AC_B-1Novice Posted May 20, 2014 Posted May 20, 2014 keep my carb clean? I use fresh gas and stabilizer but I would like to know that I am keeping that carb clean. larry
rich_kildow Posted May 20, 2014 Posted May 20, 2014 In everything gas powered I always try to keep the fuel in the tank less than a month old and use either seafoam or stabil. Non ethanol is important as well, IMO. If anything is going to sit for an entire season, like a snowmobile, I just run it once a month to get fresh fuel through the carb. I quit winterizing years ago and have never had a fuel problem in any toys.
fishnwiz Posted May 20, 2014 Posted May 20, 2014 I love Seafoam....I am NOT a fan of Stabil...thats just me. I know Amsoil has a fuel additive that is suppose to be formulated for Ethonol gas but I have not tried it out yet. I agree that running All the fuel out of anything gas powered is still the best long term storage solution.
BLT Posted May 20, 2014 Posted May 20, 2014 And I have been a fan of Stabil, a matter of what you like, Ford or Chevrolet.
rich_kildow Posted May 20, 2014 Posted May 20, 2014 I'll modify my response on storage: for long term, drain it all...carb bowl, lines, tank, and run the engine until it shuts off from no fuel. I keep my stuff fueled up fully and run periodically when they are stored for the off season. Stuff like snowmobiles in the summer and motorcycles in the winter. I usually siphon the gas halfway through the off season and run it in a car to get fresh gas in the stored tank.
leeave96 Posted May 20, 2014 Posted May 20, 2014 IMHO - the best thing you can do with your carb and fuel is to use non-ethanol and have a shut-off valve up stream in the fuel line to cut off the gas flow to the carb and run it dry. I use marvel mystery oil, seafoam, staybil - not sure they really do anything as my brother and Dad have been running without that stuff for many years. But as a friend told me some 8 years ago - his 80 year old grandfather, who was a lifelong mechanic at a ford dealer, told him he liked MMO. My friend's conclusion was, if it was good enough for grandpa, then it's good enough for me. This probably sounds stupid, but I use the stuff just 'cause that's what folks did back in the day when these old iron tractors were new. Like my friend's grandpa, if it was good enough for them, it's good enough for me AND it kind of takes me back in time just like these old tractors do as well. That's my story and I'm stickin' to it! YMMV.
RayS Posted May 20, 2014 Posted May 20, 2014 I parked the shop queen last October with only ethanol gas in it. Started it Sunday to pull the aerator around the yard. Started fine without any additives and it isn`t the shop queen anymore!
Brettw Posted May 20, 2014 Posted May 20, 2014 quote:Started fine without any additives and it isn`t the shop queen anymore!id="quote">id="quote"> 'Bout time you put that vain, shameless hussy to work!
timflury Posted May 20, 2014 Posted May 20, 2014 I'm with Rich. I've never been a fan of fuel additives, and I've never really had any fuel related issues in my engines. I'm sure they serve their purpose somewhere... I store my equipment with steel tanks full, plastic tanks empty. I run the engines out of fuel to drain the carbs.
fishnwiz Posted May 20, 2014 Posted May 20, 2014 I think running the gas out of the small engines like the weed whips and chainsaws is more important. I work on 40+ of these a year and I see 1st hand what ethonol does to the rubber diaphragms in impulse type carbs. I myself would not leave any ethonol based fuel in this type equipment.IMO.
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