Small engine question

[BUTCH1]

Hi all, I have a generator that is 2.5 yrs. old and has never been run. It's a Briggs
8HP motor, my question is: By not having any gas in the carb am I harming the
gaskets?? I filled the crankcase w/oil and I spin it around every 1-2 weeks to keep
some oil splashed on the internals. any thoughts??

 

[jagec]

Hmm...it might actually help. Gasoline becomes basically varnish when it's left in there long enough, and it would certainly start to dissolve the float.

You might want to consider putting a teaspoon of oil in the cylinder via the spark plug hole and slowly turning it over every few months. That will keep the rings nicely lubed, and won't let them get too intimate with the cylinder.

 

[woodie1]

Gas does not age well. I would not have gas in the tank, much less the carb, until I wanted to start the engine.

 

[BUTCH1]

Originally posted by: jagec
Hmm...it might actually help. Gasoline becomes basically varnish when it's left in there long enough, and it would certainly start to dissolve the float.

You might want to consider putting a teaspoon of oil in the cylinder via the spark plug hole and slowly turning it over every few months. That will keep the rings nicely lubed, and won't let them get too intimate with the cylinder.

Yea, I use Sta-Bil for my lawn mowers and weed wackers and it seems to do the job
OK but I didn't want to put any fuel in it until needed. BTW it's stored in a metal shed
that gets darn hot in the summer months (FL).

 

[BUTCH1]

Well I got off my ass and called Briggs today, tech said get some gas into it or your
risking carb malfunction. Going to HD to get some Stabil first, hope I wont have to get a carb
re-build kit!..

 

[LTC8K6]

How old is the oil? I think you meant that you had recently filled it with oil, but I wasn't sure.

 

[BUTCH1]

Originally posted by: LTC8K6
How old is the oil? I think you meant that you had recently filled it with oil, but I wasn't sure.

Oil is also 3 yrs. old, I filled the crankcase when I first got it. I spin the motor around
once a week to help keep it lubed..

 

[wedi42]

if its never been run. don't add gas
fog it with wd40, or with a fogging oil spray
http://www.m-and-d.com/ST-770-192.html?id=548sSacz

to apply, pull over the engine while spraying into the carb (remove the air filter first)
you may need an assistant

you need to protect the carb from moisture and from drying out, this will do both
you can also remove the spark plug and add a few drops of motor oil to protect the cylinder from moisture

 

[LTC8K6]

I'd change out that 3 year old oil.

 

[BUTCH1]

Originally posted by: johngute
if its never been run. don't add gas
fog it with wd40, or with a fogging oil spray
http://www.m-and-d.com/ST-770-192.html?id=548sSacz

to apply, pull over the engine while spraying into the carb (remove the air filter first)
you may need an assistant

you need to protect the carb from moisture and from drying out, this will do both
you can also remove the spark plug and add a few drops of motor oil to protect the cylinder from moisture

Shoot, wish I knew about that 5 hours ago, I added some gas (w/stabil) and she started
2nd pull, ran like a champ. Used a 1500 watt space heater as a test load, no problems.
Oil looked, OK but I'm going to play it safe and change it out too. Strange sight for the
neighbors to see, someone running a space heater, hooked up to a generator, in July,
in FL....