On Sat, 18 Mar 2017 02:24:19 +0000, Puckdropper wrote:

Electric Comet wrote in newsahqjv$fb3$1
@dont-email.me:


only have two gas powered tools and apparently i do not follow best
practices when i expect not to use them for 3 months or so

do you empty the gas out or just shut off the gas from the tank to the
carb


I think it's extremely dependent on where you live. My grandpa never
drained fuel, I never do, a buddy of mine doesn't, and the tools seem to
run fine after sitting for a few months.

In some cases, where the machine has been sitting longer I've had to
inject fuel directly into the cylinder through the spark plug hole and
try to get it to fire. Once it does, it usually starts pulling fuel
through the system and runs fine. Sometimes it takes a second squirt of
fuel.

In other areas, I've heard claims that when they let the machine sit for
a month the fuel's already gone bad.

Puckdropper

Old fuel will go bad. Really old fuel will turn into "varnish". This
varnish will coat the inside of your carburetor and fuel lines. It can
also
coat the inside of your fuel tank.

An easy way to detect for a varnished fuel system is to sniff with your
nose. With the engine OFF, get close to your carburetor and sniff. If it
smells like varnish, the carb will have to be rebuilt. Don't even waste
your time spraying carb cleaner into the carb, it won't help.

Once a carb is varnished it has to be disassembled and physically scrubbed
out. The varnished fuel is stubborn and it clogs the small passages and
jets. Running an engine with a varnished carb is very bad. It will cause
the engine to run lean and this can cause serious internal cylinder and
piston damage.

All it takes for fuel to varnish is about 10 to 18 months of sitting.
Temperature and other factors will have an effect on the level of
varnishing. Fuel additives can help prevent varnishing but don't do the
common mistake and add too much fuel conditioner. Follow the instructions
on the bottle.

Once the inside of your fuel tank becomes varnished you have a big problem.
The varnished areas along the upper sides and top of the tank can dry up.
The dried varnish turns into flakes and these flakes will clog your fuel
system.

--
Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition!