On Thu, 8 Oct 2015 19:45:20 +0000 (UTC), Tim+
wrote:

T i m wrote:
On Thu, 08 Oct 2015 19:39:17 +0100, ss wrote:

snip

I have a cheapo that hasnt seen the light of day for over 5 years, would
it be best to empty of everything and store dry?

Considering what you have said, I'd say 'yes, probably'.

It was actually given to me but have never had to use ....but maybe one day.

I have a couple for the exact same reason. ;-)

I generally run anything that I'm not likely to use for a while dry.
e.g. Turn the fuel off when it's running and let it run till it stops.

The alternative approach that works with my lawnmower is to never turn the
fuel off so that the float chamber never dries out (assuming fuel left in
the tank).

Does it actually have a real carb / float / chamber? If so I think
what happens is the float jet sticks closed (as it's forced closed by
the fuel etc) and then the fuel evaporates out of the carb, leaving
the residue to block stuff. If your carb doesn't stick closed and as
there is still fuel in the tank you don't get that same residue issue
as it always remains dissolved shrug?

As my lawnmower doesn't have a fuel tap this is quite easy to remember. ;-)

Ah. ;-)

Always starts on about the third pull every spring.

I can't think of the last time any of my stuff hasn't started, even
after being unused for some time, it's other peoples stuff I generally
have to deal with.

But then I think some people have more 'mechanical sympathy / empathy'
than others. ;-)

I was helping a mate with a small 2/ off road motorbike the other day.
It had been played with by someone and the first thing he found was
the piston had been fitted backwards (affecting the transfer port
timing etc). After sorting that it would still fire up with a bit of
EasyStart but still not continue to run. I pulled the fuel pipe off
the carb and found a good fuel flow to the carb and slackening the
float bowl drain screw also showed fuel there so it was more likely a
jet. He took the carb off, gave it all a clean through (without
finding anything particular), put it back together and it started ...
what was then apparent is someone had wound the throttle stop /
tickover up to summat pretty high! However, whist we were trying to
start it I'd put my hand over the carb inlet and not felt much in the
way of inlet vacuum. It was after he took the carb of when trying to
get it to run properly he found a chunk missing from the carb to inlet
manifold heat block. ;-(

I really love when I buy a second hand machine and find it is just
lacking some TLC, rather than being fiddled with by someone who
doesn't know what they are doing.

Cheers, T i m