Disposing of old fuel?

[DavidB]

I 'reclaimed' some really old fuel from my fuel tank in the Starion.



No, it's not homebrew.
The tank was pretty much full and have three buckets of this, but just wondering if I can use it for anything (lawnmower?), and where I can dispose of it if not?
It looks rust colour, and to be honest, the inside of the tank is not the best.

[compass]

I put some stale fuel in a lawnmower last week. Big mistake! I wouldn`t advise doing it if you want the mower to run well again.

Bonfire night is coming up? I`d just have a big fire and use it that way myself.

[ToolsnTrack]

bottle it and use it for cleaner / degreaser

[sowen]

Sept 29, 2014 11:43:30 GMT ToolsnTrack said:

bottle it and use it for cleaner / degreaser

^this

[ferny]

Agreed with the washing.

Sometimes it can be refreshed with some new fuel added to it, but it looks like your car was eating a lot of beetroot so I'm not too sure about that this time.

[baggabones]

Agree with the cleaner idea as said

[DavidB]

I put a small drop in the bottom of a jug down the sink. It cleaned all the paint off the sides.
Cleaning liquid it is then!

[benzine]

I use it to degrease and as fuel for my coleman petrol stove (hot food @ workshop, and heating up oil to dunk seized components in)

[DavidB]

Is hot oil good for unseizing stuff? I think I might have one of those petrol stoves as well.

[oztuning]

Sept 29, 2014 13:49:44 GMT DavidB said:

I put a small drop in the bottom of a jug down the sink. It cleaned all the paint off the sides.

[composimmonite]

Sept 29, 2014 13:59:31 GMT DavidB said:

Is hot oil good for unseizing stuff? I think I might have one of those petrol stoves as well.

Be careful, VERY CAREFUL.
I wanted to evaporate the solvent in Waxoyl to produce a vaseline type consistency that could be used for items where normal liquid Waxoyl would quickly wash off. I gently heated a pan of Waxoyl on a gas stove, luckily outside, and started to get the end product I was after - then the vapours caught fire. Being quick thinking I blew on the pan only to spread what I can describe as burning homemade Napalm all over the place. Very difficult to put out with water and dread to think of what could have happened if I'd done that inside the garage.

Paul H

[mat91]

Where abouts are you, will thin out my blend of diesel lovely over the winter

[benzine]

Sept 29, 2014 13:59:31 GMT DavidB said:

Is hot oil good for unseizing stuff? I think I might have one of those petrol stoves as well.

It's very good, I've used it for releasing stuck delivery valves in diesel pumps (mechanical force just wasn't working, a minute in hot oil and it just plopped out) and a track rod end stuck fast in a control arm, poured hot oil down the hollow control arm and let it work it's way through. As mentioned though it can be dangerous, I don't get the oil very hot and I've got a big concrete yard I can do it on with every type of fire extinguisher under the sun to hand.

[cobblers]

As above, use it to degrease minging stuff, then either take it to the tip and pour it in the "old oil" thing, or use ludicrous amounts of it to start bonfires.

[datsundrew]

I mix it with veg oil in my Landy, goes well!

[charlie]

Be very carefully burning it, even if it is old. Petrol explodes in a very alarming and surprising explosive way when you ignite it. Avoid doing this at all costs. Personally I would just pour it down the drain, returning the carbon atoms of dead creatures back to the earth.

Petrol doesn't strip paint btw otherwise all your paint round the fuel filler cap would be gone.

Charlie

[Deleted]

Sept 30, 2014 23:08:20 GMT charlie said:

Be very carefully burning it, even if it is old. Petrol explodes in a very alarming and surprising explosive way when you ignite it. Avoid doing this at all costs. Personally I would just pour it down the drain, returning the carbon atoms of dead creatures back to the earth.

Petrol doesn't strip paint btw otherwise all your paint round the fuel filler cap would be gone.

Charlie

DO NOT put fuel down a drain, if you are going to throw it away do it legally at a local recycling centre. I use old fuel as a parts cleaner and yes it can strip untreated paint, the paint on your car is clearcoated and waxed so offers some protection, ever seen a car with faded paintwork under the filler cap, I have?

[vulgalour]

Petrol can and does strip paint, and shouldn't be tipped down the drain. It's super for thinning veg oil for cars that are so inclined and as a general purpose component cleaner so I'd bottle and label it for those uses in your position. If you have too much of it, then disposing of it at the tip or possibly your local breakers/scrapyard is the best idea as they'll have the means of disposing of it properly.

[surprisingskoda]

Sept 30, 2014 23:40:43 GMT @1300dolly said:

Sept 30, 2014 23:08:20 GMT charlie said:

Be very carefully burning it, even if it is old. Petrol explodes in a very alarming and surprising explosive way when you ignite it. Avoid doing this at all costs. Personally I would just pour it down the drain, returning the carbon atoms of dead creatures back to the earth.

Petrol doesn't strip paint btw otherwise all your paint round the fuel filler cap would be gone.

Charlie

DO NOT put fuel down a drain, if you are going to throw it away do it legally at a local recycling centre. I use old fuel as a parts cleaner and yes it can strip untreated paint, the paint on your car is clearcoated and waxed so offers some protection, ever seen a car with faded paintwork under the filler cap, I have?

All of this. Pouring it down the drain is illegal and ecologically unsound. It also strips paint; as above, it takes time to eat through layers of lacquer, but it can, and does. The trick to not losing all your filler area paint is not to spill fuel over it.

[surprisingskoda]

Oct 1, 2014 1:02:40 GMT vulgalour said:

Petrol can and does strip paint, and shouldn't be tipped down the drain. It's super for thinning veg oil for cars that are so inclined and as a general purpose component cleaner so I'd bottle and label it for those uses in your position. If you have too much of it, then disposing of it at the tip or possibly your local breakers/scrapyard is the best idea as they'll have the means of disposing of it properly.

Only storing it in properly authorised oil/solvent containers of course, as petrol also can and will eat normal thermoformed plastics.