[SEL] Gasoline and octane.....

[Listerdiesel]

On 2/2/06, Bill Dickerson <bill at antique-engines.com> wrote:
>
> I've just been told gasoline stored over time loses octane rating - is this
> true?
> If I get a tank of 91 and it sits for 4 months, what happens to "octane
> rating"?
>
>
> Bill
> Runnells

What happens is that the higher fractions of the fuel evaporate, and
thus the fuel loses some of its 'rating' but not in the strict sense
of octane rating loss. There are reports of hermetically sealed petrol
cans being affected, but I have no real hard evidence that this is the
case.

Best not to store any fuel for longer than a month or so, although you
can mix it with fresh fuel to use it up rather than chuck it away.

Happens with diesel fuel as well.

Peter
--
Peter A Forbes
Email: listerdiesel at gmail.com
Web: www.oldengine.org/members/diesel