Berryman B12 Chemtool works well in OPE, clean the carb and add some B12 to the gas.
I had to do that on my Troy Bilt snow blower. It would start and run for a few seconds and die.The TCW3 might make it worse. I would start with something like a fuel system cleaner. I dont know that carb but you might want to pull the bowl off of it and clean that out and the main jet before you add anything. You dont want to partially dissolve any gum or varnish in the bowl just to have the small undissolved particles sucked up into all the small passages.
So in your experience is shutting off the fuel and letting it run dry the best practice?I really wouldn't add things to your fuel besides maybe a good marine fuel stabilizer on a 4-stroke power equipment engine. It's just a waste of money, and in some cases can do more harm than good (more carbon build-up, eat away at rubber seals/needle valve seats, etc). The best thing you can do is buy your fuel in small quantities if you can't find ethanol free fuel, and shut off the fuel and let the engine run the carb dry when you are going to store the machine for a while.
I clean tons of carburetors every year, and I've heard everything under the sun that people have tried to put in their fuel to prevent ethanol damage. The only thing that truly works is a dry carburetor. Marine stabilizer will help a tiny bit against moisture, but that's really it.
Yes. I usually let my equipment shut off by turning off the fuel, and letting it run for a minute or two until it dies. If you are going to be storing it long term, best to drain the fuel from the tank as well.So in your experience is shutting off the fuel and letting it run dry the best practice?
On Troy Bilts website, they recommend (at least for the snow blowers) to remove the old fuel, refill with fresh gas and add fuel stabilizer, which is what I did for the first three years. Then after last winter I sucked out most of the gas and let it run until it dies (or at least I thought I did). A month or so ago I wanted to make sure it was running ok and it wouldn’t start.
My post above this one shows what all I did and cleaning the jet in the carburetor bowl finally did the trick. Two neighbors across the street say to let it run dry every time. But Troy Bilt doesn’t say anything about doing that
It’s funny that my cheap Troy Bilt pushmower has a fuel shutoff valve but the snow blower doesnt
This is likely helping you more than the seafoam/stabil concoction you are using. The worst thing is when fuel sits. My grandfather tried everything in the book, 2-cycle oil, stabilizer, seafoam, and always had problems with his fuel. The issue was he would buy fuel 15 gallons at a time, and it would take way too long to use it up before it went bad. I drained fuel out of his side by side that looked like Tropicana orange juice.I run Chevron 87 in my Honda. 25 years no problems. Try to change oil 1x per year. My mower seems to run smoother on thicker 10w-30 oils vs. thinner 10w-30 oils. Also, add a dash of seafoam, stabil, and/ or techron. I buy 1 gal at a time. FWIW
Yes. I usually let my equipment shut off by turning off the fuel, and letting it run for a minute or two until it dies. If you are going to be storing it long term, best to drain the fuel from the tank as well.
Putting 2 cycle oil like TCW3 won't help, it also turns to goo over time.
Trufuel is usually fine if the machine is stored indoors since it doesn't contain ethanol. If the equipment is left outside, water seems to find its way into the fuel.What's your opinion on leaving Trufuel in storage in the mower until Spring?
Agree. I buy Chevron 87 in 1/2 gallon increments for my small outboard to keep it fresh in the 3 g. tank. Treat it as above.This is likely helping you more than the seafoam/stabil concoction you are using. The worst thing is when fuel sits. My grandfather tried everything in the book, 2-cycle oil, stabilizer, seafoam, and always had problems with his fuel. The issue was he would buy fuel 15 gallons at a time, and it would take way too long to use it up before it went bad. I drained fuel out of his side by side that looked like Tropicana orange juice.
This TCW3 stuff has been discussed years ago, but I did use in 2010 in my cargo van,,the mix is one ounce to 5 gallons of gas,,no problems at all,good upper cylinder lube though,,,,there was an old site called Old Sarge where he tested it,,,it may still be on the net...idk...Considering my Honda 160 is 14 years old and haven’t taken the carb a part. It’s always ran well till this past summer. I only use 93 octane and a stabilizer for three months then I get fresh gas.
It’s starting to sputter after I start it and after a while it gets going it runs ok.
Is it worth a shot to run TCw3 in the gas to clean the carb out?
Found it,,old sarge,,,,,,,,,,,,good luckConsidering my Honda 160 is 14 years old and haven’t taken the carb a part. It’s always ran well till this past summer. I only use 93 octane and a stabilizer for three months then I get fresh gas.
It’s starting to sputter after I start it and after a while it gets going it runs ok.
Is it worth a shot to run TCw3 in the gas to clean the carb out?
I will remember that on my snow blower going forward. Suck most of the gas out of the tank, let it run dry and take out the bolt and let carb bowl drain completely. Unless letting it run and die does the same thing as opening that bolt??Dry storage really depends on draining the carb bowl completely by loosening the bolt at the bottom. That last little bit is enough to clog the jet as it goes bad.
So to make sure I understand, even if I drain the tank and let it run to empty out and die on its own, I still should drain the carb bowl?It does not. There will still be some gas left which will form crud as it oxidizes.
Yes and I believe that little bit will oxidize faster than a bowl left full.It does not. There will still be some gas left which will form crud as it oxidizes.