[T3] Update with a Bowl Full of Rust Flakes

[Jim Adney]

My first choice would be to store the car with the tank full of 
gasoline. It's possible that adding a little oil might be slightly 
better, but since storing full of gas works so well, it's hard to see 
how adding anything could make it better.

As to why, I don't know how I could explain it any more. Was there 
something about my explanation that you'd like me to clarify?

On 24 Jul 2011 at 0:43, SCS Crewcab wrote:

> So, do you think it's better to store a car with a full tank mixed with 
> oil rather than an empty tank? If so, why?
> 
> 
> On 7/23/2011 9:57 PM, Jim Adney wrote:
> > On 23 Jul 2011 at 21:28, SCS Crewcab wrote:
> >
> >> Even with oil, fuel with ethanol will still attract moisture. Since oil
> >> and gas is lighter than water, the water will end-up on the bottom of
> >> the tank. If I was storing a car, I would drain the tank and remove the
> >> fuel tap so any condensation that forms in the tank will drain out.

> > I'm sure situations can vary, but I've stored cars for years with no
> > difficulty, and the summers here are far from arid. The key is to
> > store them with a full tank and make sure there are no excess places
> > for air to get in or out. There should be one and only one vent path.
> >
> > Assuming you don't have liquid water getting into the tank, the main
> > source of water getting in there is from dew forming in the air space
> > above the gas. This happens because barometric pressure changes cause
> > air to "breath" in and out of the tank. Minimize the amount of air
> > space and you minimize the "breathing."
> >
> > Gasoline must also have some corrosion preventative properties,
> > because you never see rust in tanks that have been in regular
> > service, unless water gets splashed in there for some reason. I
> > suppose adding some oil to the gas might offer some additional
> > protection, but I doubt if there's much to gain.
> >
> > Ethanol may make some difference, but ethanol will keep a certain
> > amount of water in solution without a problem. I'm not sure, but I
> > suspect that once there's more water in there than the ethanol will
> > hold, it is no longer hydroscopic.

-- 
*******************************
Jim Adney, jadney at vwtype3.org
Madison, Wisconsin, USA
*******************************