So how long is too long to let gas sit in a tank while you're doing a quick rebuild of the engine? Quick as in 4 years. Been in a heated garage every winter. Thanks....and of course, asking for a friend

Real gas or non-ethanol crap?

Either way, I'd drain & start over after 4 years, but the real stuff will last longer.

I use real gas with no additives in my old cars, but none sit for over 6 months, ever.

I couldn't get six months out of Sta-Bil. With Sea-Foam, I've gotten two years.

Easily a year for me, I think 2 years with one car but I added a little in the tank every year and also put a few drops in the carb bowls.
If the gas smells like turpentine, it's junk - otherwise, drain & mix with good gas in another vehicle, or add fresh gas, depending...

Are you using Old Red Stabil that was Originally designed for ethanol Free Fuel , or the Better BLUE Stabil Designed for Ethanol Fuels ? Makes a huge difference in Recomended Storage periods . Ronnie

When you guys are saying "drain", are you siphoning, removing the tank or ???

About ten years ago i used the red stuff on two of my cars in the fall. Come spring they would not start but the cars i didn't use it in started. After that i will never use it!

Barry do you mean ETHANOL CRAP? (not "non")

Depending on how much gas is in the tank, and how long its been sitting makes a huge difference on how the replacement is handled. To pull the tank, it needs to be very close to empty. I usually connect a free standing electric fuel pump to the gas line at the front frame rail and pump the old gas into 5 gallon containers. If the old gas has been there many years, I'll empty the tank and pull the tank. It likely needs to be cleaned out, or there will be future problems with the residue contaminating the new gas for several full tanks of fuel.

If the old gas still smells like gas, siphon a little out and see if it still burns (pour a 6" diameter spot on the cement driveway away from everything and throw a match on it). If it doesn't burn, it all needs to come out (If the gas has to come out, I'm pulling the tank too). If it burns, you can siphon out about 1/2 of what is there, add the same amount of new fuel, and drive it. The burnable gas you siphoned out can probably be used in a mower or something with a small easily removable fuel tank, if used up pretty quickly. Non-burnable gas needs to be disposed of, you need to check with your local authorities to see how and where the disposal should be done. Gene

Be sure you are using Stabil 360. That’s the one for ethanol.

Be sure it’s fresh. Stabil can go bad in the bottle after two years.

I’ve been using the stuff year round in small power and I run it in old cars every tank. As far as pushing the time I had a car sit in the garage for about 6 years. I added a couple fresh treated gallons each year. That tank burned just fine and I couldn’t tell anything was off about it.

I had issues when using Stabil in my snow blower. The carb was full of crap in the spring so I now use seafoam. No more issues. If I remember correctly the shelf life for stabil is supposed to be something like 2 years IIRC.

Wow, answers all over the place. Gas is "good" for about 6 months. Your car and "run on it" maybe even a couple years. I've had poor luck with Stabil and Sea Foam isn't snake oil... old technology, but useful. My advice? change all gas over 6 months

Oh...I don't know.
I can't definitively answer the question "how long with Stabil last" but I've witnessed Seafoam perform small miracles. That's what's in my b.o.a.t. for the Winter.
On an aside note, I run my chain saw out of gas after every use because I seldom use it.

The last 3 bottles I got of Red Sta-Bil state for use with Ethanol Fuels.
And it worked with the gas tgat states up to 10% Ethanol. That is all we can get here by law since the state says so.
We are an Ethanol Producing State from sugar cane.so they made it a law that gas must have it.
I keep my gas for the back up generator on sealed 15 gallon metal VP Racing Barrels with Red Stabil
I do rotate them and keep to keep it a max of 12 months. But have had no problems at 24 months.
Gas in plastic gas cans and Sta_Bil 12 or less.
I did have one barrel that the date was turned and I thought I had rotated it out.
Almost 5 years and was fine. But again sealed metal barrel.
I had a metal can of VP 110 with lead from 2005 it looked and smelled fine.
I ran it in the lawn equipment this summer. It had the race car smell when cutting grass.
My barrels are from 2003_2005 and look new inside even with the 90/10 gas and Red Sta-Bil.

one of the reasons that the cars won't start after using Stabil is that it has a reaction with the paper in the filters. It crusts over and won't let fuel thru. I had a friend whose car wouldn't start 2 years in a row after putting it in. I replaced 2 fuel filters and it started right up. Birdtracker

People must be using the old red, not treating the gas as soon as it’s bought, or letting the Stabil go bad in the bottle. Ethanol isn’t anything new, if anything it’s getting worse with e15 blends being pushed. People tell me of these fuel problems they have and I tell them Stabil 360 is the solution. Weird to see these problems when the answer has been around so long. Be sure to use enough, get the bottles with the measuring cup built in.

Heck, I've used both, same good results.
It's in everything over the winter or for storing; all that stuff is in a heated shop, though I have no idea if that's a factor.

We used all the gas we had on hand after Hurracane Ida.
So I called Eagle who owns Sta_Bil and asked if blue Marine or Yellow 360 for Auto woukd be better.
They said no thst for straight up storage go Red.
To use Blue Marine daily use as well.as 360.
The Red bottle shows good to go ethanol on it. It is not the same formula as the red they changed it at some point.
When i work on something that needs system cleaned as it was neglected. I use Sea Foam and it works well to get it running again.

I use Seafoam in all my small engine stuff. Living in WI there's always something sitting for months. Tractor sits all winter,snow blower sits all summer...chainsaw, leaf blowers, weed trimmers, etc, etc. Never have any fuel issues. I use pump premium and 1oz/gal Seafoam. Pulled the snow blower out after sitting since April? Started 1st pull. Dump a bit in the B'cuda as that will sit from Oct til Aprilish...never have issues with that either. Not sure how well it would work over multiple years(no experience) but I have confidence in the Seafoam product over many months. My chainsaw gets used maybe once/year and it always starts....I'll bet that fuel has been in there a couple years??