Winter storage without gas.

[pbarwick]

The storage facility I have has asked that i empty gas tank before they will allow winter storage due to some offices located in same warehouse. Anything to prepare for this as I am used to filling tank up and adding stabil to prevent condensation and bad gas in spring?

Thanks

[DanielC]

Do not mean to be personal, but where do you live?
If you are in the Arizona desert, no problem.
If you live somewhere humid, with a lot of temperature changes in the winter, it might be an issue.

[pbarwick]

Winter storage without gas.

Wisconsin.

[DanielC]

I am not real familiar with Wisconsin winters, but I understand it is below freezing much of the time. Below freezing usually means low humidity. Is the warehouse your boat is in heated?

[wake_fun]

If you have to drain it then you have to drain it or find somewhere else.

How are you supposed to drain it? You can only siphon out so much. Maybe do that and then put sta-bil in it. When you fill up you will be filling up with 30-40 gallons of high octane fuel anyway. I don't think it would be a problem.

If your really worried about, take the fuel tank out and take it home with you.

[AirTool]

In the spring (with an empty tank), you could take both of your gas caps off and take a shop vac on "blow" and circulate air inside one cap and let it blow out the other. The "blower" from a shop vac is usually pretty warm because it cools the motor as it passes through. Maybe 10 minutes of that or so would dry the tank out and then you could go gas her up.

Then the ding dongs in the office will only be near the gasoline for half the year instead of all of it.

[DanielC]

Do not blow through the gas tank to dry it. Any water in the tank will be below the residual gasoline in the tank, because water is heavier than gas. You will be creating a lot of explosive gasoline vapor. Very dangerous. Do not use a Shop-Vac to suck on the gas tank either. You are still creating the gas vapor, and sucking it through the motor of the Shop-Vac, which them provides an ignition source for the vapor

What do they mean by empty? Bone dry, would be impossible to do with out removing the tank. If less than a 1/4 tank, just run the boat low on gas, and if you are worried about running out of gas, carry some extra gas in a can just in case.

[pbarwick]

Winter storage

It is fire code to have empty tank when storing in warehouse with offices located inside warehouse. Not sure how to do it also without removing tank. The warehouse is heated, but minimally and I will not trust it to stay that way.

Is that a pain for an old 1995 Sport Nautique to remove tank?

Thanks guys.

[WakeSlayer]

Find someplace else to store your boat. Leave it stabil-ized, and full.

[teamseal]

The shop vac idea is a real gasser!!!! BOOOM!!!!!!!!
I agree with wake slayer find another storage facility..
Also Check out Valve tech instead of stabil.
http://www.valvtect.com/ethanol.asp

[maxpower220]

If you use the shop vac, make sure there is someone taking video. I just like that kind of stuff.

If you are going to store it there, put in your Stabil and run the boat as low as you can. Then, try to syphon the rest of it out. You can't get it all, but I wouldn't worry about the little that remains. The warehouse is only worried about the fuel source once a fire has started. Your tank won't just catch on fire in the middle of winter for no reason.

[pmgIA]

just disconnect your fuel gauge to show empty!

[TRDon]

I have never filled up any of my boats before winter and never had a problem. Where I end the season is where it sits.