Getting Varnish in Carborators

[NibbanaBanana]

Greetings Ye Merry Oilmen,

I use 93 octane fuel (e10 AFAIK) with StarTron fuel additive in all my outdoor power equipment. I have had to clean varnish flakes out of carbs on both the Echo string trimmer and the Husq hedge trimmer so far this year. They don't get used often but at least a few times a year. Had to clean the carb on the Cub Cadet lawn tractor a few years ago. I try to drain for long term storage if I can. Is there any way to prevent this annoying problem? I've read about Stabil and SeaFoam. Do they work better than StarTron? Any ideas?

Thanks.
Nibbana

 

[MRC01]

I use Stabil and even with ethanol gas it's good for at least a year.
PS do you really need 93 octane? If the engines don't require it then it's not giving any benefit. For fuel shelf life you would be better off with an ethanol-free gas of the lowest octane the engines actually need (typically 87 or 89).

 

[salesrep]

Ethanol is likely your problem

 

[eljefino]

Seafoam is NOT a preservative and I don't know why it keeps getting used as one.

 

[NibbanaBanana]

Seafoam is NOT a preservative and I don't know why it keeps getting used as one.

It says on the SeaFoam website that it stabilizes fuel for up to 2 years.

 

[NibbanaBanana]

I use Stabil and even with ethanol gas it's good for at least a year.
PS do you really need 93 octane? If the engines don't require it then it's not giving any benefit. For fuel shelf life you would be better off with an ethanol-free gas of the lowest octane the engines actually need (typically 87 or 89).

I've never seen ethanol free gas anywhere. One (or more) of my numerous OPE manuals said to use 91 octane gas or higher. Can't remember which.

 

[NibbanaBanana]

Didn't have problems for years using StarTron. On the last bottle or two the dosage was changed from 1 oz for every 6 gallons to 1 oz for every 16 gallons. Website still says 1 oz every 6 gallons. Is this a typo on the label? Maybe I'll go back to 1 oz in every 6 gallons.

 

[nicholas]

Startron works great for me and my customers.
They never call me back after I suggest them to use it.

Use the double dose for small engines.

 

[tnt_motorsports]

I use Marvel Mystery Oil and / or Stabil and never have a problem with any of my OPE...

Just my $0.02

 

[Paco Pena]

I use Stabil and TCW3 in anything I fill from a jerry can. No issues.Paco

 

[nicholas]

Didn't have problems for years using StarTron. On the last bottle or two the dosage was changed from 1 oz for every 6 gallons to 1 oz for every 16 gallons. Website still says 1 oz every 6 gallons. Is this a typo on the label? Maybe I'll go back to 1 oz in every 6 gallons.

It depends on which formula you have.
There are 4 different potentcies with different ratios.

 

[nicholas]

It says on the SeaFoam website that it stabilizes fuel for up to 2 years.

Strange....nothing in it will stabilize fuel from becoming stale.

 

[dihi22]

Greetings Ye Merry Oilmen,

I use 93 octane fuel (e10 AFAIK) with StarTron fuel additive in all my outdoor power equipment. I have had to clean varnish flakes out of carbs on both the Echo string trimmer and the Husq hedge trimmer so far this year. They don't get used often but at least a few times a year. Had to clean the carb on the Cub Cadet lawn tractor a few years ago. I try to drain for long term storage if I can. Is there any way to prevent this annoying problem? I've read about Stabil and SeaFoam. Do they work better than StarTron? Any ideas?

Thanks.
Nibbana

If possible find ethanol free fuel. it last longer in storage and i think you are getting moisture in there from ethanol. Otherwise the best thing is just to load the minimum fuel you need when you use it and keep the gas fresh. Or if easy find a way to drain the gas.

Stabil might help, thats the one i would use.

 

[SShooterZ]

I've had good luck with Star Tron in my sleds and boats when stored.
Stabil not so much.
Seafoam I ran once in awhile in my carbed sleds throughout the season to try and keep the system clean. Still ended up cleaning carbs at the beginning of every season it seemed like.

 

[nicholas]

I've had good luck with Star Tron in my sleds and boats when stored.
Stabil not so much.
Seafoam I ran once in awhile in my carbed sleds throughout the season to try and keep the system clean. Still ended up cleaning carbs at the beginning of every season it seemed like.

My second vote for star tron enzyme....its great stuff.

 

[Trav]

Put a splash of Berrymans Chemtool in with every fill. You will never have varnish issues guaranteed.

 

[supton]

How much fuel do you use? Friend of mine convinced me to use tru-fuel. I objected at first, as it’s expensive. He was like, try it, if you use that much of it, go do something else. Turns out, in my weedwacker and chainsaw, I’ve used less than a gallon in 3 year’s time. Price versus convienence, hard to argue there.

Now I’m not about to do that in my 20+hp riding mower though! For that I’m wondering if I can find E0 someplace, like a marina. Run E10 all summer, then on the last mow fill with E0, maybe with some stabilizer. [On my push mower I’ve never done anything other than E10 but tearing apart a B&S carb is child’s play too.]

 

[Bearguy69]

I don’t use any fuel additives they don’t work.
I use engineered fuel like VP racing 4 cycle and 2 cycle 5:1 never a problem.

 

[Bearguy69]

How much fuel do you use? Friend of mine convinced me to use tru-fuel. I objected at first, as it’s expensive. He was like, try it, if you use that much of it, go do something else. Turns out, in my weedwacker and chainsaw, I’ve used less than a gallon in 3 year’s time. Price versus convienence, hard to argue there.

Now I’m not about to do that in my 20+hp riding mower though! For that I’m wondering if I can find E0 someplace, like a marina. Run E10 all summer, then on the last mow fill with E0, maybe with some stabilizer. [On my push mower I’ve never done anything other than E10 but tearing apart a B&S carb is child’s play too.]

Don’t know where you live. But out west in Idaho Utah and Washington. Maverick gas stations sell E-0 it’s about the same price as premium at 91 octane.

 

[SubieRubyRoo]

Put a splash of Berrymans Chemtool in with every fill. You will never have varnish issues guaranteed.

This. I use Berryman’s for the carburetors, and Sta-bil Marine double dose for the fuel itself.