Fuel Question...Age?

[wgalligan]

Maybe its like Miller Lite in the clear bottle.   Goes skunky after setting in the light.   
I never keep more then 3-4 gallons of fuel around at one time.  Knowing how much alchohol absorbs moisture is enough for me to buy fresh stuff.
Having been around the gasoline biz and car business for many years has also taught me that fuel left for extended periods will almost always give you some kind of fits on performance type engines(varnishing,separation of additives, mositure absortion,etc.,etc.)  Why would model airplane fuel be any different?   Achohol is less tolerant of the way it is handled then gasoline, especialy in humid areas.   I would NEVER keep model fuel more then one year.  But then,  I wouldnt be flying much if I did.

Wayne G.

    -----Original Message-----
    From: jim ivey <jivey61 at msn.com>
    To: discussion <discussion at nsrca.org>
    Date: Saturday, July 05, 2003 7:10 PM
    Subject: Re: Fuel Question...Age?
    
    
     My experience with bad fuel was on a 2 stroke K&B 61. All of a sudden the engine would not idle and would not run at full throttle very well. The fuel was 3 years old and immediately a suspect, because I had just changed to it. I don't know if it was sour or had excess moisture in it. It had been stored in the basement. Anyway it was used to kill the weeds at the flying field.
    
    Jim Ivey
    
        ----- Original Message -----
        From: John Ferrell
        Sent: Saturday, July 05, 2003 7:46 PM
        To: discussion at nsrca.org
        Subject: Re: Fuel Question...Age?
        
        I keep 0%-all Synthetic oil,  Red Max in jugs for quite a while(2-3 years). I mix it down to 10 or 15% using the same 20% fuel with no problem. The Red Max red dye goes clear the first summer in the fuel shed. 
        If you think it is losing methanol or nitro that would just make it oil rich, not usually a big problem.
         
        I never have got around to the matter of water testing. I have sometimes thought about testing with controlled amounts of water in the fuel just to see how much makes a difference.
         
        It has been my experience that when an otherwise good engine starts getting picky about the fuel, it is running warmer than it used to. In my case it was bearings...
        That is, as I recall...
         
        John Ferrell 
        6241 Phillippi Rd
        Julian NC 27283
        Phone: (336)685-9606  
        johnferrell at earthlink.net
        Dixie Competition Products
        NSRCA 479 AMA 4190  W8CCW
        "My Competition is Not My Enemy"
        
            ----- Original Message ----- 
            From: Bob Pastorello 
            To: NSRCAMail 
            Sent: Saturday, July 05, 2003 5:50 PM
            Subject: Fuel Question...Age?
            
            
            I know this is a newbie kind of question...but I've never run into this before.  Sealed (good caps, tight) jugs in the dark, Mag 1/10% mix that I use all the time.
                Ran my 1.60 fine on the ground, but couldn't get a needle, and sounded lean at high end in flight; even dead sticked a couple times.
                Changed to a jug of fresh Ritch's Brew 15% (should have been about the same nitro) and it ran a lot better, had needle range, didn't try to overheat.
             
            What can happen to sealed jugs, kept in temp.controlled, dark box....??
            
            Bob Pastorello, Oklahoma
            NSRCA 199, IMAC 1320, AMA 46373
            rcaerobob at cox.net
            www.rcaerobats.net
            
             
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