I acquired a snowblower. Vintage, as they say on Ebay. It runs, so I am
not inclined to rebuild the carb or otherwise mess with it. Does anyone
have experience with Seafoam or other magic elixirs in small engines?

Kevin Gallimore

On Sun, 29 Aug 2010 19:17:04 -0400, axolotl
wrote:

I acquired a snowblower. Vintage, as they say on Ebay. It runs, so I am
not inclined to rebuild the carb or otherwise mess with it. Does anyone
have experience with Seafoam or other magic elixirs in small engines?

Kevin Gallimore

I'm a big fan of seafoam for a quick tune up. Both several squirts in
the intake when running and then more in the fuel with the tank almost
empty. really cleans it up. that and a new/clean air filter and a new
spark plug, points if it has them gets most small engines running
great.

karl

On Sun, 29 Aug 2010 19:17:04 -0400, axolotl
wrote:

I acquired a snowblower. Vintage, as they say on Ebay. It runs, so I am
not inclined to rebuild the carb or otherwise mess with it. Does anyone
have experience with Seafoam or other magic elixirs in small engines?

Kevin Gallimore

SeaFoam is good. Not quite "magic" but pretty darn close.
Also, good to get fuel with no ethanol. In Canada that means "Shell
Ultra"

On Sun, 29 Aug 2010 19:17:04 -0400, axolotl
wrote:

I acquired a snowblower. Vintage, as they say on Ebay. It runs, so I am
not inclined to rebuild the carb or otherwise mess with it. Does anyone
have experience with Seafoam or other magic elixirs in small engines?

Kevin Gallimore

Sea Foam is a good fuel stabilizer.

If your snowblower uses the Tecumseh "Snow King" engine, they are
great little engines but they are fussy about carbs. I pull mine and
have it overhauled every 5 years. It only costs about $10 more to
have it done than to buy the "kit" and they do a superb job at a local
hardware store. I don't know what they use to clean them with, but
they look like new. Pick it up the next day, bring it home, bolt it
on, the engine starts on the first pull. I have never had to touch
the mixture screws.

On 8/29/2010 11:40 PM, Don Foreman wrote:
On Sun, 29 Aug 2010 19:17:04 -0400, axolotl
wrote:

I acquired a snowblower. Vintage, as they say on Ebay. It runs, so I am
not inclined to rebuild the carb or otherwise mess with it. Does anyone
have experience with Seafoam or other magic elixirs in small engines?

Kevin Gallimore

Sea Foam is a good fuel stabilizer.

If your snowblower uses the Tecumseh "Snow King" engine, they are
great little engines but they are fussy about carbs. I pull mine and
have it overhauled every 5 years. It only costs about $10 more to
have it done than to buy the "kit" and they do a superb job at a local
hardware store. I don't know what they use to clean them with, but
they look like new. Pick it up the next day, bring it home, bolt it
on, the engine starts on the first pull. I have never had to touch
the mixture screws.


While nowhere in that class, I had to clean my girlfriend's Briggs carb
out a couple of weeks ago.
It was running poorly and stalling once in a while.

The carb is one of those modern molded plastic jobbies.
There is nothing to rebuild in it.

That thing had more gunk in the bottom than I've ever seen in a running
carb!

I used a bit of Sea Foam as solvent.
It worked wonders as that.
Clean as a whistle now and the mower runs a lot better.

It's hard teaching professional females to take care of a motor.
But this one has a clean fetish, so she pays attention,
I showed her the bottom of the sponge air cleaner ONCE, and it gets
removed, WASHED, dried and reinstalled before every run now.

She bought this mower four years ago from Home Despot - on sale for $90.

Hey, it's a Briggs!

--

Richard Lamb

axolotl wrote:
I acquired a snowblower. Vintage, as they say on Ebay. It runs, so I am
not inclined to rebuild the carb or otherwise mess with it. Does anyone
have experience with Seafoam or other magic elixirs in small engines?

Kevin Gallimore

Seafoam if the carb is gunked up.
Sta-Bil for any gas that sits around ESPECIALLY the crap with ethanol in
it.
Also remember to SHAKE up the stored gas every week or so. The ethanol
likes to separate out of the mix due to the water in it and cause problems.


HMM I wonder, if I mixed clean water into the gas. Shook it real good
then let it settle and separate if it would pull the ethanol out and
give me straight gasoline. Anyone have a thought on that?

--
Steve W.

On 8/30/2010 9:28 AM, Steve W. wrote:
axolotl wrote:
I acquired a snowblower. Vintage, as they say on Ebay. It runs, so I am
not inclined to rebuild the carb or otherwise mess with it. Does anyone
have experience with Seafoam or other magic elixirs in small engines?

Kevin Gallimore

Seafoam if the carb is gunked up.
Sta-Bil for any gas that sits around ESPECIALLY the crap with ethanol in
it.
Also remember to SHAKE up the stored gas every week or so. The ethanol
likes to separate out of the mix due to the water in it and cause problems.


HMM I wonder, if I mixed clean water into the gas. Shook it real good
then let it settle and separate if it would pull the ethanol out and
give me straight gasoline. Anyone have a thought on that?


Isn't that the way one tests for alcohol in gas?
If so, then yes, it outta work.

55 gallons is a bit over 350 pounds to shake up!


--

Richard Lamb

On Aug 29, 5:17*pm, axolotl wrote:
I acquired a snowblower. Vintage, as they say on Ebay. It runs, so I am
not inclined to rebuild the carb or otherwise mess with it. Does anyone
have experience with Seafoam or other magic elixirs in small engines?

Kevin Gallimore

I've got a mower that's about 30 years old now, was in the trash when
I got it, up and running now. What I found was it really, REALLY
wants 91 octane gas. With 87 and ethanol contamination, it kind of
sputters along. If the thing is really old, you might want to invest
in some lead replacement additive for the valves, unless it's a 2-
cycle. Engines with an unknown service history tend to get a lot of
oil changes at first, no telling how many hours it was run with the
original fill. I try not to run too many solvents through old
engines, no telling what will dissolve unexpectedly.

Stan

CaveLamb on Mon, 30 Aug 2010 09:36:47 -0500
typed in rec.crafts.metalworking the following:
On 8/30/2010 9:28 AM, Steve W. wrote:
axolotl wrote:
I acquired a snowblower. Vintage, as they say on Ebay. It runs, so I am
not inclined to rebuild the carb or otherwise mess with it. Does anyone
have experience with Seafoam or other magic elixirs in small engines?

Kevin Gallimore

Seafoam if the carb is gunked up.
Sta-Bil for any gas that sits around ESPECIALLY the crap with ethanol in
it.
Also remember to SHAKE up the stored gas every week or so. The ethanol
likes to separate out of the mix due to the water in it and cause problems.


HMM I wonder, if I mixed clean water into the gas. Shook it real good
then let it settle and separate if it would pull the ethanol out and
give me straight gasoline. Anyone have a thought on that?


Isn't that the way one tests for alcohol in gas?
If so, then yes, it outta work.

55 gallons is a bit over 350 pounds to shake up!

Put a mixer in the tank? (Suddenly, I have this vision of a giant
Kitchenaid mixer over a 100 gallon tank....)
Have to be bigger - the fifty foot woman would consider a 75
gallon container a "pop can"...


tschus

--
pyotr filipivich
We will drink no whiskey before its nine.
It's eight fifty eight. Close enough!

On Sun, 29 Aug 2010 22:02:54 -0400, wrote:

On Sun, 29 Aug 2010 19:17:04 -0400, axolotl
wrote:

I acquired a snowblower. Vintage, as they say on Ebay. It runs, so I am
not inclined to rebuild the carb or otherwise mess with it. Does anyone
have experience with Seafoam or other magic elixirs in small engines?

SeaFoam is good. Not quite "magic" but pretty darn close.

I just don't understand you older guys. http://fwd4.me/bY0
How does this help the performance?

--
Happiness comes of the capacity to feel deeply, to enjoy
simply, to think freely, to risk life, to be needed.
-- Storm Jameson

On 8/30/2010 11:04 AM, pyotr filipivich wrote:
Put a mixer in the tank? (Suddenly, I have this vision of a giant
Kitchenaid mixer over a 100 gallon tank....)
Have to be bigger - the fifty foot woman would consider a 75
gallon container a "pop can"...


YEah, I always had a BIG crush on her!



--

Richard Lamb

On Mon, 30 Aug 2010 09:59:19 -0700, Larry Jaques
wrote:

On Sun, 29 Aug 2010 22:02:54 -0400, wrote:

On Sun, 29 Aug 2010 19:17:04 -0400, axolotl
wrote:

I acquired a snowblower. Vintage, as they say on Ebay. It runs, so I am
not inclined to rebuild the carb or otherwise mess with it. Does anyone
have experience with Seafoam or other magic elixirs in small engines?

SeaFoam is good. Not quite "magic" but pretty darn close.

I just don't understand you older guys. http://fwd4.me/bY0
How does this help the performance?

It disolves the varnish and other crap deposited/formed bu today's
fuels in yesterday's carbs, bringing them back to spec and making the
engine run the way it was designed to run.

On Mon, 30 Aug 2010 10:28:36 -0400, "Steve W."
wrote:

axolotl wrote:
I acquired a snowblower. Vintage, as they say on Ebay. It runs, so I am
not inclined to rebuild the carb or otherwise mess with it. Does anyone
have experience with Seafoam or other magic elixirs in small engines?

Kevin Gallimore

Seafoam if the carb is gunked up.
Sta-Bil for any gas that sits around ESPECIALLY the crap with ethanol in
it.
Also remember to SHAKE up the stored gas every week or so. The ethanol
likes to separate out of the mix due to the water in it and cause problems.


HMM I wonder, if I mixed clean water into the gas. Shook it real good
then let it settle and separate if it would pull the ethanol out and
give me straight gasoline. Anyone have a thought on that?
It will take the ethanol out, but some water stays absorbed in the
gasoline too.

On Aug 29, 7:17*pm, axolotl wrote:
I acquired a snowblower. Vintage, as they say on Ebay. It runs, so I am
not inclined to rebuild the carb or otherwise mess with it. Does anyone
have experience with Seafoam or other magic elixirs in small engines?

Kevin Gallimore

I use Yamaha "Ring Free" addative in my 225HP 2-stroke outboard. It is
supposed to stop carbon build up and stuck rings. It does seem to
work.

I had an old snowblower with a flat head (valve in block) B&S engine.
Because of the flat head the cylinder head was easy to remove so I
pulled it just for the heck of it. There was fairly heavy carbon
especially around and on the valves. I ran a "shock" treatment of Ring
Free and pulled the head again. The carbon was cleaned up pretty darn
good.

Only downside is the price of the stuff but considering the price of a
new O/B it's cheap insurance.

Steve P.

On Mon, 30 Aug 2010 09:04:24 -0700, pyotr filipivich
wrote:

CaveLamb on Mon, 30 Aug 2010 09:36:47 -0500
typed in rec.crafts.metalworking the following:
On 8/30/2010 9:28 AM, Steve W. wrote:
axolotl wrote:
I acquired a snowblower. Vintage, as they say on Ebay. It runs, so I am
not inclined to rebuild the carb or otherwise mess with it. Does anyone
have experience with Seafoam or other magic elixirs in small engines?

Kevin Gallimore

Seafoam if the carb is gunked up.
Sta-Bil for any gas that sits around ESPECIALLY the crap with ethanol in
it.
Also remember to SHAKE up the stored gas every week or so. The ethanol
likes to separate out of the mix due to the water in it and cause problems.


HMM I wonder, if I mixed clean water into the gas. Shook it real good
then let it settle and separate if it would pull the ethanol out and
give me straight gasoline. Anyone have a thought on that?


Isn't that the way one tests for alcohol in gas?
If so, then yes, it outta work.

55 gallons is a bit over 350 pounds to shake up!

Put a mixer in the tank? (Suddenly, I have this vision of a giant
Kitchenaid mixer over a 100 gallon tank....)
Have to be bigger - the fifty foot woman would consider a 75
gallon container a "pop can"...


tschus

Nah..thats what they make Hobart Mixers for. One can mix a full 55gal
drum in many of them. Or more.

They make one that will do 220 lbs of pizza dough at one time....

Gunner


I am the Sword of my Family
and the Shield of my Nation.
If sent, I will crush everything you have built,
burn everything you love,
and kill every one of you.
(Hebrew quote)

On Mon, 30 Aug 2010 14:30:52 -0400, wrote:

On Mon, 30 Aug 2010 09:59:19 -0700, Larry Jaques
wrote:

On Sun, 29 Aug 2010 22:02:54 -0400, wrote:

On Sun, 29 Aug 2010 19:17:04 -0400, axolotl
wrote:

I acquired a snowblower. Vintage, as they say on Ebay. It runs, so I am
not inclined to rebuild the carb or otherwise mess with it. Does anyone
have experience with Seafoam or other magic elixirs in small engines?

SeaFoam is good. Not quite "magic" but pretty darn close.

I just don't understand you older guys. http://fwd4.me/bY0
How does this help the performance?

It disolves the varnish and other crap deposited/formed bu today's
fuels in yesterday's carbs, bringing them back to spec and making the
engine run the way it was designed to run.

Didn't follow my link, didja, clare?

--
Happiness comes of the capacity to feel deeply, to enjoy
simply, to think freely, to risk life, to be needed.
-- Storm Jameson

On Sun, 29 Aug 2010 23:40:51 -0500, Don Foreman
wrote:

On Sun, 29 Aug 2010 19:17:04 -0400, axolotl
wrote:

I acquired a snowblower. Vintage, as they say on Ebay. It runs, so I am
not inclined to rebuild the carb or otherwise mess with it. Does anyone
have experience with Seafoam or other magic elixirs in small engines?

Kevin Gallimore

Sea Foam is a good fuel stabilizer.

If your snowblower uses the Tecumseh "Snow King" engine, they are
great little engines but they are fussy about carbs. I pull mine and
have it overhauled every 5 years. It only costs about $10 more to
have it done than to buy the "kit" and they do a superb job at a local
hardware store. I don't know what they use to clean them with, but
they look like new. Pick it up the next day, bring it home, bolt it
on, the engine starts on the first pull. I have never had to touch
the mixture screws.
I finally had mine done after 23 years, gave it new belts while I was
at it - just like a new machine. This is part of the reason I enjoy
winter, plus the fact that with a corner lot, I just toss the snow
from my eight car parking lot over the hedge onto the boulevard of the
side street.
Gerry :-)}
London, Canada

On Mon, 30 Aug 2010 09:04:24 -0700, pyotr filipivich
wrote:

CaveLamb on Mon, 30 Aug 2010 09:36:47 -0500
typed in rec.crafts.metalworking the following:
On 8/30/2010 9:28 AM, Steve W. wrote:
axolotl wrote:
I acquired a snowblower. Vintage, as they say on Ebay. It runs, so I am
not inclined to rebuild the carb or otherwise mess with it. Does anyone
have experience with Seafoam or other magic elixirs in small engines?

Kevin Gallimore

Seafoam if the carb is gunked up.
Sta-Bil for any gas that sits around ESPECIALLY the crap with ethanol in
it.
Also remember to SHAKE up the stored gas every week or so. The ethanol
likes to separate out of the mix due to the water in it and cause problems.


HMM I wonder, if I mixed clean water into the gas. Shook it real good
then let it settle and separate if it would pull the ethanol out and
give me straight gasoline. Anyone have a thought on that?


Isn't that the way one tests for alcohol in gas?
If so, then yes, it outta work.

55 gallons is a bit over 350 pounds to shake up!

Put a mixer in the tank? (Suddenly, I have this vision of a giant
Kitchenaid mixer over a 100 gallon tank....)

How bout a small outboard motor?:-)

Have to be bigger - the fifty foot woman would consider a 75
gallon container a "pop can"...


tschus
Gerry :-)}
London, Canada

On Mon, 30 Aug 2010 18:28:35 -0700, Larry Jaques
wrote:

On Mon, 30 Aug 2010 14:30:52 -0400, wrote:

On Mon, 30 Aug 2010 09:59:19 -0700, Larry Jaques
wrote:

On Sun, 29 Aug 2010 22:02:54 -0400, wrote:

On Sun, 29 Aug 2010 19:17:04 -0400, axolotl
wrote:

I acquired a snowblower. Vintage, as they say on Ebay. It runs, so I am
not inclined to rebuild the carb or otherwise mess with it. Does anyone
have experience with Seafoam or other magic elixirs in small engines?

SeaFoam is good. Not quite "magic" but pretty darn close.

I just don't understand you older guys. http://fwd4.me/bY0
How does this help the performance?

It disolves the varnish and other crap deposited/formed bu today's
fuels in yesterday's carbs, bringing them back to spec and making the
engine run the way it was designed to run.

Didn't follow my link, didja, clare?
Did now
What about "hot pink"? Sea foam should keep the wheel cool for these
HOT days, and Hot Pink keep the fingers from freezing in Feb.

55 gallons is a bit over 350 pounds to shake up!

Put a mixer in the tank? (Suddenly, I have this vision of a giant
Kitchenaid mixer over a 100 gallon tank....)

How bout a small outboard motor?:-)


That's how the Dutch Schultz gang mixed the mash for their moonshine
when they made it in my grandfather's barn. Prior to that they paid
my Uncle Jim 50 cents to stir it with a canoe paddle.

RWL

Gunner Asch wrote:

On Mon, 30 Aug 2010 09:04:24 -0700, pyotr filipivich
wrote:

CaveLamb on Mon, 30 Aug 2010 09:36:47 -0500
typed in rec.crafts.metalworking the following:
On 8/30/2010 9:28 AM, Steve W. wrote:
axolotl wrote:
I acquired a snowblower. Vintage, as they say on Ebay. It runs, so I am
not inclined to rebuild the carb or otherwise mess with it. Does anyone
have experience with Seafoam or other magic elixirs in small engines?

Kevin Gallimore

Seafoam if the carb is gunked up.
Sta-Bil for any gas that sits around ESPECIALLY the crap with ethanol in
it.
Also remember to SHAKE up the stored gas every week or so. The ethanol
likes to separate out of the mix due to the water in it and cause problems.


HMM I wonder, if I mixed clean water into the gas. Shook it real good
then let it settle and separate if it would pull the ethanol out and
give me straight gasoline. Anyone have a thought on that?


Isn't that the way one tests for alcohol in gas?
If so, then yes, it outta work.

55 gallons is a bit over 350 pounds to shake up!

Put a mixer in the tank? (Suddenly, I have this vision of a giant
Kitchenaid mixer over a 100 gallon tank....)
Have to be bigger - the fifty foot woman would consider a 75
gallon container a "pop can"...


tschus

Nah..thats what they make Hobart Mixers for. One can mix a full 55gal
drum in many of them. Or more.

They make one that will do 220 lbs of pizza dough at one time....


So, that's how Hawkie fixes his lunch? I guess the sauce & toppings
add another 110 pounds?


--
Politicians should only get paid if the budget is balanced, and there is
enough left over to pay them.

On Mon, 30 Aug 2010 22:20:49 -0400, wrote:

On Mon, 30 Aug 2010 18:28:35 -0700, Larry Jaques
wrote:

On Mon, 30 Aug 2010 14:30:52 -0400, wrote:

On Mon, 30 Aug 2010 09:59:19 -0700, Larry Jaques
wrote:

On Sun, 29 Aug 2010 22:02:54 -0400, wrote:

On Sun, 29 Aug 2010 19:17:04 -0400, axolotl
wrote:

I acquired a snowblower. Vintage, as they say on Ebay. It runs, so I am
not inclined to rebuild the carb or otherwise mess with it. Does anyone
have experience with Seafoam or other magic elixirs in small engines?

SeaFoam is good. Not quite "magic" but pretty darn close.

I just don't understand you older guys. http://fwd4.me/bY0
How does this help the performance?

It disolves the varnish and other crap deposited/formed bu today's
fuels in yesterday's carbs, bringing them back to spec and making the
engine run the way it was designed to run.

Didn't follow my link, didja, clare?
Did now
What about "hot pink"? Sea foam should keep the wheel cool for these
HOT days, and Hot Pink keep the fingers from freezing in Feb.

Hot pink is sitting next to you. You dip you fingers in there to warm
your whole body up.

--
Happiness comes of the capacity to feel deeply, to enjoy
simply, to think freely, to risk life, to be needed.
-- Storm Jameson

On Mon, 30 Aug 2010 09:36:47 -0500, CaveLamb
wrote:

55 gallons is a bit over 350 pounds to shake up!

For those wishing to mix large quantities of whatever, up to the
consistency of drywall mud, a Jiffy Mixer is quite effective. It's
not your ordinary drill-powered mixer. Comes in every size from pint
to 100 gallons. Little or no air entrainment when used properly.
Stainless steel. Just a satisfied customer.

http://www.jiffymixer.com/
--
Best -- Terry