Gas separation

[79fj40moneypit]

My 60 has been sitting for a while and I was getting the engine going and it was running like $#%, I checked all kinds of things and finally checked the gas and It was separated ! There were two layers of fuel in the jar. So I drained the tank . What is wrong with the fuel today that it does this . Anyway fresh gas and it's fine.
But now to get rid of this old gas.

 

[Butt Ugly Chuck]

How long did it sit? Mine sat inoperable for over a year before I took ownership and the fuel was fine. Probably gets a lot colder where you're at though. A mechanic friend of mine (hot rods, not Cruisers) advised "If it smells like turpentine, it's bad. If it smells like gas - run it!"


Butt

 

[jasheehan]

This is normal with today's mixed fuel (ethanol and gasoline). Depending on where you live, most gasoline has about 15% ethanol mixed. It is written on the pump. The two compounds are actually quite different as far as their chemical properties. Gasoline if very hydrophobic (repels water), and ethanol has the same inter-molecular forces as water, so they attract one another. So, over time, the ethanol and gasoline will separate and the ethanol will actually attract water. Typically this separation is an issue with boat engines since they sit over the winter months and the fuel separates. Upon startup, this ethanol-water mix (i.e. gunk) will clog up carbeurators and fuel lines. If you look at dry gas, the primary componenet is "methanol" which is only 1 carbon away from "ethanol." If your rig will sit, use some fuel conditioner or even seafoam to help alleviate the gunk and fuel separation issues.