when fuel goes bad....

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Jun 17, 2015 | 09:22 AM

Sully1882

Thread Starter

Melting Slicks

Joined: Feb 2006

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From: Fayetteville Arkansas

when fuel goes bad....

went to start my 72 on sunday. chugged, fired a bit and then sputtered and died. Tried three times and then went and shined a flash light in the fuel tank. The car has only been sitting 2-2.5 months and I did add fuel stabilizer but the fuel looked nasty. So I began to siphon the liquid gold out. Once in the buckets it was nasty and cloudy. I got it all out and again looked in the tank and it looks really nice and clean with no rust. Poured in about 1/8th of new fuel and tried to start the old girl again and it just chugs and sputters. I am thinking I need to pull the flexible hoses on the fuel line and blow it all out. I did pour some good fuel in the carb and it fired for a bit. Would this thinking be a good idea? I can't believe that the fuel went bad that quickly.

thanks ,

Sully

Jun 17, 2015 | 09:48 AM

Jud Chapin

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From: Wellington, FL

St. Jude Donor '11 thru '25

You didn't say how old the fuel is but if it's 2-3. months, I doubt it would go bad that quickly, especially with stabilizer added to it.

Jun 17, 2015 | 09:56 AM

Dodosmike

Le Mans Master

Joined: Apr 2008

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From: Powassan ON

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sully1882

I'm surprised it went bad as well. maybe the fuel was contaminated when you put it in the car? Is it possible somebody put something in the tank? Was the car stored outside? Any water in the fuel? Ive never seen gas go cloudy. Double check that what you put in the tank was stabilizer? My dad had brakefluid in a stabil container one time, he put in the boat gas by mistake, that didn't fair well for the motor.

Did the gas in the bucket ever separate out? Did the "cloud" fall to the bottom or rise to the top or remain suspended? Did it remain suspended and cloudy?

Pull the line as close to the pump as you can and as close to the tank as you can, blow some air back through it, catch the crap the flows out. Try and blow air into the tank through the line.

Remove the line from the pump (assuming a mechanical pump) that goes to the carb, clear it with air as well. Change any fuel filters, connect it all back up and see what happens.

report back.

dodosmike

Jun 17, 2015 | 10:22 AM

Chinaski

Team Owner

Joined: Apr 2002

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From: Northridge California

St. Jude Donor '14

My car sat for over a year during my motor swap, and other projects. I did add Stabil.

Added 2 gallons of fresh gas, and mine fired up just fine. I have since burned all of that old gas out of mine.

I don't think the fuel is your problem.

Jun 17, 2015 | 10:38 AM

kenba

Safety Car

Joined: Apr 2007

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From: PHOENIX AZ. WHAT A MAN WON"T SPEND TO GIVE HIS ASS A RIDE

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sully1882

Unless something was added to the gas it won't go bad. I have had cars stored for years & the gas was OK. Gas sets in storage tanks for a long time before it gets to the pump. I bet you got some gas that had water at the station you bought it at.

Jun 17, 2015 | 10:58 AM

Faster Rat

Melting Slicks

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2024 C3 of the Year Finalist - Unmodified

Quote:

Originally Posted by kenba

Or the ethanol-laced fuel absorbed moisture from the air...which it most surely does. It can cause a problem if left sitting in just a few months. It will cause a problem after years. I have heard of leaded 108 octane race fuel firing a high compression engine after sitting in the tank for 8 years...with no stabilizer added. Of course, the car sat in a humidity-controlled environment.

Just last month I pulled the carb off my pressure washer. The E10 left inside the float bowl had powderized the pot metal and some of that crap was stuck in the needle and seat. I have seen Q-jets turned to powder. Pure gasoline does not do that.

Jun 17, 2015 | 01:31 PM

Sully1882

Thread Starter

Melting Slicks

Joined: Feb 2006

Posts: 2,092

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From: Fayetteville Arkansas

the tank has a locking cap on it. Fuel tank was filled up to the top, as I always try to do to cut down on condensation. I added the stabil myself straight from the stabil plastic bottle. When I looked into the tank initially it looked like there was some cloudy stuff along the bottom of the tank, hence why I went ahead and drained it out. Once drained into the container on the ground it was nasty and cloudy. However I did not give it time to settle.