Troy Bilt won't start

No, its not. You have no idea what you are talking about.

Reply to
jJim McLaughlin
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I just started my Honda 6hp Harmony 21" Sunday for the first time this season. It had Stabil innit of course as all my others do. I pulled and pulled and pulled till I was blue in the face, no start not even a hint pop puff cough. Headed off to the garage for some starting fluid. One quick shot into the intake and it started on the first pull. And there after ran perfect and started on the first pull. What the problem is is that the choke on these aren't too swift. Any motor that can run while the choke is on full (choke is full + throttle) is not being choked enough when cold.

Reply to
Meat Plow

Well, let a manufacturer talk...

Unless the gasoline is stored in a hot environment and not a closed container, since gasoline blends have anti-oxidants and stabilizing additives in them to begin with, the problem is not particularly severe. While it might be "good practice" to drain an engine over winter, not doing so isn't a major issue, particularly over winter months. Small engine manufacturers recommend the practice mostly as a conservative practice.

From a manufacturer (Chevron in this case)...

"The gasoline light ends needed for easy starting have the same tendency to vaporize in storage as they do in an engine. _If_ the storage container is not tightly sealed, _some_ of the light ends gradually will be lost. Too great a loss decreases the gasoline's ability to start an engine.

... keeping the container almost full of gasoline and controlling the temperature fluctuations will minimize the loss of light ends, the exposure of the gasoline to air, and the contamination of the gasoline with water.

Oxidation

Except for any added oxygenates, gasoline is made up almost entirely of hydrocarbons?molecules constructed from the building blocks of elemental carbon and hydrogen. _Hydrocarbons, as a class, are chemically stable molecules_.

However, there are types of hydrocarbons (olefins and diolefins) that can combine slowly with the oxygen in the air ("oxidize") at ambient temperatures. The products of the reaction are larger molecules, collectively called "gum."

The gum-forming reactions become faster as the temperature of the gasoline increases. This is why this bulletin recommends controlling the temperature of stored gasoline.

Most gasolines contain negligible amounts of gum when they are manufactured, and most contain special chemicals ("stabilizers") to retard gum formation. It is the stabilizers that make it possible to store Chevron gasolines for a year when the conditions are good.

Soluble Gum ... Because the Federal Environmental Protection Agency recognizes that fuel system deposits increase emissions, they require all gasolines to contain a deposit-control additive. All deposit-control additives keep deposits from forming; ...

Other Issues

Storage, including storage involving gum formation, does not change the bulk properties and most of the performance characteristics of gasoline (excluding the characteristics affected by the gum itself). For example, storage does not change a gasoline's anti-knock index (octane) or energy content. However, these properties will change if the storage is accompanied by evaporative loss. The evaporation of light ends decreases a gasoline's antiknock index and increases its energy content.

Federal and California reformulated gasolines will survive storage as well or better than conventional gasolines. The regulations require reformulated gasolines to have less light ends and less olefins (federal, later; California, now) than conventional gasolines. As explained above, it is the oxidation of olefins that leads to gum formation. Reformulated gasolines also contain oxygenates. The common oxygenates are stable molecules that do not form gums."

Reply to
dpb

Just had my son mow with last year's gas (StaBil added) and the mower worked fine.

Reply to
Meat Plow

And, would undoubtedly have "worked fine" w/o the added stabilizer, too (although perhaps a little harder-starting initially)... :)

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Reply to
dpb

Most likely. Also I use premix in everything. That way I have just one gas can and there's no chance of getting plain gas in the 2 cycle motors. I use synthetic oil so that 100:1 isn't going to effect the 4 stroke stuff, doesn't even make it smoke.

Reply to
Meat Plow

Let me repeat, since you are too stupid to understand when told something only once....

"You don't know what you are talking about..."

And your reference, without actual citation, to a Chevron site, is irrelevant.

The materials you quoted are premised upon laboratory perfect conditions of fuel storage. Those conditions do not exist in my garage or my storage shed, don't exist in the OPs garage or storage shed, and exist only in your immagination in your garage or storage shed.

You don't know what you are talking about...

dpb wrote:

Reply to
jJim McLaughlin

I'm smart enough to know when I hear BS...

It was about the fourth or fifth google hit and I'm sure there are links directing you there from the front page. I figured w/ your superior intellect it wouldn't be hard to find all the corroborating evidence/information on gasoline storage you would care to have...

Actually, not. It was a general discussion of longer-term storage of gasoline in general for the average customer/homeowner -- pretty much OP's description.

The bottom line can be summarized as under only reasonably controlled conditions (moderate temperatures and closed containers) gasoline can be stored for a year w/ little degradation.

So be it. PLONK...

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Reply to
dpb

Ok so what do you want to argue about next? I'm game.

Reply to
Meat Plow

I have about 20 gasoline powered tools & toys in my hot garage. I don't use them all in a year's time, some go several years. I've never used Stabil. I do keep the tanks full.

I've never had a fuel related failure.

The worst problem I had was last fall... not a failure per se, I had to actually clean the 4 fixed high speed jets in my 115 Evinrude that was stored in the garage for 5 years. Started right up, though, on 5 year old gas, & ran great.

YOU don't know what you're talking about...

Rob

Reply to
trainfan1

The thread started out discussing /small/ engines where fresh fuel is essential for proper operation. Even more so in the smaller 2 strokers that are 30cc and under.

Reply to
Meat Plow

The Evinrude is the largest at 1650cc, or about 25 cu. in. per cylinder. The rest are saws, trimmers, tillers, mowers, riders, generators, etc.

I like to run the generator yearly, sometimes it's 2-3 years between though.

Rob

Reply to
trainfan1

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