My lawn mower deck rusting through and dropping the running engine was a gentle reminder.
http://sofloridagardening-sanddune.blogspot.com/2009/10/one-more-season.html
So today I started doing some of the things on my list of things that I really ought to do one day.
The first was to slop coat my old wheelbarrow . It stays propped up outside exposed to the elements and out of mind until I need it.
This guy got a fresh coat of rusty metal enamel primer over the wheels, tub and supports. Used an old paintbrush I had thrown in my shed and slopped the paint over all the metal areas. It might not be pretty but it will extend its life.
Next order of business was to wipe down all of my garden tools with some WD40. After sitting through the summer moisture and humidity the light oil coat will protect them from rusting. So goes the old saying that," a stitch in time saves nine". ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Here are some of my tips for the off season for your gas powered machinery.
While one could write volumes filled with what I don't yet know about gardening I do make claim to being a fair backyard small engine mechanic.
That mower, chainsaw , or gas trimmer won't start like it used to. It's probably your gas. Ever since the government mandated Ethanol be added to gas many problems arose. Look on your gas pump next time you fill up. It will have something like E-10 all the way to e-85 marked. That is the percentage of Ethanol added to the gas mixture.
Ethyl alcohol is a fantastic solvent and by its nature absorbs water. As a solvent, That ethanol now in your metal gas tank is busy cleaning the metal and releasing fine metal particles that are just right for clogging up your fuel filter. It is also corrosive and will eat up your mowers metal parts, carburetor, and gaskets. Has your cars fuel gauge started sticking or stopped working the past few years? Clue. And as I can attest to in a fiberglass gas tank the solvent effect of Ethanol can actually decompose the fiberglass resin turning it into gooey mess which get sucked into your engine. Not good.
The important thing to remember is that Ethanol has the property of absorbing water. Any moisture in your fuel tank like from condensation is absorbed by the ethanol . Then the fuel and the water filled ethanol separates. This is known as phase separation. Not good. It causes a noncombustible layer in the fuel that will stop any engine.
The important thing to remember is that Ethanol has the property of absorbing water. Any moisture in your fuel tank like from condensation is absorbed by the ethanol . Then the fuel and the water filled ethanol separates. This is known as phase separation. Not good. It causes a noncombustible layer in the fuel that will stop any engine.
So what to do.
1- Do not put away your mower, chainsaw , etc. for the season and leave fuel in the tank. Drain it. You can empty out your gas can into your car tank to get rid of the fuel if it will not be used for several months.
2- Use a gas stabilizer if the gas will be sitting for over two weeks. I now put Marine formula Sta-Bil Ethanol Formula in all my fuel from my lawn mower to my truck.
3- Realize the gas we now get is really bad use it quickly and don"t let it sit around.
4- Do Not leave Ethanol fuel sitting around in a fiberglass fuel tank. Take my word for this one.
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One of the other problems that I had with my lawn mower was from the gas becoming contaminated with trash. You know the little black particles that have settled to the bottom in your gas can. Don't believe me take a look into your gas can next time you have it out. Also I mow in a sand yard and the ensuing dirt cloud is always somehow getting debris into my mower's fuel tank. As the fuel was going through the carburetor the trash would clog up one of the carburetor jets stopping the fuel flow and conking out the engine.
I then knew that the remedy was to remove the carburetor and clean out the trash now clogging the carburetor jets to reestablish the fuel flow. After a while I became so good at doing this I believe I could do it blindfolded.
My solution to the problem of junk in the fuel clogging up the jets was quite simple.
I went to the local auto parts store and purchased a small inline fuel filter. I installed it between my mowers gas tank outlet and the carbs fuel intake using twisted safety wire as hose clamps on both ends of the filter.
This is also a good time to replace the short length of fuel line between the tank outlet and the carb inlet as you will be cutting the fuel line anyway to install the new fuel filter.
If you try this make sure that the plastic fuel filter is pointing in the right flow direction as you install it. There is usually an arrow on the filter body to indicate the fuel flow direction. Its from the gas tank to the carburetor.
Lastly make sure to leave enough room so the plastic fuel filter is not touching the engine so it doesn't melt with the engine running.
Problem of gas trash solved. The fuel from the mower tank now is filtered now prior to entering the carburetor.
For what it's worth those are my tips . They work for me ,use them if they help. If you do you can be the one laughing as you listen to your neighbors pulling that starter cord repeatedly and cursing instead of you.
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