Gas Tank Level with Winter Storage

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MaineBoy

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I have always stored my boat with a full tank and gas stabilized. I have heard many mention that due to the Ethanol problems, it is better to store it half full, gas stabilized. The theory being that it is better to mix in fresh gas in the spring.

Which is best?
 
Either full or empty..the more space you have in your tank the more likely you are to absorbe moisture/water which causes phase seperation/bad gas. Since dealing with E10 for the past 8-9 years I always stored full with stabilizer and never had a problem.

'05 300 Marlin F250's
 
I store mine full but just learned a lesson that will probably cost me $500 or so. I filled mine to the top when the temp was 45deg and when the temp hit 70 the other day fuel spilled out of the vent all over my cover, decal strips lifting it and dissolved the new bottom paint that it hit. Moral of the story, don't fill it all the way to the top, leave ten gallons out for expansion.
 
SOunds like the old way is the best way - less 10 gallons!

Thanks for confirming this
 
Tashmoo said:
dissolved the new bottom paint that it hit.
Click to expand...

Do you bottom paint now for the Spring? What kind are you using? It would be a big time saver to uncover and launch with all the grunt work done in the fall.
 
I've talked with two marinas and my dealer on this. While people will swear full or empty, it doesn't matter. All have people that run it down, fill it up or store with whatever amount happens to be left in the tanks. I've done it this way for > 10 years with no issues. My advice is add the right stuff and you will be fine.
 
journeyman

In response to your question, yes, I paint at the end of the season with ablative paint. I have confirmed with my dealer and the manufacturer of the paint that it is fine to leave it over the winter. If you think about it for a moment many of us try to stretch two seasons out of an ablative paint job and the paint works just fine during the second season. If the paint were hard epoxy this would not be the case.
 
Thanks. I will think about bottom paint next fall as it is a little late for me this year. The tip on filling the fuel tank helps too as I never gave it that much thought. I need to add 20 - 30 gallons myself tomorrow and will keep it in mind.
 
I have a 265 Express with two tanks. I run off the maintank mostly, but use the aft for longer runs, etc. I fill (and stabil) the front tank and run the back tank dry - so I have one tank full and one empty. No problems! I think if you leave it 1/2 full is when you have an issue.
 
Back in pre-ethanol days I used to store full to minimize the chances of condensation in my tank. But now I store nearly empty, but treated with stabil or seafoam and then in the spring, squeeze the bulb and drain out a gallon or so from the bottom of the tank and then fill it to the top before starting it in the spring. The storage season here in Maine is longer than in most places so that means if I stored full, by the time I got around to burning that gas, it could be 8 or 9 months old and according to my mechanic, they've had a lot of trouble with ethanol/fuel that old. I accept that due to my tank being nearly empty all winter, there will be some water accumulation in my tank, but I have both an inline screw on type, and engine mounted screw on type filter that should remove the water, and in the spring I remove the fitting that plugs into my kicker motor and squeeze the bulb to drain out about a gallon from the bottom of the tank before pumping in over 50 gallons of fresh gas. I guess that what you do depends on which you think is the greater evil, some water in the bottom of your tank, or possible phase separation of a whole tankful of gas that you'll be burning in your motor. I can see both sides, but think the water is easier to detect/remove so drain my tank and then start fresh next spring. To each their own!
 
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