dieseltruckdriver
Black Hills of SD
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Joined: 08/24/2005
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If your Honda is the same age as mine, and it sounds like it is, if you take the side cover off, there is a screw on the bottom of the carb that will drain the carb completely. The new fuel shut offs are nearly worthless in my opinion. Running an engine until it quits does not empty the carb of gas, it just gets the gas level low enough to no longer run, then the remaining gas can sit there and varnish things up.
Either drain the carb using the built in drain, or run it monthly to get fresh gas in the carb. I guess I don't see a need to do both. I run mine monthly, and always use Seafoam in premium gas, and that is all that my Hondas ever see. While I am kind of a fan (not a huge fan, but that is a different post) of ethanol, it isn't used in any of my small engines.
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Dave H M
IL
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2112 wrote:I ran my champion open frame generator about 4 years ago during Hurricane Harvey. Once I no longer needed it I drained the carb and fuel tank, blew them dry and stored it. I pulled it out this weekend for this Texas freeze mess going on. I filled the tank and it fired right up. It ran 80 hours non-stop without a hiccup. Once I no longer need it, I'll blow it out and store it until who knows when. Hopefully forever.
If I know I'm going to run it in the next few months,I do nothing. Just put it in storage.
Dang, I can't we both do the same thing with the same success.![[emoticon]](http://www.rv.net/sharedcontent/cfb/images/smile.gif "smile")
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wopachop
Who run bartertown
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I do both. Engines that are lubricated by oil dont like when all the oil has months or years to drip off the parts.
In terms of gas there is no ethonal free around here. Every couple months I add a gallon or 2 of fresh treated 91. Goal is to add just enough to exercise the genny.
I've even used a siphon hose down into the trailer gas tank to remove as much old gas as possible. I was able to get about 4 gallons of old gas out my tank after the generator turned off from lack of gas.
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profdant139
Southern California
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dieseltruckdriver, my trusty mechanic showed me that method for draining the carb, but only AFTER I had taken my generator in for expensive repairs a couple of times. He felt sorry for me, I think.
Based on the comments so far, I am thinking about always draining the carb after use (which I already do) and exercising the generator under load every few months, rather than every month (which is what I had been doing).
2012 Fun Finder X-139 "Boondock Style" (axle-flipped and extra insulation)
2013 Toyota Tacoma Off-Road (semi-beefy tires and components)
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jla956
Texas
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So, if you are using only Ethanol-free gas (E-87 from Murphy) then you don't have to worry about mixing it with Sta-Bil, or with varnish forming in the carb or fuel lines?
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Lynnmor
Red Lion
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Stabil was invented way before the harmful ethanol was dumped on us. It prevents the oxidation of the fuel that many call the varnish odor. Use ethanol free if it is convenient for you, don’t depend on brand suggestions, check the pump label.
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wopachop
Who run bartertown
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Stabil has addressed ethanol for many years now. Wonder which would be ideal for our trailers? I think they have 3 versions.
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Lynnmor
Red Lion
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wopachop wrote:Stabil has addressed ethanol for many years now. Wonder which would be ideal for our trailers? I think they have 3 versions.
Just use the Storage version to prevent the varnish formation. Gasoline additives are pretty much snake oil and are designed to remove deposits in your wallet. When you buy 10 gallons of E10, you get 9 gallons of gasoline and 1 gallon of ethanol, do you think a few ounces of snake oil will somehow make that gallon of ethanol go away?
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wa8yxm
Wherever I happen to park
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Generators are a special case....
We all know that if gasoline sits in a carbarator too long bad things happen. of course draining fixes that. Good for lawn mowers. Snow blowers, Cars, Trucks, Motorcycles, Cement mixers, apple presses, and _____ (every kind of engine)
BUT... Generators have other (Electronic) parts that also need exercise from time to time.. What I don't know is how often they need to flex their flexers.
But I'd recommend exercise.
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Sjm9911
New Jersey
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I usally drain my small gas engines, but be warned i did have a snowblower that the seals dried up and cracked. So , if they sit empty too long you can still run into problems. I do use stable and card cleaner in mine, easier to add to the fuel cans when getting gas. Does it work? I think it does. And in the end maybe thats all that matters.
2012 kz spree 220 ks
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