Posted by Clint Dixon [172.70.126.215] on Thursday, August 24, 2023 at 10:19:48 :
In Reply to: Re: Fuel pump failure, Pump Gas posted by Jerry in Idaho [172.68.2.97] on Thursday, August 24, 2023 at 01:12:26 :
The only time I have had any experience with bad gas was just last year. We bought a medium size self-propelled snowblower. Put our normal gas in it (normal being the cheapest we can find) with the proper mix of stabilizer. I used it twice that season and ran only a half tank of fuel through it, which I promptly topped off with the same cheap gas and stabilizer mix. (10% ethanol).
The following fall, the snowblower would not start. Being basically new, I took it back to be worked on. The said the gas had gone bad and gummed up the carb. (There is no way to drain the tank without turning the snowblower upside down). They cleaned it and said I needed to go down the road to the distributor and buy the best they had. I went down and spent over $5.00 per gallon for 93 octane with no Ethanol. At the time, that was twice what I would have paid for the usual gasoline I buy. I again added stabilizer to the new gas.
Last season I ran the snowblower once and again topped off the tank with the expensive mix of gas and stabilizer.
This spring I thought I would get smart and run the snowblower to get some "fresh" gas into the carb. It would not start. So this time I tore the whole thing apart. It is kind of like working on a new vehicle - way more complicated than it needs to be. I cleaned the carb and built my own custom drain/shutoff valve and hose between the tank and carb. Started it right up, turned off the fuel, and ran it until it stopped.
We will see what happens here in a couple of months.
Right after I did this, I went to the generator which had been sitting full of gas for about 6-months (the good old cheap stuff with stabilizer). It started right up. I then went to my 1983 Stihl chainsaw, which had been sitting for over a year with gas in the tank. (It has been so long I don't know if it has stabilizer in it or not, but it is premix). It started right up.
So the whole time I am fiddling with all of this, I was think of your past comments about Ethanol gasoline problems. I though, "Boy Jerry is right. It has finally caught up with me." Don't think I am going to buy anymore of that 93 octane rich man's gas anytime soon though. It is probably over $6.00 per gallon now.
Whenever I have gas that is a few years old and I think it may be questionable, I pour it all in the Power-Wagon tanks.
;^)
Junior
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