# Novice question - what fuel do I put in a 536.885471?



## vfrex (Mar 25, 2017)

I have 0 experience maintaining and have next to no understanding of how any sort of engine works. So I apologize in advance for what is probably so basic I couldn't find any prior discussion of it. Picked this functioning blower off Craigslist recently and need to get her prepared for spring. There is a little bit of gas left in the tank. My first thought was to run it till it dies, fill gas tank with TrueFuel, let it run a little more, call it a season. The manual says add unleaded gasoline and TrueFuel is a gas/oil blend. There is a separate fill cap for the oil. So, is that ok to use? The tank only holds 2 quarts, I don't have a gas can, and with my luck there won't be snow next winter.


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## tpenfield (Feb 24, 2015)

1) :white^_^arial^_^0^_

2) I assume that you are talking about the TruFuel for 2-cycle engines as being the gas/oil mix (either the 40:1 or 50:1), and you are intending to 'fog' the engine with oil/gas mix for the off-season.

That would be fine.

3) as far as the separate gas and oil fill caps . . . hold on a minute . . . The engine is a 4-cycle engine (right?) and the gas and the motor oil shall remain separate on a 4-cycle engine. So, just want to make sure you were not planning on adding the TruFuel to the oil fill. The Trufuel will go into your gas tank.

4) Might as well change the oil while you are prepping the engine, unless you know that it has been recently changed.


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## vfrex (Mar 25, 2017)

Thank much for the welcome. Wish I had found you guys before buying, but I think I did all right anyhow!

Yes, I was looking at the 50:1, although truth be told, I don't know whether the 40:1 would be more appropriate? Guessing not? 

As for the engine, the manual/parts list describes the engine as 2-cycle. And truth be told, this is one of the places I'm getting tripped up. The manual says: 



> FILL OIL:
> This snow thrower was shipped with a container of 5W30
> motor oil. This oil must be added to the engine before
> operating Remove the oiltill cap/dipstick and fill the crank
> case to FULL line on dipstick (21 ounces)


So there are definitively separate caps for oil and gas, which I thought was a 4-cycle only thing?

Now that you have me started on questions, the manual doesn't offer any instructions on how to change the oil!


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## Vermont007 (Mar 29, 2015)

So the *VERY SAME MANUAL* says that the engine is a* 2 Cycle* but then then goes on to say that you should remove the oi cap/dipstick and *fill the crank case* with the supplied* 5W30* to FULL line on dipstick (21 ounces) ?

*WHO* printed that Manual ?


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## vfrex (Mar 25, 2017)

I don't have the original paper manual. This is what the Craftsman site brings me to:
https://www.shopyourway.com/manuals/12602

Both the manual and engine diagram show the separate caps.


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## RIT333 (Feb 6, 2014)

I looked up the manual for your snow blower, and I can see your confusion. In the parts section, they describe your engine as a 2-cycle engine (one where you would mix the gas with the oil), and in the operation section, they give instructions for the engine as if it were a 4-cycle engine - very confusing, and a sloppy job on the part of Sears. I guess you need to look up your engine model number and do a google search to determine whether it is 2 of 4 cycle, and then go from there.

Maybe a call to Sears will help straighten out the confusion, but more than likely, it will add to the confusion - which is why Sears is slowly going bankrupt.


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## tpenfield (Feb 24, 2015)

Yup, misprint on the Craftsman manual. 

The engine actually is a Tecumseh HSSK50-67338N, which is a 5 HP 4-cycle engine


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## vfrex (Mar 25, 2017)

Well, that solves a lot. Thanks very much. Glad we had this conversation before I dumped any mixes in :icon_whistling:


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## skutflut (Oct 16, 2015)

FWIW, my craftsman has a B&S 13.5 GT 305cc OHV engine on it. The manual lists the replacement spark plug incorrectly. The plug they specify is for an Tecumseh L head. 

Way too short reach and way to big shank and wrong threads, but, besides that it's perfect. :RantExplode:

Makes you wonder sometimes if following the manual is such a good idea.


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## Tony P. (Jan 9, 2017)

Looks like I'm missing something here - probably more than something. Given it's a 4-cycle engine, I don't see why 2-cycle gas/oil mix would be used. Tru-Fuel has an ethanol free 4-cycle product I believe would be fine for storage - not the 2-cycle blend. I'd run it to empty as vfrex says he'll do, then fill with ethanol free and run it to get the remaining old gas from the lines. But, then I'd fill the tank back to full. One last point, if there's more than a tiny amount of gas left in the tank, siphon it instead of running it because you don't know if the gas is any good.


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## tpenfield (Feb 24, 2015)

Gas/oil mix would be OK for fogging the cylinders for off-season layup . . .

Usually, you run about a 20:1 or even 10:1 mix of 2-cycle oil for fogging the engine.


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## Tony P. (Jan 9, 2017)

tpenfield said:


> Gas/oil mix would be OK for fogging the cylinders for off-season layup . . .
> 
> Usually, you run about a 20:1 or even 10:1 mix of 2-cycle oil for fogging the engine.


Agreed. Of course that's spraying a few tablespoons of some fogging mixture, not filling the tank with 2-cycle gas/oil mixture.


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## vfrex (Mar 25, 2017)

What would result from adding 20:1 or 50:1 fuel mix to a 4-cycle engine? Asking out of curiosity - picked up 4-cycle fuel today.


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## RIT333 (Feb 6, 2014)

Similar to running an engine that burn oil. It'll send out some blue smoke, but it probably won't destroy the engine, but not good on a steady diet. Depends on what %age oil is mixed.


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## tpenfield (Feb 24, 2015)

vfrex said:


> What would result from adding 20:1 or 50:1 fuel mix to a 4-cycle engine? Asking out of curiosity - picked up 4-cycle fuel today.


The intake and cylinder would get a slight oil coating . . . other than that . . . not much.

I actually run a 10:1 2-cycle oil/gas mixture to 'winterize' (i.e. fog) my 454 ci V8 boat engines. Also, do the same of the snow blowers.


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## Tony P. (Jan 9, 2017)

vfrex said:


> What would result from adding 20:1 or 50:1 fuel mix to a 4-cycle engine? Asking out of curiosity - picked up 4-cycle fuel today.


vfrex, I sense your original question was what should you put in your tank (if anything) when you prepare for storage. Those familiar with small engines such as snow blowers know ethanol gasoline like you use in your vehicles can damage a small engine when stored for even a few months. 

The ethanol mixes with moisture and separates from the pure gasoline in a process called phase separation. Without getting into details, phase separation can be harmful or even deadly to a small engine.

There's debate on the best way to avoid phase separation. Some snow blower owners simply remove all the gasoline, while others add a gasoline additive. A third option is obviously to remove the old gasoline and store the snow blower with an ethanol-free gasoline like Tru-Fuel.

In terms of the impact of using a 2-cycle gas/oil mixture in a snow blower, I'm not certain of the harm. I suspect though, that the blower will run rough, smoke more, the spark plug will foul sooner, and it may be harder to start.


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## tpenfield (Feb 24, 2015)

Yes, I would only run a 2-cycle oil/fuel mix for storage prep. I am running a 2-cycle mix on the Husqvarna ST224 that I recently bought . . . but don't tell anybody. :icon_smile_tongue: I don't use it much and may not have the time to prep it for the off-season.


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## 524SWE (Jan 20, 2017)

I always use non-ethanol gas year round. Fill up tank with gas and Stabil gas stabilizer, run 5 minutes and put away for the summer. Try this website to find non-ethanol gas in your area. 

Ethanol-free gas stations in the U.S. and Canada


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## vfrex (Mar 25, 2017)

Is that to say you use Stabil on non-ethanol gas? Unfortunately the nearest source on that site is a 100 mile round trip.


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## Vermont007 (Mar 29, 2015)

Where are you located ?

If you'd complete your Profile, we'd know.


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## stromr (Jul 20, 2016)

I always use a gas stabilizer, even if you can use nonethanol gas, remember any gas will start to deteriorate after 30 days without it. If you can't find nonethanol I suppose it would be feasible to use something like TruFuel but it's going to be expensive.


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## tpenfield (Feb 24, 2015)

stabilizer will help the longevity of the fuel, regardless of ethanol or not.


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## vfrex (Mar 25, 2017)

So I ran the blower till it died on the gas it came with, filled tank with 4-cycle TruFuel, and tried to run the blower for a few minutes to get the stabilized fuel through the system. It sputters for a minute, never really gets into a rhythm, and dies. Any ideas?


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## tpenfield (Feb 24, 2015)

vfrex said:


> So I ran the blower till it died on the gas it came with, filled tank with 4-cycle TruFuel, and tried to run the blower for a few minutes to get the stabilized fuel through the system. It sputters for a minute, never really gets into a rhythm, and dies. Any ideas?


I think this proves my theory that these small engines would rather run on old, stale gas. . . No need for designer fuels.

Did the engine run OK with the old gasoline?

I would just run regular gasoline with a high dosage of carburetor cleaner for a tank and then go back to regular gas.


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## vfrex (Mar 25, 2017)

It ran well enough until the tank was almost entirely empty, then sputtered and stalled (on the old gas). 

Assuming I should siphon the designer stuff to get it out?


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