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I was always told to drain the carb (close the gas valve and run until it stalls), prior to storage. I believe most manufacturers
recommend this. However, when I was looking around on the Stabil site, they recommend keeping the carb fuel bowl filled. What they say seems to make sense, so now I'm confused...:confused2:.

What do you guys think? Here's the link.

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(not sure about the link title, but it does work)

Drain the gas!!! I used to be a big Stabil guy, but with today's ethanol fuels I now recommend draining both the carb bowl and the tank. As I tell my customers, ethanol is an alcohol, alcohol attracts water, water attracts corrosion and corrosion puts money in my pocket. The little gas you might lose is cheap insurance. Drain everything.

The thought process on the leave stabilized fuel in the unit is supposed to be to prevent things from drying out. This could cause leaks come spring or other problems. I run Stabil year round and avoid ethanol if at all possible and keep fuel fresh but when its time to put away I run them dry.

possum said:

The thought process on the leave stabilized fuel in the unit is supposed to be to prevent things from drying out. This could cause leaks come spring or other problems. I run Stabil year round and avoid ethanol if at all possible and keep fuel fresh but when its time to put away I run them dry.

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That sounds like a plan to me....Thanks!
Bruce

Brucebotti said:

That sounds like a plan to me....Thanks!
Bruce

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I've heard both suggestions(one on StaBil website as well as draining system). My Kawasaki engine manual gives the "draining the system" instructions for engine storage more than 30 days and I would lean towards that advice.

djdicetn said:

I've heard both suggestions(one on StaBil website as well as draining system). My Kawasaki engine manual gives the "draining the system" instructions for engine storage more than 30 days and I would lean towards that advice.

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Mine says the same thing. I'm just wondering though, if we have the electric fuel shut off, how do we run out the carb? Most likely there's a drain in the carb bowl (I hope).
Bruce

Brucebotti said:

I was always told to drain the carb (close the gas valve and run until it stalls), prior to storage. I believe most manufacturers
recommend this. However, when I was looking around on the Stabil site, they recommend keeping the carb fuel bowl filled. What they say seems to make sense, so now I'm confused...:confused2:.

What do you guys think? Here's the link.

Deprecated Browser Error

(not sure about the link title, but it does work)

Click to expand...

My Dad would always fill the fuel tank to the top, his reasoning was There can be no air, water or any other gunk if gas is filling the tank to the top. It's worked so far. 17 year old john deere still starts first pull and runs like a dream.

Aaron

Brucebotti said:

Mine says the same thing. I'm just wondering though, if we have the electric fuel shut off, how do we run out the carb? Most likely there's a drain in the carb bowl (I hope).
Bruce

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I use stabil in the gas and i always run the carb dry and leave gas in the gas tank. Doing this for 25 years on the lawnmowers and snowblower.

impalass said:

I use stabil in the gas and i always run the carb dry and leave gas in the gas tank. Doing this for 25 years on the lawnmowers and snowblower.

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That's been my approach as well(as well as using non-ethanol mid-grade gas). I always "double" the Stabil in the last tank fill-ups of the season, and make sure they are full. Now that I have a ZTR with two tanks, I may consider not re-filling one of them and leaving it empty but not sure why or what difference one would make:0)

I see a Lot of You use Non Ethanol gas, I do also, to bad its not made available in all parts of the country, I use the Blue Stabil, I think it is the marine grade, I don't use ethanol gas in anything other than my truck & car, for 10 years of so I have added 2 oz. of marvel misty oil, & 1 oz of the blue stabil to each 5 gal can before I go fill them up, all my 4 cycle stuff gets this mixture, I never have a fuel problem, and I don't drain anything, if a piece of equipment has been setting for 3 or so mo. I add a couple oz. of Sea Foam to the gas tank to wake it up,

I've only been a home owner for three years now, so I havn't had my own power equipment for that long, but every year I have just added stabil (the red stuff) to my equipment at the end of the season, run it for about 5mins. and that's it. Haven't had any issues yet. However, I also run some sea foam in my gas all year round, and a splash of outboard 2stroke oil as well, so that may be helping too. I've always been afraid to run the carb dry, thinking that your never going to get every drop of gas out of the carb, and any air that gets in there over the winter might help accelerate the varnish process. And unfortunately, the closest gas station with non-ethanol gas is about 30mins. from my house, so it doesn't pay to run that stuff either.