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Login to post Forums » Grassroots Motorsports » Looks like gasoline, smells like gasoline, not gasoline

April 22, 2009 12:51 p.m. foxtrapper SuperDork

Interesting time Monday getting some lawn equipment going. None of them would start. Going through the first one I found the usual jelly in the carburetor and the rust on the steel parts. But the gas in the tank was fresh, from a seperate fuel can. OK. Blasted thing won't start.

Little more investigation and I zero it down to either the gas is no good, or I didn't do the carburetor right. I know I did the carburetor right, so get a new can of gas. Put some in, prime the engine, and it fires up on the first pull.

Interesting, the bad gas still looked fine, and still very much smelled like gasoline. But it absolutely would not fire in the engine.

These theatrics with mini engines has me very interested in those new propane powered lawn trimmers and such.
April 22, 2009 1:27 p.m. Ian F Reader

I have an agreement with 2-stroke engines... I hate them and they hate me...

Fortunately, my lawn mower has a 4-stroke engine... and seems to always start no matter how much I neglect it...
April 22, 2009 1:34 p.m. neon4891 SuperDork

i have to get my husqavarna rider back up for the season, hope the fuel stabilizer did the trick
April 22, 2009 1:40 p.m. Feedyurhed Reader

Hate to sound like a commercial but I put fuel stabilizer in the bigger ones (riding mower, push mower etc.) and empty out/run dry the smaller ones (chain saw, weed wacker etc.). They all start like not a single day has passed. The push mower fired on the first pull after six months and that usually takes two pulls on a good day.
April 22, 2009 1:48 p.m. Trans_Maro Reader

My shop services lawn and garden equipment.

New machinery (made in the last two or three years) HATES gas that is the least bit stale.

Carburetors are being jetted tighter and tighter to meet the new emissions standards for small engines.

Husqvarna's new engines have 2-barrel carbs and some saws even have catalytic convertors to meet emissions.

Shawn
April 22, 2009 2:02 p.m. P71 Dork

I bought my mower over 3 years ago and it was still on the same gallon of gas...

It was almost empty when I put it away for the winter so all it took was a fill up and it almost fired on the first pull. Good little Briggs & Stratton 4-stroke.
April 22, 2009 2:27 p.m. Woody Dork

The fuel in my weedwacker was emptied at the end of last season, but when I went to start it this weekend, the in-tank fuel filter looked like it had been dipped in clear epoxy.
April 22, 2009 2:29 p.m. zipty842 New Reader

Trans_Maro wrote: Husqvarna's new engines have 2-barrel carbs and some saws even have catalytic convertors to meet emissions.

its not exactly a 2 barrel, the 2nd opening just lets fresh air fill the top of the transfer ports for cleaner scaveging.
April 22, 2009 3:02 p.m. Keith SuperDork

Had a similar experience. Poured gas from the jerry can into the empty lawnmower, it wouldn't fire. Dumped it, put in a bit of fresh gas and some toluene and it was happy. The stuff in the jerry can looked good and smelled good, but was from last fall.

The Land Rover would have run on it, no problem. Fussy little engine.
April 22, 2009 3:04 p.m. Wally SuperDork

Woody wrote:

The fuel in my weedwacker was emptied at the end of last season, but when I went to start it this weekend, the in-tank fuel filter looked like it had been dipped in clear epoxy.

I had the same problem with my leaf blower, the guy at the shop said he's seen more of it with the ethinol blend gas.
April 22, 2009 3:44 p.m. foxtrapper SuperDork

The carburetor jelly didn't surprise me. It was the deceptive gasoline in the jerry can. It looked fine, smelled fine, but wouldn't run. Not at all.

I'm sure part of the problem is the extreme lean jetting of todays carburetors. If nothing else, just look at how long you find yourself yanking the string to start the engine.

But I also think a fair bit is the gasoline today. When I got my current Spitfire it came with a full tank of gas from the late 1980's. When I popped the cap on the tank it just about bowled me over from the fumes. I'd forgotten just how pungent and strong gasoline used to be. For that stuff was not varnished at all, it was just overwhelmingly gasoline. Far more a gasoline than even the freshest stuff is today.
April 22, 2009 3:45 p.m. blaze86vic Reader

As soon as I put the ethanol fuel in my push mower it wouldn't stay running. It wouldn't start at all, unless I pumped the primer like 10 or more times. Then it would start and within 1-2 seconds die. So I determined that the fuel was so useless in these low compression engines that it was just running way too lean. Being a fairly new push mower, nothing is adjustable, so I bolted a restrictor plate right in front of the intake behind the filter that restricted the air flow some. A little fine tune adjustment (bending plate closer or farther from opening) and got it running great again. I also bumped the governor up a good bit to compensate for the restricted intake (or maybe just so I didn't have to slow down for the 2 foot tall clump of weeds
April 22, 2009 3:55 p.m. thatsnowinnebago HalfDork

My goped started right up after not having been run in who knows how long and it still manages to scare me when I ride it.
April 22, 2009 6:42 p.m. petegossett Dork

When I parted/salvaged a '78 924 several years ago, I poured the old gas on my burn pile to help get it started. It snuffed out the flame it was so old.
April 22, 2009 6:57 p.m. foxtrapper SuperDork

Ah, thanks for the lightbulb moment Blaze. I had never put it together that way. Lots of equipment these days I find has to run with the choke slightly on. Hadn't considered the dilution of the gasoline with ethanol as a contributing factor.
April 22, 2009 8:53 p.m. mith612 New Reader

petegossett wrote:

When I parted/salvaged a '78 924 several years ago, I poured the old gas on my burn pile to help get it started. It snuffed out the flame it was so old.

When I pulled the fuel tank to my 71 Opel today, I discovered there was a good three or so gallons of gas in there, presumably from when it was last on the road in 1998. What am I supposed to do with the stuff, as it can't possibly be useable in even the lawnmower anymore?
April 22, 2009 10:00 p.m. Tyler H Dork

mith612 wrote:

petegossett wrote:

When I parted/salvaged a '78 924 several years ago, I poured the old gas on my burn pile to help get it started. It snuffed out the flame it was so old.

When I pulled the fuel tank to my 71 Opel today, I discovered there was a good three or so gallons of gas in there, presumably from when it was last on the road in 1998. What am I supposed to do with the stuff, as it can't possibly be useable in even the lawnmower anymore?

Considering that gas was $.80/gal here in 1998, I'd say you write off the $2.40 and dump it on some weeds in your driveway or something. :)
April 22, 2009 11:35 p.m. HappyAndy Reader

Keith wrote:

The Land Rover would have run on it, no problem..

yeah, the older ones will run on mud
April 23, 2009 7:28 a.m. 924guy HalfDork

well, that explains why my weed wacker wont run unless the choke is on halfway, and here i was blaming the equipment...
April 23, 2009 7:34 a.m. SoloSonett Reader

modern pump "gasoline " sucks

Mix your own!
April 23, 2009 7:50 a.m. RossD Reader

I siphoned out some old gas out of my capri when I got it and just a pint or two came out into the bucket. I put the bucket with the lid just sitting on top of it out on the driveway. It's slowly evaporating away but I had to yell at a friend of mine that almost threw a cig butt in there.
April 24, 2009 8:07 p.m. MA2LA New Reader

Reading this thread makes me dread tomarrow, My dad never winterizes or does anything to his stuff when hes done with it so its always a day of striping down carbs and cleaning.. yippy

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