8knots
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Vehicle fuel storage
I leave my vehicles in Baja when I go north. I generally dose the fuel with Stabil and Sea Foam. This year we had to fly down rather than drive. When
we drove I just brought enough of the fuel treatments with me. I went to Auto Zone in Cabo today with no luck for any similar fuel products. Any
suggestions about what I could use that is accessible in Baja in La Paz or Cabos?
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mtgoat666
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Mood: Hot n spicy
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Quote: Originally posted by 8knots  | | I leave my vehicles in Baja when I go north. I generally dose the fuel with Stabil and Sea Foam. This year we had to fly down rather than drive. When
we drove I just brought enough of the fuel treatments with me. I went to Auto Zone in Cabo today with no luck for any similar fuel products. Any
suggestions about what I could use that is accessible in Baja in La Paz or Cabos? |
Don’t worry about it. Fuel lasts fine for a year or more.
Leave tank full to minimize air exchange and moisture condensation.
Woke!
“...ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country.” “My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America
will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man.”
Prefered gender pronoun: the royal we
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bajagregg
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Check with Formula Uno auto parts. They have locations in Cabo as well as San Jose.
[Edited on 3-2-2019 by bajagregg]
Traveling Baja for 50 years.
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Alm
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"Go North" for how long? Should be fine without additives for 5-6 months if engine was in more-less good shape before. Leave 1/3 to 1/2 tank. Or fill
it up full, if it's really small. I feel that it's better diluting it with fresh gas later, than running all this stale gas until it's gone, but this
is just my feeling.
OTH, aging battery could go belly up in 6 months of hot weather. Put some $20 solar trickle charger on the roof, tie it to roofrack for wind.
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8knots
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I leave a battery tender on all vehicles and my regimen with fuel additives seems to have worked. I used to be north only 3-4 months but due to big
nasty C I can't predict. This last stay N had to be for 8 months. Thanks for responses.
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Cappy
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Formula uno
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gnukid
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marine stores will have stabilities and other products
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pacificobob
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i buy sta-bil here often. i usually buy at visa auto parts on juarez st todos santos. i bet wal mart and auto zone also stock it. i am a huge fan of
those products, and battery tenders. it is a great feeling to turn the key, or the kick starter and have a quick start followed by a smooth idle.
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PaulW
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Storage has two situations - gas in a vehicle and gas in a container.
Here in Baja we get unleaded with no additives which means there is no need for additives to preserve the volatile additives we have in the states.
Plain old unleaded can be stored for a very long time. Really no need for any additive. Been leaving rigs in Baja for 6 months at a time in the heat
of summer with no ill effects. Top off the tanks and forget it. Yes the fuel will evaporate in the heat of summer, but a full tank minimizes that due
to a lower surface area exposed to the atmosphere.
Then there is the case of a vintage carbureted vehicle. The only way to keep the fuel in the carb from evaporating is to run it dry before storage.
Short of having a manual shut off valve you will be a victim of a poorly running rig until the good gas purges out the carb. Or you get a mechanic to
rebuild the carb. in my experience EFI vehicles are immune to fuel evaporation.
For gas container storage
If you use a sealed container then the chemistry of the fuel will be preserved even with alky laced fuel found in the states. A sealed container will
preserve the fuel for a very long time without degradation. The best fuel container would be a NATO metal jerry can either new or at least with a new
seal. You can't buy them in CA, but for some other states the can be shipped from web sources. Buy army surplus and get new seals for the best price.
The biggest issue with long term storage is not the fuel, but is battery degradation. Like was mentioned use a battery maintainer. All my rigs have a
battery maintainer when in storage. Battery Tender sells quality model.
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David K
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Great great advice Paul!
Mexican gas is superior in many ways and you mentioned one. I like that it isn't diluted with ethanol (corn) and provides higher mileage and longer
engine life. I wonder how close unleaded Pemex is to white gas (Coleman fuel) which is unleaded gasoline without motor additives?
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LukeJobbins
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isopropyl alcohol
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8knots
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Thanks, I found small bottles in Todos. Expensive down here but glad to have found it.
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Alm
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I wouldn't know about real vintage carburetor vehicles.
However, very old carburetor pickup doesn't seem to mind 8-10 months storage - with stabilizers. I guess this is because it is so old, with large
diameter valves and hoses, not easy to clog. On the flip side, it guzzles gas like there is no tomorrow.
Draining it dry worked too, but this was too much pain. It's difficult to drain the tank completely, last few liters you have to burn through the
engine, takes a long time. Then, after storage you have to take certain steps before starting it. Simply filling the tank and hitting the ignition
would be a bad idea.
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gnukid
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Old cars are different than new cars. Apparently new cars need very little service, while old cars require more careful maintenance to keep them
working Baja.
Speaking about older cars, I'm no mechanic, but here's what works for me from experience:
Gas in Baja is better than USA supposedly since it has no ethanol, but still you never know what you are going to get, it can be contaminated, it may
have water due to old storage tanks, or crap in the tank, also old cars have old tanks and how you store them can cause more/less condensation.
If you are driving up and down Baja you will encounter occasional fuel contamination, choose gas stations carefully, and keep the tank full.
Filling the tank full reduces issues, running low will always cause problems because you will suck up the garbage. Using the best additives can help
to reduce water, clean up tarnished fuel and reduce carb issues. Only use the better quality additives. This is opinion based, I like Stabil, Lucas,
BK-44, Sea foam, Techron, etc.
If you have serious problems often, it can help to do a complete fuel clean up, drain the tank, wash it, clean or change the sending unit, change
filler hose, vent hose, fuel lines, filters, all clamps, clean the pump or replace it, and rebuild the carb.
High quality, high pressure fuel lines should be run to ensure they don't run over the hottest areas, find a path that is the coolest. Aspirated carbs
require lower fuel pressure psi and therefore lower rated fuel lines than EFI, but still choose SAE 30R7 5/16 minimum for carborated systems. Marine
application is slightly lower psi and requires SAE J1527 Style R1.
Fuel filters run best vertically, metal is better than clear plastic, but clear you can see the fuel and see if its clean and running. Choose the
right fuel filter for the required application and change it often, at least once a year. Choosing the wrong fuel filter or wrong fuel lines can screw
up the whole setup since it can reduce flow, maintain the proper size connections usually 5/16 minimum and preferred fuel flow for the application
usually about 6 psi 80-110 gph for aspirated carburetors.
Change the air filters once a year or more often. Change the oil and filter every 6 months regardless of milage. Flush the radiator and change
thermostat once a year.
Carbs will get jacked up sitting depending on the design. Edelbrock seems to be better able to sit in Baja, like the 4bbl Performer or AVS need very
little service, while some Holleys tend to have issues more often apparently due to the bowl design. I have to clean the Holley 1920 1bbl or Classic
4bbl every 3-6 months.
I keep a small clean bottle of gas and extra charged battery unconnected in the storage area. When I arrive, I check coolant, brake fluid, steering
fluid, and oil, reconnect the running battery, connect the extra battery with jumpers, pull the air filter, splash a small amount of fuel in the
intake, but not too much and start the car. Unhook the extra battery, and reinstall the air filter and let the car warm up gently while watching it to
see if everything is working as expected. After running for 5-15 minutes stop it and see if it starts on its own charge, is the running battery good?
You can drive it now, though it would help to put the battery on a multi-phase charger overnight. Recharge the extra battery too. Check the water in
the batteries and check the voltage. Replace the batteries every 3 years.
[Edited on 3-8-2019 by gnukid]
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PaulW
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My truck came with 2 tanks and a shutoff valve. This means run the motor until the carb is dry. Problem solved. Add a ball valve to the fuel line to
get that capability. It does take a little longer to start to get the fuel back in place.
===== =
| Quote: Originally posted by Alm | I wouldn't know about real vintage carburetor vehicles.
However, very old carburetor pickup doesn't seem to mind 8-10 months storage - with stabilizers. I guess this is because it is so old, with large
diameter valves and hoses, not easy to clog. On the flip side, it guzzles gas like there is no tomorrow.
Draining it dry worked too, but this was too much pain. It's difficult to drain the tank completely, last few liters you have to burn through the
engine, takes a long time. Then, after storage you have to take certain steps before starting it. Simply filling the tank and hitting the ignition
would be a bad idea. |
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Alm
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I was told (and shown how) - that before starting dry carb in old truck, you need to manually wet it first. Don't know if it takes longer without this
step, didn't try as was told not to.
Draining tank completely dry was done not to save the carb, but to avoid gas going sour during one very prolonged storage. But, since fuel stabilizers
seem to work well for a year or longer, this is what I do. Sea Foam or Star Tron. 'tron comes in regular and concentrated form, so don't be surprised
with higher price - you need very little of it.
[Edited on 3-10-2019 by Alm]
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AZ7000
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I try to leave Mexican gas in my motos when I store them up here in the states. I only treat US fuel and have 7 carbureted vehicles that I never
drain.
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