# Lawn Mower



## 1985gt (Jan 8, 2011)

I always run stabil in my gas for the mower. I tend to not drain them over the winter, and I also use ethanol fuel. So pretty much what everyone says not to do I do, yet they still start every spring.

If I had problems like you do, I would drain the fuel and use a non ethanol fuel. Still keep stabil in the gas cans.


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## WyrTwister (Jul 22, 2013)

I have read that the alcohol in the gas is not good for engines . The smaller the engine , the more problems .

I try to remember , the last time I use the mower or weed eater , for the season , to completely run the engine out of gas . 

Any left over gas in the gas can gets used for other purposes .

Then , usually a new spark plug and new gas at the start of the next season . Change the oil & new air filter ( if needed ) .

God Bless
Wyr


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## Ron6519 (Mar 28, 2007)

Fresh regular gas is fine. At the end of the season I drain the tank and then run it until all the gas in the tank is gone.
I then empty the float bowl under the carb.
No gas, no fouled carb needles.


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## kars85 (Jul 22, 2015)

Take the bowl off the carb and see if any crud is in there before completely disassembling to clean the needle. You might also benefit from an external fuel filter, some mowers have an "internal" filter right inside the gas line where it enters the bottom of the tank, so be sure and remove that.


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## bote110 (Oct 7, 2012)

Will using High Octane Gas work better? Or is there a additive that burn off anything in the carb. I found this Star Tron Enzyme Fuel Treatment an going to try it this year for all my small motor's ,have any one try this? I fig. this with high octane gas should work.
http://www.starbrite.com/item/star-tron-gasoline-additive?category_id=586


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## Windows on Wash (Aug 30, 2011)

Easier to pull the carb and clean it. You will get more dependable results.


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## Brainbucket (Mar 30, 2015)

regular gas only. with sabil if ya want. take carb off. take bowl off. take float off with needle on it. clean with carb cleaner in a spray can the needle seat and needle. clean out bowl with carb cleaner. put float with needle back in. hold carb level and blow through with mouth not shop air where the gas comes in. if you can blow through it, then gentley push up on the float until it stops. don't force it. air should stop flowing. that is how it works. stop the gas flow when not needed. once you do that, reinstall everthing. turn on gas. wait a few mins as to see if there are leaks or it over flows. on the high octane gas. regular burns quicker than high octane. the higher the octane, slower the burn. lawn mowers are disigned for reg gas. I had an old push mower that always gave me trouble. I was out of gas in the shop but I had racing fuel there. So smart me put some in that mower. man it was a power house. it mowed high grass like it was nothing. but when I was done, it locked up. I was wondering what happened to it so I tore it down and the piston was melted. awsome.:thumbup:


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## rjniles (Feb 5, 2007)

I use only non ethanol gas in all my small engines. You can usually find it a marina.

I find the best carb cleaner is "Sea Foam".


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## Ron6519 (Mar 28, 2007)

rjniles said:


> I use only non ethanol gas in all my small engines. You can usually find it a marina.
> 
> I find the best carb cleaner is "Sea Foam".


They also sell the non ethanol gas in the big box stores. They also sell premixed 2 stroke gas.


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## 47_47 (Sep 11, 2007)

I run super unleaded (~92 octane) in mine. Most super around here doesn't contain ethanol and is cheaper and more convenient than marina gas. Octane is no where near as high as race gas and no issues.


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## NickTheGreat (Jul 25, 2014)

I just do stabil in my mower and snowblower. That way I can leave it off after last use, and I'm protected.

I don't really see how the higher Octane would benefit you in a small engine. I'd say it isn't much benefit in many cars, unless the engine was designed in such a way to require it.


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## 47_47 (Sep 11, 2007)

It's the ethanol in the fuel that causes the problems. I use the higher octane, because it doesn't have ethanol. 

I also don't bother with the seafoam, stabil... I just run it dry (like we used to) after the season and it starts right up the next year.


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## Brainbucket (Mar 30, 2015)

rjniles said:


> I use only non ethanol gas in all my small engines. You can usually find it a marina.
> 
> I find the best carb cleaner is "Sea Foam".


B12 or X66 here:thumbsup:


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## 1985gt (Jan 8, 2011)

It's kind of funny I've never had a problem with ethanol fuel and leaving it sit over the winter, in any of my small engine or the ones on equipment at the shop. I had a lawn mower an el cheapo from menards I bought when my wife and I first got married since we recently just moved in to a house. I had that stupid mower up until last year. 14 years of never draining the gas, using the cheapest fuel possible (ethanol) and I bet I averaged changing the oil every other year. It never died. I did put a spark plug and air filter in about every other year also.... Oh and one year my brother in-law decided to mow for me. It was a Saturday and I was at work. My wife calls and tells me he ran out of gas and he filled it up, and that it was smoking from the exhaust. It clicked and He said yeah I used the blue jug over there. Good ol' #1 Kerosene. I said well see if it keeps going, and let me know if I need to buy a new one on my way home from work.


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## SPS-1 (Oct 21, 2008)

47_47 said:


> Most super around here doesn't contain ethanol


That's pretty rare. Ethanol is commonly used to raise octane.


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## WyrTwister (Jul 22, 2013)

Ethanol is a subsidy to the corn farmers .

Just about all of our gasoline is 10% .

God bless
Wyr


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## paintdrying (Jul 13, 2012)

my lawn mower mechanic is telling me stabilizers do not work anymore. He may be on to something because this year my mower would not start. The needle was stuck. 
I tore into my leaf blower and it was junked up after the third year. My other leaf blower is from 1972. I will be so happy when battery powered is the most powerful equipment


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## Brainbucket (Mar 30, 2015)

SPS-1 said:


> That's pretty rare. Ethanol is commonly used to raise octane.


Hmmm I don't think so. It is an additive to "help with the pollution coming out of the tail pipe" or so they say. I had a motor home come in with a bad running problem. 440 with a carb. I took me a while to zero in on the problem. It would run but like it had a big vacuum leak. Drape a rag on top of the carb and it would run like a top. Pull rag off and it would go to running bad. Smoked the vacuum system. No leaks. Finally took a fuel sample and it turned out it was pure Ethanol. Put good fuel in it and problem solved. So if it was added to boost octane, then it should have ran good, which it didn't. IMHO it adds to the "coking' (not choking) of the intake system which makes gas mileage and performance go down. When I flush fuel injectors, I also run the flush through the intake system to clean out the crap that builds up in there. Cars love it. It makes it run great. I've had customers come back and say "What have you done to my car?" I go "What do you mean?" They say "It has never ran like this. WOW it's got power now." Yep. Corn for fuel. Good idea. NOT!!!


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## Marqed97 (Mar 19, 2011)

Every gas station in my area sells regular 87 and 89 octane that contain up to 10% ethanol, then every station also has 91 (or 93) octane non-ethanol non-oxygenated on every pump. The label on the higher octane specifically states that it is for "Off-road engines, small engines, and/or collector vehicles only". 

The city garage I work for uses only 91/93 non-ethanol gasoline for all of our small engines. We had previous issues with fuel stability over long periods and seal deterioration due to the ethanol. 

Plus the fact that ethanol contains much less energy by volume than regular gasoline...I'd rather have my lawn mower achieve all of it's rated horsepower than even slightly less.


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