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Shut off and let it run dry after job - or not?

15K views 43 replies 30 participants last post by  Dannoman 
#1 ·
This has probably been discussed many times over here but I would like to get your opinion. I am in the habit of closing the fuel shutoff valve and letting the engine run until it uses all the gas left in the carb until it dies after I am done clearing snow. This has worked well most of the time. I say most of the time because there have been a couple of occasions where I have had no-starts. So is it better to run it dry or not?
 
#5 ·
I only do it with my genset every time because I exercise it just once per month in the winter. With my snowblower and lawn mower, I will do it at the end of the season and then drain the bowl. Like Oneacer, my fuel is on a similar medication regimen (LOL). I have also hopped on the MOGAS/E0 bandwagon which virtually eliminates the need to do this altogether IMHO.
 
#16 ·
I have also hopped on the MOGAS/E0 bandwagon which virtually eliminates the need to do this altogether IMHO.
What's MOGAS?

I’m pretty lucky to have 3-4 gas stations within 5 miles that have 0% ethanol. It’s only about $0.30 cents more per gallon.
Wow, you *are* lucky! The only ethanol-free in a reasonable distance from us was somewhere around $10/gal last time I checked (admittedly several years ago), it's racing gas. I believe it's leaded (it was 105 or 110 octane, I think), and I don't want to be walking around through those fumes. I would rather deal with stabilizer instead.

That's interesting, and wasn't something that sounded familiar. Then I scrolled down and got to "Not for sale in the US". Drat :)

I put stabilizer in my gas all the time, even if I think I'll use it soon. It's cheap enough that I'd rather add it to the can each time, even if it ends up not being needed for that fillup.

For a time I was running the blower's carb dry after each use, but now I just do that at the end of the season. Doing it each time seemed unnecessary, in the middle of the season, while using stabilizer.
 
#8 ·
I'm in the "run it dry after use" camp. The reason is that it may be months before I start it again, in which time the carburetor bowl is exposed to open air, the fuel can turn to gunk in that time, with or without stabilizer. At end of season I go even further and drain the entire fuel system including the carburetor bowl.

As for the "waste of fuel" argument. Seriously? We're talking maybe a thimbleful of gas, my budget can handle that pretty easily.

And yup, no issues starting again, even several years later.
 
#11 ·
There may be climate variations that make one better than the other, I can think of Arizona Prescott and even out of Tuscon in the mountains that gets show and really hot summers.
After some issues with dry carburetors leaking, my take was it was better to leave fuel in them and never run them dry.

The carb and or the float bowel is not going to dry out as long as there is fuel to it (gravity feed).

I think I only used fuel preservative one winter and that was the cycle in storage period, they would not start come spring, had to jump them. I think there was spraying into the air system involved (a lot of years ago)

Letting gaskets and seal dry out is not a good thing, carburetors are picky enough. So, never in season and I don't drain fuel in the off season (snow blower in Summer or the Lawn Mower in winter).

I think in warmer climates its beneficial to start and run them once a month.
 
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#12 ·
I have no access to non ethanol, and have so many blowers and tractors, I'm never sure when is the next time it will be used, so at the end of a season, I drain the tank and carb. some of my equipment may set idle for years, so I like to drain them....no need after every use though.
 
#14 · (Edited)
Outboards, lawnmowers, snowblowers and generators: If there's likelihood of running it in the next 6 months, I just turn off the fuel valve and then shut it down. At the end of the season, Marine Stabil (for the last 20 years or so) and then run the carb dry. So far, so good, since the 1960s.

Update: Starting after 2017, I've actually stopped using Stabil except in my outboard premix tanks. So far, through 11/2023, it's going fine; I've been purchasing fuel exclusively from Sam's Club during this period.
 
#17 · (Edited)
What's MOGAS?
MOGAS is an unleaded aviation fuel, usually 91 octane, for use in ultralight or experimental aircraft. It can also be used in general aviation aircraft (Cessnas, Pipers etc.) and is less expensive than 100LL (commonly known as AVGAS). 100LL also contains lead and I've heard that it may not be good for post leaded era small engines, but don't know that for sure.

Of interest to us is the fact that it contains no ethanol, and is far less expensive than cans of Tufuel or VP small engine fuel. It can be obtained at small airstrips.
 
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#20 ·
During the Winter, I don't bother trying to remove fuel from the carburetor. In fact, it is not possible to run a carburetor completely dry as there is still going to be some residual fuel remaining in the bottom of the float bowl. The problem is that any water absorbed by alcohol will tend to corrode the float bowl. As long as the fuel orifices are clear then the carburetor should still function; even if it has fuel varnish on the bottom of the float bowl. If the varnish breaks loose then it could clog an orifice then the carburetor will cease to function normally.

Tecumseh Snow King engines used to have a push-button drain valve feature on the carburetor float bowl. Shut off the fuel petcock and push the button to drain the carburetor. This is a great feature for placing the machine into long-term storage. If there's no push-button fuel drain then loosen the bowl nut and let all the gas drip out.

I don't use fuel stabilizer in outdoor power equipment; instead opting to remove all fuel from the machine during the off season.

 
#22 ·
if we read the owners manual most state do not store more than what can be used in 30 days, yet we all know that can be extended by adding fuel stabilizers. still with today's pump gases. well we all know what can and does happen over time

if i have to use NJ pump gas i add marine store and start, besides having stabilizer in it,it also has fogging oil so it helps coat the inner workings of the carb and engine,

my 2 stroke machines get efree as i use the little 1 gallon bottles almost all of them already have stabilizer mixed in . no need to double dose

some useful reading on av gas and work to replace 100LL is here from the faa, https://www.faa.gov/about/initiatives/avgas/, https://www.faa.gov/about/initiatives/avgas/media/media/PAFI_2017.pdf
 
#24 ·
Casey's has no ethanol in Iowa. I always use stabil in small engine gas and never had a problem. I had a boat that set for 7 years with 24 gal of gas with stabil in it, I gave it to my neighbor for some tree work and guess what it started and he ran that gas out of it with no problems. We did clean the carb and put on a new starter, but that old gas worked. So I am sold on stabil. :smile2:
 
#26 ·
I think most of you are WAY overthinking this... I haven't bought a can of stabil for 20 years now but I continue to own and use seasonal power equipment and toys. Snowmobiles sit from June-November with ethanol pump gas. They always start right up and run fine, never lost a motor. In fact I just took the spare sled out last Sunday and rode the snot out of it with 8 month old non treated ethanol fuel, no problem. I have been doing this for two decades now on chainsaws, snowblowers, lawn mowers, gas powered compactors, snowmobiles, atvs etc etc.

The only issue I ever had was on inherited dead rammer compactors with 2 cycle Subaru Robin engines. Both machines sat for severeal years with eth gas in them, no shut offs. Both Mikuni carbs had badly corroded fuel bowls and were plugged with varnish. I soaked them in seafoam for a few days, cleaned them up, new bowl gasket and they run perfectly now. Just sold one for $800, I had $20 in parts and a couple hours time.

Anyway... I would go out of my way and buy non eth gas if I thought there was a tangible advantage to doing so. Mostly I think it is an opportunity for people to think they are outsmarting the rest of us. I think in most cases you are just wasting time and money for no benefit what so ever.
 
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#33 ·
I think most of you are WAY overthinking this... I haven't bought a can of stabil for 20 years now but I continue to own and use seasonal power equipment and toys. Snowmobiles sit from June-November with ethanol pump gas. They always start right up and run fine, never lost a motor. In fact I just took the spare sled out last Sunday and rode the snot out of it with 8 month old non treated ethanol fuel, no problem. I have been doing this for two decades now on chainsaws, snowblowers, lawn mowers, gas powered compactors, snowmobiles, atvs etc etc.

The only issue I ever had was on inherited dead rammer compactors with 2 cycle Subaru Robin engines. Both machines sat for severeal years with eth gas in them, no shut offs. Both Mikuni carbs had badly corroded fuel bowls and were plugged with varnish. I soaked them in seafoam for a few days, cleaned them up, new bowl gasket and they run perfectly now. Just sold one for $800, I had $20 in parts and a couple hours time.

Anyway... I would go out of my way and buy non eth gas if I thought there was a tangible advantage to doing so. Mostly I think it is an opportunity for people to think they are outsmarting the rest of us. I think in most cases you are just wasting time and money for no benefit what so ever.

Well Brent seeing as you are in Colorado as am I I'll guess your area is as dry as mine if not more so. That said the ethanol probably won't be able to even find moisture :)


Still Sta-bil mine to keep the gas fresh for up to 24 months..



From what I've read, letting a lead-acid discharge itself until it's flat is bad for the battery, and will degrade the cells sooner.

A few years ago I got just 2 seasons out of a tractor battery, before it needed to be replaced. Maybe it was just a bad battery, but I would let them go dead over the winter, then charge them in the spring. After doing some reading, I figured that probably wasn't helping, anyways. So now I bring the battery in, and keep in on a battery tender, over the winter. I'm going into the 3rd season on this battery, hopefully it'll last longer than the last one.

I just got a solar battery tender. Now I can keep the battery in the tractor, in the shed, and the panel will keep the battery topped-up during the winter. Those can also be used if you have a car that sits for extended periods of time.

Yea, deep draining a battery KILLS it quickly!!! I use a couple batteryminder brand chargers that do reconditioning and I rotate between toys. Still have the OEM batteries in my 2008 Honda XR650L and 2009 Suzuki DRZ400S and 2009 Skidoo Summit x 600 etec. The battery in my truck finally died after 11 years and that got probably once a year battery conditioning for a few days. I laugh when I hear of people having batteries last only a couple years.



Total waste of time if you use a gas stabilizer....., End of season, sure go ahead.

Nope, I buy gas by the 5 gallon can and depending on many variables, it will last me a month to a year or so. I always put the recommended amount of Sta-bil in the can before I go to the gas station and being a little cautious I like to keep another 5 to 10 gallons on hand for the generator or truck in case of emergencies. If it gets along in age (over a year or so) then I'll just put it in the truck and get some more next time I'm out.



Stabil-360 is all you need regardless of if the fuel has ethanol or not. It will take care of it.

I looked at that stuff but it says something like "keeps gasoline fresh for up to 12 months" whereas the red stuff is up to 24 months and still works on ethanol gas. Haven't had a problem yet with it either.
 
#27 ·
I shut the fuel off between uses but mainly to combat against a rouge stuck needle. When it comes to offseason, I always remove and clean the carb before storage. If you're here on this forum, this is in your wheelhouse. It's a one-beer job.

If you don't have a fuel shutoff, install one.

As far as fuel left in the tank, not really a problem for a small snowblower tank, easily drainable. I've had success on bigger tanks for lawn mowers leaving the fuel in there and putting a sandwich baggie over the fuel fill spout to seal off the tank vent. Never had a problem come spring. An old-timer at a dealer once gave me that tip. I'm guessing keeping the air out helps.
 
#28 ·
I'll add my 2 cents. I let gas set in all my power equipment, year round.

I try to buy non-ethanal gas, costs about $0.04 - $0.06 more per gallon. If I use gas with Ethanol, I'll add 1 oz of Sea Foam per gallon.

Use Sta-Bil in ALL my gas. Critical for Ethanol gas to slow separating and for non-Ethanol gas to slow aging. (All gas ages, if it sits more than 30 days, it starts to weaken as the volatils will evaporate. Gas will still fire, but you lose some power.

For long-term storage such as generator & tiller, I'll double the Sea-Foam and Sta-Bil requirements.

No problems starting after storage other than tractor battery needs charging in spring.
 
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#29 ·
No problems starting after storage other than tractor battery needs charging in spring.
From what I've read, letting a lead-acid discharge itself until it's flat is bad for the battery, and will degrade the cells sooner.

A few years ago I got just 2 seasons out of a tractor battery, before it needed to be replaced. Maybe it was just a bad battery, but I would let them go dead over the winter, then charge them in the spring. After doing some reading, I figured that probably wasn't helping, anyways. So now I bring the battery in, and keep in on a battery tender, over the winter. I'm going into the 3rd season on this battery, hopefully it'll last longer than the last one.

I just got a solar battery tender. Now I can keep the battery in the tractor, in the shed, and the panel will keep the battery topped-up during the winter. Those can also be used if you have a car that sits for extended periods of time.
 
#36 ·
try telling that to a boat owner . our boat motors sit for months like that of a OPE engine. only in a boat there maybe major gallons of gas still in the tank or tanks,

end is for me. i'm 100% for treating my ope engines just like the one in my lake boat, stabilizer in the fuel, just in place of stabil i use marine store and start, that one add's some fogging oil in it that helps coat the in side of the carb and motor with a sticky oil that coats the inner workings
i also add it to my spare cans with 91 octane e free to help in storing as a safety. as true fuel is simply stabilized high test in qt and gallon cans at a big mark up in price
 
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