TCW3 in lawnmower maintenance dose

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.
 
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.
I had to do that on my Troy Bilt snow blower. It would start and run for a few seconds and die.

I tried fresh gas, changed oil, new spark plug, took valve cover off and checked the valves and springs, starting fluid in spark plug hole. Watched numerous videos and finally seen one where they took the jet out and sure enough it was plugged up. Fires up and runs like a champ
 
Watch the youtube videos on how to clean your GVC160 carburetor. When the carb is off, shoot b12 into the intake to clean the varnish from the intake valve stem. (or use seafom).

Then follow the carb cleaning to the letter even if it does not look dirty, just go thru poking out the holes and spraying it with carb cleaner. Install in gaskets for the carburetor to the engine and you should be good.
 
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
 
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.
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
 

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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
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.
 
Yeah, I leave my mower fueled and stabilized. I have leaves to mow/bag so I run my mower longer into winter than most.
 
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
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.
 
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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.

What's your opinion on leaving Trufuel in storage in the mower until Spring?
 
Thanks for the replies. I did shoot some power foam in the carb and changed the plug. I also added redline SL1 to the gas. It’s running better now.
 
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.
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.
 
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?
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...




















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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 luck

Been testing Oil - ls1.com

 
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.
 
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.
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??
 
It does not. There will still be some gas left which will form crud as it oxidizes.
 
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