix' cans for months on end, and occasionally for a year or more. So with the new (expensive) 'Real' gas, I thought I ought to look into what the shelf life was - that is to say, what is the long-term life expectancy of gasoline ?

In doing my 'due diligence' search on the internet's world wide web of knowledge, I found an interesting site (one of many) that I thought was worth sharing with those who have an interest in authoritative information on the Shelf LIfe of gasoline:
http://www.fuel-testers.com/expirati...hanol_gas.html

This is a really great source of information on a topic that we should all be interested in. In a nutshell, the article says that Ethanol has a shelf life of 100 days (due to water issues) and 'Real' non-ethanol petroleum gas has a shelf life of MANY years !

For me, the asset of having a gasoline supply that will have a shelf life of YEARS instead of months, was worth the extra cost of 'Real' gas. In addition, the added benefit of avoiding all the problems related to water in ethanol gas, made me feel that the extra cost for 'Real' gas was worth it.

It was while I was 'cleaning' out the rust of the gas tank on my '28 Phaeton that I first discovered the significant amount of water in the gasoline. I am not a chemist, but it seems to me that water in your gas tank is not a good idea. So I began including 'additives' in my fill ups, to help prevent the development of water in my gas. The website mentioned above, has some interesting comments about the futility of that exercise. "No product exists that will prevent water absorption by alcohol."

[BlueSunoco]

I can't figure $5.70/gal. for pure gasoline. All through the Midwest I've never seen it more than 35 cents per gallon over Ethanol???

Me-thinks that those stations that charge like that are hosing you guys.

[DougVieyra]

Absolutely ! California is often noted as being an expensive place to live, and the most regulated in the nation. My region on the north-west coast of the state, is one of the more remote locations in California, hence, an already expensive state becomes even more expensive for just about everything. Eureka often has the highest price of gasoline in the nation.

But don't let the high cost of my gas deflect you from the more important issue of my post - shelf life of gasoline - ethanol vs. 'Real' gas, AND the detriment of water in ethanol.

[CWilson]

For you guys that don't use rotary phones and have "smartphones" there is an app you can download for use with Android or I-phone that tells you were the closet gas station that sells real gas is. It's called Pure Gas. Pretty cool.

Chris

[racer32]

The reason ETOH gasoline doesn't last long is that it is hygroscopic. It attracts and absorbs moisture from that atmosphere. A SEALED container that's full (no air space) is the only effective way to prevent it from happening. I hate corn gas. I won't use it in anything that's not daily driven. The bad part is that I have to drive 30+ miles to get "real" gas.

[700rpm]

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Originally Posted by CWilson

For you guys that don't use rotary phones and have "smartphones" there is an app you can download for use with Android or I-phone that tells you were the closet gas station that sells real gas is. It's called Pure Gas. Pretty cool.

Chris

What is a "rotary phone"?

[Y-Blockhead]

Doug, The alcohol has an affinity for moisture and there is nothing that can be done about that except maybe remove the alcohol from your gas before you put it in your gas tank. There are many articles on the WEB on how to do this, here's one; http://www.fuel-testers.com/remove_water_gas.html.

Or we can use an additive to remove any water that has seperated from the gas.

I used Seafoam that removes the moisture and allows it to pass thru and burn in the cylinder instead of dropping out in your tank. It does not claim to "prevent water absorption by alcohol."

[Y-Blockhead]

Originally Posted by racer32

The reason ETOH gasoline doesn't last long is that it is hygroscopic. It attracts and absorbs moisture from that atmosphere. A SEALED container that's full (no air space) is the only effective way to prevent it from happening.

And what happens when it expands!! The butanes in gasoline vaporize at a very low temperature. Now if that was a SEALED and PRESSURIZED container...

[marc hildebrant]

Before the use of alcohol mixed into gas, life was not perfect.

Many times I had stale gas in lawnmowers and home generators. Life wasn't really much different than today with regard to storing gas.

Simple rule, Fill it full or empty and just keep the oxygen away.

Marc

p.s. just started car, with Ethanol gas put in in November (MMO also).

[Kevin in NJ]

I have a 1946 vintage rotary phone in service.

My kids know how to use it. What is funny is watching the kids try to figure out how to dial it. Not funny was the long distance toll charges from a kid dialing his parents cell phone

I also have a hand crank phone in service too. People really look at you funny when you acutally answer the phone on it.

[Joe K]

Originally Posted by Kevin in NJ

I have a 1946 vintage rotary phone in service.

My kids know how to use it. What is funny is watching the kids try to figure out how to dial it. Not funny was the long distance toll charges from a kid dialing his parents cell phone

I also have a hand crank phone in service too. People really look at you funny when you acutally answer the phone on it.

I have one of the wooden phones bought as a conversion back before it became "fad."

One of the delights in my engineering life is that they didn't "obsolete" pulse dialing when they invented tone.

I wish they had adopted the same policy on digital broadcast. Comcast would have been history in my household YEARS ago.

Just another story of the power of the lobby function in Congress.

Gosh - don't get me going. It's almost time for bed.

Joe K

[FL&WVMIKE]

I have a RED rotery phone, in use, at my house. It is fun, when people notice it.
MIKE (mikeburch)

[newshirt]

Seriously... what is a rotary phone?

Can we bury this thread?

[Skeezixx]

I care for my mother who is 92 (she loves Model A events and keeps asking in earnest to "drive" it). I hooked up a series of different phones in her house which she could not:
1 ) Hear ringing
2) Figure out how to work

Finally,I installed an old fashioned phone with an actual bell in it.

No more problems! And additionally, when a caller tells her to "press 1 for English" she simply hangs up.

[Purdy Swoft]

You can use the old hand crank phones to catch cat fish if you know how but it is illegal !!!

[Purdy Swoft]

A rotary phone is a phone that you dial the numbers on. I doubt that there are many on this forum that don't remember rotary phones . I remember the hand crank phones, when I was a kid .

[Mikeinnj]

Originally Posted by CWilson

For you guys that don't use rotary phones and have "smartphones" there is an app you can download for use with Android or I-phone that tells you were the closet gas station that sells real gas is. It's called Pure Gas. Pretty cool.

Chris

This site also lists "real gasoline" locations in all the states allowed to carry it.

http://www.buyrealgas.com/

Unfortunately there are no "real gas " gas stations within a few hundred miles of northern New jersey. Legislation forbids it in most north eastern states.

I love how these discussions get hijacked way off topic ...

[pgerhardt]

Warning thread drift follows:

When I was in HS I was a member of the "AV squad" (yes I was a geek!). We had a phone in our equipment room so teachers could easily order equipment that we would deliver. We also used the phone to call home if we were staying after, etc. Someone did not like that idea and one day we came in to find the dial removed and replaced with a round blanking plate.

When you dial a "9" the dial tone was simply interrupted 9 times. Having no dial did not even slow us down, and we got quite good at tapping out the number we wanted. They never could figure out how a phone with no dial could call long distance numbers!

[CarlG]

Originally Posted by newshirt

Seriously... what is a rotary phone? ...

...

[tbirdtbird]

"When you dial a "9" the dial tone was simply interrupted 9 times. Having no dial did not even slow us down, and we got quite good at tapping out the number we wanted. They never could figure out how a phone with no dial could call long distance numbers!"

I love it, we did this too!!!