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Soundchasr · Feb 6, 2012, 02:21 PM

I have a craftsman snow blower. It wouldn't start this winter. I read here to take the carb apart and clean it. So, I did that and then it started right up. How do I prevent this from happening again. I don't want to clean the carb every few months.

Thanks!

DG · Feb 7, 2012, 05:17 PM

Run it dry of fuel after last use.

smoothy · Feb 7, 2012, 05:42 PM

I'm with DG... there is no better way than that... I've got stuf that's made it 20 years doing that and still run great.

Soundchasr · Feb 8, 2012, 08:21 AM

I'm sure that works but after every snowfall I'm supposed to run it out of gas? We might have a month between hard snowfall. I'd really have to let it run out each time I use it? Doesn't this seem sort of strange?

smoothy · Feb 8, 2012, 08:28 AM

Gas doesn't go bad and gum up after a month... but it certainly will after 6 months. And unles you live above the artic circle, that snowblower only sees a couple month widow from the first to the last use of the year. That's when you run it dry and keep it free of gas until the next season.

Soundchasr · Feb 8, 2012, 08:30 AM

Ok, thanks. No additives that would help?

smoothy · Feb 8, 2012, 08:34 AM

None for long term storage I would recommend... but for the can of fuel you use in it... mix a half a can of seafoam or BG-44K, and put the other half in your car. That should clean up the deposits you do have pretty good. Those are the only two fuel treatments I will use... the others are a waste of money. BG-44K is the better of the two by far, but it costs almost 3 times as much.

What you don't use in the snowblower you can use in the lawnmower.

I've done this with TWO motorcycles I keep in storage overseas I use every year on vacation... I'm not had to take either carb apart to clean it in the 20 years I've done that...

creahands · Feb 8, 2012, 08:35 AM

Put in gas stabilizer. Can get it at your local auto supply store. This will keep gas good for up to a year. It is also a cleaner for fuel system.

I use it in all my equipment and motorcycle. Since using it have not had problem with starting.

Chuck

Soundchasr · Feb 8, 2012, 08:37 AM

Excellent! That's what I was hoping. Thanks.

DG · Feb 9, 2012, 05:35 PM

That's not real good advise , with all the additives that's in fuel .stabilizer will not keep fuel from going bad.
Luck

ballengerb1 · Feb 9, 2012, 05:42 PM

I agree with DG especially if your gas is 10% ethanol like in our area. I actually drive out of my way once in a while to Ilowa to get gas with no ethanol.

creahands · Feb 10, 2012, 12:32 AM

I've been using a stabilizer for over 5 years and have not had any trouble yet. Started first in my bike and extended it to my other gas operated tools.Before even when I ran tanks dry I would have to work on carburetors at beginning of season. Since using the stabilizer I have not had to do this.

Use it in my generator and only use it 2 or 3 times a year. Starts every time on second or third pull.

Chuck

smoothy · Feb 10, 2012, 05:56 AM

I've been running and storing my TWO motorcycles dry, that sit 11 months a year. I've done that for 20 years and have had ZERO problems... even with additives fuel goes bad... and read the lable on those additives... most of those are meant for items like cars and boats with built in fuel tanks that can't be drained. And even then some of those recommend the stale fuel with the additives be removed rather than used.

And with the 10% ethenol fuel most of us are stuck with... you have a large degree of WATER that is absorbed out of the air by the ethenol that will slowly damage the carb.

Fuel stabilizers don't perform magic. In fact they can't stop fuel degradation.. they only slow it down some. Old fuel is still old fuel... its crap, staiblizer or not... its chemically crap beyond 6 months. Heck what passes as Gasoline these days is still crap when its fresh. I think it's the lazy way out of putting something in storage rather than taking the minutes needed to drain the tank and run it dry for a proper and safe long term storage.

I get ALL my lawn equipment from people that don't do like I said. 14 years I haven't bought anything yet, and I have a Chipper shreader, 3 self propelled lawnmowers, one an electric start, two lawn tractors, and two generators, and a lawn vac.

All in great shape and all set out to the curb for trash with gummed up carbs. Didn't spend more than 10 minutes fixing any of them...