Do you add something to the fuel for winter storage or just fill the tank with non ethanol fuel?
For extended storage (more than 3 months), I use Sta-Bil to prevent the fuel from going bad and ruining components of the fuel system.
I've used Marine Sta-Bil (blue - 1 oz per 5 gal) in my former 355 for several years and in my 430 for 3 years continuously, and not just for storage. But then I drive my F-car less than once a month so it's almost like storage!
I asked my friend who has 2 Ferraris, a Lamborghini, Mangusta, Pantera, Corvette, a couple of Z's, plus a few others that he buys and sells, what he uses and he told me Sta-Bil Marine so I figured if it's good for him, it's good for me. A marine environment is also much more harsh than being on land so I thought the blue might be better. Of course I'm sure the red is also very good for a car. But if I could get high octane straight gas, I'd rather use that.
There's a place I know of the sells Sunoco GT100 unleaded fuel. If I put 5 gallons of that in after say running the tank down from the 93 ... Would that be okay for winter storage vs. using stabil or otherwise?
IIRC the marine stabil was developed to cope with ethanol blended fuels. Now that those fuel are also the norm for cars, people interuse that stabil product. And as such stabil has come out with an ethanol blend for cars. I have used stabil in all my cars for 15 plus years no issues (carbs and FI) as long as you use the correct amount and they start up first crank in the spring. You mostly use stabil to prevent the fuel from breaking down 9seperating) and or evaporating and leaving varnish residue on injectors, carb jets etc which clog things up. I use it also in full tanks of non ethanol fuel as well. Non E gas will break down just the same so just because you have no E in there is no reason not to use it. Some say it's snake oil, all I know is from a 1966 corvette to my esprit and 348 they all start first couple cranks in the spring from 8 months in storage so I have no reason to not believe in it.
IMHO that does nothing to stir up and mix the majority of the fuel in the tank and also creates more air spcae for moisture to collect as you run the tank down. Sure it gives the pump, injectors and related fuel system parts a fresh shot of fuel every so often, but does nothing for the fuel in the tank
There are two issues. Ethanol is one and the other is the gas breaks down. Red stabil helps prevent the gas from breaking down so you need it regardless of whether there is ethanol or not. FWIW, As to whether it is snake oil, I realize this is not scientific, but 20 years ago when I stored a car for the first time for the winter I did not use stabil. Car was hard to start and ran very rough until I ran down the tank and added fuel. Since then I always use stabil (multiple cars and a boat). They start in the spring like you ran them yesterday. I have also read (no proof) that if you are storing for less than 9 months, unless you start every two weeks or less and run until oil temperature is to operating range, you are better off not starting the engine as these are dry starts and hard on the engine. As a result, I do not fire up any of the cars. With my 328 which has rubber timing belt, I occasionally hit the starter slightly so the engine rotates a little to keep the belt from drying in position.
After checking with a tech at FoD they recommend the red sat bil, which I used. They recommended it to protect against the gas breaking down. I am lucky to have 2 filling stations here who offer 91 pure gas, which I use. In my research, (who knows how good it is) but I found in more than one place that gas begins to breakdown after about 1 month.
I agree with this 100%. The debate on starting vs not starting during winter is endless, but I've always been in the camp you put it to sleep and wake it up in the spring.
Do NOT run 100 octane and then leave it in your car for extended periods of months. The high ethanol level makes the fuel more unstable than regular fuels; ethanol breaks down in solution with other fuel components. I have direct experience. Please don't do it. OK to use red Stabil. Its high toluene content helps keep fuel from degrading.
Startron, in my Ferrari, Mercedes Benz, Lexus, Miata MX5, jet skis, pontoon boat, fishing boat, lawn mower, everything that gets stored over the winter months. Never an issue. Look it up...
Really not a great thing to do. Best to just leave it until driving season once again returns. All you're doing is introducing condensation into the engine, and you have to leave it running for such a long time in order to rid it of this condensation that it's a complete waste of time, and during the time that you're doing this, the engine it isn't being properly lubricated. Definitely detrimental to the engine's health IMHO.
With my old 308 I could get a large socket onto the crankshaft nut and manually turn the crankshaft a full rotation or two. I'd do this every couple of weeks just to ensure that things weren't binding (i.e., sticking valves for example). I definitely endorse NOT starting these cars during their winter hibernation, and I believe that Stabil added to a tank of non-ethanol fuel is the right thing to do.
I have used Sta-Bil, Lucas Oil, Startron, and Ford Motorcraft fuel sabilizers. They all work. I usually buy Sta-Bil red because it is the most common. Engines always start fine with no rough idle. Don't use it, and you will get problems down the line with an infrequently run engine. One other tip if you are in a very humid environment. Fill your tank. If you leave it near empty, condensation will form above the fuel line and you will get lots of water in the tank. I found this out with my boat and had to get a tune up when I didn't store it full of fuel one year. Gas was foul even though it had stabilizer. Fortunately my Ferrari and Mustang are stored in the desert, so that isn't an issue for my cars.
