General TR Sta-Bil

Thoughts on the use of this product for the winter storage event.
Already taking advantage the ethanol free fuel that's available.
Thanks,
Harry

I don't put any automobiles in hibernation, but I do lots of lawn equipment and a generator.
I use it
I always thought that a pretty healthy dose of Marvel Mystery Oil in the gas and given enough running time to reach the carbs would be a good idea for a TR6 with ZS carbs before going into hibernation...I don't know of any reason why Stabil couldn't be included in that blend.

Just my personal preference , but I prefer not to use Stabil. I know that there are a bunch of different discussions on how to store your car...ie Stabil/no Stabil, full gas tank/low gas tank etc etc....

My preference is this.

Install an inline fuel shut off valve. On my TR6 and TR3's I have installed it just before the fuel pump. I run the car with the valve closed until I run all the fuel out of the pump/carbs and the car dies. Pull of the fuel inlet hose to each carb and spray in some wd-40. I usually store my car with as little fuel as possible in the tank. I disconnect the battery and usually remove it from the car for storage. That's about all I do and it has worked for me.

Cheers
Tush

I love it and have used it for 40 yrs. Any small engine: outboard motor, generator, weed whacker, lawn mower, etc. with small fuel orifices in the carbs STA-BIL is a must . The gas will still have its potency and gum won't form in the carbs. Hibernation around here is 5 months normally , though I did revive an old snowblower that sat for 5 years and it fired right up with the old gas and STA-BIL mix. I use it in all the British cars I service that will sit the winter out and they always start right up cleanly in the spring. Don't use it and the needle and seat valves in the SUs will stick shut.

I have seen 2 engines break pistons and rings. One was my TR6 a few months after I purchased it and the other was our neighbor's lawn tractor 10 minutes after the first time it was started in the spring. Both had Stabil added in the Fall. The TR6 had it added by the previous owner and the lawn tractor had it added by our neighbor.
I have never used it and have never seen a problem otherwise in 60+ years of operating vehicles and machines with gas engines.
Probably a good product though.

I use it when a car goes in for paint and body and '4 weeks' has a way of stretching to '16 months'. I also run the carb bowls dry. Never has a problem on restart but have seen what old (esp modern) fuel can do to an engine over time (e.g. glue the valve train to the point where the engine is essentially seized).

I'm shocked Tom ! I've never heard anything bad about it. In fact my grandpa Dick turned me on to it and Marvel Mystery oil when I was 14 years old. He worked in the oil patch his whole life and was a fanatic about checking oil for cleanliness and caring for machinery and such . I remember the old Johnson Farmall tractor he restored in the early 70s. I was lucky to have him.

Brinkerhoff said:

I'm shocked Tom ! I've never heard anything bad about it. In fact my grandpa Dick turned me on to it and Marvel Mystery oil when I was 14 years old. He worked in the oil patch his whole life and was a fanatic about checking oil for cleanliness and caring for machinery and such . I remember the old Johnson Farmall tractor he restored in the early 70s. I was lucky to have him.

Click to expand...

I didn't think I was criticle about anyone else or their experiences and just reread what I said to be sure. I only posted my experiences. I also did not say that it was responsible for the damaged pistons, only that it was used in those engines.

"Probably a good product though."

I use the marine version in my boats and small engines and I've been very happy with them starting after several months of storage. I also use a product called Yamaha Ring Free in my outboards and I've never had an engine failure. I sometimes view these additives as snake oil, but I would be hard pressed to do without them.
Rut

I am not a chemist, but experienced the issue of ethanol issues. I am a mariner and have seen the effects of fuel sitting over the winter.

In essence what happens is called phase separation. The ethanol absorbs moisture in the air and because water is heavier than gas it settles to the bottom of your tank, right at your fuel pickup. Once this occurs you cannot mix the fuel up so the water is distributed through out so it can be burned. Try it with salad dressing oil & water in a clear glass.

The stabilizers essentially lock the ethanol particles to the fuel and prevent water from attaching to them. Because of temp changes you get condensation and you really cannot seal off the tank, there is always moisture in the tank. What also happens is the fuel octane rating can drop 5-10 points in just a month or so.

The moisture in you system will then start to rust/ corrode the metal parts in your fuel system like the needles and the jets.

Running the car dry does not work. You should run the tank low, put the proper dose of stabilizer in and run it for a few minutes to distribute into the carbs.

Then in the spring top up the tank with some fresh high octane. Feel free to Google phase separation, plenty of reading!