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I know there's a big debate on this topic but wanted to know. What is the best Fuel stabilizer/ carb cleaner that you can dump in the gas tank? Something that actually works on cleaning varnish in the carb. I want to use it for lawn mowers and other small things. I heard Stabil, Seafoam, Mechanic in a bottle, etc. Wanting to know your opinion.

You be the judge.

I believe B-12 is the best at cleaning carbs but not as a fuel stabilizer. The best combination is Sea Foam.

The things that determine which works best for you are so variable it is not funny
I really can not be bothered to type out 40 things which will determine if you need a sabilizer or not
In most cases they do nothing beneficial .
They don't do any harm either other than to lighten you wallet & increase the exhaust pollution.

As for cleaning out varnish deposits none will actually do that.
Injector cleaner is what you use and even then it is hit & miss at best
My workshop is 500 yards away from the landlords house, across the small paddock.
He is 30 foot higher than me
In high summer his fuel will go off in 2 weeks while mine will be fine for several months .
Same fuel from the same pump filled at the same time .

My workshop is 500 yards away from the landlords house, across the small paddock.
He is 30 foot higher than me
In high summer his fuel will go off in 2 weeks while mine will be fine for several months .
Same fuel from the same pump filled at the same time .

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Bert, I'm not following what you're getting at here. Clearly fuel degradation can vary from a variety of factors including the climate, the container and the quantity, but why does that mean fuel stabilizers don't work?

The number of factors that control how fast fuel goes off are enormous , right down to the micro climate
I have customers where the fuel will go off if the mower is left in the shed, but will be fine if left outside in the weather
Temperature flucuations . relative humidity, wind, dew point all come into play
Then there is the fuel itself, more than once I have stopped pumping fuel into my cans because it was already off.
Some times there s so much Tolunene in there it smells like paint stripper then next week there is so much Benzine it smells like an old boot makers shop.
The it can smell like a dry cleaners shop MEK & methyl benzene too high.
So there is no such thing as a "best" fuel stabilizer and the bulk of the time it is a case of Alaskan Elephant repellant .

Sta-bil is a solid choice. Works for me every spring. Mowers start like new.

ok thanks for all the feed pack. I know it matters with the weather in stuff as well.

But what would be the best carb cleaner to put in your gas, even if its still a little varnishy after the ultrasonic cleaner?

Fuel goes bad much faster in a carburetor fuel system because the volatile components of gasoline in the bowl will evaporate through the bowl vent, leaving behind the heavier stuff, and eventually causing the bowl level to drop enough for a little more fuel to be left in, and the process repeats causing gum and varnish to build up in the bowl. Fuel contaminants will greatly accelerate this process as well. Leaving gasoline in a sealed container will allow it to last much much longer. As for what additive can "remove" varnish as the engine consumes gas, that process simply doesn't work

RyanHL said:

But what would be the best carb cleaner to put in your gas, even if its still a little varnishy after the ultrasonic cleaner?

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I would try Techron. I've used it over the years with visible results. Couple carbed motorcycles mainly. Looked behind the valves before and after with stunning results. On my 1998 Kawasaki ZX9R, the valves were loaded with carbon chunks. One tank later about 98% of the carbon was gone. Also Porsche recommends it. Confident they know their sh_t. You were talking varnish tough. I would try Techron or B-12. Both are solid products.

I only use 100% gas, so don't really need stabilizer, but near end of season, I do add a bit of Seafoam.
My Dad turned me onto Seafoam about 55 years ago.. It has never let me down & also works great in gummed up air tools. !!!

But I have read a while back that Seafoam changed the formula. So ............

MParr- Thanks for the You-tube.. Was interesting..

I have left my spare string trimmer w/ seafoamed 100% gas sleeping for near 2 years, & it started..

7394 said:

I only use 100% gas, so don't really need stabilizer, but near end of season, I do add a bit of Seafoam.
My Dad turned me onto Seafoam about 55 years ago.. It has never let me down & also works great in gummed up air tools. !!!

But I have read a while back that Seafoam changed the formula. So ............

MParr- Thanks for the You-tube.. Was interesting..

I have left my spare string trimmer w/ seafoamed 100% gas sleeping for near 2 years, & it started..

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I use high octane pure gas in all of my outdoor power equipment. I do add Sta-Bil 360 to my mower gas. Does it really work? I don’t know for sure. That gas is never stored over 5 months. I exercise my mower engine periodically during the winter.

slomo said:

I would try Techron. I've used it over the years with visible results. Couple carbed motorcycles mainly. Looked behind the valves before and after with stunning results. On my 1998 Kawasaki ZX9R, the valves were loaded with carbon chunks. One tank later about 98% of the carbon was gone. Also Porsche recommends it. Confident they know their sh_t. You were talking varnish tough. I would try Techron or B-12. Both are solid products.

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2nd the Stabile Storage & Techron.

Maybe ancedotal with my small sample set of equipment. I've been burnt by the moisture in gas on both 2 & 4 stroke carbs. I use about 15 gallons of gas every 6 months (winter/summer), so here is what I use: 92 octane with both Stabil Storage & Techron added.

Anything that's left over gets poured into the generator which runs every few months (unless we lose power). For the 2-strokes I use either non ethanol pre-mix (PowerCare or TruFuel) or I take the same above gas and add Ethanol Shield 2-cycle oil to make my own premix.

Who knows if it's helpful and/or the power of the mind!

Simply drain tank and system, run the engine til it stops, use Float Bowl drain if there is one. Use Premium non Ethanol fuel if you can find it. Taryl tested a variety of 'stabilizers'. Check his video on that.

RyanHL said:

I know there's a big debate on this topic but wanted to know. What is the best Fuel stabilizer/ carb cleaner that you can dump in the gas tank? Something that actually works on cleaning varnish in the carb. I want to use it for lawn mowers and other small things. I heard Stabil, Seafoam, Mechanic in a bottle, etc. Wanting to know your opinion.

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I'm and old newbie here but I just bought 5 gallons of NON ETHANOL gas. I paid $.80 extra and drove 10 miles to get it. Now to get the BS engine to drive out from from under the shade tree.

MParr said:

I use high octane pure gas in all of my outdoor power equipment. I do add Sta-Bil 360 to my mower gas. Does it really work? I don’t know for sure. That gas is never stored over 5 months. I exercise my mower engine periodically during the winter.

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I use pure high octane as well for my 2 strokes. The mowers get 100% regular.. But all stay parked over winter.. I feel that if I'm not gonna excersize my mowers engines for about 1/2 hour, then it is just collecting condensation internally.. But everyone has their own way,..

7394 said:

I use pure high octane as well for my 2 strokes. The mowers get 100% regular.. But all stay parked over winter.. I feel that if I'm not gonna excersize my mowers engines for about 1/2 hour, then it is just collecting condensation internally.. But everyone has their own way,..

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I buy the high octane canned premixed for my 2 strokes. I don’t use enough 2 stroke mix to justify having it sitting around in gallon gas cans.

MParr said:

I buy the high octane canned premixed for my 2 strokes. I don’t use enough 2 stroke mix to justify having it sitting around in gallon gas cans.

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I guess I like mixing. I use Amsoil Saber, that works super, so much so that I had to lower the rpms on the idle circuits on my string trimmer & blower after a couple months of using it..

RyanHL said:

But what would be the best carb cleaner to put in your gas, even if its still a little varnishy after the ultrasonic cleaner?

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More ultrasound and high pressure air. For stabilization use the Marine grade Stabil. B&S had a great product but it was discontinued for some reason - probably not healthy, like most. As for cleaning, Injector cleaner is good. Best product that does multi things changes based on new and discontinued products very frequently. Currently I use Lucas oil product that has a multi treatment in a green bottle with a tall neck - can't remember the name.

I once stored 5 gallons of premixed 2 cycle oil in regular pump gasohol in a portable sealed plastic outboard fuel tank for 5 years without problems. I used it in my trimmer/chainsaw, etc. without issue. Long ago I read that 2 cycle oil will stabilize gasohol. A sealed container prevents moisture from being drawn in as the fuel expands and contracts with minor temperature changes. Sealed containers must have the pressure/vacuum relieved with significant changes in temperature to prevent damage to the container. High humidity air is worse when drawn into the tank and causes water to condense when it cools. Ethanol can absorb about 1/2% water before the alcohol/water mixture separates from the gas and settles to the bottom of the tank. This causes a number of problems and should be avoided. The alcohol that separates from the gasoline causes a lean mixture if the engine will run at all, and microbes can grow in the mixture, causing corrosion of metal and debris to form. Be sure the vacuum/pressure valve on the tank fuel cap is working properly, if utilized on your cap (like on a car). Close the manual vent on caps that have them when the mower is not in use. Monitor the sealed tank for excessive pressure/vacuum buildup with significant temperature changes, and vent the tank momentarily if needed, as with seasonal changes.

When I use an outboard motor, I disconnect the hose from the tank when I return from a trip and let the engine run until the carbs run dry, which kills the engine. With no fuel left to evaporate in the bowls and leave gum deposits, I've not had a problem w/ the carbs sitting over a number of years. If your mower has a manual fuel shut off valve, close it and run the carb dry before storing it. If it doesn't, add one, or I suppose if your mower has a solenoid fuel shutoff valve, you could disconnect the wire at the valve, or put a switch inline with the wire, to switch it off to run the carb dry. Ethanol is a good cleaner of gum and varnish deposits if it is suspended in the gas, as it should be.

Fuel de-icer contains alcohol, often methanol, and will absorb water if there is too much in the fuel tank. It takes only a few drops of water in a carb bowl to wreak havoc. Drain the bowl into a container if water is suspected, and look for water. If the fuel filter is transparent, look for water separation in the bottom of the filter.

RyanHL said:

But what would be the best carb cleaner to put in your gas, even if its still a little varnishy after the ultrasonic cleaner?

Click to expand...

As posted before
Petrol injector cleaner
Brand does not matter they are all basically the same
Stabilizers prevent the fuel going off through chemical reaction with the air, by evaporation and by reactions within the fuel itself
99.999% they are not necessary
Cleaners clean the varnish by using powerful solvents to redissolve the varnish & tar deposits so they mix in with the fuel & pass through the engine
Two totally different jobs best done with 2 totally different chemicals.
Like WD 40 which is nothing more than a water dispersant, stabilizers can have secondary actions in some cases but basically they are not solvents & dispersants .

bertsmobile1 said:

The things that determine which works best for you are so variable it is not funny
I really can not be bothered to type out 40 things which will determine if you need a sabilizer or not
In most cases they do nothing beneficial .
They don't do any harm either other than to lighten you wallet & increase the exhaust pollution.

As for cleaning out varnish deposits none will actually do that.
Injector cleaner is what you use and even then it is hit & miss at best
My workshop is 500 yards away from the landlords house, across the small paddock.
He is 30 foot higher than me
In high summer his fuel will go off in 2 weeks while mine will be fine for several months .
Same fuel from the same pump filled at the same time .

Click to expand...

Friends of mine that actually make gasoline say winter gas is more likely to go bad over time than "summer blend" gasoline because it is more volatile to aid cold weather engine starting. 'Summer' gas will store better,BUT it's best to just NOT store any gasoline,just buy what you will be using soon. Run your OPE dry in the fall and buy fresh gas next spring. I'm only a half mile from an actual refinery .so my local gasoline is as fresh as it gets. I need to add, this refinery also supplies 100% gasoline-NO ethanol fuel added, to select stations in my area.

RyanHL said:

I know there's a big debate on this topic but wanted to know. What is the best Fuel stabilizer/ carb cleaner that you can dump in the gas tank? Something that actually works on cleaning varnish in the carb. I want to use it for lawn mowers and other small things. I heard Stabil, Seafoam, Mechanic in a bottle, etc. Wanting to know your opinion.

Click to expand...

My shop is in Reno at 4500' and we have CA gas. The ethanol is limited to 10% but the problem is, fuel stabilizers work on petroleum based products. We have seen an inability of ANY of the fuel stabilizers to perform as they once did here in the Reno/Tahoe area. Ethanol is hygroscopic meaning it sucks water out of the atmospheric environment of the fuel tanks an holds it. Fuel additives work on fuel, not solvents such as ethanol and water. We have gone to canned fuels on any non use condition over 45 days. BLM, USFS, NDF and CDF have all proven the efficacy of such over the past 3 years.