Being lazy worked, this time at least
BobJudy
Member Posts: 6,630 ✭✭✭✭
The weather around here has been some rain about every other day for the last couple of weeks. Wednesday, I finally got some mowing done before the rain predicted again for the afternoon. I have some spots the riding mower won't reach so they require a string trimmer and a walk behind. Got the trimming done and got out the walk behind and it wouldn't start. This is a 3 year old TroyBilt that has worked flawlessly in the past. Starting fluid got it to start right up but it would only run 30 seconds and then die. Pulled the plug and it was dry as a bone, indicating no gas flow. Fuel filter is in the tank and a pain to get to, and the bowl mounted where I can't get to it without major disassembly. Started to rain and I just shoved everything back in that garage to work on later. Yesterday, I went back out and tried starting it again with the same results. Noticed a can of SeaFoam on the shelf and figured, why not? Dumped all but about a pint of gas from the tank and added about 1/2 cup of SeaFoam. Rocked the mower back and forth to mix it up and ran it twice with the starting fluid and let it set for 24 hours. Figured it probably wasn't going to work but I'd only be out a few ounces of SeaFoam and a little gas. I went out this morning all prepared to tear everything apart to clean out the fuel system but to my surprise it started right up. Smoked for about 20 seconds and then that cleared up and it ran like a champ. Added fresh gas and got about 20 minutes of mowing in and it ran great. Not sure why it was plugged up because I ran it dry last year and have only used fresh gas this year. I sure got lucky with the easy fix, maybe I should buy a lottery ticket! Bob
Comments
Sea Foam is great stuff. So is starting fluid.
Glad it worked out.
Stabil is awesome too! I put stabil in EVERYTHING that sits over winter and things that are used seldom. Never have gas go bad again, well at least not for a couple years. Also never use corn gas in small motors.
Seafoam is good stuff too. Put some in your vacuum system on the car/truck. Let it sit for 10 mins. Then drive it like you stole it! Make sure to be in the country with little traffic, it will create a smoke screen that would make 007 jealous. 😁
luckier than me, I drained mine last year then started it and let it run dry. couldn't get it to start this spring took the float bowl off and it was full of white powder like battery terminal. put a new $13 chinese carberator on it and its up and running again....
love those chinese carbs. used to spend hours and hours cleaning and rebuilding a carb, now just get a new one.
I quest I must approach gasoline engines a little different. I have drained tank an engines in the past and had trouble. Have had friends use stabilizers and made small engine mechanics rich. For the last thirty years when storing engine for winter or long periods of time, I use high octane fuel and keep the fuel tank topped off. It’s the water from condensation that builds up in your tank that destroys gasoline. By keeping the tank empty more condensation builds up in the tank, lines and carburetor. One advantage to 10% alcohol fuel is alcohol displaces water.
That white powder is corrosion caused by alcohol in the gas. Myself, I do not drain my fuel systems. All gas I store in cans is 92 octane non-ethanol gas. As soon as I get it home it gets 2oz of Sta-Bil per 5 gallons. Although I try to run all the small engines every year, I have generators that have set for as much as three years, and they start/run just fine.
The real lazy man would just hire someone else to do it.
And fiery auto crashes
Some will die in hot pursuit
While sifting through my ashes
Some will fall in love with life
And drink it from a fountain
That is pouring like an avalanche
Coming down the mountain
Nope, the nearest phone to call someone else was at least 50 feet away and the SeaFoam was only an arms length away sitting on the shelf. Walk 50 vs reach 3. I've got lazy down to a fine art.😆 Bob
What was all this talk about string trimming and trying to get a mower started? Sounds like work.
And fiery auto crashes
Some will die in hot pursuit
While sifting through my ashes
Some will fall in love with life
And drink it from a fountain
That is pouring like an avalanche
Coming down the mountain
A real lazy man would have just bought a new mower and hired someone to cut
We all have our occasional bouts of insanity, but I didn't let that mowing get in the way of my afternoon nap. That's called keeping my priorities straight.😁 Bob
I started mowing at 11:00 this morning, took a break for dinner, then went back at it. Just finished up a few minutes ago. At least I was sitting and had the air conditioning on.
Joe
I use pure, non alcohol gas in all of my mowers, 4 wheeler, and boat.
Also I use Star tron . Better than Stabil or Seafoam.
Its a game changer!