Lotus Elan and Lotus Elan Plus 2 Forums

Never used it before and never had problems, as the Sprint will be laid up for the next 3 or 4 months (while I'm in sunnier climes)
Anyone got experience good/bad/indiferent comments or recommendations on fuel stabilizers?
Brian

I use it all the time. No problems with the stabilizer or fuel issues. I use the Stabil brand.

I too use it all the time, having had mega-difficulty with cleaning my fuel system after a long period of neglect. I cannot find a source for Stabil in the Bucks/Berks area of UK, but I found an equivalent Yamaha product at a sensible price in a motorcycle shop.

I use a large 75 cent bottle of rubbing alcohol in the full gas tank ---cheap and absorbs water all winter long and then burns off during the first tank full --have never had a rusted tank problem --but it will bugger up your fuel cell i ed

I've never had a problem when my sprint is laid up for the winter in an unheated garage. I always run the tank down really low though followed by a long squirt of some rust inhibiting spray (www.rswww.com search for 290-4409) I add 20 litres of new fuel in the spring and the car starts and runs fine - no rust is evident in the tank. I used to add about 1 litre of isoproyl alcohol a few years ago (guess this is similar to rubbing alcohol) but never noticed any difference when I stopped using it.

Suggest you look at the winter layup proceedure recently listed in another thread as there is lots of potential for other problems - the fuel tank is a minor issue.

M100 wrote: Suggest you look at the winter layup proceedure recently listed in another thread as there is lots of potential for other problems - the fuel tank is a minor issue.

I've never had problems with any other issues when I've layed my cars up before (even the clutch sticking) the garage is dehumidified and heated, the only reason I am asking about fuel stabilizer is because this is the first year it will be laid up after useing unleaded fuel. Because of the demise of LRP it has since been running on unleaded and I did not know if it would make any difference............and I do not want to restart a debate on unleaded with/without additives.
Brian

Before I started using fuel stabilizer my carbs always gummed up pretty quickly. I use BP/Amoco premium unleaded. My thought was in the Florida heat the float bowls would evaporate dry between each drive. Thusly building up whatever until it gummed something up. I have a electric fuel pump which I allow to fill the float bowls before I start the car. Since using the Stabil I have not had a problem with gummed up carbs.