# Fuel Additive to Keep Carb Clean?



## Dannoman (Jan 16, 2018)

Is there a product you can to your gas that keeps the carburetor clean?


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## Yanmar Ronin (Jan 31, 2015)

Fresh fuel.


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## Dannoman (Jan 16, 2018)

Yanmar Ronin said:


> Fresh fuel.


Does Sea Foam help?


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## RedOctobyr (Mar 2, 2014)

There are lots of opinions. I use Sta-Bil Marine (blue), it's worked well for me. As I recall, it's cheaper per gallon of treated gas than the normal Sta-Bil (red).


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## nwcove (Mar 2, 2015)

Dannoman said:


> Does Sea Foam help?


i use seafoam and have yet to have an issue with a carb.


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## JLawrence08648 (Jan 15, 2017)

I keep gas in my can only for a maximum of 60 days then it goes in the car, and I prefer to turn it over every 30 days but I may go 60 days.

During the meantime, as soon as I buy gas, I put 1 oz of Stabil per gallon of gas plus 1/4 oz of Lucas fuel cleaner. If the carb seems to be having a problem, I then use Seafoam.


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## dr bob (Dec 12, 2015)

Carbs stay clean if you keep clean fuel flowing through them. Most carburetor "fun" is the result of old untreated, unstabilized ethanol-laced fuel sitting in them between uses. As other suggest here, add some stabilizer. There are several and all have their legions of fans. I buy Sta-Bil at Walmart and it's done well for me over the years. Folllow the directions for mix ratio, and put it in the gas can before you put fuel in it. No stabilizer will undo damage already done though. That's where you _may_ get lucky with uing Seafoam or similar to un-gum some fuel passages.

I put Sta-Bil in every gas can before it's filled. Until this year there have been no cans of fuel that last beyond 30 days life, so no need to rotate even the treated gas; This no-snow-yet year I may soon drain the treated fuel out and put it in the car just to be safe, drain the storage cans into the car too, and refill the cans with Sta-bil and fresh fuel. Maybe hold off on actually placing furl in the tank on the machine until there's an actual need. It's a plastic tank so no issues with corrosion if I leave it empty.

The other part of the normal-use protocol beyond using only treated fuel is to close the fuel shut-off after every use/session, and let the engine run out the remaining fuel in the carburetor. That way no fuel in there to do any damage while it's napping.


This is one old guy's opinion. I'm sure there are others who have a similarly-successful method that's different from mine.


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## Cardo111 (Feb 16, 2015)

You can try adding a little Sea Foam to the tank it won't hurt and may help. I have had good luck with Star Tron as a stabilizing additive that addresses ethanol.


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## JLawrence08648 (Jan 15, 2017)

Once I use up my supply of Stabil, I'll be switching or trying Star Tron because of the positive feedback on here.


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## Oneacer (Jan 3, 2011)

I use Stabil and Seafoam in all my 5 gal. gas cans... never had an issue ... leave gas in my equipment, winter and summer, year round, but I do start machines from time to time in off season as well ...


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## rkchainsaw (Jan 2, 2017)

I have used Seafoam for years and have never had an issue. I put it in an ice auger 2 years ago and just started it last week. It took a few pulls but it did start. I swear by it.


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## Kiss4aFrog (Nov 3, 2013)

My favorite is Lucas fuel injector cleaner. Cars and small engines. It has made a noticeable improvement to high mileage cars I've tried it on. The Lucas is a lot cheaper if you buy it in the quart size (Walmart).

I use the marine sta-bil too.


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## Dannoman (Jan 16, 2018)

Thank you again gentlemen!


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## dwgray (Jan 14, 2018)

I run Avgas, love the smell!


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## Dannoman (Jan 16, 2018)

Kiss4aFrog said:


> My favorite is Lucas fuel injector cleaner. Cars and small engines. It has made a noticeable improvement to high mileage cars I've tried it on. The Lucas is a lot cheaper if you buy it in the quart size (Walmart).
> 
> I use the marine sta-bil too.


Good idea. How much of that Lucas stuff do you usually put in the gas tank?


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## broo (Dec 23, 2017)

I use Marvel Mystery Oil. Does it really do anything ? I don't know. All I know is that I have 6 quarts of the stuff that I bought a while ago. Might as well use them. That many bottles will last me for years at 1 oz/2.5gal. since I only use it in my small engines.


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## Clutch Cargo (Dec 27, 2015)

Star-Tron and Sea Foam.


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## JLawrence08648 (Jan 15, 2017)

Dannoman said:


> Good idea. How much of that Lucas stuff do you usually put in the gas tank?


I use 1/4 oz per gallon since a 5 oz bottle treats up to 25 gallons. However I only use this for maintenance, not to solve a poor running problem.


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## Ariens hydro pro (Jan 24, 2014)

I have a generator for the house. So that means I keep 40 gallons of premium gas in 8 gas cans on 1 wall of the cold garage out back. I use this fuel in all my small machines. 
I treat the fuel with blue marine grade stabil. I tag the gas cans and rotate them every 6 months. If they are not used in 6 months I pour the remainder into my truck.
When they are used in my small engines I've started using sea foam in the small pour can. 2 cycle fuel gets the sea foam too.

At the end of season I drain the fuel from the tillers, leaf / snow blowers, and zero turn.

I had a spare snowblower carb get destroyed from old gas sitting in the blower for several years. It would not run. I removed the carb bowl to find severe rust in the carburetor.

Because of the many small machines I own, I find it easier to drain the fuel from the seasonal machines. Better to be safe that have to repair them down the road.


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## CO Snow (Dec 8, 2011)

Use non-ethanol fuel. Here’s a link by state/province in the US/Canada where you can get it. I get mine locally and it’s only 40 cents more per gallon than regular gas that contains 10% ethanol. https://www.pure-gas.org


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## Dannoman (Jan 16, 2018)

Thanks everyone! And yes I do use non ethanol gas (Shell V Power)


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