Boat fuel over winter

[sausageman]

Time to winterize the boat and I've got about 40 gallons of fuel on board. Do I pump it out or pour in fuel stablizer. I just fought this summer to clean my 100 gallon tank and do not want to go thru that again. Any advise is appreciated.

[kingfishcam]

Put Stabil fuel stabilizer in the fuel and run the engine for a while to make sure the treated fuel gets through the carb. It is best to take the boat for a ride so the fuel will mix well, as well as running the boat at different speeds instead of just idle in the driveway. Is this an I/O? If so, get a spray can of fogging oil, spray it through the carb throat until the engine stalls (in the driveway for this step), then pull out the spark plugs and shoot a few squirts in the cylinders. Don't forget to drain all the water out of the block and exhaust maniflods. Pull the lower hose off the engine also to let the water out of the water pump. Check the lower unit gear lube for water also. Should be good for winter.
One other thing, a gas tank is better off being full over the winter, less chance for the condensation to get in the tank, just make sure you add enough Stabil for the amount of fuel you have.

[jpollman]

I'd definitely go with the Sta-Bil ! It's great stuff.
I always use it in my gas cans that I fill for my yard equipment. Especially my 2-cycle cans. I never know how long it's going to be until it's used up. A few years ago I bought a house with a pretty good size yard that is big enough to need a tractor. Therefore the mower just got pushed to the back of the garage.
It still had about 1/2 of a tank of fuel in it. It hadn't run in over TWO YEARS . On pulling it out of the garage I figured that I'd have a heck of a time getting it going. I pushed the primer bulb and gave it a pull. It started on the SECOND PULL !!! I was shocked.

[ESOX]

Check this thread:
http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=9663&highlight=fog

[Joe_G]

I siphon mine out and use it in the old pickup truck. Living real close to a DNR launch, I then back her boat down the ramp with straps still attached, and run it until it runs out of fuel.
Sometimes it may take 15 minutes, don't like running it in the driveway that long. It's a
17' Thompson with a V6 stern drive. 10 gallon
tank....40 gallons is a lot to siphon....Joe

[TimT]

You should follow the instructions on the Sta-Bil bottle and then go down to the speedy Q and top it off with 93 Octane. Gas will turn bad, but Sta-bil prevents that. The other consideration is the amount of condensation that develops in the tank. If it's empty, there will be a lot of condensation. If it is full, there won't be any condensation, thereby keeping your system clean.

If you had external tanks, I would recommend emptying them, but with a 100 gallon tank, you want to do what you can to prevent condensation from building up inside the tank over the next 6 months.

There are many other things to do for winterizing, but this covers your post about fuel.

[sausageman]

Thanks guys. The condensation in the tank has caused me problems in the past so I'll for the fuel pump and fill her up. Anyone know where I can get Sta-bel in larger bottles? I only recall seeing it in pint size.

[TimT]

If I remember correctly, I purchased the biggun from Walmart.

[goosewa]

Kingfish brought up a good point. Make sure you check the lower unit lube for any water.

However, I would recommend changing it since lube is not that expensive. In addition, one less thing to worry about next spring.

-Goosewa

[TimT]

There are enough things to do to a boat to winterize it properly to take up an entire weekend. You want to be thorough enough that the only thing to do in the springtime is to replace the plugs that were in the motor when you fogged it. The outdrive and engine oil get replaced during the winterizing process. Basically, water is your enemy if it's inside your motor or outdrive. You want to get rid of all of the old oils that have a seasons worth of use on them, to insure that you have no moisture inside your motor, pitting away vital areas or turning into sludge. In a couple of weeks, when I dig up my winterizing to-do list, I'll post it.

[rangerman]

The above posts covered everything with respect to fuel.

As part of your winterizing process, remove the prop and check for any fishing line that could damage seals and allow water to get into the lower unit.