...getting rid of old gasoline?
 

Am stuck with about one gallon of three year+ old gasoline with two-stroke oil mixed in. It looks and smells like today's regular three dollar gasoline except it cost half that much and I am reluctant to mix it in with about twenty gallons of fresh gas and use it up in a pickup truck. Have been told somewhere it can damage the oxygen sensor, or something.

So, how do I use it up or discard it?

Is it usable in a one cylinder, four-stroke lawn mower or in a two-stroke weed wacker?

Does the tranfer station ever accept it?

It won't hurt a 4 stroke lawn mower, it might smoke a little, worst case it might foul the plug. The weed wacker would be OK if the oil to gas ratio is about the same.

I would not put it in a modern car or truck, too many things to go wrong.

Probably not an answer that most will approve of, but we use our old gas on our bonfires/campfires to help get them going. A little at a time of course. I have a gallon that came out of my generator that was bad and I used it up over the last few weekends this way.

Be careful if you use gasoline to start bonfires, especially large ones. That stuff can vaporize in the pile and explode when lit. Now that I have kids I stick to charcoal lighter fluid or kerosene for all bonfires - gasoline is really unstable. I wouldn't mess with it.

As unstable as the gas price!

gas/oil mix
 

If you decide to use the gas in another 2 cycle engine, make sure that your oil/gas ratio is the same. If your boat gas is 50/1, a weed wacker could be 16/1. Big difference.
I've had the same question about discarding gas (but haven't sought out an answer). I would think that a marina would know as they often deal with contaminated gas.
PLEASE DON'T USE THE GAS AROUND A FIRE!

If you put one gallon in your cars gas tank, mixed with regular gas I hardly see the risk. At very worst you have about 4 or 5 oz of oil mixed in with ~20 gallons of gas. Very very diluted (more than 600:1).

I'd filter it and use it in the lawnmower. Boat 2/s oil is formulated differently from tool oil and can make a mess so you may not want to use it in a weed-wacker or chain saw.

When using gas to light a fire I pour a little at the bottom with the tinder and kindling. A dab will do you. Use a long match to light it if you can.

I know someone who was burning brush (in the winter fortunatly!) and spread a gallon under a large log. It did vaporise quite a bit and ignited with a perecptable WHUMP! His neighbor felt it inside his house apx 100 yards away and thought his furnace had malfunctionned.

Good luck!

I've got about 2 gallons of straight gas & water from a leaky gas tank a few years back under my porch. Anyone with a bonfire pile felling saucy? :D

Evaporate it
 

Put it in a shallow open container like a baking pan or gallon milk jug cut in half, leave it in the sun and you'll be pleased at how quickly it evaporates, leaving a gooey residue because the oil will not evaporate.

I'll be over! :devil:

Old Gas
 

Find a gas station or machine shop that uses old oil burning equipment to heat their building. They may take it and burn it in there heating system.
I don't know if they are used in NH but in Mass there are quite a few places that do.

Give them a call. Transfer stations accept used oil, though waiting for an "amnesty day" for hazardous waste may be an option.

Adding it (at a very thin ratio) will be ok in a car - about 1/4 of a gallon per fillup, I've done this many times. As mentioned earlier the ratio would be so small it wouldn't be noticable. I mean I would not do it every fillup forever but once in awhile to get rid of a gallon or so is fine. If your nervous about doing this in a car the same holds true in a mower.

Oh ya, just my .02 please don't call me if you ruin your engine.:eek:

But seriously, I've done it before.:rolleye2: