T&T: Old Gasoline

[Albin43SDtr]

'Lo All,

I hadn't used the dinghy on the Celestial for some time - almost 2 
years! So, yesterday, I dropped her into the water to see if she 
would run. The engine is an 8 HP (2 stroke)Tohatsu. The fuel was 
purchased for our trip long ago to the Dry Tortugas - in the spring 
of 1995! I had stocked up on fuel for that trip, thinking that we 
would do lots of gunkholing , but even after that cruise and several 
others, there is still a little more than a tank full.

I always pull the fuel line off, then run the engine at high idle RPM 
until it quits due to fuel starvation.

An aside.....there were 4 bees' nests under the cover - one mud 
dauber's and three hornets'. The hornets were very unhappy, but 
didn't sting me. Good thing, as I am allergic to (some) bee stings 
and have to keep bee sting kits around. Be careful of the critters!

Anyway, yesterday after I connected the fuel line, it took some 
pumping on the bulb pump to fill the carburetor. Pulled out the 
choke. First pull. The engine sputtered and died. Second pull, ran 
roughly and smoothed out as it warmed up and as I slowly pushed the choke in.

I ran the boat around in the bayou for some time. The engine ran OK 
on the old fuel, but the boat would only get up on a plane at about 
the speed that it goes with two people on board. It definitely would 
not run at its normal speed/RPM. I can only assume that it is because 
of the old fuel. I might try some octane booster. I didn't mess with 
the carburetor needle valves, as this engine has always run very well 
- and I didn't have a screwdriver with me......

Just thought some folks might like to know how, at least one engine, 
runs on 12+ year old non-ethanol gasoline.

YMMV.


Take care and be safe.

Wayne
Celestial
Albin43 Sundeck
Panama City, FL area