Hi everyone,
I am cleaning my basement area and found a carton with 4 1-gallon containers of Byron's 20% race fuel. This fuel is 20 years old now, but how long is the shelf life?
Is it still usable or dispose of it?
Thanks

It is too much to throw away. Basically when they are sealed they do not get that fast polluted with water (moisture) for sure if the basement is dry.

I just would shake the can very sturdy to be sure all inside is mixed well again and just try it. If the engine runs fine I would for sure use some afterrun after driving, just in case....

I would say that 20 years old is a tad too much (wouldn't mind on fuel with 6 - 12 months if is kept sealed on dark, cool and dry place). Maybe the engine can run, but bet it would be unstable on the carb adjustment. Methanol is highly higroscopic and maybe you have some condensation on the fuel (if is cloudy I would not take chances).

Use it for bashing after verifying that the color is still original....

Hi guys,
The fuel was stored in a bottle and the lid was never removed. All 4 gallons stayed inside the cardboard box the entire time in my basement. The fuel still looks as it did originally.

I'm looking forward to your first test.

Science!!!

Fuel should be good to use then...

I think I'd just try it. It's not going to blow your motor up. It'll either run good or it won't. I'd bet it's still runnable. Only way to know for sure is to run it and see.

That’s a good question. Nitro fuel doesn’t age very well, especially after that long. Even if the containers were sealed, 20 years is way past the safe shelf life. The nitro and oils tend to break down over time and it can absorb moisture, which can cause engine damage. I wouldn’t risk running it in anything you care about. Best option is to dispose of it properly according to local hazardous waste rules. Better safe than sorry.

First post, and you already know about nitro fuel aging. What are you selling ??? Which fuel ???

If like u said was in a dry cool dark place run it and see … like other person said it’s gona work and run fine or not…but I definitely wouldn’t throw it away without trying it first…shit that’s way too much to throw away on a whim without knowing if it’s hasn’t gona bad

If kept sealed and out of sunlight it can last years if stored properly.

Yeah, if I found a case of old fuel, I would probably give it a try in a backup motor. Risk vs reward. with a 650.00 motor it might not be worth it.

Really, that's over $200 worth of fuel. Try it in something before you throw it out. I gave the local rc club 6 gallons of 60% boat fuel that was 15 years old, stored like yours was in a dark basement, and they ran it. It ran fine. A couple guys had 1/8 hydros and that much free fuel was a godsend. You'll know more and can make a better decision after the run test. Like Mark said maybe not in your best engine but try it before throwing it out.

do the old burn test. If it crackles, then no good.