Dealspeed

My Feedback: (17)

I have to ask though I'm pretty sure I know the answer, is there any way to keep nitro fuel good for longer than a year?
I already store my nitro in a metal can similar to a VP powermaster can, is there anything else that can be done?

the pope

I store my homebrew fuel in the 4 litre containers that fuel is bought or nitro , oil etc . It then goes into a old fridge ( turned off of course ) out in the shed . I dont even give it a second thought as to how old it maybe . I have never had rotten fuel spoil my flying day . If u do the same you'll be okey dokey !

Dealspeed

My Feedback: (17)

What's your home brew ingredients?

the pope

-%10 nitro
-%15 synthetic oil
-%5 castor oi
-%70 meth ( not crystal )

1QwkSport2.5r

I don't use an old fridge, but I do use old fuel or oil jugs to store it tightly capped and stored in my basement. If the fuel is subjected to some hot/cold cycles, some of the fatty acids in the castor oil may settle out. Sometimes warming the fuel and shaking it makes the little globs mix back in or else you use a fine mesh strainer/filter and filter the fuel to a clean container. If kept sealed and stored in a consistent climate, you shouldn't need to worry about it for many years. Metal cans are very very good and preferable to plastic bottles. It seems the nitro degrades over time - but it's only been noted when storing in plastic jugs.

Its been said said that in some of many cases, 20-30yr old glow fuel works very well in many cases better than modern fuels.. Oh old days... What was the "good stuff"? Propylene oxide?


My fuel mixes consist of anywhere from 0% nitro up to 30%, oil contents ranging from 10% up to 27% typically all castor or a 60/40 blend for some specific engines. Balance always methanol. I will sometimes store my fuel mixes from anywhere between 3 months and 2 years without any perceivable difference.

J330

My Feedback: (3)

Any dark storage that doesn't get too hot in the summer is suitable, for decades.
I found an old Cox can that was never opened that matched the 1980s can I had used back then when they were new, it was $2 at a garage sale. .049 Golden Bee ran fine on it that afternoon, 2012.

http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/rc-f...l-storage.html

tony0707

Keep glo fuel in a dark cool place
i will seal the gallon jug as soon as is possible after using it and always be sure the cap is on very tight
The Glo fuel will stay good for many years if sealed correctly
i have never had a problem with my fuel going bad
Flying two cycle glo for 20 plus years

The fuel will attract water and moisture if left open so keep it sealed as much as is possible

JollyPopper

My Feedback: (6)

Metal cans are better to store fuel in than plastic jugs? I would have guessed that the plastic jugs with the seal in the neck under the cap would be better for storage than the metal cans. Are these metal cans lined with anything special or will the metal cans you can get at paint stores do the job?

aspeed

Plastic is slightly porous, and lets air and moisture in. i have had 3 year old fuel go bad. The motor would not even start. I think it was open for maybe a day the previous year. Otherwise it was just stored in a dry basement. I also have most of a gallon of straight nitro that is about 35 years old that is just fine. The plastic jug got very brittle and needed replacing though. The Methanol is the problem IMHO. I also had(have) some 40% that went bad many years ago. it did not run well at all, making me think the nitro stayed in, and the methanol either changed from the moisture or evaporated. It still blew plugs IIRC. I can recall a boat that had fuel left in the tank. The level kept getting lower over the years, and turned to syrup.(oil) There was no cap on the tank.

JPMacG

My Feedback: (2)

I have stored fuel for many years in my basement in plastic jugs with good results. My basement is usually dark and is a relatively constant 60 degrees. I keep the jugs full and well sealed.

Interestingly, I have had brand new jugs of fuel that were no good. I suspect the manufacturer messed up the mix.

The wisdom of storing gallons of fuel in my basement is another matter. I do it, but I suppose the local fire department would call it a bad idea.

the pope

Whats the worst that could happen ? Nothing I would be concerned about !!!!!!!

J330

My Feedback: (3)

I don't believe it to be THAT porous. If that were the case, gasoline would never be stored in plastic containers, you'd have glow fuel sweating on the outside of the jug, carbonated soda would go flat on the shelves, motor oil stored for years would be milky inside, etc. The moisture comes through the cap, a poor seal ones it's opened. Most people have a fuel fitting drilled and mounted on the cap, and that's where your moisture gets in. I have 10-15 year old fuel that I saved because it was never opened.
It's more important to keep the stored fuel from heat, or sunlight (UV) that causes oxidative effects on the additives in the fuel. The plastic used for containing glow fuel is more impermeable than other plastics that you're confusing for being porous.

J330

My Feedback: (3)

http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/rc-f...l-storage.html

Dealspeed

My Feedback: (17)

I have access to gallon size metal containers at work, one of the paints I use the most has the thinner in these cans and I go through a couple a week, so I just bring them home when I need one.
I've painted a couple red to separate my plane fuel from my car fuel.

the pope

I find that sometimes older fuel is better . Also if in doubt use it for weedkiller or washing down engine parts when doing a bearing change etc.

aspeed

Gasoline has a very short storage life, maybe 6 months. Most Home Depots will not keep gasoline for more than one month. I have a lot of pop (soda) in the basement that has collapsed in the plastic bottles. New , never opened, but likely 5 years old. For my fuel, I do replace the red cap now, and have had no problems over about three years now. I used to mix my own, but it was cheaper to buy it for a while. Not any more with our dollar. I would only mix what I needed for a year,

doutrnz

I usually buy the liter size for fuel because I don't run them very often. After I run, there is obviously room at the top of the liter bottle with air. When I store the bottle, I squeeze it till the fuel is at the top of the bottle, cap it tightly, and store it in my closet. I do this because logic tells me that air, has some moisture in it and moisture ruins fuel. Am I going over board or is this good practice on my part? I run my trucks maybe 3 or 4 times a year so I go through maybe 2 bottles a year.

earlwb

Glow engine fuel basically has no shelf life. The stuff is good indefinitely. I have some glow fuel that is more than 25 years old now that is still just as good as the day I bought it. The trick is to ensure the container is sealed and not leaking and keep it out of the sunlight. A container should puff up some when warm or hot and get sucked in some with cold. It the container doesn't do that then it is leaking and letting air in. Air has moisture in it and the water is absorbed by the methanol in the fuel. The water can cause the fuel to degrade over time. Plus if the container is leaking it lets the methanol evaporate out of the container too.

A metal container is probably the best to use, but if the plastic jug is not leaking it is fine to use too.

JPMacG

My Feedback: (2)

Has anyone else run into leaky plastic fuel jugs? I just found three jugs that slowly leak fuel from the area of their mold seams. The fuel manufacturer must have received a batch of bad jugs. The leak is very slow. I only noticed it because the bottoms of the jugs were oily. I would wipe away the oil and a few weeks later they would be oily again. When I looked more closely I could see an area on the seam that was sweating fuel.

blw

My Feedback: (3)

I think it was Bob Smith Industries that put out a fact sheet some 10 years ago about CA. They claimed some plastic is air proof. They also suggested wrapping CA bottles with aluminum foil to make the air tight.