Project Farms Fuel Stabilizer Video — Rick reviews Project Farms

Rick reviews the Project Farms Fuel Stabilizer Testing Video

If you’ve seen Project Farms Fuel Stabilizer Testing using Lucas Safeguard Fuel Stabilizer, you know that Todd comes to the conclusion that fuel stabilizer doesn’t stop corrosion in the fuel system and doesn’t prevent fuel degradation. But I disagree with his conclusion and his testing methods. Rick reviews the Project Farms Fuel Stabilizer Testing video  as not realistic because the tests really don’t apply.

Let’s take a step back and review some of the facts about ethanol, water, and fuel system corrosion before you blindly accept Project Farms conclusions.

Facts about gasoline and water

Fact #1: All gas tanks accumulate water whether the fuel is ethanol or non-ethanol.

That’s because they’re vented to the outside and draw in outside air to replace the spent fuel. All outside air contains moisture.

Fact 2: The moisture in the air inside the tank will condense on the sides of the tank as the ambient temperature changes from warm to cold.

This phenomenon applies to both ethanol and non-ethanol fuels.

Fact 3: Since water is heavier than gasoline, it will immediately fall to the bottom of the tank where it will be sucked into the carburetor or fuel injection system, causing corrosion and poor performance.

Fact 4: Ethanol is hygroscopic so it will absorb the water until the water reaches a concentration level of approximately 0.5%.

At that point the alcohol and water will separate and fall to the bottom of the tank. Any additional condensation in the tank will also fall to the bottom of the tank. The alcohol and water will corrode the carburetor and fuel system components.

Why I believe the Project Farm Fuel Stabilizer Testing is Flawed and Wrong

Todd’s YouTube video shows us several canning jars filled with old E85 fuel, old non-ethanol fuel; some with Lucas Safeguard Fuel Stabilizer and some without stabilizer. He’s placed a piece of aluminum in each jar to simulate the type of metal used in small engine carburetors. The lids on the jars are punctured to allow air contact. And, he’s added water to each jar.

Rick reviews Project Farms video because I believe the test is flawed

First, we don’t know how much water Todd added to the fuel. Was it more or less water than a typical gas tank would accumulate during a 9 month storage period?

Second, we don’t know if these jars were temperature cycled to cause additional water condensation from ambient air.

Third, we don’t know the humidity levels during storage. Air moisture levels are different in the Arizona and Nevada desert areas than in more humid coastal areas. So the fuel in dryer climates won’t accumulate the same moisture as more humid areas. This test doesn’t take that into account, yet it concludes that fuel stabilizer doesn’t stop corrosion.

If Todd added more than 0.5% water to the E85, the ethanol would quickly phase separate and the water/alcohol mixture would fall to the bottom where it would begin to corrode the aluminum.

The water Todd added to the non-ethanol gasoline would immediately fall to the bottom of the tank and start to corrode the aluminum.

The air and vents in the jar lids would allow the more volatile fuel compounds to evaporate, leaving behind the less flammable components.

What I think the video proves and doesn’t prove

It proves that water in gasoline corrodes aluminum. But we knew that. We didn’t need a test to prove it.

The real question then is this: Does fuel stabilizer protect against water corrosion in a real world setting? In other words, does fuel stabilizer, when added to your small engine gas tank in the proper concentration, prevent corrosion and fuel degradation?

In my opinion, this video doesn’t even come close to portraying a real world scenario, so it can’t prove that fuel stabilizer doesn’t work.

©, 2022 Rick Muscoplat