RE: [ihc] old gasoline and old trucks...

["Mac McMuffin" <mac@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

## >> Well, Steve, that may be gasoline in Missouri, or even in
## >> Maryland, but
## >> that is not gas in California. Our gas starts to smell bad in a mower
## >> tank in a couple of weeks, and if left in the mower carb, it will gum
## >> it up to the point of requiring disassembly in order to get the mower
## >> back to running again.
## >>
## >> Gas in a small gas can gets a bad smell, turns color, and
## >> deposits gum
## >> on the inner walls of the can. Personally, I use a lot of Stabil gas
## >> stabilizer because it's not always convenient to empty everything
## >> before we leave for the winter.
## >>
## >> Our chain saw and mower shop sells Stabil by the gallon, and stocks a
## >> lot of it. I think most of his business is cleaning carbs on
## >> the small
## >> engines.
## >>
## >> If the Scout is to sit more than a month without being used,
## >> I treat it
## >> with Stabil.
## >>
## >> So, that's gas in California.
## >>
## >> John

okay...  so what is to be done with old gasoline, then?  the reason i ask...
well, it's complicated.  okay, not really.  the B182 is officially almost
roadworthy now.  Ryan has compleated all the major repairs on the truck and
it's more or less nearly ready to go.  driveline is in place, parking brake
is freed up, U-joint replaced, radiator hoses dealt with and coolant system
filled and does not leak.  air brakes are in good order and working well.
engine runs solid and smooth, he tells me, and he says he can't find
evidence of the usual SV oil leaks (though the exhaust apparently smokes
quite a bit at first startup).  even the air-operated windscreen wipers work
properly.  currently the only thing left to deal with is the lights,
apparently none of them work.  but that's a minor issue, at the moment.
there is also the matter of the missing 2-speed axle switching solenoid, but
that can wait too.

however...  there's a hitch.  the thing has three fuel tanks.  the original
21-gallon factory fuel tank is in place and plumbed into the tank switch
valve.  behind the cab is a pair of saddle tanks at 75 gallons apiece.  we
do not know what is in the 21, if anything at all, or what condition that
tank is in.  the two saddles, however...  those are a different story.
they're solid and in good condition, apparently flowing fuel properly to the
switching valve...  and they are *full*.  with gasoline that is at a minimum
5 years old, and probably closer to 8 or 9 years old. (truck last registered
legally in North Carolina in 1997).  the tanks had locking caps on them when
Ryan picked the truck up, and if i recall correctly, the tanks were fairly
well sealed before he opened the caps.

the engine runs on what's in the tanks, but Ryan tells me it won't start on
it.  when he first tried to run the engine, it actually started on what was
in the tank it was switched to at that time.  that was a couple months ago.
as of last week, it will no longer start on the fuel in *either* tank.  he's
replaced the fuel filter in the sight bowl on the bottom of the fuel pump,
which was all gunked up.  it is possible the carb is gummed up too, or
perhaps there is some junk in the inline mesh at the fuel inlet to the bowl
(it's a governed Holley 2300)?  to start the engine, he has to pour a small
amount of fresh gasoline down the carb throat and then crank it over.  at
which time it starts and he says runs beautifully at idle.  when trying to
move it under its own power, however, it will stutter and die of what sounds
to me like fuel starvation, but which could also be bad gasoline.  Ryan says
the fuel doesn't smell right in either tank.  i don't know which is the
problem, or possibly both, so i'd like to hear some opinions and suggestions
about what might be going on in the fuel delivery system.  the carb does not
appear to have any vacuum leaks or other gasket problems, so i don't think
that's an issue.  Ryan says he doesn't think the accelerator pump is
working, does not look like the actuator arm contacts the throttle lever
cam, but i don't know what effect that might have, if any, on the current
problems.

so that's what leads to the questions.  what is to be done with that old
gas?  can it be reconditioned (i hope, but not holding my breath)?  or does
it have to be dumped, and if so, where and how?  that's a LOT of gasoline to
be dealing with.  a hundred and fifty gallons isn't something to take
lightly.  and expensive to replace at current fuel prices.  any suggestions
or ideas are welcomed.  will that Stabil stuff help?  or is that only for
gas *before* it goes bad?  is there something else that might help that gas
be useable again if it really is bad?  what's the best way to tell what
condition the gasoline is in, anyway?  if it was *YOUR* truck and you had
that much gasoline in the tanks to worry about, what would you do with it?

thanks for listening.

--Mac

---------------------------------------------------------------
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May the Light of Harmony ever shine brightly upon thee and thine,
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Hail the Gods and Goddesses of our Folk!
Wassail!

Krystof "Mac" MacBryghde
TyrGothi

http://master.triad.ath.cx/
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