Home Forums Gear Horses and ATV's Yamaha Grizzly - buying used?

We use sta-bil up here. I don't know if they sell it there though. It's a good product.

It's kind of interesting that the varnish smell one sometimes runs across in warmer climates is one that is virtually nonexistent in these parts. I don't know if that is because the fuels we get are formulated with stabilizers, or if with our cooler temperatures it is normal not to have the break down of fuel. (Not all machinery gets stored cool however, or drained.) We only get gasoline supplies once, perhaps twice per year. The rest of the time the fuel sits in multi-thousand gallon tanks. You can filter everything you put into a machine, but the tanks still get frosty inside due to moisture from the air or that which is dissolved in the fuel. Fuel dewatering additions like alcohol seem to be quite useful (at the point where it goes into the vehicle).

I use Heet for short term useage and Sta-Bil for long term, have not had any issues thus far.

We don't get the temps for this to be a problem, but I am curious how adding alcohol dewaters the fuel? What about gas that already has ethanol added during production?

The problem with alcohol in the fuel already is that alcohol is hygroscopic so absorbs atmospheric moisture as well as water in liquid form. Fuel which 'attracts' moisture is not desirable. And since there is a limit to how much water a given quantity of alcohol can absorb, anything more that finds its way into the tank or container will be 'free water' which ends up on the bottom and settles in tanks, lines, and carburetors. Obviously this water doesn't burn well and can cause even more trouble when ice-forming conditions are present.

Alcohol becomes part of the solution when it is added to fuel. I had at one time thought that alcohol pulled free water into the fuel/alcohol solution. I'm not really sure that's what happens since water can still be visible in tanks even with alcohol added to fuel. However, I think that free water absorbs enough of the alcohol to lower the freezing point and improve the ability of the liquids to pass through the fuel handling systems and engine without the usual difficulties one has with it in a purer form.

I have three Grizzly 700's with EPS, an 08 and two 09's, all have Warn winches w/Kelvar cable and aftermarket tires and rims (the stock ones are crap). Use ethanol free premium fuel w/Marine Sta Bil. They all start and run fine. You want EPS, EFI, you need a winch and aftermarket tires and rims. Do that and you'll be as happy as I am.