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Marine Stabil vs regular Stabil

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Old Dec 10, 2012 | 12:44 PM
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Default Marine Stabil vs regular Stabil

Anyone notice a difference? I use the marine version for my boat. But the regular is much cheaper.
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Old Dec 10, 2012 | 02:41 PM
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Then you haven't read the bottle's instructions for use. Actually, the marine stuff is LESS expensive per application. The regular stuff takes more product per gallon of fuel than the marine stuff. When you figure it all out, the marine type costs more per bottle...but is less expensive per gallon of fuel treated.

Got that???
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Old Dec 10, 2012 | 05:07 PM
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Most boaters I know, swear by the Star-Brite, Star-Tron fuel additive. Don't know if it's much different than Stabil, but usually put some in my car for winter storage.
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Old Dec 10, 2012 | 06:28 PM
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Put a little aviation fuel in it. It has a 7 year shelf life and is 100 octane. I run it 50/50 and it works great, smells good to.
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Old Dec 10, 2012 | 06:56 PM
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Given that untreated gas is just fine for 6-12 months and our cars get stored for less than that, how can someone say that one 'stabilizer' works better than another?
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Old Dec 10, 2012 | 06:57 PM
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I have been using the marine stabil for about 3 years. This summer
the catalytic converter in one car got plugged up. It is a 1980 L82
and had a Walker Hi Flow converter on for about 10 years with
about 10000 miles.
I have been wondering if using the marine stabil caused the problem?
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Old Dec 10, 2012 | 11:12 PM
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Marine Stabil inhibits the ethanol in our fuel which attacks plastic fuel tanks commonly used in boats and some motorcycles etc. It should't hurt a vette but I don't think it's necessary . !
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Old Dec 11, 2012 | 08:01 AM
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I never used marine stabil but I put stabil and seafoam in anything that has a carb (cars,atv,yard equip). May be a coincidence but I have less performance/repairs issues in all my stuff.
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Old Dec 11, 2012 | 09:24 AM
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Originally Posted by Mike Ward
Given that untreated gas is just fine for 6-12 months and our cars get stored for less than that, how can someone say that one 'stabilizer' works better than another?
Interesting. Alcohol is hygroscopic, so the alcohol in the gas attracts and absorbs water. Ethanol fuels, (E10 and E85), rapidly absorb 50 times more water, than non-alcohol gas. So I am not sure about being able to store gas for one year without deterioration.
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Old Dec 11, 2012 | 10:30 AM
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I've been running my '73 on E10 (gasahol back in the day) for over 20 years. It sits for 6 months or so over the winter. Starts on the first turn of the key in the spring.

Yes, E10 sitting in a big flat open pan exposed to the atmosphere will suck up moisture faster than you can count, but that does not replicate the closed fuel system of our Corvettes.

There's lots of 'the sky is falling' theories around, not much hard evidence to back it up.
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Old Dec 11, 2012 | 12:00 PM
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Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence. The fact that a Corvette may sit over the winter and start in the spring does not mean the gas did not deteriorate. While I will not flip for the cost of and analysis, it would be interesting to see if gas stored for 6 months is deteriorated from fresh gas and gas with a stabil added.

I can tell you I had my car up on blocks for about a year and a half. When the motor blew, it sat while I re-funded the new motor and then did the suspension for good measure. When finished the car would not start. I gave it a shot of starting fluid and it started right up, the died. After a while I took the hint. Drained the tank and filled it with fresh gas. Sprayed some more starting fluid and when the fresh gas hit, the car ran fine.
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Old Dec 11, 2012 | 12:45 PM
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Originally Posted by cottoneg
Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence. The fact that a Corvette may sit over the winter and start in the spring does not mean the gas did not deteriorate. While I will not flip for the cost of and analysis, it would be interesting to see if gas stored for 6 months is deteriorated from fresh gas and gas with a stabil added.

I can tell you I had my car up on blocks for about a year and a half. When the motor blew, it sat while I re-funded the new motor and then did the suspension for good measure. When finished the car would not start. I gave it a shot of starting fluid and it started right up, the died. After a while I took the hint. Drained the tank and filled it with fresh gas. Sprayed some more starting fluid and when the fresh gas hit, the car ran fine.
Please repeat the experiment with year and half old gas with regular stabil, then again with marine stabil.

That may indicate something.
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Old Dec 11, 2012 | 01:29 PM
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Originally Posted by Mike Ward
Given that untreated gas is just fine for 6-12 months and our cars get stored for less than that, how can someone say that one 'stabilizer' works better than another?
correct untreated gasoline lasts that long. untreated gasoline containing 10% ethanol does not.
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Old Dec 11, 2012 | 01:37 PM
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Originally Posted by Mike Ward
I've been running my '73 on E10 (gasahol back in the day) for over 20 years. It sits for 6 months or so over the winter. Starts on the first turn of the key in the spring.
Originally Posted by robdob
correct untreated gasoline lasts that long. untreated gasoline containing 10% ethanol does not.
Please don't quote me out of context. Thanks.
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Old Dec 11, 2012 | 02:07 PM
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Originally Posted by Mike Ward
Please don't quote me out of context. Thanks.
doesn't at all mean your gas hasn't deteriorated. you can test gas for water content. that is how you can tell if one treatment is better than another, water content over a period of time. . sure you car may start up but that doesn't mean its good for your car. trust me i'm not trying to be rude or argue i have let my boat sit many of winters without treating the gas and it started right up.. and letting a boat sit is much worse than a car due to the rubber fuel lines. i was just making a point
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Old Dec 11, 2012 | 02:27 PM
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Wow Mike, it seems every time you post a comment , no matter what the subject, people have a dig at you even if you are correct!!!!!
Dont let it get to you, your posts are often the best and most logical read on the forum.
Steve.
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Old Dec 11, 2012 | 02:48 PM
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I've always let my cars, Motorcycles, lawnmowers, snow blower etc. sit for a few months every year, and they always start up with no problem. I've never used a fuel stabilizer.
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Old Dec 11, 2012 | 11:08 PM
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We treat well over 300 engines a year for winterizing, ie boats. Storage is usually for 7 months. Just as our cars set. We used to use Marine Sta Bil exclusivly until we found Star-tron. Cost is not an object or concern at this point. Both versions work well but the Sta-bil will stain most anything and the Star-tron will not. The Star-tron has been working great for 3 season's now. I still however double check our snowmobiles every fall by opening up every single carb and manually check and clean. Al
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Old Dec 12, 2012 | 01:03 PM
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Originally Posted by Mike Ward
Please repeat the experiment with year and half old gas with regular stabil, then again with marine stabil.

That may indicate something.

You know, that is a darn good idea. I know the owner of http://www.lialinc.com/

They do a very good oil analysis and they may be able to do a gas analysis. I could put gas in three jars and let it sit for one year. Jar 1 with gas, jar 2 with stabil and Jar 3 with Marine stabil. Let me see how much he wants to do this.

Other that water absorption, what else should we check?
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Old Dec 12, 2012 | 02:22 PM
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Originally Posted by cottoneg
You know, that is a darn good idea. I know the owner of http://www.lialinc.com/

They do a very good oil analysis and they may be able to do a gas analysis. I could put gas in three jars and let it sit for one year. Jar 1 with gas, jar 2 with stabil and Jar 3 with Marine stabil. Let me see how much he wants to do this.

Other that water absorption, what else should we check?
No, not in sealed jars. C3 Corvettes with factory installed fuel systems please. This is not the Glass Jar Forum.
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