storing chain saw fuel washout?

[CedChop]

I am following the recommendations on running my saw and weed eaters dry before storing. Since I'm so paranoid/anal about bad fuel still hanging around in there I am wondering if doing something further could help. I was thinking after running dry then run some kerosene or diesel thru it to wash out what's left of the gasoline alcohol. Leave that oily stuff in there. Kerosene or diesel doesn't dry out so the fuel pump/diaphrams should stay flexible and the fine passages would be cleared of the gasohol mix too.

Then when its time to use it again ~ 6 months later flush it all out with the normal gas mixture.

Whadya think?

 

[astnmacgto]

I'd run some canned fuel through it once drained and call it a day, or I use 100ll avgas and leave the fuel in my stuff till its time to fill it back up

 

[Efisher26]

Canned fuel all the way. Just a little to get into carb, one can goes along way


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[1Alpha1]

I always dump the fuel and then start the equip. back up and let it run til it dies. Been doing that for as long as I can recall.

Never had to do anything beyond that to insure it's been taken good care of.

 

[svk]

I run them dry if they are going out of use for more than a few months.

Rarely would you have a problem with carb diaphragms stiffening up if stored for the season. The problem comes when a season turns to 3 or 4 years.

 

[CentaurG2]

Total waste of time in my opinion. I used to dump fuel and run dry. I just leave the mix in the equipment now. Never seen any separation or had a problem. Recently started my ms361 that sat since 2011 with 10% ETOH fuel. Saw started and ran just fine.

 

[Full Chisel]

Total waste of time in my opinion. I used to dump fuel and run dry. I just leave the mix in the equipment now. Never seen any separation or had a problem. Recently started my ms361 that sat since 2011 with 10% ETOH fuel. Saw started and ran just fine.

Trust me when I say that your experience is not the norm. We see countless units come in with gummed up carbs because E10 fuel sat in them for too long. I would just about bet that the fuel in it did not actually contain ethanol.

 

[ChoppyChoppy]

Fuel issues we see are normally water in the fuel. Not sure if it's from storing O PE or gas jugs outside or what.
Otherwise dry rotten fuel lines, generally from age or UV.
Have worked on a few nasty fuel things, but was stuff that had fuel that was probably 20+ years old.

No gasahol fuel here though, just normal gas.

 

[alexcagle]

Total waste of time in my opinion. I used to dump fuel and run dry. I just leave the mix in the equipment now. Never seen any separation or had a problem. Recently started my ms361 that sat since 2011 with 10% ETOH fuel. Saw started and ran just fine.

*
IMO,
Good luck with that......
All I can say is,
You got lucky.
If you risk running 5 year old fuel in your saw, that's your business.
*
If it comes the Zombie apocalypse, and it all goes bad, then after 5 years of no gas production or power, then I might try some stale assed fuel.
*
That runs contrary to what I learned at Tech schools.

 

[1Alpha1]

I don't use my equip. to make a living. If I did, I'm sure my storage procedures would be different.

No way will I leave fuel in the tank. Not even for a month or so at best. The only piece of equip. I leave fuel in for a few weeks at a time, is my blower. I use it often to blow out my garage / shop. Much faster than using a broom.

Stihl Inc. even says to dump the fuel after use, and then start the equip. back up and let it run til it dies.

 

[alexcagle]

[photo=medium]3137[/photo][photo=medium]3140[/photo]
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Run the fuel out, then choke it and let it run until it dies.
Done deal.....
There is enough oil saturated in everything from the fuel mix to protect the innards of the saw for years.
I bought this 1966 McCulloch 250 at a garage sale from the original owner
a couple years ago. He was probably 80+ yrs old.
It was used one time, he said, then the fuel was ran out of it.
Then it got stored in a case and forgotten about since then.
It didnt even hardly have dust on it. That's about 50 years.....

I fueled it up, and it ran perfect.

 

[CentaurG2]

Trust me when I say that your experience is not the norm. We see countless units come in with gummed up carbs because E10 fuel sat in them for too long. I would just about bet that the fuel in it did not actually contain ethanol.

There is always the possibility that the fuel in the stihl did not contain 10% ETOH but I have been doing this for years, never had a problem and I don’t have any luck at all. I use 93 octane and a good synthetic oil (stihl ultra or saber smurf juice) at 50:1. Unless you are storing your mix and equipment under Niagara falls for the winter, I really don’t think you are going to have a problem. The way all dealers talk, you would think they never sold a carb kit or a piece of fuel line prior to the introduction of ethanol fuel.

 

[JTM]

Well, I've always been a proponent of non-EtOH gas of which I've several pump sources to choose from. But I've had a couple of instances lately of pump non-EtOH going bad within two months after purchasing. I think this is mainly because it was already old to begin with, not many folks filling 20 gallon tanks so the stock doesn't get turned over. For my saws it's now gas in a can. For my ryobi trimmer, which I've been trying to kill for ten years, it's whatever was left in there the previous 6 months. For my Troybilt piece of crap mower, it gets the gas that went bad and the stuff I won't even run in the ryobi - I'm not that mean.

 

[Full Chisel]

Fuel issues we see are normally water in the fuel. Not sure if it's from storing O PE or gas jugs outside or what.
Otherwise dry rotten fuel lines, generally from age or UV.
Have worked on a few nasty fuel things, but was stuff that had fuel that was probably 20+ years old.

No gasahol fuel here though, just normal gas.

Ethanol is hydroscopic...it attracts water. Once it does you begin to see phase separation and that's when the damage starts occurring, slowly but surely. Once ethanol reacts with water, the fuel becomes acidic and starts eating away anything rubber or plastic, and can even do damage to metals like magnesium and aluminum. No bueno.

This isn't a conspiracy, it's science...simple chemistry.

 

[LoveStihlQuality]

I dump fuel and then dump in my truck. Then dump in a little Trufuel Motomix or VF and run it to get through the carb. Do same for big saws that I dont need very often. Always worked for me.
BIL's MS 310, after repairing twice for fuel problems, I researched what fuel he was using and how old. Found it was in an uncapped can left in rain! I put a case of Trufuel next to his saw with big label to ONLY USE TRUFUEL Put several new chains and jug of bar lube in case as well.

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[1Alpha1]

I currently run canned fuel. But prior to that, I ran pump gas. Just started using full-synth. oil for the mix within the last 10 yrs. or so. Prior to that, I used whatever oil was cheapest.

Even with the cheap, non full-synth. oil, I still didn't have any issues. That's cause the fuel got dumped back into my storage can, and the machine started back up and run til it died.

I've been doing this for well over 50 yrs. Your best bet is to empty the fuel tank and then run the machine until it dies. I can't even remember the last time I had to replace a fuel line. Never had to rebuild a carb either. Maybe it's just me and I'm lucky.........or........I'm doing something right.

 

[1Alpha1]

[photo=medium]3137[/photo][photo=medium]3140[/photo]
*
Run the fuel out, then choke it and let it run until it dies.
Done deal.....
There is enough oil saturated in everything from the fuel mix to protect the innards of the saw for years.
I bought this 1966 McCulloch 250 at a garage sale from the original owner
a couple years ago. He was probably 80+ yrs old.
It was used one time, he said, then the fuel was ran out of it.
Then it got stored in a case and forgotten about since then.
It didnt even hardly have dust on it. That's about 50 years.....

I fueled it up, and it ran perfect.

That is a very cool find.

Congrats & enjoy!

 

[CedChop]

I agree, that even before ethanol if you left fuel for a long while you might have problems. I think its because the carbs have such small orifices and gasoline does evaporate leaving gunk behind.

However, with ethanol is when you see fuel lines disappearing on old school non ethanol engines.

I am close to a self service airport and have been getting some fuel there. That's got to be good fuel because they have planes sit around for long periods of time with full tanks and there is obviously no alcohol not to mention the higher octane. I was worried that my new ms250 had a catalytic converter but I don't think it does based on responses to a previous post.

 

[ChoppyChoppy]

Ethanol is hydroscopic...it attracts water. Once it does you begin to see phase separation and that's when the damage starts occurring, slowly but surely. Once ethanol reacts with water, the fuel becomes acidic and starts eating away anything rubber or plastic, and can even do damage to metals like magnesium and aluminum. No bueno.

This isn't a conspiracy, it's science...simple chemistry.

Not saying it isnt, just pointing out that we rarely see issues caused by fuel with the non-gasahol fuel we have.

I did work on 2 saws and a tiller that came up from the lesser 48, fuel lines were all mush. Can only guess it was from gasahol, never seen that before.

 

[alexcagle]

Trust me when I say that your experience is not the norm. We see countless units come in with gummed up carbs because E10 fuel sat in them for too long. I would just about bet that the fuel in it did not actually contain ethanol.

What is this Avatar @Full Chisel?

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Painting entitled "A Gutting"?
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Dog Doo?