Why I won’t be draining the carb over winter?

[skyflyer]

Ran the outboard dry before laying up for winter.
I’ve now found that the needle valve (alloy) has corroded in its seat (brass) presumably through air humidity etc and jammed resulting in fuel dripping out of the carb!
If I’d left fuel in it I suspect that would not have happened ?
Maybe it’s the lesser of two evils, the other being gelled fuel?

 

[rotrax]

It may well be the Ethanol in the fuel.

Racing motorcycles that use alcohol fuels require the carbs to be dismantled and cleaned after every use.

If you dont do this the fuel can jell and cause serious corrosion.

Use a fuel stabiliser. I had good results with the Swiss Mororex product.

 

[James_Calvert]

Curious...

In my small outboard the float only presses the needle into its seat when the carburettor is full of fuel. That's how it works to stop the flow.

But yours, with the carb empty, apparently had the needle in the seat to corrode and stick over the winter.

Did you store the outboard upside down?

Apologies if I've misunderstood....

 

[[159032]]

Get a Seagull. I took it down from the garage wall each year, started it, then put it back on the wall.

 

[Iliade]

Alkane fuel for the last run of the season. Or do like me and don't stop using it :0)

 

[PetiteFleur]

I use the Honda additive, never drain the carb, always starts the following season. Honda 2.3.

 

[Old Harry]

Get a Seagull. I took it down from the garage wall each year, started it, then put it back on the wall.

"Ah" but try that on the back of a dinghy chummy, different kettle o fish

 

[skyflyer]

Curious...

In my small outboard the float only presses the needle into its seat when the carburettor is full of fuel. That's how it works to stop the flow.

But yours, with the carb empty, apparently had the needle in the seat to corrode and stick over the winter.

Did you store the outboard upside down?

Apologies if I've misunderstood....

Correct. It had stuck open! The tip of the needle seems to be a cone of rubber. The remainder is in effect an alloy piston with grooves down its sides to allow the fuel past, I guess. This slides in a brass cylinder to which the fuel hose connects
So the corrosion was preventing the float from pushing the needle valve up to close it!

 

[RichardS]

Correct. It had stuck open! The tip of the needle seems to be a cone of rubber. The remainder is in effect an alloy piston with grooves down its sides to allow the fuel past, I guess. This slides in a brass cylinder to which the fuel hose connects
So the corrosion was preventing the float from pushing the needle valve up to close it!

A sharp rap with a hammer would probably have freed it without any dismantling. Standard carb procedure in the good ol' days.

Richard

 

[skyflyer]

Tried that! I needed to lever it out with a screwdriver. Proper stuck it was!

 

[Davy_S]

"Ah" but try that on the back of a dinghy chummy, different kettle o fish

If you cannot get a Seagull to start reliably, you are doing something wrong or it is set up wrong, lots hate them, but they will suffer more abuse than a modern outboard, and still start!

 

[lynallbel]

Fogging oil?

 

[Yngmar]

Thirding fuel stabilizer. It works. Added into the tank (and the can with the extra petrol) before winter, ran it a while so it's in the carb and after winter + lockdown, it started promptly and ran fine, without the usual stripping down the carb.

Ours is this stuff: Lucas Oil 10314 Fuel Stabilizer: Amazon.co.uk: Car & Motorbike