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Maybe I should clarify the motors I’m burning my fuel mix from last season in. XR55 mentioned that the old gasoline loses its octane and flammability after about 6 months and can cause pinging / detonation and cause engine damage. This is true and for higher compression engines that require higher octane ratings it is a problem. Most of my motors are 1950s and 60s OMCs. None of them are particularly high compression and do not require high octane to run properly. If I notice a loss of performance or any detonation at full throttle and spark advance, that fuel will get disposed of in another way. In the few motors that I do have that run a higher compression ratio I run fresh fuel in them. The 50s OMCs, in my experience show no ill effects from running fuel mix that is even a year old. If it is older than that, I usually mix it in with fuel for the mower and get rid of it that way. If it is really old, stale, and smells like varnish it gets used to burn brush in the spring and fall.
-Ben
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