Carb flooding no matter what I do...

[MowManMow]

It's maybe not necessary to add this,but just recently my 4 stroke outboard Yamaha was flooding over just as this instance here. Sometimes flood over,sometimes not. A very experienced engine(I thought I was @ 72!) mechanic told me to always run the carb dry to keep the needle tip away from the seat. Keeping the carb bowl full for weeks on end will 'ring' the rubber tip,resulting in possible not sealing properly,resulting in the intermittent overflow. He said I didn't need a kit,just a needle and bowl gasket. End of story,this fixed the intermittent overflow issue.

Well' fwiw,
Between 1976 till about 2011/13?? all my Wheel Horses (3) Kohlers and my (2) Snapper self propels with Briggs sat all winter long with fuel in their carbs. Within a year or two after Ethanol going to 10% "all" of their needle/seats had been upgraded to the newer versions that withstand the ethanol fuel.
Since then I run my tractors dry and use Sta-bil too when stored over a month even. I had never changed even one needle/seat in over 3 decades and never ran one dry. I never once experienced fuel in my oil, not one carb issue at all, not even a slow start in over 30 springs, but then the fuel corps added crapolla to all our fuels and so it all began.

I ran Ethanol free pump fuel until it got impossible to locate around here. Buying it off the shelf now would actually cost me more than replacing the entire carbs on them every spring mowing over 2.5 acres. Besides, I've had no issues at all since upgrading all their needle/seats. I still wouldn't let one sit long with fuel in the carb.

The issue I've seen is the old rubber needle tips swell/deform with ethanol so they won't slide up/down inside the carb right or fit inside the seat to seal off the fuel as it should. Then the engine just fills up with fuel when it sits. I've personally seen a couple friends with gravity fed mowers (without fuel pumps) with bent/broken connecting rods because the cylinder was so full of fuel. One was a very nice older Deere with only 66hrs on it. The owner simply failed to check the oil level on their first spring startup or they'd noticed it was full of gas. They just hopped on their mower, started their engine and bam, got a very rude awakening!
Then called me wanting to know whats wrong with their mower?
Answer: Sadly, in the end its the mowers owner.

 

[Scrubcadet10]

some people get smart and put their mower key on a chain, and loop it to where you have to remove the engine oil dipstick to get the key to start it.

 

[slomo]

some people get smart and put their mower key on a chain, and loop it to where you have to remove the engine oil dipstick to get the key to start it.

Sounds like the US Army. Dummy cording everything so not to lose gear.

Takes all of 34 seconds to check the oil prior to mowing. Takes me longer as I need my glasses to see my shiny clean and clear Supertech SG rated SAE30 oil.

slomo

 

[Scrubcadet10]

Sounds like the US Army. Dummy cording everything so not to lose gear.

Takes all of 34 seconds to check the oil prior to mowing. Takes me longer as I need my glasses to see my shiny clean and clear Supertech SG rated SAE30 oil.

slomo

That oil's junk.... ??

 

[SamB]

Well' fwiw,
Between 1976 till about 2011/13?? all my Wheel Horses (3) Kohlers and my (2) Snapper self propels with Briggs sat all winter long with fuel in their carbs. Within a year or two after Ethanol going to 10% "all" of their needle/seats had been upgraded to the newer versions that withstand the ethanol fuel.
Since then I run my tractors dry and use Sta-bil too when stored over a month even. I had never changed even one needle/seat in over 3 decades and never ran one dry. I never once experienced fuel in my oil, not one carb issue at all, not even a slow start in over 30 springs, but then the fuel corps added crapolla to all our fuels and so it all began.

I ran Ethanol free pump fuel until it got impossible to locate around here. Buying it off the shelf now would actually cost me more than replacing the entire carbs on them every spring mowing over 2.5 acres. Besides, I've had no issues at all since upgrading all their needle/seats. I still wouldn't let one sit long with fuel in the carb.

The issue I've seen is the old rubber needle tips swell/deform with ethanol so they won't slide up/down inside the carb right or fit inside the seat to seal off the fuel as it should. Then the engine just fills up with fuel when it sits. I've personally seen a couple friends with gravity fed mowers (without fuel pumps) with bent/broken connecting rods because the cylinder was so full of fuel. One was a very nice older Deere with only 66hrs on it. The owner simply failed to check the oil level on their first spring startup or they'd noticed it was full of gas. They just hopped on their mower, started their engine and bam, got a very rude awakening!
Then called me wanting to know whats wrong with their mower?
Answer: Sadly, in the end its the mowers owner.

I have to agree with every bit of this. My Yamaha 15hp 4 stroke is a 2000 model year engine. In the 20 years since new,I've never had an issue with the carb. This last year,the marina where my boat is berthed has been unable to get any fuel that wasn't at least 10% ethanol. I think that's the origin of my carb issues this Spring. While my new needle may be ethanol resistant, I'm still going to unplug the fuel line and run it dry from now on.

 

[slomo]

I'm going to unplug the fuel line and run it dry from now on.

I have trouble in the off season winter. Drain fuel tanks and carbs. Next season I have to replace fuel lines. Seem to dry out and get hard over the winter.

Run Stabil year round, never worry about it. First pulls nearly on all machines. ?????

slomo

 

[SamB]

I have trouble in the off season winter. Drain fuel tanks and carbs. Next season I have to replace fuel lines. Seem to dry out and get hard over the winter.

Run Stabil year round, never worry about it. First pulls nearly on all machines. ?????

slomo

I always mix in the required amount of Sta-bil per gallon just,well,just because of the crap we have to buy to burn in our equipment these days. The refinery near where I live has been producing ethanol-free gasoline for small engines and a few stations have it. It is super expensive per gallon,though. $4.00 or so a gallon. I do buy it for all my small gas equipment,trimmers and chain saws,etc.

 

[slomo]

It is super expensive per gallon,though. $4.00 or so a gallon

I bet thanks to Sleepy Joe Biden and the Democraps.

Gas was $1.69 a gal for E-10 in Oklahoma when Trump was in office. 100% gas was basically 2 bucks per gal.

Gas has doubled now Biden is sitting in the chair day-dreaming.

slomo

 

[Rivets]

You blame whom ever you like, but fuel increases aren‘t caused by one individual in the last year. Year ago we had 50% less drivers on the road due to the pandemic. We used less fuel so industry reduced production. Hurricane shut down refinery in the south, which is still down. All these things caused higher demand, plus Trump fueled people’s insecurity, with his ego and lies. Now this will get into politics, so I’ll stop as that is against the forum rules.

 

[slomo]

Year ago we had 50% less drivers on the road due to the pandemic. We used less fuel so industry reduced production.

Not here in Oklahoma. Most people here don't work at all. Everyday is like school is out and let's go driving around. Traffic is still high here no matter the time of day.

Guess all this free lunch program money and welfare cash, why get a real job? People are making more money off free government hand-outs than working.

Maybe at the start of covid there were less drivers out being super spreaders. Now it's masks off and party time.

slomo