If the tank is full, where's the water going to come from?

 

No, you're better off driving it just long enough to get it warmed up, then park it again. Best leave it on a tender otherwise.

 

My 2 cents:
The last time I filled the tank with 10% ethanol regular was summer of 2020. Its stored every year from October til April. I'm still running on that old fuel without a stumble or miss. The fuel gauge is now displaying "reserve" so I'll fill the tank full and put it away til next April to start the ritual anew. No stabilizer, no additives, no BS.

 

I'm so glad sometimes I live in Alabama, and don't have to worry about such things. Drive mine like I stole it year round; figure it ain't gonna hurt it.

 

I daily drove my 94 in all of PA weather. they do well if you know how to drive and have good tires

 

so they can rust?

 

Agree with Tom, Vader.
Yrs back rented car storage space from Bob Lambeck..he heard me stop in fire the car up, ran it for a bit then shut it off.
He was gruff..said if you dont give a chit about that engine keep doing that. Then explained why...either drive it a few x a mo or leave it sit til driving season hits. World famous racer figured he knew what he was talking abouit
https://www.mecum.com/lots/FL0117-26...t-super-stock/

 

Partial tank, fuel smelled like lacquer and could be smelled by my friend from 200ft away when I opened it up

Fill the tank, any moisture in the tank sucks. At least there are SS replacements out there now

 

Breakdown of ethanol and hydroscopic tendencies.

I'll be the first to ad.it, o don't know if 15 gallons sitting for 4 to 6 months will separate enough water to be a problem. I do know id rsther have like 6 gallons in it and put the rest frsh to dilute it if it does.

Plus, the full tank isn't really FULL. It's "full".

 

it would likely make the chance of a problem worse by having such a small amount of gas left it actually does go bad.. not to mention the pump etc.. being exposed to air for months in a closed environment (the tank).

just pulled and winterized the boat today. Similar. Changed oil..pumped some trans fluid out and replaced, disconnect battery(no tender)…drain block, I take an extra step and fill with rv anti freeze… yes (hides under rock) some stabil went in that tank before it was pulled…do I think it’s really necessary, nope…but it’s habit and I want it in the carb when it’s sitting (I don’t drain the carb…maybe should instead)..

for the vette, I’d change the oil if it’s been a bit, fill the tank and put it on a tender or just disconnect the battery. The fall routine can include more so that you can immediately enjoy it in the spring…buff/polish/wax or ceramic coat etc..

for me, the off-season it is still driven if there is no salt on the roads regardless of temp. Then bigger repairs/upgrades/maintenance. did the clutch work, new stereo etc last winter. This year will likely be intake manifold gasket, new tires ordered, mounted and installed on my new rims, perhaps lowering an inch or so, adjusting camber by pulling shims evenly in front and then having aligned with more of a streetable track alignment among other various maintenance items…

 

O.K. well the hydroscopic tendencies mean that the fuel will pull moisture from the AIR. If the tank is full.....where's the air? Yeah, yeah, yeah...I know that it's not totally, totally, completely full...there is a small volume of air in there still. What do you suppose the volume of water in that small air space is? I bet it's pretty tiny. Do you think it's less water volume than when the air space is 1/2 tank? Or 3/4 tank?
I think that your method....although probably, completely FINE, opens yourself to more water in the fuel...adding gas in the spring doesn't eliminate that water...it just adds more gas to the same amount of water. Again, in the real world...I don't think it matters....it's obviously working for, right? I just couldn't ignore the fact that water comes from the air....filling the tank reduces the air, so....

 

Fill the gas tank to the brim, fuel stabilizer, disconnect battery and walk away until April. Been doing that for 35+ years with my various sports cars, 20+ years with the Vette...never a problem come spring.

I used to inflate the tires to max pressure to help with them not flattening out sitting over winter, but they will round out in spring after about 5-10 miles of driving.

 

I'm sure it's obvious; I see these threads and shake my head. "Gas goes bad in 3 months"....or whatever.

Yesterday was THE DAY, for firing up the 'Vette this year. It's been the longest, and toughest winter of my life; I parked the car, the second week of October, because it started snowing. "Sure", I thought, "It'll snow a little, warm back up and melt...I'll be driving it again in 3 or 4 days."....I thought. That was 7-1/2 months.....and 838" of snow, ago. So it's the longest "winter storage" my 'Vette has ever had. I put it away back October w/the typical full tank...nothing else.

Surely, the gas has gone bad, right? Full of water, fouled out...bad smelling swill that no car could run on!

I had my son vid the first start...attempt. Guys...it really struggled! It had to crank and crank....I wondered if the thing would fire off at all! Finally, when I was about to give up...it started sputtering...coughing....it was coming to life! But it didn't want to, with that OLD, BAAAD gas!! It smoked, bucked, missed, shook, but the good news was...at least it was running!....kind of. I felt bad for the engine, having to try to keep going on the foul, rancid, old fuel. It was just horrible. Well? Here...see for yourself the embarrassing commotion that occurred, trying to get the thing running on that wretched old, water filled fuel....



Well...maybe the gas wasn't that bad? Drove it to work today....ran as great and strong as it ever has. Next fall? I'll do it again; fill the tank, change the oil and put 'er away. Hopefully we don't have another 800"+ winter!