On Thu, 15 Jun 2017 09:07:44 -0400, Jack wrote:

On 6/14/2017 3:25 PM, wrote:
On Wed, 14 Jun 2017 08:48:10 -0400, Jack wrote:
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Not saying people should use really old gas, but I am saying there is a
hell of a lot of hype over old gas and the need for stabilizer. I buy
20 gallons of gas at a time for my tractor and lawnmowers. If it's near
the end of the season, the gas sits there all winter often, 9 months and
over a year before used up the next season. Never use stabilizer, and
never once had a problem. I, and my brother have been doing this for
over 60 years with a huge variety of equipment, so some (stupid) people
might think I'm lying, or just lucky, that is definitely not the case.

You have to remember you are NOT starting the engine on stale
gasoline - you are staerting it on ether.

True, but I only use either on my 2 cycle stuff, mainly the chainsaw.
The chainsaw has been notoriously hard to start since new. After many
many years of fighting it, I tried ether, even though it is supposed to
be hard on the engine, It works like a charm. 4 cycle stuff never needs
ether, it all starts easily. Only exceptions is my brothers 1954
gravely tractor that has always been hard to start in the winter when we
used it to plow snow. Shot of ether fixed that right up as well.

You are also pretty lucky -
your old gas hasn't gummed anything up. I've worked on equipment where
the gas was as dark coloured as cola, and as thick as syrup, and it
STUNK to high heaven. You could put it in a sprayer and spray it
through the flame of a blowtorch and be lucky to get it to light - - -
. The gas in the tank of my '53 Coronet when I bought it was about 7
years old. Not a chance you could have run anything on it - with the
possible exception of a steam enfine if it was squirted into a hot
fire.

Like I said, thinking I, and my brother have been lucky for 60 years and
on a wide variety of equipment doesn't cut it. No luck is involved.

Your experience with gas thick as syrup and carburetors gummed up has
not happened to me once. I've heard about, read about it, never once
experienced it. My old neighbor told me about it, but he was born in
the 1800's and had lots of experience with old gas gumming stuff up,
turning to varnish etc. He always warned me about old gas, but he was
wrong. Probably was right before gas companies figured out the right
additives to keep gas from doing that stuff.

Been a mechanic since 1969 -worked on a lot of old equipment (farm
equipment and industrial equiupment, plus small engine equipment both
2 and 4 stroke - as well as old cars - and I've seen a LOT of "skunky"
gas. A LOT of really dark coloured skunky gas, and several cases of
gas so thick there was no way it would atomize in a carb.

Perhaps your '53 Coronet had gas from before gas companies started using
the right additives? I know I rebuilt an engine in 1954 Merc that had
40,000 miles on it. Taking off the valve covers and the gunk was so
thick you couldn't see the valves. The whole engine was like that, and
the cylinder walls had thick ridges worn in them, and only 40,000 miles.
That was because the the gas and oil in those days was crap. Today's
engines are clean after 100,000 miles I hear. Gas has changed, people
still stuck in ancient history.

If they guy changed the oil often enough and used good gas there was
no reason for an engine to be "gunked up" even in '54. My 28 Chevt
engine was pretty clean, considering it had run all it's life on
non-detergent oil when I opened it up in 1976. My 1957 Fargo Flathead
six was also very clean, with virtually no cyl wear at 250,000 miles
when I changed the cracked head in 1975 or 1976. (246? cu inch - the
BIG flathead six). The fuel in the 28 was terrible - had a terrible
time getting the tank cleaned out - after sitting from 1970 to 76. The
57 had been on the road almost constantly - never sitting for over a
yeat at a time, so no fuel problems.

The fuel in the Pontiac Firefly was stinky when I moved it 3 years ago
- after sitting for 3 years under a tree. It will in all likelihood be
a lot worse by now, but if I ever put it back together the tank will
be gone and batteries will take it's place (my second electric
vehicle)

Whatever it is, LUCK is not my, nor my brothers forte, and 60+ straight
years of luck isn't anyone's forte far as I know. I guess I could be
lying, but really, why would I waste my time?
You are not lying - you just have limited experience - - -