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[NAFEX] Gasoline Contamination



Betty:

1.  First off, I think you can discount the possibility that the absence 
of lead in fuel is a cause of problems in your garden equipment.  The 
purpose of lead in gas was actually to make it less volatile and reduce 
pre-ignition in high-compression engines.  Unleaded gas should burn 
better than gas with lead in it.

2.  While I agree with Lon that running the carburetor dry and draining 
the tank, and a little shot of oil to protect the cylinder walls, are 
excellent fall maintenance steps,  you mention that you did try to run 
the carb dry and even added stabil to the fuel at the end of the season. 
 To Lon's suggestions, I would also add checking and cleaning the air 
filter, if necessary.  Engines run better and longer with lots of clean air.

3.  There are really only two common things that can  cause an engine to 
completely fail to start: fuel and ignition.  Old style engines with 
breaker points used to cause problems when the points became burned or 
dirty, but with the advent of breakerless electronic systems,  ignition 
problems have become quite rare.  Even spark plugs last longer with the 
breakerless ignition, and they seldom go bad catastrophically.  That 
leaves the fuel system as the number one suspect in starting problems.

4.  Is there any chance that your fuel has picked up some water between 
the gas station and the tank of your equipment? Could there have been 
some water in your gas can, for example, or at the bottom of the fuel 
tank itself?   It only takes a teaspoon or so of water at the bottom of 
your carburetor bowl to block fuel flow and make an engine impossible to 
start. Being heavier than gasoline, the water will just stay there until 
is is drained out the bottom.  Many carburetor designs incorporate a 
removable bowl held in place with a machine screw that can be taken off 
with the appropriate size wrench or even a pair of pliers.  You can 
easily do this yourself.  Just remove the bowl, (shut the fuel flow off 
first, or it will all run out), inspect it for water and dirt, and wipe 
it out with a piece of clean towel paper.  Make sure the little rubber 
gasket around the top of the bowl is in place and intact when you 
 replace it.

5.  I know that a lot of small engine shops make quick money by simply 
draining the water from carburetors, starting the engines, then billing 
the customer for some imaginary repairs.  No problem there, they are 
just a little smarter than their customers.  But if you can check little 
things like this yourself, you can reduce the expense and, above all, 
the aggravation of sending your equipment out for repairs.

Rgds, Don Yellman, Great Falls, VA    

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