Drain carbs or not

[Johnson110]

I winterized my 115 hp engine , ran new treated fuel in a gas can bypassing fuel separator, Do I still have to drain carbs for winter layup or can I just leave the carbs WET with the stabilizer in them?

 

[wrvond]

I don't drain carbs with fuel stabilizer in them.
Never had an issue.

 

[Johnson110]

Thanks

 

[Texasmark]

Only consideration I would have would be the needle valve conical seat. I would prefer to have the bowl less than full so that the float would be down somewhat taking the pressure off the needle valve seat preventing the possibility of distorting the conical shape over the storage time. That could be accomplished during the fogging operation if you pulled the fuel hose off the engine before the fog killed it for 15-20 seconds or something of the sort. Besides possible varnish, that is the benefit of draining the carb. I do agree on PIA to get at drain plugs.

 

[Johnson110]

Texasmark, Thanks you are a thinker, maybe now i will try to get at the drain screws and just crack the open a bit, top three not so bad bottom is a pain to get to!

 

[gm280]

You could crank it up and run it until it stops and that would drain the carb bowls. Just make sure you have it on water muffs. Easy peasy.

 

[Texasmark]

You could crank it up and run it until it stops and that would drain the carb bowls. Just make sure you have it on water muffs. Easy peasy.

I used to do that as a requirement, for years. Got on here and somebody said something that made sense and I had an oil injected engine. The comment was that running till dry doesn't necessarily force all carbs to go dry simultaneously. Therefore the first one out has to run on residual oil in the cylinder till the last one stops. The two together and the introduction to Sea Foam made me quit the practice.

Johnson: On the thinker comment. Thanks. I am a brick by brick guy. The Empire state building was built one brick at a time......also if it doesn't make sense, it probably isn't sensible. If you understand what part that brick plays in the overall scheme of things, if something is out of place, you pretty much have your smoking gun when something doesn't work.

 

[Chris1956]

No need to drain the carbs a bit to relieve pressure on inlet needles, as the gasoline will evaporate in a short time, like it does every time the motor is not running.

 

[Texasmark]

No need to drain the carbs a bit to relieve pressure on inlet needles, as the gasoline will evaporate in a short time, like it does every time the motor is not running.

That's a very good point. Like the second or 3rd day after running you have to hit the squeeze bulb to get it firmed back up. That's a simple fix.

 

[Johnson110]

So do not drain carbs ?

 

[robert graham]

I always drain my carbs for lay-ups of several weeks or more....If you really think about it, there's only a few places where water/dirt/debris can gather and collect....namely the fuel tank, the fuel filters and the carb float chambers!.....do your motor a big favor and drain each carb....

 

[wrvond]

So do not drain carbs ?

My experience is that carbs with untreated ethanol gas should be drained; I have had problems with carbs left full of untreated ethanol. However, I have never had a problem with fuel that has had stabilizer added.
Having said that, if your carb is easy to drain, I see no reason not to.

 

[Johnson110]

The carbs are treated with stabi- 360 , bottom screws are tough to get at I believe that is were most of the gas sits.

 

[racerone]

Just run them dry.-------Been doing it for years, never a problem.

 

[gm280]

I always ran my Mercury inline 6 dry at the water and never had any issue in the decade I own it. JMHO

 

[robert graham]

The carbs are treated with stabi- 360 , bottom screws are tough to get at I believe that is were most of the gas sits.

If drain screws are tough to get at then use some extra stabilizer in tank just before lay-up and hope for the best....just so happens my on my C90 that the drain scores are easy to get to, so it's an easy 3 or 4 minute job.....

 

[Johnson110]

Ok so

 

[Johnson110]

Ok so drained the carbs, very difficult to do without dropping a drain screw, which I did need to get one from the parts house now. Anyhow I was looking for the serial number plate it should be on transom part that motor hangs on back of boat, Not there also the powerhead has there stickers with bar code and numbers stick on the exhaust side of engine, one of the numbers is EXPLTO-1997 , others are hard to read, powerhead bolted on to lower unit has a red thick exhaust sealant on base , Thinking that this powerhead was changed ?

 

[gm280]

JOHNSON110, the easiest way to drain any carb or carbS is to run them dry at the water. Each time you go out with it, when you are bringing in back in and loaded on the trailer, before you pull the boat out of the water run the engine without the fuel line connected and allow the engine to stop for lack of fuel. I even press the choke to get as much out as I can. And I have done that forever and not one engine problem ever in all my days of fishing and boating. JMHO

 

[Johnson110]

Thanks will do next time!