Stabil vs. Sea Foam?

[bdmcgee]

Just curious what the preference is. . . I always used Stabil in my motorcycles, lawnmowers, weed wackers, ect until last year when I swicthed to Sea Foam. . . . I haven't decided what I'm going to use on the 69 when I put her up this winter (living in the north is really starting to stink!!) So, what does everyone think? Thanks

[Longhorn Man]

I've seen a 69 VW bug fire up after 10 years of sitting, on the 10 year old fuel, that had Sta-bil put in it before going into storage. It didn't run good, but it did run, and there was little to no varnish from the sitting.
Remember, drive it for a day or 2 with the stuff in the tank. Get on the freeway and get into the throttle a bit. if you don't get the stuff into the carb, it isn't going to help much

[Elsie72]

I've used Sta-bil on my motorcycles with very good success. Last year I picked up some Maxima fuel stabilizer, and that seems to work good, too. Be sure and top the tank off as much as you can, after running it through, so there is very little air space to develop rust in your tank(s).

['68OrangeSunshine]

I use Sta-Bil in all my jerry cans. Dosage is 2 Oz/5 Gal. I buy gas when it's low(er) priced and hoard for later. The dosage is good for at least a year. But I top off my gas tank with fresh fuel after adding a 5 gallon can of stored gas.
Sta-Bil has gone up in price to about $12-14 a quart. Is the Seafoam a special gas stabilizer or just their usual mystery oil? Is it cheaper than Sta-Bil?

[67mater]

For what it's worth, Stabil works by floating to the top of the fuel and "sealing" it from evaporation. I know a crusty old snowmobile guy in WI that swears Satbil is a joke becuase it does the above and does not really prevent varnish (such as in the carb jets and such where things are just coated not pooled). I have heard of but do not know how seafoam works. The guarunteed solution is to treat the tank with stabill and run the carb dry; either by emptying the tank or closing a shutoff valve.

['68OrangeSunshine]

I sometimes wonder what a lab would say about the differences between Sta-Bil, Marvel Mystery Oil and common ATF [Dextron III]. They all look and smell like hydraulic fluid to me.
As far as Sta-Bil making a seal by "floating on the top" -- 2 ounces doesn't seem like enough to cover the top surface in a 5 gallon jerry can. Just curious.

[67mater]

STA-BIL® contains proprietary additives designed to reduce oxidation and metal corrosion of gasoline and diesel fuels. These additives prevent the fuel from oxidizing which can cause the build up of gum and varnish in your fuel system. In simpler terms, STA-BIL® surrounds "good" fuel molecules with a coating so that oxygen can not "break down" the fuel molecules into "bad" gum and varnish. Make sure you run the engine for a few minutes after adding STA-BIL® so that it can work its way through the entire fuel system.


Is it any harder to belive Stabil could coat the top when it can "surround" each fuel molecule?

[67ChevyRedneck]

I thought sea foam was an engine cleaner? I use it on my Z71, one hell of a smoke show!