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Robert11
 
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Default Use Of Sta-Bil Gas Fuel Stabilizer

Helo:

Regarding the gas stabilizer Sta-Bil product, and winter storage of
lawnmowers, etc:

After running the tank, and hopefully most of the carb, dry, is it OK to put
a little
Sta-Bil in the empty tank and cranking over a few times to distribute ?

Or, is it too concentrated to be used safely this way ?

B.


  #2   Report Post  
mm
 
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Default Use Of Sta-Bil Gas Fuel Stabilizer

On Sat, 29 Oct 2005 10:50:44 -0400, "Robert11"
wrote:

Helo:

Regarding the gas stabilizer Sta-Bil product, and winter storage of
lawnmowers, etc:

After running the tank, and hopefully most of the carb, dry, is it OK to put
a little
Sta-Bil in the empty tank and cranking over a few times to distribute ?

Or, is it too concentrated to be used safely this way ?


It depends on whether it will ignite in the spring. If not, you'll be
stuck trying to get it out of the carb so gasoline can get in.

Personally, I suspect if it it burnt well, it wouldn't be able to do
what it is supposed to do.

That's not to say it won't burn if a match is applied, but to burn in
a carb the liquid has to be very volatile. Kerosene burns too but
it's not volatile enough to burn in a carbureted engine. (I realize
now that I don't know how diesels work, but I don't think there are
any diesel lawnmoweres ??)

I wouldn't do it. I used Sta-bil in one lawn mower last fall, as
directed, and the mower started up fine the next year. I am tempted
to use it the whole second half of the summer, because in my
situationI can't predict which tank will be the last.


B.



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Jeff Wisnia
 
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Default Use Of Sta-Bil Gas Fuel Stabilizer

mm wrote:
On Sat, 29 Oct 2005 10:50:44 -0400, "Robert11"
wrote:


Helo:

Regarding the gas stabilizer Sta-Bil product, and winter storage of
lawnmowers, etc:

After running the tank, and hopefully most of the carb, dry, is it OK to put
a little
Sta-Bil in the empty tank and cranking over a few times to distribute ?

Or, is it too concentrated to be used safely this way ?



It depends on whether it will ignite in the spring. If not, you'll be
stuck trying to get it out of the carb so gasoline can get in.

Personally, I suspect if it it burnt well, it wouldn't be able to do
what it is supposed to do.

That's not to say it won't burn if a match is applied, but to burn in
a carb the liquid has to be very volatile. Kerosene burns too but
it's not volatile enough to burn in a carbureted engine.


Not so. Plenty of farm tractors used to be "dual fuel", and maybe some
still are. They started on gasoline from a small tank, then switched
over to kero once the engine was warmed up. IIRC, you had to switch back
to gasoline just before shutdown so the carb bowl was filled with that
for the next start.

I've seen small one lunger genny sets made that way too, for use in
remote places where gasoline was in short supply but kero was plentiful
for lanterns and stoves.

During WWII, when gasoline was rationed, I remember poring over a DIY
article in Mechanix Illustrated (or a similar rag) giving step by step
instructions on how to add kero capability to your car. (Kero was also
known as "No.1" fuel oil.) One part I still remember was loosely
wrapping a copper kero fuel line around the exhaust manifold so that the
kero was warmed when it reached the carb.

I don't know for sure, but I'd suspect those folks who are running their
cars on biodiesel fuel derived from scavanged deep fat fryer oil and
such may have to start the engines on something like gasoline when they
are cold. Can someone comment on that?



(I realize
now that I don't know how diesels work, but I don't think there are
any diesel lawnmoweres ??)


I haven't run into any walk behind ones, but there's sure plenty of
diesel riding mowers offered.

Given that I had a small one cylinder diesel model aircraft engine over
50 years ago (NOT a glow plug engine.), There's no technical reason I
can think of why a small lawnmower couldn't be diesel powered.

Jeff


--
Jeffry Wisnia

(W1BSV + Brass Rat '57 EE)

"Truth exists; only falsehood has to be invented."
  #4   Report Post  
Tim Fischer
 
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Default Use Of Sta-Bil Gas Fuel Stabilizer

Why would you do this instead of just following the directions? It's not
like the stuff's expensive...

-Tim


  #5   Report Post  
 
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Default Use Of Sta-Bil Gas Fuel Stabilizer

"I don't know for sure, but I'd suspect those folks who are running
their
cars on biodiesel fuel derived from scavanged deep fat fryer oil and
such may have to start the engines on something like gasoline when they

are cold. Can someone comment on that? "

That's how most of the diesels that are converted to use vegetable oil
work. The salvaged vegetable oil turns to gel below freezing or even
higher. So they have a tank of conventional diesel fuel too. That
tank is used for start up and is switched back to again for a brief
period before shut down. That fills the fuel pump, injection pump, etc
with regular diesel fuel. When the car is warmed up, then it is
switched over to the veg oil. They also need heated fuel lines, heater
in the veg oil tank, etc. Typically all that is contained in a kit.

I looked into it a bit since I have a Mercedes turbodiesel. Looked
like it cost about $1600 for the conversion kit.



  #6   Report Post  
Rich256
 
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Default Use Of Sta-Bil Gas Fuel Stabilizer


"Robert11" wrote in message
...
Helo:

Regarding the gas stabilizer Sta-Bil product, and winter storage of
lawnmowers, etc:

After running the tank, and hopefully most of the carb, dry, is it OK to

put
a little
Sta-Bil in the empty tank and cranking over a few times to distribute ?

Or, is it too concentrated to be used safely this way ?

B.

Sta-Bil is made to be used with gasoline. Most manufacturers say to either
drain the tank and run the engine dry or to leave gas with Sta-Bil in it (up
to six months). Sta-Bil of course says that you should use their product.
I live in a cold climate so don't bother with doing much with the mower but
I faithfully drain and run my snow blower dry.


  #7   Report Post  
mm
 
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Default Use Of Sta-Bil Gas Fuel Stabilizer

On Sat, 29 Oct 2005 13:09:10 -0400, Jeff Wisnia
wrote:


Not so. Plenty of farm tractors used to be "dual fuel", and maybe some
still are. They started on gasoline from a small tank, then switched
over to kero once the engine was warmed up. IIRC, you had to switch back


I had no idea. Thanks a lot.

to gasoline just before shutdown so the carb bowl was filled with that
for the next start.

I've seen small one lunger genny sets made that way too, for use in
remote places where gasoline was in short supply but kero was plentiful
for lanterns and stoves.

During WWII, when gasoline was rationed, I remember poring over a DIY
article in Mechanix Illustrated (or a similar rag) giving step by step
instructions on how to add kero capability to your car. (Kero was also
known as "No.1" fuel oil.) One part I still remember was loosely


I've wondered what No. 1 was, every time I bought No. 2. Thanks
again.

wrapping a copper kero fuel line around the exhaust manifold so that the
kero was warmed when it reached the carb.

I re ad to the end. Interesting.

Remove NOPSAM to email me. Please let
me know if you have posted also.
  #8   Report Post  
 
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Default Use Of Sta-Bil Gas Fuel Stabilizer

remember,if you have air in the fuel tank youll get water condensing
into it.

http://www.minibite.com/america/malone.htm

  #9   Report Post  
Joseph Meehan
 
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Default Use Of Sta-Bil Gas Fuel Stabilizer

Robert11 wrote:
Helo:

Regarding the gas stabilizer Sta-Bil product, and winter storage of
lawnmowers, etc:

After running the tank, and hopefully most of the carb, dry, is it OK
to put a little
Sta-Bil in the empty tank and cranking over a few times to distribute
?
Or, is it too concentrated to be used safely this way ?

B.


It makes no sense to use it that way. It is likely to cause a problem
to do so.


--
Joseph Meehan

Dia duit


  #10   Report Post  
Steve Kraus
 
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Default Use Of Sta-Bil Gas Fuel Stabilizer

but I don't think there are
any diesel lawnmoweres ??)


Oooh...that would be sweet!


  #11   Report Post  
Steve Kraus
 
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Default Use Of Sta-Bil Gas Fuel Stabilizer

I was going to toss in a joke here about kerosene refrigerators but a
little web searching and it turns out they are still made. Whoda thunk it.

  #12   Report Post  
 
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Default Use Of Sta-Bil Gas Fuel Stabilizer

Just leave gas in the tank and start and run the mower for a minute
every few weeks during the winter.

  #13   Report Post  
Noozer
 
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Default Use Of Sta-Bil Gas Fuel Stabilizer


wrote in message
oups.com...
Just leave gas in the tank and start and run the mower for a minute
every few weeks during the winter.


And how does this do anything for the gas that stays in the tank anyhow?

Fill the tank as full as possible to leave as little airspace as you can.
This reduces the amount of moisture that will build up in the tank. A small
shot of gas stabilizer wouldn't hurt either.


  #14   Report Post  
Tim Fischer
 
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Default Use Of Sta-Bil Gas Fuel Stabilizer

wrote in message
oups.com...
Just leave gas in the tank and start and run the mower for a minute
every few weeks during the winter.


How is that going to keep the gas from going stale?

-Tim


  #15   Report Post  
Duane Bozarth
 
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Default Use Of Sta-Bil Gas Fuel Stabilizer

Tim Fischer wrote:

wrote in message
oups.com...
Just leave gas in the tank and start and run the mower for a minute
every few weeks during the winter.


How is that going to keep the gas from going stale?


Burn it...
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