Do you run two stroke carbs dry?

[Richard001]

Sta-Bil use has nothing to do with ethanol:
STA-BIL(R) Fuel Stabilizer - How It Works - YouTube

Well the video was just an advertisement for Sta-bil. Doesn't explain how it works.

I would be interested in knowing how it works and what does it actually do in your equipment's fuel tank.

Richard

 

[lostcreekranch]

Well the video was just an advertisement for Sta-bil. Doesn't explain how it works.

I would be interested in knowing how it works and what does it actually do in your equipment's fuel tank.

Richard

Sta-BIL 360 Marine ... protects you against ethanol issues.


STA-BIL 36 Marine Fuel Treatment & Additive | Gold Eagle Co

 

[MoArk Willy]

I am going to get off the topic for a bit just to add a bit of humor.
I worked for a company in southern Missouri that a lot of diesel equipment. It was a small park with a little restaurant that offered many fried items.
He got the idea that old fry oil would be a great idea to pour into the truck and machines. All he did was strain the oil and add it to the trucks when fueling.
Well it worked. I did maintenance for that company and when one of the trucks came by you got the distinct smell of french fries. Very funny.
When one of the trucks wouldn't start one day they towed it in to the local dealer.
They found some French fries lodged in the tank filter. Someone forgot to strain the oil before adding it to the truck.
It wasn't the corn oil that used the issue.....just the remains of someones lunch.

 

[Richard001]

Sta-BIL 360 Marine ... protects you against ethanol issues.

It's OK, I just looked on the internet and found the answer for myself. Some kind of chemical reaction between sta-bil and the fuel.

As part of my search, I did find an interesting note. Do not put sta-bil in an empty fuel tank if it is a gravity fed system. The sta-bil will go to the carb and fill it. Engine will not start, no gas, just sta-bil.

Richard

 

[lostcreekranch]

It's OK, I just looked on the internet and found the answer for myself. Some kind of chemical reaction between sta-bil and the fuel.

As part of my search, I did find an interesting note. Do not put sta-bil in an empty fuel tank if it is a gravity fed system. The sta-bil will go to the carb and fill it. Engine will not start, no gas, just sta-bil.

Richard

I put 0.5 oz. of Sta-Bil 350 Marine in each 5 gallon can I'm getting filled. Filling from the pump gives a good mix. If I put 20 gallons of fuel in the Corvette, I add 2 oz ... after filling. Driving mixes the Sta-BIl.

 

[goeduck]

I am going to get off the topic for a bit just to add a bit of humor.
I worked for a company in southern Missouri that a lot of diesel equipment. It was a small park with a little restaurant that offered many fried items.
He got the idea that old fry oil would be a great idea to pour into the truck and machines. All he did was strain the oil and add it to the trucks when fueling.
Well it worked. I did maintenance for that company and when one of the trucks came by you got the distinct smell of french fries. Very funny.
When one of the trucks wouldn't start one day they towed it in to the local dealer.
They found some French fries lodged in the tank filter. Someone forgot to strain the oil before adding it to the truck.
It wasn't the corn oil that used the issue.....just the remains of someones lunch.

Was there ketchup with those fries?

 

[arkydog]

in all my outboard motor experience and 2 cycle experience, i was told by some very smart people to never run a 2 stroke engine carb dry. wait until the engine just starts to hesitate or sputter, shut the engine off. running it completely out of gas causes a lean mixture in the engine and will start to score the lubricated parts. the gas also acts like a lubricant along with the 2clcle oil. water cooled engines are more prone to damage because the tolerances are closer than air cooled engines.

 

[goeduck]

in all my outboard motor experience and 2 cycle experience, i was told by some very smart people to never run a 2 stroke engine carb dry. wait until the engine just starts to hesitate or sputter, shut the engine off. running it completely out of gas causes a lean mixture in the engine and will start to score the lubricated parts. the gas also acts like a lubricant along with the 2clcle oil. water cooled engines are more prone to damage because the tolerances are closer than air cooled engines.

That makes some sense but in a chainsaw you might get a sputter but more often than not it just dies. Mine are that way anyway. In a outboard motor you are generally shutting down and disconnecting the fuel tank and you have more control/awareness. Just my :2cents:

 

[ericm979]

in all my outboard motor experience and 2 cycle experience, i was told by some very smart people to never run a 2 stroke engine carb dry. wait until the engine just starts to hesitate or sputter, shut the engine off. running it completely out of gas causes a lean mixture in the engine and will start to score the lubricated parts. the gas also acts like a lubricant along with the 2clcle oil. water cooled engines are more prone to damage because the tolerances are closer than air cooled engines.

That is not true. Especially the part about gas being a lubricant.

When you open up a two stroke engine there is plenty of residual oil. Going lean at idle will not damage anything. (and by the time you hear it sputter it's already lean).

Where going lean can be a problem is at extended full throttle. The problem is overheating due to the sudden lack of evaporative cooling from the fuel. Vaporizing some of the fuel takes a significant amount of heat energy, cooling the engine. For an engine to seize from going lean it has to be hot and tuned pretty tight. LIke you would with a two stroke racing motorcycle. Leaner jetting makes more power up until the engine seizes so race tuners try to get close. Traditional chain saw tuning (four strokes when you lift in the cut) is quite a bit richer than that. Which is good for reliability. Chain saw engines are also fan cooled which eats HP but cools much better than air flowing past the engine on a motorcycle. I have had saws run lean (because they're running out of fuel) at full power in the cut hundreds of times with zero issues.

 

[GT48DXLS]

Where going lean can be a problem is at extended full throttle. The problem is overheating due to the sudden lack of evaporative cooling from the fuel. Vaporizing some of the fuel takes a significant amount of heat energy, cooling the engine. For an engine to seize from going lean it has to be hot and tuned pretty tight. LIke you would with a two stroke racing motorcycle.

This is true.

To add,

Speaking from a marine motor 2 stroke perspective,

My 2 strokes would get fogged for the winter season, otherwise run them once a month so the internals keep a coat of fresh oil on them. When the oil (synthetic is an improve) drains off the internals (pooling over time), then metal to metal is the result when starting, that's very heavy wear and tear on a 2 stroke.

Proper use of fogging oil is to spray directly in the carb while engine is running (no load), as it sputters remove fuel line while still spraying fog and run until it dies. The point is to get the fogging oil (very sticky or tacky) on all inside surfaces for a sufficient coat of protection through the winter months, nothing goes lean, very healthy for your 2 stroke. Marine motors are like unicorns when compared to saws and such, they are very expensive to operate, repair, and make mistakes, this is usually manufacturer recommends. I found an article on West Marines sight for this,

the link,

Winterizing Your Outboard Motor | West Marine

"Fogging the Engine

When the tank is nearly empty, begin spraying fogging oil into the carburetor. This will usually cause lower-horsepower engines to stall, while higher horsepower engines may cough and sputter, but continue running while emitting white smoke. Spray a good amount of fogging oil through the intake and then disconnect the fuel line from the engine, and continue spraying fogging oil into the engine until the engine dies. Usually the engine will run rough and emit white smoke just before it dies.

Giving it a good dose of fogging oil will apply an anticorrosive coating to the interior surfaces of the cylinders. Letting the engine run out of fuel burns up all of the fuel from the carburetors, preventing the formation of varnish deposits from evaporating gasoline. If you have an EFI engine, the process is a little different. Put an ounce of 2-cycle outboard engine oil in the fuel-water separator, and then run the engine briefly to coat the internal components.

You can also fog the engine, if you閾ｴe completely emptied your fuel system, by individually removing each spark plug, spraying fogging oil into each hole, and then rotating the prop by hand (with the engine in gear) to spread the oil around the cylinders. Since you豎*e removing the plugs, now is a good time to check their condition, re-gap them and replace if necessary."

Of course cater this to the small engine in question, the principle is sound and done every year on motors worth thousands of dollars.

The fuel that is E-free and full of fresh fuel stabilizer is fine for the tank, but lines and carb should be empty as good practice, and with the fogging oil process, going lean is not a thing.