Always treat my fuel with Sta-Bil and last week decided to start my generator to ensure readiness.. Generator would not run then the pull cord snapped followed by the recoil spring breaking and found a clearish gel in my carburetor fuel bowl followed by a leaking carburetor bowl gasket.. Other than this it was great lol.. Cleaned out the bowl and flushed out the carb and removed the jet and cleaned and blew that out. Removed the recoiler and noticed a nut securing the fan wheel on and decided to use a 24mm deep socket on my 7.5 amp electric drill and cranked the engine until it started.. While I let the generator run I went down cellar and managed to cut the recoil spring and cut back the pull cord and that was working again after an hour or so. In the process of removing and replacing the carb bowl the gasket got mangled. It is damm near impossible to install this gasket without it falling off! I designed and 3D printed a gasket using TPU (thermoplastic polyurethane) that fits onto the bowl side with a locating lip to keep it centered on the bowl and this worked like a charm and made it easy to reinstall. At the advice of a small engine mechanic I am switching to Startron enzyme fuel treatment because Sta-Bil let me down. He swears by it! Attached is the old gasket and the new one I created.
This ^ ^ ^! Sta-Bil doesn't deal with the ethanol...unless you buy the specific ethanol formula Sta-bil...which is kinda hard to find.
I’ll stop, sorry. I’ve been very lucky to never have any of these types of problems. I store my equipment indoors, store fuel indoors, treat all fuel with stabil, and it all just works. I guess it’s just luck and superstition.
Anybody ever accidentally get against the spark plug on one of those old Briggs engines that didn't have a rubber spark plug cap? Hate to be slapping one of those tanks and miss!
Ive been zapped on spark plug wires, my hands of course, and ever since then I refused to “kill” the Briggs engines with that little metal tab on the spark plug that you were supposed to push down to ground the spark. Always poked it with a stick.
i don’t want to hurt the feelings of people that really believe in the various superstitions. It’s like a religion to some folks.
My chainsaws and Weedeater and blower use Trufuel and I store them full. Never a problem. The generator, log splitter and outboards all get E- free and Stabil. I store them full but pull them out about once a month and run them til hot. I put the outboards in gear when running to wet all the seals and coat the gears. Everything but the big outboard are stored inside.
I always run 100% gas, no alcohol in everything. I don't run anything dry. The main issue I have is keeping the batteries up on everything. I try to remember to start everything a few times during the off season and run it a while, this helps. But, I better check my weedeater and leaf blower, as I have not run them for months. I might be in trouble there, I don't know. I do know I have a motorcycle battery that's dead and my welder battery tends to run down on me, if I am not using it much, but both batteries are old.
Super cheap battery tenders are available at harbor freight. I have my mower on one all year. Hope they’re okay. So far so good.
I don't have any yard tools with batteries - well not true, but those are Ryobi one+ where I keep the batteries in the house anyway and used them for several different tools. But my bike is on a battery tender. I put a new battery in it early last spring and want to keep it in good shape.
Some say they tend to overcharge.. Might want to check the charge voltage.. I take my rider mower battery in for the winter...
The cheap ones can...I use the Battery Tender brand for that reason...nothing like the process of keeping your battery from going bad, making your battery go bad!
For my bike, went with the HD tender - yeah, more money but they are definitely meant to go with the battery I have.
I'm sure its a good one if they are selling it under their name...probably the same as mine with a different label.
