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Fuel shut off , What do you guys do?

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Spark
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Fuel shut off , What do you guys do?

Postby Spark » Sat Apr 23, 2005 8:15 am

Quite some time ago my carb float stuck and emptied the gas tank on my shop floor.
Since then I have always shut off the fuel at the bowl when Im done using my 54 cub.
I guess it's a good practice.
What do you guys do?
Should I run it till it stalls for lack of fuel or should that fuel be left in the carb?
How about over the winter when not used? Should it be run dry and left that way over the winter or should fuel be left in the carb?
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Postby Bigdog » Sat Apr 23, 2005 8:22 am

Sparky, if you are going to be using your cub again within a few days I wouldn't be too concerned about emptying the bowl, just shut the gas off. If you know you are going to be letting it set for a while, shut the fuel off and run it until it dies.
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Postby Dan England » Sat Apr 23, 2005 8:35 am

Sparky: I had a similar problem with fuel leakage plus a valve which allowed continued leakage when turned off. Rather than repair the valve, I installed an in-line valve near the carb. When I am through for the day, I close the in-line valve and let it run to empty the carb. Dan

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Postby Brent » Sat Apr 23, 2005 9:02 am

Sparky,

All auto parts stores sell an additive you can add to your fuel to keep it fresh over long periods of time. I have several engines that only get run once a year ie. wood chipper, water pump, chain saw, etc. After using them, I put the additive in and run the engine for awhile to make sure the treated gas gets into the carburetor. I've never had a problem, they've always started right up after sitting for up to a year.
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Postby Rudi » Sat Apr 23, 2005 10:49 am

Sparky:

K, will pop in my dos centavos worth as well. Will deal with winter storage first.

Most years, I do as Brent suggested. I go get me an additive called Sta-Bil. It is a fuel stabilizer and stops the gas from turning to varnish etc. I use it in all of my small engines from the weed eater, brush cutter, roto-tiller, lawn mowers and my ride-on mower as well. Does a good job and is also very inexpensive.

Now for the fuel shut-off.

I had the same problem as most Cub owners do. After a while, the shut-off valve leaks.... nature of the beast. I could not get the T-style shut-off valve that I liked so much and was original. All I could get was the L-shapped one, which was difficult to shut off properly and painful for me. I solved this problem by installing a ball valve shut-off.

Now, when I am done with Ellie for the day, I simply dismount, shut off the ball valve, let her run dry and stop. That way I know there will be no fuel leaks and if as in this year where Ellie ended up sitting all winter whilst I recuperated from two major surgeries, no varnish etc built up in the carb...

Now, usually to start all I do is turn on the ball valve, set the choke and pull the starter. She ALWAYS fires on the first or second crank. Even after sitting all winter, second or third crank and she fired right up...

Personally, I do not leave fuel in the carb, but that is personal preference. I do not think that there is any pressing reason for either scenario, and it boils down to personal preference.

Do what you feel comfortable with and feel safe with. The worst that could happen would be if the gas turned to varnish over the winter. So, the fix would be, take off the carb and give it a quick but thorough tune-up making sure all the passageways are clean. Same with the fuel strainer assembly. Minor tune-up.
Last edited by Rudi on Sat Apr 23, 2005 7:29 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Postby johnbron » Sat Apr 23, 2005 11:41 am

Rudi wrote:Sparky:

K, will pop in my dos centavos worth as well.

Now for the fuel shut-off.

I solved this problem by installing a ball valve shut-off.

Now, when I am done with Ellie for the day, I simply dismount, shut off the ball valve, let her run dry and stop. That way I know there will be no fuel leaks


Now, usually to start all I do is turn on the ball valve, set the choke and pull the starter.



Hey Rudi, I have seen you mention this Ball-Valve many times before. What type ball is it, Plastic or metal? AND how and where did you mount/attach it?. Seems like a ball-valve would be a lot simpler & easier to use (If reliable) with only a half a turn of the lever instead of screwing in & out the long winded petcock type valves that are on the fuel bowl now in a hard to reach place. Seems like I always pull out a bleeding hand after scraping it on something after the contortion squeeze to reach the shut-off. :lol:
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Postby Rudi » Sat Apr 23, 2005 7:31 pm

JB:

Will try and take a pic tomorrow or Monday when I get one of the hill. I really like the ball valve set-up and oh yeah, it is brass.

Maybe over the next couple of weeks I may document what I do to Granny as I change her over to the same system...
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Postby WKPoor » Sat Apr 23, 2005 8:00 pm

If you want total convienence I know of some people who use an electric solenoid operated shutoff. If you have battery ignition you can wire it right in to open when you arm the ignition. When you shutdown it spring loads off eliminating the problem.

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Postby artc » Sat Apr 23, 2005 8:40 pm

if i've forgotten to open my fuel shutoff and started either of my cubs, i note that they will sputter and stall inside of 30 seconds, indicating to me that the carb still has fuel in it, but the gravity feed now has sufficient vaccuum to prevent fuel flow. so, in my mind, it negates 'running them dry' cause they aint dry. Sta-bil, as RUDI mentioned, is the best method. shut off the fuel, cause we've all gone to the shed and smelled the remains of the last 6 gallons we put in the tractor, but use stabil, and start your tractors ASAP in the spring.
the larger tractors seem to run longer with the fuel off, perhaps due to increased venturi vaccuum in the intakes.
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Postby rvbarkley » Sun Apr 24, 2005 6:58 am

Maybe it's only me..... :shock: .....but as I putter around waiting for the engine to run out of fuel.......I get sidetracked at times......then when I go to start it the next time........damn !! :x :x ....who left the ignition on :oops: :oops: ..... :lol: Roger B.

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Postby Mac from NS » Sun Apr 24, 2005 7:30 am

electric solenoid ; that sounds like something i would do . Even if the cub is going to sit doring dinner i shut her gas off.Maybe i'm too tight to waste
a drop of gas. :lol: Iused to have a fishing boat with a gas motor ,fuel tank
higher then the motor.you had to shut the fuel off every night .I forgot one night :oops: 50 gal. in the base.
Take a little time to play,you don't grow old as fast that way.

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Postby Spark » Sun Apr 24, 2005 9:16 am

Thanks for the input guys.

I think that I'm going for Rudi's ball valve idea.

johnbron: I have the same problem, my hand comes out looking different than it did before it went in there trying to shut the valve off.

rvbarkley: It's not only you. I do it too! I get into something else while wating for the engine to run out of fuel and then forget to turn off the power switch.
Experience is something that you don't get until just after you need it.

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Postby Jim Becker » Sun Apr 24, 2005 10:00 am

Sparky wrote: I have the same problem, my hand comes out looking different than it did before it went in there trying to shut the valve off.


A man I know made a tool for shutting off the gas. All it needs to be is a rod with a T handle on one end and a small fork on the other. I haven't made one, but may one of these days.

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Postby George Willer » Sun Apr 24, 2005 10:33 am

Jim Becker wrote:
Sparky wrote: I have the same problem, my hand comes out looking different than it did before it went in there trying to shut the valve off.


A man I know made a tool for shutting off the gas. All it needs to be is a rod with a T handle on one end and a small fork on the other. I haven't made one, but may one of these days.


I lost mine and forgot about it. A piece of dowel rod or broom handle with a slot in one end. If I make another I think I'll paint it day-glow. :o
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Postby Jim Becker » Sun Apr 24, 2005 10:59 am

Once again, George manages to apply the KISS principle. I was ready to get some steel rod, weld a fork on the end etc. He just puts a couple cuts into an old broom handle.


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