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Default 2 or 4 Cycle Small Engines... to drain or not to drain??

I am very adamant about draining my snowblower and lawnmower engines
during the offseasons. My friend here at work is against it. He
insists the moisture and condensation build up and can ruin the
insides and the carburetor.

Anyone have thoughts or opinions on this?

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Default 2 or 4 Cycle Small Engines... to drain or not to drain??

On Mar 20, 2:05*pm, wrote:
I am very adamant about draining my snowblower and lawnmower engines
during the offseasons. *My friend here at work is against it. He
insists the moisture and condensation build up and can ruin the
insides and the carburetor.

Anyone have thoughts or opinions on this?


Running it dry is best, as gas evaporates it leaves a coat of varnish
which eventualy makes you needing a carb rebuild.
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Default 2 or 4 Cycle Small Engines... to drain or not to drain??

On Mar 20, 3:05 pm, wrote:
I am very adamant about draining my snowblower and lawnmower engines
during the offseasons. My friend here at work is against it. He
insists the moisture and condensation build up and can ruin the
insides and the carburetor.

Anyone have thoughts or opinions on this?


Mix stabilizer and leave it full. Even better to start it and warm it
up a couple of times over the off season. Every couple of months, all
the dirt bikes and equipment come out and get started. Neighbors must
love it.

Without disassembling the carb, there's no way to get all the fuel
out. What's left will gum up.

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Default 2 or 4 Cycle Small Engines... to drain or not to drain??


wrote in message
...
I am very adamant about draining my snowblower and lawnmower engines
during the offseasons. My friend here at work is against it. He
insists the moisture and condensation build up and can ruin the
insides and the carburetor.

Anyone have thoughts or opinions on this?


I have always run it dry, including choking it as it starts to die to get the
most fuel out of the carb.




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Default 2 or 4 Cycle Small Engines... to drain or not to drain??

I always use stabilizer with a full tank, run it for a few minutes, top up
the tank and put the machine away.
If you are going to run it "dry", that can't happen unless you "drain" all
the gas from the carburetor. Any residual gas that is not treated with some
sort of stabilizer, stands a chance of gumming up something.
Just my opinion.

wrote in message
...
I am very adamant about draining my snowblower and lawnmower engines
during the offseasons. My friend here at work is against it. He
insists the moisture and condensation build up and can ruin the
insides and the carburetor.

Anyone have thoughts or opinions on this?



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Default 2 or 4 Cycle Small Engines... to drain or not to drain??

jacko wrote:
I always use stabilizer with a full tank, run it for a few minutes, top up
the tank and put the machine away.
If you are going to run it "dry", that can't happen unless you "drain" all
the gas from the carburetor. Any residual gas that is not treated with some
sort of stabilizer, stands a chance of gumming up something.
Just my opinion.

Oxidation is the problem. The stabilizers are antioxidants and
obviously removing air from the tank is a good idea. Heat and light
would also accelerate. Gas stored in an inert sealed, preferably
metallic system should last forever.
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Default 2 or 4 Cycle Small Engines... to drain or not to drain??

On Mar 20, 5:53*pm, Frank frankdotlogullo@comcastperiodnet wrote:

snip


Oxidation is the problem. *The stabilizers are antioxidants and
obviously removing air from the tank is a good idea. Heat and light
would also accelerate. *Gas stored in an inert sealed, preferably
metallic *system should last forever.


Don't bet on it. Some metals can catalyze the formation of cyclic
pinenes in fuel. Most old car owners are familiar with the dreaded
odor of 'Pine-Sol' in the fuel when their car is taken out of long
term storage. And jet fuel has always had a problem with bacterial
growth in storage tanks. As they say at the Subway Sandwich shop or
wherever, 'It pays to eat fresh'.

Joe
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Default 2 or 4 Cycle Small Engines... to drain or not to drain??

On Mar 20, 2:05*pm, wrote:
I am very adamant about draining my snowblower and lawnmower engines
during the offseasons. *My friend here at work is against it. He
insists the moisture and condensation build up and can ruin the
insides and the carburetor.

Anyone have thoughts or opinions on this?


Why risk old gas not starting next year, 6 months is old and gas goes
weak and sour even with stabilizer, stabiliser may keep it from
gumming up the carb but it may have no octane to fire in a year.
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Default 2 or 4 Cycle Small Engines... to drain or not to drain??

leave the tank full and the system full. IF you're anal about stale gas
after 3 months, (which it won't be) then dump it, refill and run the machine
a few minutes. You could treat with stabil, but some folks here don't think
too much of it. It works for me.

s

wrote in message
...
I am very adamant about draining my snowblower and lawnmower engines
during the offseasons. My friend here at work is against it. He
insists the moisture and condensation build up and can ruin the
insides and the carburetor.

Anyone have thoughts or opinions on this?





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Default 2 or 4 Cycle Small Engines... to drain or not to drain??

Bull****. Just flat wrong. We routinely leave the tanks full (and
sometimes without stabilizer) in our salt/sand spreaders for the 9 months
they sit. They start fine ater sitting.

s


"ransley" wrote in message
...
On Mar 20, 2:05 pm, wrote:

Why risk old gas not starting next year, 6 months is old and gas goes
weak and sour even with stabilizer, stabiliser may keep it from
gumming up the carb but it may have no octane to fire in a year.


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Default 2 or 4 Cycle Small Engines... to drain or not to drain??


"S. Barker" wrote in message
...
Bull****. Just flat wrong. We routinely leave the tanks full (and
sometimes without stabilizer) in our salt/sand spreaders for the 9 months
they sit. They start fine ater sitting.

s


I just got an old SA 200 welder running again today. It had been sitting
for more than five years. Had to completely go through the carburetor,
ignition system, and empty a couple of gallons of varnish that used to be
gasoline. Gungy.

There's a limit on how long it can sit. But I'm like you. I've got stuff
that doesn't get ran for six months or more. I just add some gas, or tip it
over and dump what's there, add new, and fire it up. I really think leaving
things empty is worse than leaving some gas in them.

Steve


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Default 2 or 4 Cycle Small Engines... to drain or not to drain??

On Mar 20, 6:44*pm, Joe wrote:
On Mar 20, 5:53*pm, Frank frankdotlogullo@comcastperiodnet wrote:

snip
Oxidation is the problem. *The stabilizers are antioxidants and
obviously removing air from the tank is a good idea. Heat and light
would also accelerate. *Gas stored in an inert sealed, preferably
metallic *system should last forever.


Don't bet on it. Some metals can catalyze the formation of cyclic
pinenes in fuel. Most old car owners are familiar with the dreaded
odor of 'Pine-Sol' in the fuel when their car is taken out of long
term storage. And jet fuel has always had a problem with bacterial
growth in storage tanks. As they say at the Subway Sandwich shop or
wherever, 'It pays to eat fresh'.

Joe


Yes, I remembered this after posting. Doubt if it is much of a
problem and point was to keep out oxygen. Metal or glass are best for
this. I get a little concerned about plastic tanks because oxygen can
permeate plastics at vastly different rates depending on plastic.
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Default 2 or 4 Cycle Small Engines... to drain or not to drain??

newer gasoline has shorter shelf life and fewer volatiles.

drained some into a small pan a week later a gummy oil remained. my
best buddy didnt believe me, tried and found the same thing.

gasoline is now a blend to minimize pollution
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Default 2 or 4 Cycle Small Engines... to drain or not to drain??

On Mar 20, 12:05*pm, wrote:
I am very adamant about draining my snowblower and lawnmower engines
during the offseasons. *My friend here at work is against it. He
insists the moisture and condensation build up and can ruin the
insides and the carburetor.

Anyone have thoughts or opinions on this?


I got a new 10 HP snow blower in Jan. Instructions say to drain it
and run it till it quits. Good enough for me but it is still on my
"to-do" list.

I also normally drain all my small engines but particularly any with a
2-cycle engine. The few times I didn't do it, I had problems the next
time I tried to use them.

Once I had to replace the gas tank as it had basically rotted out.
That was the first year I tried Stabil. Dunno if it was the stabil or
just old age.

Harry K


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Default 2 or 4 Cycle Small Engines... to drain or not to drain??

On Mar 20, 12:05*pm, wrote:
I am very adamant about draining my snowblower and lawnmower engines
during the offseasons. *My friend here at work is against it. He
insists the moisture and condensation build up and can ruin the
insides and the carburetor.

Anyone have thoughts or opinions on this?


Forgot to add:

I find it passing strange that a manufacturer would specify "drain it"
but then fail to add a drain or other method of doing it.

My solution is to either add a drain in the fuel line (haven't added
it yet) or use a "battery test" bulb to suck the gas out of the tank.
Can get a lot more out that way than by siphon.

Harry K
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Default 2 or 4 Cycle Small Engines... to drain or not to drain??

Harry K wrote:
On Mar 20, 12:05 pm, wrote:

I am very adamant about draining my snowblower and lawnmower engines
during the offseasons. My friend here at work is against it. He
insists the moisture and condensation build up and can ruin the
insides and the carburetor.

Anyone have thoughts or opinions on this?



Forgot to add:

I find it passing strange that a manufacturer would specify "drain it"
but then fail to add a drain or other method of doing it.

My solution is to either add a drain in the fuel line (haven't added
it yet) or use a "battery test" bulb to suck the gas out of the tank.
Can get a lot more out that way than by siphon.

Harry K

Hmmm,
I never drain anything off season. Never had trouble.
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