old fuel !!!!

trident sam · Monday at 10:49 AM

This winter I converted one of my Mk 3s to new single Amal premier 32mm, RGM thin ham can filter. I spent a few hours sorting it all and expected it to start right up. Well it did after about 20 kicks, replaced the plugs with some new N7Y and still the same. Took the carb off and reinstalled the air slides and tried kicking again. same result about 20 kicks. Anyway, got it running ok eventually and filled it up with fresh fuel. Of course now it starts immediately and runs great, just never thought it would affect a bike so bad, my Tridents start up after 4/5 months on old fuel just fine. They all had seafoam in the tanks. It won't happen again.

Lineslinger · Monday at 1:31 PM

Ethanol?

nortonmargie · Monday at 1:59 PM

I have found that my Commando will not run properly unless the fuel is at least 50% fresh. Even with fuel Stabl in tank

ashman · Monday at 3:04 PM

Since they took the lead out of fuel, fuel goes off after a few months, I miss leaded fuel, and it burned better and lasts.

Fast Eddie · Monday at 4:24 PM

trident sam said:
This winter I converted one of my Mk 3s to new single Amal premier 32mm, RGM thin ham can filter. I spent a few hours sorting it all and expected it to start right up. Well it did after about 20 kicks, replaced the plugs with some new N7Y and still the same. Took the carb off and reinstalled the air slides and tried kicking again. same result about 20 kicks. Anyway, got it running ok eventually and filled it up with fresh fuel. Of course now it starts immediately and runs great, just never thought it would affect a bike so bad, my Tridents start up after 4/5 months on old fuel just fine. They all had seafoam in the tanks. It won't happen again.

Tridents burn oil Sam… oil doesn’t go off…

Saber · Monday at 8:41 PM

ashman said:
Since they took the lead out of fuel, fuel goes off after a few months, I miss leaded fuel, and it burned better and lasts.

Tasted better too!

Saber · Tuesday at 4:56 AM

We didn't drink it but siphoning was a common thing back in the day.

baz · Tuesday at 7:12 AM

Saber said:
We didn't drink it but siphoning was a common thing back in the day.

Actually I disagree on this
I had a mouthful of E10 not so long ago
It didn't burn anywhere near as bad as 40 years ago
In fact I don't think it's far off being a decent night cap!

Lineslinger · Tuesday at 8:56 AM

Baz, I hope there isn't any model airplane glue in your shop.

speirmoor · Tuesday at 1:06 PM

It's the #1 thing now on my checklist when troubleshooting. Old gas just ain't what it was.

Schwany · Tuesday at 6:03 PM

Ethanol Shield and some Stabil actually works pretty good in premium ethanol pump gas. No starting problems for me with over winter fuel. That said I doubt the motor is working optimally with the old fuel running through it. I'm in the USA so I have no idea what the differences are in the fuel at the pump in the UK.

Only time I enjoyed siphoning was when I was working in a winery. A mouthful of a barrel aged old vine Zinfandel was always a welcome mistake.

CanukNortonNut · Tuesday at 8:20 PM

FYI now enjoy. He is a hoot!
I like this guy but not for everyone. Let me know if you use this stuff as I haven't
and theirs is your dinner.
and another one:

And theirs your dinner!

Onder · Wednesday at 3:18 AM

Oh ! I thought that was an infomercial for dental floss...

kommando · Wednesday at 3:54 AM

Your petrol tank has a breather in the cap, the volatile parts of the fuel needed for ignition in carbed engines evaporate out the breather over winter leaving nothing to ignite. Either block the breather over winter with some clingfilm (remembering to remove it before the first start) or add some capfuls of thinners to the tank and shaking the tank before opening the taps. Adding thinners works every spring for me.

Modern injectors form a spray even with volatile parts missing rather than a carb where the petrol has to evaporate and hence the need for volatile parts.

MexicoMike · Wednesday at 8:35 AM

I recently started two motorcycles that sat stored for two years(!) with ethanol gas and Stabil. They started/ran like they had been running yesterday!

Lineslinger · Wednesday at 10:48 AM

The influence is not how much of some additive you dump in your fuel tank. It is about how well said fuel container is sealed and how high is the moisture content of the atmosphere the fuel is stored in.
Its called Phase Separation.
I seal my bikes/small engine fuel tanks over longer storage periods and cold starts/performance are not a problem.
If I don't seal the tanks on my Honda generators or other utility vehicles, all "fortified" with Stabil (oxymoron), 4 months later it all gets dumped.
Ambient moisture content in the storage area and length of storage is most often the deciding influence.

I don't know where Mx. Mike stores his bikes but if it is in an arid or semi-arid climate, like Mexico, his ethanol fuel will stay composed/reliable a lot more readily than the ethanol fueled vehicles stored in my barn in the Midwest USA, additive's introduced or not.
I now sometimes use, for longer term of storage, aviation fuel. No additives, just sealed properly.

Saber · Wednesday at 8:28 PM

How do you seal your tanks?

baz · Thursday at 2:45 AM

Saber said:
How do you seal your tanks?

Put some cling film over the filler hole and close the lid
Or something like a thin sandwich bag etc

Lineslinger · Thursday at 8:20 AM

baz said:
Put some cling film over the filler hole and close the lid
Or something like a thin sandwich bag etc

Yup.
"Cling" wrap over the filler hole and close the cap.

PetroClear - Understanding the Dangers of Phase Separation in Ethanol Blends

petroclear.com

You can apply the same technique with paint containers and other materials that need to be sealed from air.
Once the can has been opened put a layer of sealing wrap over the opening and seal the lid back in place.
Paint will literally last for years using this technique. Years ago paint mfg.'s (among others) converted from metal cans to plastic lined cans.
A couple years later they went back to metal containers.
The life of the paint they sold was greatly extended by the better sealing plastic container they provided.
Sales fell.
They went back to metal.

Fast Eddie · Thursday at 10:41 AM

Saber said:
How do you seal your tanks?

old fuel !!!!

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