two cycle gas/oil NSR question

I have a two year old Homelite Weed eater that I bought new. It worked great the first year. The second year, I had old two cycle gas left over, and it did not work quite as well, but still worked. Kind of sputtered a lot until I finished off the gas and bought and mixed new.

Again this (3rd) Spring, I have half a gallon of two cycle left over. I have not tried to fire it up this Spring yet. Is it just the gas left in the engine that is would be bad from water condensation, or is the stuff in the can bad as well? Why does two cycle go bad? Will it hurt the engine, or just sputter a bit?

If I am supposed to dispose of it, where would I do that without dumping it somewhere? Autoparts store?

Thanks.

Gas goes bad,Oil stays ok for alot longer. Clean your plug and mix a new batch of 2 stroke up.

and run the engine dry in the fall if possible...

Pour the old gas into your cars gas tank, just make sure the tank is almost full and it will burn no problem and the tiny bit of oil will not hurt anything.

Gasoline loses its potency after about 6 months, you can extend that a bit with a fuel stabilizer but for small amounts its just better to burn it off in something else.

fuel stabilizer is your friend, or at least your weedeater will thank you.

Thanks guys. Sounded like I would not really mess anything up other than a gunked carb, so I went for it. I was going to pull & clean the plug, but of the 3 sockets I had, none fit. So I just dumped the gas that was in the tank, and refilled with the mix that was only 8 months old. Took several extra pulls, but fired up and then ran fine.

Does the stabilizer fix (help) old gas, or do you have to put it in from the start? Should that be in lawnmower (non two cycle) gas as well?

Not that I am so lazy I can't go get some new two cycle mix, but did not seem worth a trip to the homedepot just for that, and I had no other needed trips to make...So now that I could grab either stabilizer or new two cycle, which would be more logical?

And here's to hoping I can get this xeriscape done sometime soon so that the next time I write about these machines will be when I am selling them.

Cheers.

I put the stabilizer in the fall when I'm done if I have any mixed or reg gas left. Seems to work and I haven't burnt up the lawnmower or weedeater, going on 8 years for the weedeater\blower\hedger. I don't know if it can work after the fact, the bottle might be able to tell ya, the fuel stabilizer bottle that it.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by wstdeep

Pour the old gas into your cars gas tank, just make sure the tank is almost full and it will burn no problem and the tiny bit of oil will not hurt anything.

Gasoline loses its potency after about 6 months, you can extend that a bit with a fuel stabilizer but for small amounts its just better to burn it off in something else.

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Him speak truth.

In fact for longer Dirt Bike Trail rides I've seen guys run PreMix in their four strokes as emergency fuel for the thirstier 2 strokes in the group... does ruin plugs pretty quick at full stregth but no real damage...

NOTE: DO NOT run preMix in your 4 stroke Lawn Mower!!!! Many of these use a little rubber diaphram "fuel pumps" which uses intake manifold pressure pulses to pump fuel to carb... the rubber does not like the oil and will soften and lose its elasticity rendering it useless. Likewise - if your 4 stroke mower ever take a crap and won't run / runs really ragged this part may be at fault... in any case its worth buying as a part and installing yourself before taking the mower in for service: The cost about $2 vs min $50 sevice call.

hmm... that was close to a hijack... hopefully someone will find it useful.