I have an old powerwasher that has been sitting around for a few years. It has a Briggs and Straton 5hp 4 stroke engine. I went to empty the gas tank (since the fuel is so old) and bright red fuel cam out?!?! Did someone mix 2 cycle oil with this fuel? I flushed it out and put in straight unleaded super. I am still having trouble getting it to start.
Red Gas in a Briggs and Straton 4 cycle
- Thread starter Winston
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Maybe they filled it with fuel stabilizer before storing it away? That would explain the red color.
Wishful thinking perhaps??
It was not rust red. More like ATF red.
Fuel Stabilizer. Hmmmm. Is it red?
Fuel Stabilizer. Hmmmm. Is it red?
Many years ago, Exxon dyed its premium fuel bright red, almost like ATF.
It's quite likely that the tank was filled with ATF for anti-rust reasons.
You should take apart the carburettor and dump/flush out all the residual red stuff.
Replace any worn parts that are off suspicion and also remove the spark plug and clean it (dry it afterwards).
Put everything back and fire it up. It will smoke a little but assuming that the points are still in good shape and so are the rest of the stuff, it should run no problem.
You should take apart the carburettor and dump/flush out all the residual red stuff.
Replace any worn parts that are off suspicion and also remove the spark plug and clean it (dry it afterwards).
Put everything back and fire it up. It will smoke a little but assuming that the points are still in good shape and so are the rest of the stuff, it should run no problem.
That was my thinking also. The farmers and construction workers use a fuel that is dyed. It is tax free because it is used offroad. I bunch of farmers got nailed for using offroad fuel at the state fair here a few years ago. They pulled fuel samples from their trucks and found some using the tax free fuel.
It started
Cleaned out all the old fuel (from the float bowl too). Removed plug and let the cylinder air out for a day. Put in a new plug (one of those "one Pull" plugs with a "fine wire tip". The package did not say anything about the material). Pulled a couple times. Pushed the primer bulb. Then it started right up.
Lawn mower engines are funny. You pull and pull and get nothing. They when they do fire up it is so surprising.
Cleaned out all the old fuel (from the float bowl too). Removed plug and let the cylinder air out for a day. Put in a new plug (one of those "one Pull" plugs with a "fine wire tip". The package did not say anything about the material). Pulled a couple times. Pushed the primer bulb. Then it started right up.
Lawn mower engines are funny. You pull and pull and get nothing. They when they do fire up it is so surprising.
You absolutely do NOT want to use red-dye diesel fuel in a truck that's driven on the highway. Around here they frequently pull over trucks and pull a fuel sample. They do it at the scales as well. If they find red dye in the fuel, they impound the vehicle right there on the spot.
The only people who can get away with running red diesel on the road is guys with diesel cars. They never get pulled over for fuel checks.
The only people who can get away with running red diesel on the road is guys with diesel cars. They never get pulled over for fuel checks.
'Red' gas may be a combination of things.
As old gas begins to turn into varnish, it darkens and appears to be an 'orange' color.
The tint also might be Stabil or Marvel Mystery Oil additives ... which are both red-tinted.
Just be glad it started. I bet you are.
I'd use serious doses of a good fuel system cleaner for the first couple of tankfuls to make sure some residue hasn't built up in the floats, jets, etc ...
--- Bror Jace
As old gas begins to turn into varnish, it darkens and appears to be an 'orange' color.
The tint also might be Stabil or Marvel Mystery Oil additives ... which are both red-tinted.
Just be glad it started. I bet you are.
I'd use serious doses of a good fuel system cleaner for the first couple of tankfuls to make sure some residue hasn't built up in the floats, jets, etc ...
--- Bror Jace
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