In article , wrote:

Does anyone have an explanation or suggestion?

You already gave the explanation:
mower sits outside at times, and has been rained on.

I'll provide the suggestion: store it in your garage or shed.

--
Regards,
Doug Miller (alphageek at milmac dot com)

Nobody ever left footprints in the sands of time by sitting on his butt.
And who wants to leave buttprints in the sands of time?

there has to be a vent hole someplace in the gas tank, probably in the
cap

Mark

wrote:
I have a push mower with a Tecumseh 3.5 HP Four Cycle engine. It's
about 5 or 6 years old. It is a very basic mower without all the
bells and whistles, which is just how I like them, (lightweight). It
has always been very reliable and started on the first pull. Late last
fall it seemed to be getting hard to start, but I used it one more
time and put it in the shed for the winter. I poured a little gas
stabalizer in the 1/4 tank of gas that remained.

I got it out last week and it would not start. It had good spark but
would not even pop. I sprayed a little gas in the air cleaner and it
started for a second. I took the hose off the gas tank and cleaned
it. Still no start. I finally pulled the bowl off the bottom of the
carburetor to find it full of water and things were getting rusty and
clogged. One full can of spray carb cleaner and a rag to wipe away
the rust in the bowl, and it started right up and runs great again.

My question is how in the heck did the water get in there? Yes, the
mower sits outside at times, and has been rained on. However, I
ALWAYS replace the gas cap immediately when I add gas. The gas tank
is plastic and has a plastic cap that threads about 3/4" over the fill
hole, and closes tightly. There is no vent hole or any hole in the
cap, or in the tank. No one else uses the mower. So, how in the heck
did the water get in there, and the whole bowl was full of water. I
tend to wonder how much more was in the gas tank, so I drained it and
refilled, and added some "HEET".

My only possible thought is that it could have possibly leaked into
the air cleaner, since that air cleaner is a plastic snap on piece of
**** that tends to fall off every so often and never fits well. I
might be wrong, but I think that any water that would leak in there
would go to the engine, not the carb bowl.... (I think)?

Does anyone have an explanation or suggestion?

I guess next fall I will have to add HEET to all the gas powered stuff
before storing it,,,,

Frank



God is alive and well in Iraq

Two common sources:

Water in the gas you are buying.
Water sucked into the tank from the tank respiration while sitting.
All tanks must have a vent of some type. As they sit idle air is drawn
in and pushed back out with temperature changes.
Tanks should be either empty or full if it is going to idle for a long
time. Partial fills are subject to accumlation of water because of
this.

Harry K

frank wrote: "My question is how in the heck did the water get in
there? Yes, the mower sits outside at times, and has been rained on.
However, I ALWAYS replace the gas cap immediately when I add gas. The
gas tank is plastic and has a plastic cap that threads about 3/4" over
the fill hole, and closes tightly. There is no vent hole or any hole in
the cap, or in the tank. No one else uses the mower. So, how in the heck
did the water get in there, and the whole bowl was full of water. I tend
to wonder how much more was in the gas tank, so I drained it and
refilled, and added some "HEET"."
---------------------------------- WHEN YOU
LEAVE AIR IN THE TANK WATER CONDENSES AS THE TEMPS RISE AND FALL. THOSE
CAPS VENT THRU THE THREADS. BEST WAY TO STORE MOWER IS TO FILL TANK ALL
THE WAY, ADD STABILIZER AND RUN IT TO GET TREATED FUEL IN CARB,THEN TOP
OFF. NO AIR IN TANK MEANS NO CONDENSING OF WATER. LUCAS

wrote in news:jk0ob1dp50dt2r660ahjmjra61hfbs0g2n@
4ax.com:

snip
My question is how in the heck did the water get in there? Yes, the
mower sits outside at times, and has been rained on. However, I
ALWAYS replace the gas cap immediately when I add gas. The gas tank
is plastic and has a plastic cap that threads about 3/4" over the fill
hole, and closes tightly. There is no vent hole or any hole in the
cap, or in the tank. No one else uses the mower. So, how in the heck
did the water get in there, and the whole bowl was full of water. I
tend to wonder how much more was in the gas tank, so I drained it and
refilled, and added some "HEET".

snip

It's vented, or the gas wouldn't flow out of the tank. Some
moisture will form from temperature changes, etc., but keeping
it full usually cures that problem. Perhaps the gas can you
are filling it from collects some moisture, and it gets in
that way?

Condensation from low amounts of gas with gasohol a commercial 10% mix
will suck out the moisture into the gas. I just looked at my gallon can
of old denatured alcohol that had an inch of alcohol left. The can and
alcohol was rust, can was kept in a low humidity basement and none of my
other steel cans had rust. The moisture ate away the plating in one
year. "Heat" will make matters worse as alcohol can absorbe 10% water
and not change volume. Your carb linkages, and air filter and tank vent
also may let in water. Best is run out gas in fall, store tank dry and
keep mower covered. 2-3 month old gas can be bad, alway use new gas.