Stabil - The Hull Truth

mjmason1 · 07-22-2010, 08:16 PM

Ok here is the question. Does Stabil really help or is it all a gimmick?

jcwiza · 07-22-2010, 08:27 PM

No one really knows for sure...

Impossible to determine.

I imagine you're talking Marine Stabil for ethanol protection.

The standard Stabil is well documented to be an effective gasoline stabilizer. But the ethanol stuff is just ??????

whoknows · 07-22-2010, 09:13 PM

I can vouch for it. I have monitored my fuel systems since some ethanol/MTBE damage 2-years ago. Stabil works and now Yamaha has stabilizer in their RIngfree product.

confidenceb122 · 07-22-2010, 09:21 PM

is it that good?/

mobjack22 · 07-22-2010, 09:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jcwiza

No one really knows for sure...

Impossible to determine.

I imagine you're talking Marine Stabil for ethanol protection.

The standard Stabil is well documented to be an effective gasoline stabilizer. But the ethanol stuff is just ??????

Many threads on this topic. Use the search function for days of reading on ethanol treatment. Consensus seems to be "I dont know but I aint willing to risk not using it!"

Curmudgeon · 07-22-2010, 10:21 PM

FIL had a boat with DT140 Suzuki, used very little, fuel might be as much as 9 months old, carb problems almost every year for 7 years. I got the boat and started using Stabil religiously. That was 7 years ago and no (zero) carb or fuel related problems since. I never had 9 month fuel, but plenty of 6 or 7 months ...

billatstarbrite · 07-23-2010, 06:56 AM

It's almost as good as Star Tron

halfmoon · 07-23-2010, 08:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by billatstarbrite

It's almost as good as Star Tron

Star Tron is what I use for storing my fuel in the winter as well as during the seasonal use. I have not had any problems with using it and not going to try not using it. Gotta love E10 gas

A Few Dollars · 07-23-2010, 08:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by billatstarbrite

It's almost as good as Star Tron

I use both.

gasman5.0 · 07-23-2010, 09:11 AM

We had a hurricane "Rita" and "Ike" here a few years back. I had 200 gals. in my Sea Cat. It sat for 14 months with Stabil treatment in it. All 200 gals. ran smooth just like fresh fuel,no carb issues are anything. That convinced me on the merit's of Satbil..Good Chit!

kona1 · 07-23-2010, 02:21 PM

Can I use Stabil and Sea Foam at the same time or are they both doing the same thing?

jimme4 · 07-23-2010, 02:36 PM

I have a 2006 Lowe pontoon boat with a 30 gal tank. In June 06 when I bought the boat I filled the tank and added Stabil as directed on the bottle. I have never used all of that fuel. I may use the boat for a hour every 5-6 months and I add more fuel with the proper amount of Stabil when I down about 5 gal. I can go to the boat right now, pump the bulb 3-4 times and the 06 Merc 60 Bigfoot fires right up and will rum WOTas smooth as it did when new. I believe in Stabil and now use the marine formula.

nickmo · 07-23-2010, 02:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by A Few Dollars

I use both.

And you also use Quickleen, Ring Free, Techron and Sea Foam. Right?

jimme4 · 07-23-2010, 03:05 PM

No, just Stabil.

Curmudgeon · 07-23-2010, 03:13 PM

It's almost as good as Star Tron

Wouldn't know, Stabil works as advertised for me so I have no need to experiment with 'other stuff'. Hard to improve on something that does exactly what I need, and does it well ...

floridarob · 07-23-2010, 03:56 PM

I'll let you know soon as I'm about to go burn 150 gallons of 7 week old fuel treated with it......hope it works.

Absolute · 07-23-2010, 04:18 PM

The biggest mistake made with adding fuel additives - is not treating with the proper dosage.

Treat by the size of the tank, not the actual volume of fuel.

It's the dead air space that causes all of the heart-burn (this applies to both diesel and gas).

Absolute,

"Suckin Sludge & Havin a Gas"

dward51 · 07-23-2010, 05:46 PM

Back in my younger and less informed days, I would let lawn equipment fuel sit over the winter and not drain the bowls & carbs in the mowers. Of course I had stale fuel problems. A few carb rebuilds later, I tried stabil. Did not have a boat then so I can't comment on how an outboard would have fared.

Have not had a single issue in my lawn equipment since I started using red stabil many years back. When the blue marine/ethonol stabil came out I switched over to it for all my fuel including the mowers. Pump gas is all going to have ethonol in it around where I live.

The marine version is actually cheaper per gallon of treated fuel then the old style red too. Every drop of fuel I buy for lawn equipment or either of my two gasoline boats has marine stable in it at the time the fuel is pumped. I have not had a fuel related problem in either outboard either (unless you count the time the fuel pickup tube came off the barb inside the tank on my smaller boat - good thing I had a 2nd pony tank on board that day, of course this has nothing to do with stabil

).

For the past several years my winterization no longer includes draining the tanks. Just double treat with marine stabil and good to go for a few months.

pathfinder11 · 07-24-2010, 08:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Absolute

The biggest mistake made with adding fuel additives - is not treating with the proper dosage.

Treat by the size of the tank, not the actual volume of fuel.

It's the dead air space that causes all of the heart-burn (this applies to both diesel and gas).

Absolute,

"Suckin Sludge & Havin a Gas"

absolute, can u please expand on this, i'm not following what ur saying, thanks

Halfscoop · 07-24-2010, 01:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by floridarob

I'll let you know soon as I'm about to go burn 150 gallons of 7 week old fuel treated with it......hope it works.

7 week old fuel is not old fuel.

I doubt anyone can tell any difference in fuel performance in the first 6 months at best.

Most cars will burn 3 year old gas like it was bought yesterday. My portable generator just went through 3 gallons of gas from 2005 without a hiccup.

Then again, I live in an ethanol-free zone.