Treating gas for a snowblower


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Old 12-08-02, 02:45 PM
R
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Question Treating gas for a snowblower

I have a 2001 Ariens 824 with the 8HP Tecumseh engine. I have been using fresh 93 octane gas with StaBil at the recommended dosage. I do not filter the gas when I pour it into the snow blower with anything. What do you recommend in order to minimize carburetor problems with these types of engines?
 
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Old 12-08-02, 06:07 PM
Joe_F
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93 octane is a waste for a small engine that doesn't require it.

It's a waste in CARS that don't require it (most don't ).

As I recall, my coworker has your exact machine and we were discussing this the other day.

At the end of each season he drains the tank and shuts the petcock off at the tank. Then he starts it and runs it dry till it stalls. Nothing in there to varnish .

I looked at an old Ariens (circa 1972 or so) that had Stabill in it. The tank looked clean--but it had been serviced by the small engine dealer here recently--who knows what it looked like.

That guy used Stabil in it. I couldn't get him to budge from 300 bucks to 200 for the machine though . Unfortunately, the "reconditioning" that he was told was done to the engine was nothing more than a servicing of it and a tune up

BIG difference!
 
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Old 12-08-02, 07:45 PM
Tcumcman
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Water Filters

Richard,

Came across this product a couple of years ago. IT WORKS !!
It's a water seperator funnel you pour your gas through into
your equipment. The water stays in the funnel and the fuel
will pass on through into your fuel tank. Water in fuel is a
common occurence with snow blowers, and this might help
you out if you're using a snowblower pretty often.

www.mrfunnel.net

Tcumcman
 
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Old 12-09-02, 10:10 AM
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I agree with Joe_F's post, but add the following. At the end of the season, I run dry, remove the bowl, and then spray the carb inside and out with carb cleaner. This removes any varnish that may have accumulated, and also dislodges most fine particles.

Hold a paper towel under the high-speed venturi while you spray down the throat: you'd be surprised just how much yellow comes out.
 
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Old 12-09-02, 02:00 PM
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Question Draining vs. running all summer

I run the snowblower once a week during the off-season. Would this keep the carburetor in equivalently clean condition versus draining and cleaning the carburetor at the end of the season?
 
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Old 12-09-02, 04:56 PM
Tcumcman
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Richard,

You'd be better off draining the fuel system at the end of the
snow season vs. keeping fuel in there. Even using a fuel
stabilizer is NO GUARANTEE that a resin, varnish won't
accumulate when the fuel sits for months between use, OR...
allowed to just stay in the fuel system year round. Drain it,
clean the bowl and put FRESH fuel back in the next time you
intend on using the machine. Just my...HO

Tcumcman
 
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Old 12-10-02, 04:26 AM
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I agree with Tcumcman. Run it dry, clean it, then store it. The last thing you want to do is troubleshoot an engine when it is 5 degrees.
 
 

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