# Draining snowblower fuel tank at the end of the season



## wil (Jan 1, 2014)

Obviously the old way of sucking up gas in a tube is not the way to do it! How
do YOU remove the gas from the tank at the end of the season and NOT get the gasoline and its smell all over your hands and clothes?

I'm getting tired of pulling out the nitrile gloves and putting on full hazard gear,
then taking them all OFF before going inside. There must be a better way?

Recommendations?


----------



## Toro-8-2-4 (Dec 28, 2013)

Depends on your machine but on most you can remove the main jet nut on the carb and drain it from there. Some bowls have drain valves or drain plugs. If easier you could pull the fuel line going in to the carb and do it from there. If you have a small single cycle machine you can tip it. Hard to advise you with out knowing your machine. Can you post a few pics?


----------



## Mavaholic (Mar 13, 2018)

For the ones I cannot easily disconnect the fuel line, I use a hand pump and then run it til it kills.


----------



## Spanker (Mar 17, 2018)

If you have a fuel shutoff, close it while the engine is running which will drain the carburetor dry. If you don't have a fuel shutoff, simply start the machine for a few minutes every few months which will draw fresher gas into the carburetor.

You don't need to drain the tank. Gas left over in the spring will work perfectly fine next December. And _*if sealed tightly*_, the December after that. The oil companies state that gasoline has a shelf life of 6-12 months before it starts to deteriorate. But it will still burn in your engine for at least 2 years....Without adding fuel stabilizer.

The small amount of gas in your carb will evaporate, as it's not sealed. You either want the carb drained, or the fuel in it needs to be refreshed before it evaporates...by running the engine for a few minutes.

Always buy your equipment fuel at a busy gas station so the fuel is fresh on day one. A busy station will have a tanker delivery every day. Preferably from a TOP TIER brand which have better additive packages in their fuels. Here's the list:
www.toptiergas.com/licensedbrands/

Or grow some berries and siphon it using 1/4" clear tubing. Drain the tank and start engine to run dry.


----------



## 1132le (Feb 23, 2017)

Spanker said:


> If you have a fuel shutoff, close it while the engine is running which will drain the carburetor dry. If you don't have a fuel shutoff, simply start the machine for a few minutes every few months which will draw fresher gas into the carburetor.
> 
> You don't need to drain the tank. Gas left over in the spring will work perfectly fine next December. And _*if sealed tightly*_, the December after that. The oil companies state that gasoline has a shelf life of 6-12 months before it starts to deteriorate. But it will still burn in your engine for at least 2 years....Without adding fuel stabilizer.
> 
> ...


closing the fuel valve and running motor till it dies does not get all the gas out of the bowl
sealing the tank will not make gas with ethenol last till next season
ive seen gas in a bowl after 4 months and it all junked up the bowl should be drainded if stabul has not been added


----------



## ZTMAN (Jan 11, 2018)

Just drained mine today. I removed most of the gas with a transfer pump I got at Walmart, then let it run dry. Opened the carb screw, a few drops came out, and then put her away for the season.


----------



## CO Snow (Dec 8, 2011)

ZTMAN said:


> Just drained mine today. I removed most of the gas with a transfer pump I got at Walmart, then let it run dry. Opened the carb screw, a few drops came out, and then put her away for the season.


Now you’ll get a big snow storm.


----------



## Spanker (Mar 17, 2018)

1132le said:


> closing the fuel valve and running motor till it dies does not get all the gas out of the bowl
> sealing the tank will not make gas with ethenol last till next season
> ive seen gas in a bowl after 4 months and it all junked up the bowl should be drainded if stabul has not been added


This is from BP's website:
_
*Petrol in sealed containers *
The storage life of petrol is one year when stored under shelter in a sealed container. Once a seal is broken the fuel has a 
storage life of six months at 20°C or three months at 30°C.

*Ethanol blends*
Regular unleaded with up to 10% ethanol has an equivalent storage life to regular petrol. 
As with regular petrol, when using an engine after a period of storage, always top up with a third of fresh fuel first. With ethanol blends, this will 
remove trace water and dry the system out as well as freshening up the old fuel._


----------



## Toro-8-2-4 (Dec 28, 2013)

CO Snow said:


> Now you’ll get a big snow storm.


I know you guys are confident. I am not so. I recall a few April fools snow storms.



Spanker said:


> This is from BP's website:
> _
> *Petrol in sealed containers *
> The storage life of petrol is one year when stored under shelter in a sealed container. Once a seal is broken the fuel has a
> ...


They talk about a seal being broken. The gas tank is not perfectly sealed, it is vented. Every ODOE engine manual I can recall reading says to drain the gas for long term storage. I have been guilty of not following that, but I do always use stabil and it usually has been 1/4 tank or less. With out really thinking about it, I have basically done what they recommend in the last sentence. I have been lucky and not had any issues.


----------



## Sblg43 (Jan 18, 2014)

My usual procedure:

1) Put Seafoam in the tank
2)Start engine and run for a few minutes
3)Turn fuel valve off (with engine still running)
3.5)If there is very little fuel left in the tank, I will just let it run without turning the fuel valve off
4)Allow engine to die naturally

Additional Note: I only use High Octane Non-ethanol Gasoline from a busy station that gets a lot of fresh fuel deliveries.

I do this with all my small engine machines when I know they are going to sit unused for an extended period of time.

So far so good.


----------



## buffettck (Jan 4, 2017)

Seriously? Full HAZMAT gear? LOL It's not that hard at all to drain the tank with a handheld bulb/siphon thingy and let it run into a gas can. Heck, I do it all the time transferring gas from the large 15gal gas can to the easier to handle/maneuver smaller 2.5gal can. As for completely emptying it, I siphon out all the gas, let it run itself dry and drain the bowl. All fuel is non-ethanol and already treated, so I don't have to worry about adding anything before running it out.


----------



## gregg (Nov 23, 2012)

Go into the kitchen and get the turkey baster..... Just don't get CAUGHT!!!!


----------



## ZTMAN (Jan 11, 2018)

buffettck said:


> CO Snow said:
> 
> 
> > Now you’ll get a big snow storm.
> ...


----------



## wow08816 (Feb 2, 2017)

I do not drain the tank but run my blower dry (regardless of tank level).


----------



## justcoz (Mar 16, 2018)

One of the things I used to see working in a small engine shop was snowblowers and lawn mowers that hadn't had the fuel tank drained at the end of the season. The customer would bring it in because, at the start of the season, "this brand new piece of junk won't run". I'd drain the gas out of the tank into a glass jar, and let the customer see the layer of water on bottom with the gas on top. Ethanol is hygroscopic, meaning it absorbs moisture from the air, and non-ethanol fuel is too expensive around here to be a reasonable option. Drain it into a small can, put the gas in your car, get fresh fuel next year.


----------



## Oneacer (Jan 3, 2011)

I always put Stabil and Seafoam in my 5 gal gas cans as per recommendations.

Run this fuel in all my small engines.

Start all small engines every couple months, regardless of season or unit.

Never ever had a problem.


----------



## jim5554 (Mar 18, 2017)

I run stabilized gas all year round. I just turn off the fuel and run it 'til it's dry. It starts right up at the beginning of the season. That goes for lawn as well as snow equipment. Stabilizer is cheap insurance.


----------



## ZTMAN (Jan 11, 2018)

ZTMAN said:


> buffettck said:
> 
> 
> > I can only hope. One is circling around us on tuesday. Maybe it will come our direction. Still have fuel in the single stage. :wink2:
> ...


----------



## CarlB (Jan 2, 2011)

I use a siphon pump to remove most of the gas from the tank then i run the engine until it dies. I leave the blower in the sun with the cap off the tank for a bit to dry out any of the gas that may be left. On engines with metal gas tanks i spray the inside with wd40 and then put a plastic bag over the fill hole and put the cap back on. the bag keeps the tank from venting and keeps moisture out. Been doing this for over 20 years and never had a metal tank rust.


----------



## KOBO (Jul 15, 2017)

These work pretty good, there are a couple similar ones you can find in other stores.

[url]https://www.harborfreight.com/battery-operated-liquid-transfer-pump-63847.html[/URL]


----------



## Toro-8-2-4 (Dec 28, 2013)

CarlB said:


> On engines with metal gas tanks i spray the inside with wd40 and then put a plastic bag over the fill hole and put the cap back on. the bag keeps the tank from venting and keeps moisture out. Been doing this for over 20 years and never had a metal tank rust.


Thanks for sharing that trick. It Makes perfect sense.


----------



## 1132le (Feb 23, 2017)

I dont put them down anymore just run them every 90 days with fresh gas treated with stabul for 5 min so much easier
thats only 3 times in between seasons


----------



## JLawrence08648 (Jan 15, 2017)

CarlB said:


> I use a siphon pump to remove most of the gas from the tank then i run the engine until it dies. I leave the blower in the sun with the cap off the tank for a bit to dry out any of the gas that may be left. On engines with metal gas tanks i spray the inside with wd40 and then put a plastic bag over the fill hole and put the cap back on. the bag keeps the tank from venting and keeps moisture out. Been doing this for over 20 years and never had a metal tank rust.


I would think just the opposite that without venting the tank would sweat, you would need airflow. If you took plastic and sealed the edges against something or even a plastic bag sealed, condensation develops.


----------



## ZTMAN (Jan 11, 2018)

Well, now that I drained the gas from the two stage blower last weekend, we are in the middle of a nor' easter. A week ago, the weatherman assured every one that this was not a milk and bread storm and would have no significant impact. Now we are supposed to get 8-14".
The weatherman doesn't know the power of draining a snowblower. Some how I knew/hoped this would happen


----------



## old ope mechanic (Feb 16, 2018)

possibly to 18 inches here at 1400 feet elevation,


----------



## Miles (Sep 16, 2016)

5-8 inches of snow here in Maryland. This is the first snow over 2 inches this year.


----------



## Macplee (Feb 17, 2018)

This B&S pump is a little expensive but it is amazingly fast. I have one for gas and one for oil. It drains my 1gl tank in less than a minute. I have always just put fuel stablelizer at end of season and never had problem. This year I want to try either draining the tank and fill it with TruFuel (ethanol-free), or I was going to try draining the tank and running the carb clean and spray rust prohibitor and leave the gas cap opened. What rust prohibitor spray do people recommend?


----------



## mobiledynamics (Nov 21, 2014)

Saved me some work this year. Usually I do the drain, open the tank, let whatever evaporate out, etc. I ran the machine till it was empty for this nor-easter, did not bother to fill it up. Just shoveled the rest. So come warm weather day, it's just a quick carb drain and full on wash and wax.


----------



## jim5554 (Mar 18, 2017)

ZTMAN said:


> Well, now that I drained the gas from the two stage blower last weekend, we are in the middle of a nor' easter. A week ago, the weatherman assured every one that this was not a milk and bread storm and would have no significant impact. Now we are supposed to get 8-14".
> The weatherman doesn't know the power of draining a snowblower. Some how I knew/hoped this would happen


Now I know who to blame. I got 19" on Long Island (They predicted 4"-6"). Thanks a lot. I was going to put my baby to bed for the summer. I'm glad I didn't. I probably would have gotten 3'.


----------



## ZTMAN (Jan 11, 2018)

We ended up getting 12". Was able to use the new Honda on a decent size heavy wet snow. I got my fix for the year. Bring on spring


----------



## Snowbelt_subie (Dec 20, 2016)

used to run all my blowers handheld equipment mowers ect out of gas at the end of the season.

most times the equipment would be ok when i put new gas and started them the next season.

i had a couple problems with toro single stages carbs leaking when i put fresh gas in them the next year needle and seat problems. also had a HS621 surge and need a carb clean.

ever since i have been using sea foam treating the gas and fill half the tank with fresh gas before storage. and fill the rest after storage with fresh gas. i also start them a couple times in the off season.

havent had a problem since. i am now in the camp of treat your gas keep them filled and run your equipment a couple times in the off-season.


----------



## Snowbelt_subie (Dec 20, 2016)

this guy knows his stuff a nice video on winterizing.


----------



## paulm12 (May 22, 2015)

+1 on keeping some stabilized fuel in the tank all year, and also running the motor a few times off-season.


----------



## aldfam4 (Dec 25, 2016)

ZTMAN said:


> Well, now that I drained the gas from the two stage blower last weekend, we are in the middle of a nor' easter. A week ago, the weatherman assured every one that this was not a milk and bread storm and would have no significant impact. Now we are supposed to get 8-14".
> The weatherman doesn't know the power of draining a snowblower. Some how I knew/hoped this would happen


Here in Western New York Area, we have gotten snow on Mother's Day. I'll put the big Ariens away in about 2 weeks but I will keep my Toro 2 cycle going until the the end of April.., and then wait for snow to come back on Mother's day or there after!:grin:


----------



## sunlight99 (Sep 2, 2017)

Another option is to pour a can or two of TruFuel into the tank, it's more expensive than draining the tank or using additive. 

If you keep the tank full and run it once every 2-3 month, then there is no need to squirt oil into the hole, right?


----------



## bisonp (Mar 23, 2018)

Snowbelt_subie said:


> used to run all my blowers handheld equipment mowers ect out of gas at the end of the season.
> 
> most times the equipment would be ok when i put new gas and started them the next season.
> 
> ...


That's what I've always done with the B&S on my lawn mower with no issues. So I decided to try that with the Tecumseh on my Ariens one year and ended up having to rebuild the carb. I don't know if there is a single way that's best with all engines.


----------



## micah68kj (Oct 8, 2011)

I have never drained the tanks on any of my ope. Chainsaws edgers, trimmers, blowers snowblowers, tillers, lawnmowers.... Before we had a local station start selling non e gas I always used a combination of Startron/Seafoam and never had any starting running problems. Now we have a non e station and I use that. At least 30 years ..... No problems. Well, Mantis carbs are a little touchy but still, only minor stuff. Just my personal experience. One more *very important* thing. Everything gets stored inside out of the weather.


----------



## sunlight99 (Sep 2, 2017)

Does anyone spray fogging oil into the spark plug hole?


----------



## old ope mechanic (Feb 16, 2018)

sunlight99 said:


> Does anyone spray fogging oil into the spark plug hole?


i use marine store and start in the fuel , fogs and stabilizes in one. always leave the tank full .never had a issue.yet!!! spraying some fogging oil down the plug hole never hurts as it coats the upper cylinder area.


----------



## broo (Dec 23, 2017)

For my part, I do not drain the carb nor the fuel tank. I do not fill the tank either. All my equipment have plastic tanks which can't rust and I always use Sta-bil in my ethanol-free fuel can in case I don't use it much. I also treat OPE fuel with a dose of Marvel Mystery Oil, for whatever benefits it could bring. Therefore, all fuel going in my OPE is ready to be stored at any time.


----------



## Kiss4aFrog (Nov 3, 2013)

I use fogging oil. I got it at Walmart a few years back. Needed it for the boat but use it on small engines I know are going to be sitting for a season or three. STA-BIL 22001 Fogging Oil or SeaFoam 282148 Spray Aerosol Engine Cleaner & Lube to name a couple.
Auto parts stores or big box should carry them.

.


----------



## FullThrottle (Apr 7, 2017)

I usually drain my tank,can you squirt the regular motor oil used in the blower engine into the spark plug port for storage over the summer months?





Kiss4aFrog said:


> I use fogging oil. I got it at Walmart a few years back. Needed it for the boat but use it on small engines I know are going to be sitting for a season or three. STA-BIL 22001 Fogging Oil or SeaFoam 282148 Spray Aerosol Engine Cleaner & Lube to name a couple.
> Auto parts stores or big box should carry them.
> 
> .


----------



## bisonp (Mar 23, 2018)

sunlight99 said:


> Does anyone spray fogging oil into the spark plug hole?


I put a bit of engine oil down the spark plug hole, cover the hole with a rag, and give the recoil a pull. Judging from what happens if when I forget to cover the hole, that should coat the cylinder pretty well. 

That's per my Tecumseh's manual: 

https://www.manualslib.com/manual/999783/Tecumseh-Hmsk80.html?page=5#manual


----------



## gibbs296 (Jun 22, 2014)

Spanker said:


> If you have a fuel shutoff, close it while the engine is running which will drain the carburetor dry. If you don't have a fuel shutoff, simply start the machine for a few minutes every few months which will draw fresher gas into the carburetor.
> 
> You don't need to drain the tank. Gas left over in the spring will work perfectly fine next December. And _*if sealed tightly*_, the December after that. The oil companies state that gasoline has a shelf life of 6-12 months before it starts to deteriorate. But it will still burn in your engine for at least 2 years....Without adding fuel stabilizer.
> 
> ...


Thanks for the info on the Top Tier brands. I think I will just gas 'em up and leave 'em this year.


----------

