Oil & Fuel 2 part gas to 1 part oil = unhappy 425 owner

[PTOuser]

Returned from several months absence to my 425 with 36 hrs on. Tried to start 'er up ... no joy. Called Tazwell. Checked my oil level at their suggestion. It was way too high. I had about a gallon of gas diluting the oil. Anyone know why this happened? I've dealt with a lot of engines over the years but never had that happen before. Probably even more important, anyone know how to prevent a repeat of that from happening again? I thought cut off valve but that fuel line is really small diameter stuff!

[MossRoad]

Haven't we heard something about this before on someone else's PT 425?

Good grief. I feel sorry for anyone with this kind of problem. Gas running through the carb and flooding into the engine then down into the crank just smacks of poor design or faulty components like a fuel shut off solenoid.

I would definitely get a shut off valve for this thing. What if the fuel would have overflowed the engine and gone onto your floor and who knows where? Very dangerous.

Is your tank plastic or metal? If it is plastic, you can put a piece of electrical tape on the side of the tank at the fuel level and then monitor it overnight to see just how much it is leaking over a given time. That can also help you determine if it was a one time stuck open solenoid or if it is still happening.

[Tim_in_CT]

The easiest way to prevent it in the future is a manual shutoff valve on the bottom of the gas tank.

Soemone else just had this problem in the last couple of months:

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/p...er-issues.html

Your problem is a stuck open float valve (and the lack of a solenoid shutoff that actually shuts off ALL paths for fuel to flow into the engine).

[J_J]

I had a Honda powered air compressor that did the same thing. It is not related to just one brand either, all engines with out the fuel shut off solenoid may leak. The needle valve that the float pushes on is the problem. I found mine when I went to start, and it went into hydraulic lock, which means that the crankcase is full, and the piston can not move down. I now double check the fuel shut off.

[PTOuser]

MossRoad is right about the situation being dangerous. Trying to start did result in a gasoline saturated air filter with excess fuel running down the sides of the Robin. If I'd had a backfire .... well shades of a NASA shuttle launch comes to mind! If my fuel tank was metal with a threaded hole in the bottom, installing a cut of valve would be a piece of cake. Unfortunately my tank is plastic. I'm using painter's tape to watch that fuel level as suggested. Thanks Tim_in_CT for pointing me to the older thread. I've emailed hogi to see where he found a cut of valve and how he installed it. If anyone else with a plastic tank has installed one and has a recommendation, I'd like hearing about it. Heck might as well do an inline fuel filter too.

[Tim_in_CT]

If anyone else with a plastic tank has installed one and has a recommendation, I'd like hearing about it.

The bottom of the fuel tank has a (plastic) 1/4" npt female threads with a nipple threaded into it. You could thread a shutoff valve into it.

[J_J]

They also make an in-line fuel shut off valve. Try a lawn mower shop.

[MossRoad]

They also make an in-line fuel shut off valve. Try a lawn mower shop.

I think J_J has the best quick solution here. Just find the I.D. of the fuel line and get the valve from a lawnmower shop. Then it is just a matter of cutting the line and sticking it in with a couple clamps for safety. Here's a link to some. Briggs and Stratton Carburetor Parts Repair Kits

[BobRip]

They also make an in-line fuel shut off valve. Try a lawn mower shop.

I have done this. It's easy.

[hogi]

Returned from several months absence to my 425 with 36 hrs on. Tried to start 'er up ... no joy. Called Tazwell. Checked my oil level at their suggestion. It was way too high. I had about a gallon of gas diluting the oil. Anyone know why this happened? I've dealt with a lot of engines over the years but never had that happen before. Probably even more important, anyone know how to prevent a repeat of that from happening again? I thought cut off valve but that fuel line is really small diameter stuff!

I just saw your message PTO. I just bought a Briggs and Stratton shut-off kit made for lawn mowers at Tractor Supply. They have one with I believe 1/4 inch barbed ends, just cut the existing line and install before the filter. You can just use zip ties as hose clamps, that's what PT did. You should be able to fins this at any Home Depot, Lowes, Ace Hardware ect., if not your local small engine repair shop will have it.