What is the life of petrol?

What is the life of petrol?

Author
Discussion

B19LAM

133 posts

154 months

Monday 23rd July 2012
quotequote all
shush!!

TVR500Morgan

1,183 posts

151 months

Tuesday 24th July 2012
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My post did say from experience !

C3BER

4,714 posts

222 months

Tuesday 24th July 2012
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B19LAM said:
shush!!
I see Flysuper your upto your usual wooden spoon stirring.

I have no idea about fuel going off but I know bread does because of the fungi growth. wink

hurststeve

101 posts

198 months

Tuesday 24th July 2012
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RFC1 said:
Thats because its a 2 stroke, and after a while the petrol in the carb evaporates and leaves the oil behind which basically clogs the carb up.
Not the same as just "old" petrol.


My taimar starts and drives on 3 year old petrol.............
2 stroke oil. Of course. I really should have realised that.

scotty_d

6,795 posts

193 months

Tuesday 24th July 2012
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It will be fine i lay my car up every year for 6-8 months to work at it. just stick a few liters of fresh stuff in and it will be fine.

Quietlybonkers

20,905 posts

143 months

Tuesday 24th July 2012
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I'm with the next to last poster - I recently started my daughter's Fiesta after it had stood for two and a half years, first time, no problem.
Yet my fairly new two stroke strimmer wouldn't start and needed a new carburettor this summer after just a few months since last use

crazyidea

109 posts

141 months

Tuesday 24th July 2012
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2 stroke engine advice on a TVR forum, now there's something you don't expect to find every day but if you have a non-starting 2 stroke invest in a can of easy start spray, 1 second spray into the airbox and it is usually enough umph to start the carb flowing again with the seized oil then shifting itself. Not sure that I would recommend it on a V8 though. Oh and don't spray too much or yikesangel

bobbins

1,409 posts

206 months

Wednesday 25th July 2012
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yes

Works on flooded Ford Pumas too - great bit of kit.

davidindevon

Original Poster:

223 posts

233 months

Wednesday 25th July 2012
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Good morning everyone... I didn't expect that! What a lot of posts!
I only read the first couple and thought I had better do something. So I set about draining the tank and left it so that all the spills and vapours could dissipate.
Then yesterday I disconnected the lines next to injectors and (with fire extinguisher ready) ignition on to pump it all out out of the lines before the injectors. Got to get SOME work done rest of this week but will get fresh 100 when I'm back at the weekend and hopefully it primes and pumps OK without airlocks etc.
A big thank you to all. Much appreciated.

Hi Bobbins and Crazyidea, would your easy start gas work on this Ford?!

bobbins

1,409 posts

206 months

Wednesday 25th July 2012
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PMSL - how did he get that Granny in there? Ambitious doughnut gone wrong?!

swisstoni

16,850 posts

278 months

Wednesday 25th July 2012
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Could be just flooded.

davidindevon

Original Poster:

223 posts

233 months

Wednesday 25th July 2012
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To be fair, when the tide has gone out you can't see any water and the area exposed has a surface resembling the coarse compacted gravel you would expect to find in an overflow car park.
At times the area looks just like a car park as it is full of locals cars which entices a visitor to park amongst them.
However, the locals check the tide tables and know when to leave. Meanwhile a visitor (from inland) has gone off for a National Trust walk and comes back hours later to find the sea has come in round the corner and... eekyikes

It happens every year and causes much amusement but it's a shame really as some nice cars have been lost. cry

nawarne

3,088 posts

259 months

Wednesday 25th July 2012
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Maybe the slipway should have given the owner a clue!!

Regards petrol....it's been said, but personally, I drive my car, so don't have to bother with petrol shelf life!
Nick

EGB

1,774 posts

156 months

Wednesday 25th July 2012
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B19LAM said:
I can not believe some people on here think petrol goes off in 2 or three months , just goes to show you should never ever listen to the drible peddeled on places like this.
I agree totally.

crazyidea

109 posts

141 months

Wednesday 25th July 2012
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[quote=nawarne]Maybe the slipway should have given the owner a clue!!


Or perhaps the boats? biglaugh

ridds

8,192 posts

243 months

Thursday 26th July 2012
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It very much depends on the car, the tank and evap system design, tank seal, combustion chamber design, fuel delivery system and or calibration.

Your average carbed lawnmower stored in a hot shed with a hole in the fuel tank cap will probably last a few months at best.

I've left a Rover 820 to stand with half a tank of fuel for 20 months and it fired first time (with a jump start).

DBSV8

5,958 posts

237 months

Thursday 23rd October 2014
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Just removed the petrol tank in the lotus it was full of unleaded around 6 years ago .tank was closed .holds a maximum of 13 litres .
The petrol is slightly yellow but has not turned gummy ?

I take it after this length of time its only good for bonfires ? Or could it be treated?

ackbullchang

270 posts

209 months

Thursday 23rd October 2014
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Hi chaps, I'll add my experience. I've had a lot of "shed" cars as well as the TVR. One particular old banger was a petrol 205 1.4. I left it standing for around 16 - 24 months (can't remember exactly). Over that time it was left with 1/3 tank unleaded. I came to start it after that time; took the battery off and charged it & reconnected, and put the keys in the ignition, 99% sure that the bloody thing wouldn't start. Guess what.....

It started 1st time, after about 10 seconds of turning over. I hadn't changed the plugs/leads or anything! This lead me to believe that petrol can run a car when it has been left for much longer than 2-3 months. I also have stuff in jerry cans that frequently gets left from October until March, and this starts the petrol mower in spring without fail every year.

I wonder how much it would suit the oil industry to put out false information about the "shelf" life of petroleum?