mixing gas

[DaveGunter]

Maybe a stupid question but, once you have throughly mixed the oil with the gas, does it stay mixed or does it ever start to separate like the oil falls out? Saw someone mention something about giving their can of mix a shake before filling the machine, and it made me wonder? I figured once it is mixed it stays mixed.

 

[lukem]

I always add the 2-stoke oil, then fill with gas to make sure it mixes well. Then give it a good swirl and shake before every fill-up. Not sure if it required or not, but doesn't hurt.

 

[Highbeam]

Let's just assume that it does settle out. Also, the ethanol, water, light ends and heavy ends. Just shake it but not more than three times. After that you're just playing with it.

 

[bogydave]

Put some in a clear glass jar & seal it tight with a lid.
Set it on a shelf.
Watch it for a year.
I don't think it will separate.

IMO, once mixed, it's mixed. Unless sent thru a refinery process again. It was oil at one time in it's life

I notice that after it's shaken around a bit & you open the lid, more vapors come off.
So it's losing more of the high end, volatile organic hydrocarbons when shaken before it poured into the saw.

However, it gets agitated in the container when moved around.
From shop to truck to the cutting site to falling off the ATV.

Does the cans of 2 cycle Truefuel gas sold at box stores say "Shake well before use" ?

 

[StihlHead]

Gravity is always working on the different components in gasoline. Oil is heavier than the gas, and gas itself is a blend of many different hydrocarbons that have different density and weight. They will stratify in layers over time, even if you cannot 'see' it happen in a glass jar. You guys in Alaska also have standard gas. With E10 its a different story. Ethanol will bind with any water in the gas and separate out and settle at the bottom. Also the lighter elements in any gas will waft off and the octane will drop if you do not use stabilizers. Most of this is invisible to the naked eye... yes.

So shake the gas cans a tad before use. Use stabilizer if it is not going to be used within a couple of months. Live long and prosper.

 

[bogydave]

With E10 its a different story.

I keep forgetting about the ethanol blended gasoline.
Corn alcohol should only be used for other things

 

[Thistle]

I always give the mix cans a good shake before filling the saws.Sometimes bouncing around in the truck or trailer is enough,depending where I'm at though.

 

[BobUrban]

I'm a can shaker - may not be necessary but I cannot see how it could hurt either.

 

[firefighterjake]

I always add the 2-stoke oil, then fill with gas to make sure it mixes well. Then give it a good swirl and shake before every fill-up. Not sure if it required or not, but doesn't hurt.

I swear sometimes that you must be my long last brother since we tend to think alike in so many things . . . I do the same thing . . . just about every time before refueling the saw . . . a good swirl and/or shake . . . before topping off.

 

[Nixon]

I'm pretty much in the camp of " once mixed , it stays mixed " . Oil is pretty much soluble in gasoline ,much like salt in water .
HOWEVER ...Having been proven wrong on more than a few occasions , I give the mix can a good shake before refueling .

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Like Lukem, I put the oil in and then fill with gas which give it a good mix. Still, just before filling, I give the can a shake. Doesn't hurt and also doesn't take much energy to do the shaking.

 

[HDRock]

I like to shake things up a little

 

[StihlHead]

I keep forgetting about the ethanol blended gasoline.
Corn alcohol should only be used for other things

Yep. Corn should be eaten and corn ethanol should be consumed in beverages, not burned. Corn ethanol requires 75% fossil fuel to produce, for a gain of 25%. When blended in E10, that 'gain' is reduced to all of a whopping 2.5% of the energy per gallon of blended gas. 2.5 percent... *sigh*

Keep it shakin' baby!

 

[bogydave]

Yep. Corn should be eaten and corn ethanol should be consumed in beverages, not burned. Corn ethanol requires 75% fossil fuel to produce, for a gain of 25%. When blended in E10, that 'gain' is reduced to all of a whopping 2.5% of the energy per gallon of blended gas. 2.5 percent... *sigh*

Keep it shakin' baby!

Add in the cost to tax payers subsidizing the price of corn. Net loss .
Another whole topic though.
Glad we can't grow corn in Alaska

 

[StihlHead]

Yes, the corn lobby, and a net loss... insane politics.

No corn in Alaska? I always see these photos of giant mutant size pumpkins, monster cabbages and the like grown in the land of the midnight sun. You would think you could grow 3 foot ears of corn up there around Palmer where they have the big annual veggie fair.

 

[DexterDay]

Some oils will have a better synthetic Esther and will keep emulsified better than others.

Its best to give it a little shake every time you grab it

 

[Sean McGillicuddy]

Shaken not stirred

 

[smokinj]

I always add the 2-stoke oil, then fill with gas to make sure it mixes well. Then give it a good swirl and shake before every fill-up. Not sure if it required or not, but doesn't hurt.

I shake the crap out of it every time.

 

[bogydave]

Yes, the corn lobby, and a net loss... insane politics.

No corn in Alaska? I always see these photos of giant mutant size pumpkins, monster cabbages and the like grown in the land of the midnight sun. You would think you could grow 3 foot ears of corn up there around Palmer where they have the big annual veggie fair.

Long sunny days, but the low sun angle, sun intensity & temps are not good for growing corn.

Do youns shake the saw before starting ? LOL

The saw, gas & oil jug are usually on the ATV, so I just pour.

 

[StihlHead]

98% of the time the gas and saws get shaken all by themselves, so its not a common thing here. But if the gas has been sitting in the storage room for more than a few weeks I give the plastic jugs a jiggle before I pour.

I used to have a very similar setup on my Polaris. 'Cept I have Stihls. This was my 460 with a 290 B&C/safety chain out stump cutting.

 

[smokinj]

I always give the mix cans a good shake before filling the saws.Sometimes bouncing around in the truck or trailer is enough,depending where I'm at though.

I heard that a guy blow one up because the fuel in the tank was not mix well. (This was on a long milling run) I think that stuck in my mind. Good thing my saw always seem to be empty anyways.

 

[jensent]

Stihl web site recommends shaking before adding fuel to the saw! I would rather shake the gas can then rebuild the saw!
Tom