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FIRST START OF THE SEASON?? TAKE 5 MIN AND DO AN EASY FLUSH OF THE FUEL LINES FIRST.

mountainhorse

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The connectors seem to be alot different on the Axys than is what is pictured.

Sorry bout that.... I neglected to post the correct photo for the AXYS.... Same connector however.
Brown/yellow wire on ground side... Red on the other...In this connector.


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sledcaddie

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AV gas

So, what does AV gas have or don't have that enables it to last longer in storage? I heard one old guy claim that premium gasoline lasts longer than regular gas. Does AV have more anti-knock ingredients?
 

BeartoothBaron

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Avgas has a higher octane content than most pump gas – the octane rating isn't just because of tetraethyl lead. As for stability, it's probably better because of what's not in it. It's hard to find specific details, but oxygenates are the biggest culprits. Ethanol-based additives are the most problematic, but I'm pretty sure the additives in even ethanol-free gas reduce its stability. Avgas has a legal shelf life of one year, but I'd bet you won't find much pump gas that's sat unsold nearly that long, so it's not likely Avgas is fresher. I'm fairly certain premium gas will last longer on average, but more because the lower-quality batches of distillates are more likely to be used in "regular" gas. As I understand it, a higher octane rating doesn't contribute much to stability in and of itself.

Anyway, in my case, I always fill my tank with ethanol-free and stabilizer after the last ride, then run a bottle of cleaner in the first fill. I've never had any issues running the "old" gas. Now, the best practice is to fill the tank before storage, then drain and refill with fresh gas, but I don't see it as necessary. The worst thing to do is to drain the tank before storage, or even leave it half-full. That invites condensation, and any gas you didn't get out of the tank will oxidize rapidly. Ultimately, if you can get ethanol-free and it's stored properly, you can generally count on at least a year of storage life. Better safe than sorry if there are any doubts, but I've got a half-full tank in an old sled that's sat for five years, and it still smells fresh.
 

Matte Murder

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Non eth premium is the only gas I’ll run in sleds(and any 2 stroke engines and 4 stroke generators and mowers). Ethanol is the work of the devil. Ethanol fuel can crack(separate into low octane gasoline, ethanol and lots of times water that’s attracted by the ethanol) in as little as 4-6 weeks. I’m amazed at how few problems is cause in car and truck engines.
 

deschutes

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We find that tilting the front of sled up helps to get all the old fuel out.

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mountainhorse

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Old fuel degrades FAST these days... even Non-eth PUMP fuel.

For the investment we have in our sleds...
Drain it... put it in fresh.

FLUSH out the lines before starting with a prime.

I know some will say they have no problems with it or store it with "Stabil" or similar... but heck, for the sake of my season, in MY opinion.... go the extra yard.


If your sled has been sitting since last season, with the old gas in it.

If you have not fired up your sled yet for the season...Best to drain ALL the old gas out... ALL of it.. and fill with fresh... with your fuel system cleaner of choice and some pre-mix oil... and, without starting the sled.... run the fuel pump on prime mode for about 5 minutes to flush the, pickup, pump, fuel lines, fuel rail of any varnish or sludge buildup.

The moment you fire the sled... whatever is in the lines... be it fresh gas or old gas... will be pushed through the injectors.

Priming the system leaves the injectors closed... but circulates fuel through the entire fuel system.... best to start off the season as fresh as possible. If you run the prime for a while... the first fuel the injectors will see will be as clean as possible.

Especially since the AXYS-Mtn sleds don't have any fuel filter other than the fuel-pump pickup 'sock' :face-icon-small-hap






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Matte Murder

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What is the horrible catastrophe that you are afraid of from running a sled on old fuel? The worst I’ve seen in any engine is I HAVE to drain out the old fuel and put in fresh to get the engine to run. On carbed engines I’ve had to pull the carb and clean it too. In 8 seasons and 3-5 sleds I’ve owned each season I’ve never had a problem with non-eth premium with or without a stabile type additive.
I did always drain my turbo 4 stroke sleds but they had a little boost of race gas and I was worried about losing the octane value and burning one down. I actually have no idea if race gas degrades and loses octane tho it could just be paranoia.
 

Big10inch

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I do not think gasoline degrades nearly as fast as some of you suggest. The pitfall is the ethanol which absorbs water and than can speed the breakdown of the fuel. Non eth pump gas should last for years. My buddies Toyota truck sat in a field outside for 10 years with the same fuel in it. Started right up and we drove it around no problem. Most accounts say 6 months on pump gas, which I think is on the low side. Plenty suggesting that a year is still OK for properly stored gas.


In 20 years of running sleds I have never had an issue with fuel. They get stored with the fuel left after the last ride, usually 3/4 full or better. They get started/run to temp over the summer several times. They get topped off for the first ride. The sleds stay in my tuck under garage that stays a constant temp.


We have had to pull and clean injectors on two different Cats belonging to my buddy over the last couple of years. His sleds sit outside under covers buy are subject to hat sun, rain storms etc. Gummed up the injectors to the point where neither the 2010 or 2016 would start. Three other sleds stored the same started fine.


Stored in a cool dry environment though, I have never had a problem with last seasons gas. My wood splitter just fired right up on 6 month old gas from a plastic can. Ran just fine for hours...


How fresh is the gas before it even gets to the station? Seems like we store it for a long time before it leaves the refinery some times. Seems like a lot of hype for a subject with few clear answers and even fewer big problems.
 

mountainhorse

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My experience.

Some have good luck....
Some have HORRIBLE luck..even with NON eth pump.

Even in what many would consider optimum storage conditions.

More power to you if you have great experiences with ethanol blends
Or even non-ethanol gas.

But, for me, for good measure... just like when I clean my clutches and belts, lube my skid, replace spark plugs and tighten my track... I'll do the drain/fill/prime routine... I have it down to a 15 minute task.


Good piece on this... NOT gospel...but a good read.
Gas Expiration - Ethanol Blend Fuels Have a Short Shelf Life
E10 Gas has a shelf life of only 3 months

http://www.fuel-testers.com/expiration_of_ethanol_gas.html
 
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