Gas Shutoff's

[Paystar]

Todays mission, installing gas line shutoff's and filters on every small engine I have.

I buy premium gas that is supposed to NOT be ethanol, I run Marine Stabil in all my gas and still I just had my John Deere push mower and my generator quit mid use and found the carbs to be completely gummed up.
Gas quality is getting to be crap here now.

My small engine mechanic friend just went for his renewal training for his B&S master license and he said they told him gas only has a life of 30 to 60 days now.

From now on I'm going to run carbs dry after every use.

 

[ruffdog]

Strange....no problems here with fuel. Maybe it is a problem at that one source? I run all my engines dry if they are going to sit over the winter.

 

[MossRoad]

I just started my weed eater that's been sitting with 2 year old 87 octane E10 gas on the 6th pull. Runs great.

I started my Toro mower that sat all winter with E10 on the 2nd pull.

I started my 2013 Impala that's been sitting with E10 since before Christmas.

I don't know why we've never had problems with old E10, but we haven't in 40 years.

 

[Paystar]

Strange....no problems here with fuel. Maybe it is a problem at that one source?

Maybe? First time I ever had a fuel related problem.

 

[deserteagle71]

I've installed those shut-off valves on my older lawn mowers. My newest is a Honda and it came from the factory with a shut-off valve installed in the fuel line. If any of my small engines are going to sit for any length of time I turn off the valve and let the engine run until it runs out of fuel. Carburetors last forever if you do that.

 

[MossRoad]

With that said, I have had a couple problems with dirt/grit under the needle in a carb or two over the years. I attribute that to bad/non-existent filtration. My pressure washer is a good example. It wouldn't start. I took the carb apart and there was grit under the needle. Put it back together, and now it leaks fuel. My fault for sure. So I threw a shutoff valve and a filter in the line to make it easier to work on so that I don't have to drain the tank or pinch the line to change the filter.

 

[CATRAT66]

I with the I don’t have any fuel problems group but I’m of the fill it to the brim before storage mindset.
I get that everyone’s experience is different and I believe local climate is a factor but heck this stuff is what forums are for right?
My opinion for this is personal experience and I’ll elaborate…

Running it dry = can’t be done. Shut valve and engine will die before bowl is truly dry leaving product to evaporate and leave “lacquer” that eventually flakes off and gets under needle and looks like grit. It can also get past the needle and plug passages. Empty bowl is an environment for repeated condensation development.

Filling and vale open = no air space for condensation in bowl or tank.
With a properly working system as the fuel evaporates from the carburetor via the vent the float will allow it to refill eliminating lacquer and moisture.

Especially would not run a 2-stoke out of fuel because the leaning out of the fuel air as it dies is about the worst thing you do to a 2-stoke GAS engine that is when you burn holes in pistons. Note that it’s not good for 2-stroke Diesel engines either because shutting off the fuel would remove needed lubrication from the injector pump and brings a whole bunch of other requirements to get it running again.

Can only recall one instance of difficulty in getting a motorcycle started in the spring of the pre-ethanol days in the early 90’s and that was the first time and the last time my buddy talked me into using Seafoam.

I buy and store my gasoline and diesel fuel in 55 gallon drums that were new and impeccably clean because they were food grade drums.
Drums are kept sealed when not needed and it takes me about a whole summer or longer to use a drum of gas and almost three years to use up the diesel in my little 25hp tractor that’s main purpose is snow removal.

I use No fuel additives or conditioners other than what comes in the fuel when I buy it.

But whatever works for you and lets you sleep at night is the right thing to do.

And I hope that for the original poster that they discover it’s as simple as a bad batch of fuel.

 

[5030]

I use canned fuel in all my 2 stroke engines and never run them dry as canned gas (Echo Red Armor) has a 2 year good as new warranty on it. Running them dry, however won't hurt them as they are running dry on pre mix, not straight gas.

Other engines, diesel particularly, I top off the fuel tanks and let them sit all winter, no issue and the cars are built for running corn squeezed gas, no issue. One reason why they are all fuel injected today. FI has no float bowls, needles or other components to get gummed up.

 

[CATRAT66]

On caned 2 stoke

 

[Paystar]

I with the I don’t have any fuel problems group but I’m of the fill it to the brim before storage mindset.
I get that everyone’s experience is different and I believe local climate is a factor but heck this stuff is what forums are for right?
My opinion for this is personal experience and I’ll elaborate…

Running it dry = can’t be done. Shut valve and engine will die before bowl is truly dry leaving product to evaporate and leave “lacquer” that eventually flakes off and gets under needle and looks like grit. It can also get past the needle and plug passages. Empty bowl is an environment for repeated condensation development.

Filling and vale open = no air space for condensation in bowl or tank.
With a properly working system as the fuel evaporates from the carburetor via the vent the float will allow it to refill eliminating lacquer and moisture.

Especially would not run a 2-stoke out of fuel because the leaning out of the fuel air as it dies is about the worst thing you do to a 2-stoke GAS engine that is when you burn holes in pistons. Note that it’s not good for 2-stroke Diesel engines either because shutting off the fuel would remove needed lubrication from the injector pump and brings a whole bunch of other requirements to get it running again.

Can only recall one instance of difficulty in getting a motorcycle started in the spring of the pre-ethanol days in the early 90’s and that was the first time and the last time my buddy talked me into using Seafoam.

I buy and store my gasoline and diesel fuel in 55 gallon drums that were new and impeccably clean because they were food grade drums.
Drums are kept sealed when not needed and it takes me about a whole summer or longer to use a drum of gas and almost three years to use up the diesel in my little 25hp tractor that’s main purpose is snow removal.

I use No fuel additives or conditioners other than what comes in the fuel when I buy it.

But whatever works for you and lets you sleep at night is the right thing to do.

And I hope that for the original poster that they discover it’s as simple as a bad batch of fuel.

Me too, I fill to full after use. Buy from same high volume station with Petro Canada premium. The generator is even kept indoors climate control until I need to run it.
Maybe it was just a freak thing.
But there is big temp swings where I live here. Because of lake Superior I go from 39*F at night to 86 when the sun comes out.