OT: Electric lawnmowers?

nolaegghead · March 2020

Bang on the carb. Floats will stick after sitting a while.

nolaegghead · March 2020

alaskanassasin said:

nolaegghead said:

I run ethanol free in all my engines that aren't used regularly. If you get water in the gas, it will let you know as it will stop working and you drain out the water.

The problem with ethanol is that it mixes with the water and forms a corrosive milky solution that settles out of the gas, polymerizes into goo and clogs filters, jets and injectors.

If your mower stopped working and you were running ethanol-free gas, the morning cooling and warming cycles probably condensed water in the tank through the cap vent and you have water in your gas. Drain all the gas out, including the carb and filter, put fresh gas in and it should run fine. Worst case, and most common problem, is the water clogged the filter or let some corrosion clog a jet in the carb. Those vacuum valves are notorious for failing.

Either way, if the fuel change doesn't immediately fix the problem, carbs cost like 30 bucks or you can take it to a small engine repair shop and they'll charge you 45 to fix.

It is extremely rare for rings and valves to fail on a mower. You can bend the crank if you hit a rock or root but it will run but shake violently. It is 95% a fuel problem every time.

Electric mowers are fine. I had one but it was early on before the lithium chemistry batteries. You will get 1000 charges off a good lithium battery if you don't run it dead. Less power with electric, obviously.

Go to your liquor cabinet and show me cloudy bottles of ethanol blended with water.

The ethanol is dissolved in gasoline. Water is immiscible with gas. The ethanol water gas mix forms another phase with enough water and your tank becomes bi-phasic. This phase polymerizes, gets gelatinous and is corrosive.

My liquor cabinet doesn't contain gasoline.

alaskanassasin · March 2020

For what it’s worth and coming from a one time OPEESA certified mechanic I have observed the following regarding small engines and carburetors.

When ethanol was introduced into fuel it basically dissolved the rubber fuel lines on two stroke equipment, that continues to be a challenge.

In order for small engines to comply with CARB emissions standards they have to run more efficiently, thus resulting in smaller fuel air delivery holes running through carburetors. What happens when you leave your small engine sitting for extended periods of time is the gasoline evaporates from your carburetor leaving behind a sticky gum/film that plugs those tiny holes that deliver fuel to the engine.
Most commonly as @nolaegghead mentioned on a four stroke lawnmower engine there is a needle and float that meters fuel to the carburetor, sometimes that needle gets glued to the seat by all the crap left from evaporated fuel.

This also happens on a two stroke carb even though they don’t have a float and bowl they still have a needle and seat and if it’s stuck your not getting any fuel.

Best thing you can do is add stabilizer, run your engines every now and then even though they are sitting, or shut the fuel off and run all the gas out of the carburetor.

This is double true for generators, if you leave gas in your generators carburetor and it sits for two years until the next hurricane, two things will happen, one it will never run and two since they ALL basically use the same engine the carburetor and carburetor kits will be on backordered for months!

Gulfcoastguy · March 2020

Just to wrap up the thread, a bottle of STP seems to have settled the problem for this year.

OT: Electric lawnmowers?

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