Shaking Up Fuel Bottles?

[Henderson,Eric]

I will use about 20-30 case of 2-c and 4-c fuel a year, in both pattern and sport planes. I know that the fuels should be well mixed and should stay that way but....
 
On multiple occasions I have had engines run fat or smoky (both 2 and 4 -c) when I switched to a "fresh" new can of of fuel. Clearing that tank of the fuel that was in there and refilling with fuel that had been shaken, produced a normal run.  Not talking about first run of the day either.
 
Since then I stopped fitting a new bottle every time and began to use a permanent bottle/can on the flight-box and fill from a new can. Never happened again. I think that some oil or higher oil methanol ratio sits at the bottom - that's where the electric pump pick-up is - and you get a mix that gives you a sort of bad run.
 
Once I did try lifting the bottle pick up to half way up the bottle and filled the tank tank that way. It ran normally again. Call it my imagination, tell me it can't happen scientifically, but I'll shake my fuel and also transfer to another can before I use it. 
 
To answer the original question it does not seem to cause any harm to do so.(Shake it, that is!)
 
Regards, 
 
Eric.
 
P.S. A can that has been opened and 2/3 of the fuel used, sealed and then left for a year, seems to lose its Nitro content and give similar results. 
 
 
 From: discussion-request at nsrca.org [mailto:discussion-request at nsrca.org]On Behalf Of Kris Kovanda
Sent: Sunday, September 21, 2003 7:05 PM
To: discussion at nsrca.org
Subject: Re: Shaking Up Fuel Bottles?


I don't, But I've only been flying 4 years.  I got bad fuel once, so I switched brand and never happened again.  What fuel are you using?  I just pulled the gallon out of the case and fly.  :)
 
Kris Kovanda
D3 Pattern

----- Original Message ----- 
From: Don  <mailto:dlivermore at mchsi.com> Livermore 
To: discussion at nsrca.org 
Sent: Sunday, September 21, 2003 5:54 PM
Subject: Shaking Up Fuel Bottles?

Someone who has been racing rc cars for over 20 years and is a very qualified rc guy asked me this week if I had been "shaking" the gallon fuel bottles to mix the ingredients up before using. I had gotten a bad gallon of fuel that was just purchased from  a local  hobby shop and in questioning him about this is when he asked me the question. I have been doing rc for over ten years and I have never done this or have ever seen anyone doing this. Do any of you out there in "pattern land" do this? Thanks.....Don

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