# No Gas shutoff on 2017 2X26 Any ideas how to install one



## neparon (Mar 30, 2017)

Looking for some ideas how to install a gas shutoff.


----------



## 10953 (Sep 4, 2017)

WELCOME to the site

photo's of the motor don't show much room to place one.


----------



## KennyW in CT (Feb 24, 2015)

I've cut through the plastic cover, added elbows and a shut-off. A real PITA to do. Is the problem a leaking needle and seat or you are in fear of it leaking in the garage and filling the space with explosive fumes?
Most of my customers buy a plastic tray, similar to one used for muddy boots and shoes, and place it under the thrower to contain any oil leaks or fuel leaks. You MUST check the dipstick every time you use the thrower as any leaks past the needle and seat may end up in the crankcase which with an electric start will hydraulic your rings and break them. When a non-electric start engine is almost impossible to pull, it means 99% of the time that fuel has entered the cylinder and crankcase. Any dipstick that is past full and smells like gas has a leaking needle and seat and it must be addressed. 


Anything can be done, just add time and money to the equation, and the fact that it will look Rube Goldberged too.


----------



## Cardo111 (Feb 16, 2015)

While a fuel shut off valve is definitely a nice feature to have. I would not worry too much about adding one. If you either drain the tank/run it dry at the end of the season and always use a quality stabilizer like Star Tron or Marine Stabil (probably don't have to run it dry I sometimes don't, another method is to keep the fuel tank full to avoid moisture build-up when storing). I have a 15 year old Briggs Vanguard engine on my lawn tractor it doesn't have a fuel shut off. Knock on wood, using 87 octane gas and what I mentioned above, have not had any fuel related issues with the carb.


----------



## vmax29 (Oct 19, 2017)

Google in line fuel shut off Briggs there is a very small shutoff on Amazon for $5.


----------



## jsup (Nov 19, 2017)

I like having a shutoff, I run it dry after every use. I also run stable in all the gas I put in. That is until it snows weekly, then I don't bother, but could be weeks between snow here, so I do that as a precaution. 

I added one to my last blower for this reason. 

Are there pictures of the engine that can be posted? Who makes a 2X26?......never mind it's Cub Cadet. Looking for pics now.


----------



## Kielbasa (Dec 21, 2013)

In 2011 when I bought my 21m214 Briggs And Straton or my repower, it didn't have a fuel shut off. So I installed one before I mounted it. It wasn't hard, but just a little time consuming because I had to a few trial runs to cut the correct amount of fuel line so that the shut off would sit correctly in place. It is well worth having.


----------



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

Is this the machine?

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Cub-Cad...-Steering-and-Steel-Chute-2X-26-HP/301852617\


Probably a Loncin or LCT engine.

I thought they came with a fuel shut off.???? I guess they are looking for cost savings now. It was mounted in the plastic housing.


----------



## jtw1979 (Mar 14, 2017)

I can tell you my 2016 CC 3X 420CC doesnt have a fuel shut off valve. It would be easy to add but you would probably have to trim the engine shroud. I will just drain the gas and run it empty at the end of the season. I would wait till the warranty is up to add the shut off valve personally. The Powermore engines are Chinese, made by Zongshen.


----------



## neparon (Mar 30, 2017)

Thanks for all of the ideas and comments. Think I will wait until end of warranty period. All have a great Christmas and a heathy New Year!!!
Ron


----------



## JLawrence08648 (Jan 15, 2017)

Thought on a fuel shut off.

Remove the plastic shroud that covers the fuel line, install an inline shut off exactly as vmax29 said, reinstall the shroud, drill a hole in it, cut a slot in a 1/2" metal rod, or bolt to fit over and around the fuel shut off handle, insert through hole in shroud to turn off turn on (with no psychedelics, hey I'm a child of the 60s).


----------



## alylea (Nov 21, 2017)

CC has left off the shut off valves, AND the fuels filters. CC Tech support are all scratching their heads on this. I have a fuel tank inlet strainer coming in today. I'll let you know if it fits. My tankmay be different from yours. I will be adding a 90 degree B&S shutoff to my 3x 30 HD at the end of the line where it enters the engine. I'll post pics once it's done. 

CC Tech supports says run it dry, get some Tru Fuel (no ethanol) and run the machine with a little Stabil in the Tru Fuel for 10 minutes prior to long term storage.


----------



## jsup (Nov 19, 2017)

Fuel shut off manufacturers are now selling carburetors.


----------



## Clutch Cargo (Dec 27, 2015)

> I've cut through the plastic cover, added elbows and a shut-off. A real PITA to do.


Please share pics as I am considering one of these machines. As for the utility/validity of having one and the dubious assistance offered by CC tech support, here is my two cents. 

A fuel shutoff valve is absolutely necessary for the following reasons:
1. If the carburetor float valve fails, all of the fuel from the tank will not leak in your garage or other enclosed space. 
2. If you are anticipating not running it for a while, but still within season, you can run the carb dry without emptying the tank.
3. Unless the fuel tank is kept meticulously clean, gunk from the bottom will eventually get sucked into the carburetor. This may not seem to be a big deal when the engine is new, but eventually there will be stuff in the bottom. At the end of the season, I run my tank down fairly low, add stabilizer to the fuel, mix well, shut off the valve, and run the carb dry. Easy peasy.


----------



## jsup (Nov 19, 2017)

Clutch Cargo said:


> 3. Unless the fuel tank is kept meticulously clean, gunk from the bottom will eventually get sucked into the carburetor. This may not seem to be a big deal when the engine is new, but eventually there will be stuff in the bottom. At the end of the season, I run my tank down fairly low, add stabilizer to the fuel, mix well, shut off the valve, and run the carb dry. Easy peasy.


This is why I like plastic tanks, less problems with sediment. What I do with metal tanks, and I will do with my new machine, is coat the inside of the tank. This keeps it from rusting, and corroding, keeping the sediment to a minimum. It's a 3 step process, clean, etch, and coat. It needs 3 days for it to dry. I do the same for steel carb bowls. 

I also install in line fuel filters. 

I never had to replace a carb on one of my machines. 

A little prevention/preparation saves a lot of trouble down the road.


----------



## Clutch Cargo (Dec 27, 2015)

> less problems with sediment.


"less" being the operative word. I haven't seen a steel fuel tank in about 30 years. Nevertheless, I have cleaned gunk out of various plastic tanks I've owned. I agree regarding an in-line fuel filter, but in this case there is barely enough room for a valve, let alone a filter.


----------



## alylea (Nov 21, 2017)

Clutch Cargo said:


> "less" being the operative word. I haven't seen a steel fuel tank in about 30 years. Nevertheless, I have cleaned gunk out of various plastic tanks I've owned. I agree regarding an in-line fuel filter, but in this case there is barely enough room for a valve, let alone a filter.


The 3x 30 HD has a huge steel tank. I was able to use an MTD filler inlet strainer without any problem. I'll be taking apart the housing to see where I can fit a valve in. Looks like I have rood for a disc-type filter right before the engine fuel input port. I'll post pictures once it's done.


----------



## Clutch Cargo (Dec 27, 2015)

A steel tank? really? Then I stand corrected. Well, perhaps they're cheaper in China than a rotomolded plastic one. You learn something new every day.


----------



## ShellDude (Dec 18, 2020)

apologies for practicing necromancy.... but I'm in the process of adding a fuel shut-off valve to my 2020 26" 2X now. I'm pretty sure 2017-2020 are all pretty much the same. I'll grab some pictures as it will require me to cut a 1" hole in the pastic carb cover ... and yeah, real estate is a premium.


----------



## ShellDude (Dec 18, 2020)

here's where I landed:


----------



## Doofy (Dec 6, 2020)

Looks nice. You've had better luck than I have with those plastic fuel shutoff valves. I bought 5 Briggs & Stratton branded valves from Amazon and after the first two leaked, I threw them all in the garbage and ordered a metal one.


----------



## ShellDude (Dec 18, 2020)

I too have had issues with some of the ones I've purchased from Amazon. I actually replaced one just the other day as it was leaking horribly when the valve was open.

I picked this specific one up from Home Depot as I was picking up the blower. It's MTD branded but yeah, I hear ya.


----------



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

Bravo!


----------



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

I have had the same problem a day ago on a right angle valve from Ebay. It only leaks when it is on. Cheap is not cheap if does not work. I should have gone to NAPA to get one. If it is defective they take care of it.


----------



## ShellDude (Dec 18, 2020)

omg... mine was a right angle one too!


----------



## ST1100A (Feb 7, 2015)

ShellDude said:


> here's where I landed:
> 
> View attachment 171897
> 
> View attachment 171898





ShellDude said:


> here's where I landed:
> 
> View attachment 171897
> 
> View attachment 171898


It will work but I see a couple of problems.
I did a couple of those, some I had to use a 90 degree angle valve and some a straight valve depending on the fuel tank outlet.
I mounted the shut-off valve close to the outlet on the fuel tank so the fuel line would go straight to the carburetor and not have the "loop" in it like you have.
The "loop" can give you a couple of problems, first, it can cause an "Air bound" problem with the fuel, and that does happen to cause running problems at times, the other problem is when the fuel is turned off and you want to run the carburetor out of gas for summer storage, you will have fuel in that part of the line that will go stale because there is going to be air in the line at its high spot, or you would have to disconnect the hose to get all the fuel out of the line going to the carburetor.
Another possible problem is where you cut the hole for the valve, right at that area is where the shrouds capture warmer air to help prevent carburetor icing, and you are going to get cold air or snow bound air right where you do not want it. The hole is too big and will let a lot of air and snow in.
You might want to re-locate the shut-off valve and duct tape the hole shut that you drilled.
I drill the hole for that valve at 5/8 of an inch and cut a tiny slot so the valve fits in tight and the little slot lets the valve handle go through the hole I drilled.
I mount the valve up close to where the line connects to the fuel tank, almost just up from the pull start handle in the plastic shroud under the gas tank.
It is a tighter area to get to and a pain in the a## sometimes to mount them but it works very well like that.
You would think Cub Cadet would make the machine with a fuel shut-off valve from the factory, and it would only cost a couple of cents extra to do that, but they rather people suffer from not being able to start the machine after storage due to bad gas left in the carburetor and have to take them to the shop for repair, or have to replace an engine when the float leaks fuel and it floods the cylinder and seeps down past the rings to contaminate the oil, and the owner doesn't realize that, and when they finally get the engine running, they blow the engine up from oil thinned out with the gas that leaked down into it, so the Chinese that build them make more money selling a new machine or a lot of extra expensive parts to the poor owner.
At least the Chinese that build the machine are not dumb when they designed it that way, they know how to make money screwing the buyer over by producing a cheaper machine that way.


----------



## 140278 (Aug 27, 2020)

don't try to add a fuel filter now, there is one inside the fuel fitting nipple screwed into the fuel tank 
otherwise good luck with the machine .


----------



## Clutch Cargo (Dec 27, 2015)

Welcome back. Thanks for the images and nicely done. Looks almost factory. I tend to agree w/ ST1100A regarding the possibility of getting an air bubble in the loop above the valve after the carburetor has been run dry. However, one way to prevent this is to make sure that the tank is completely full when going through this evolution. This will insure that you have the maximum available head pressure when you turn the fuel back on. My guess is that you should be OK. Regarding the air coming in around the valve, please let us know if you have any icing issues. Also, next time you're at a harware store, maybe you can find a rubber grommet that will take up the extra space. 

Regarding issues with cheap fuel valves, I too have had my problems with "Briggs" valves from Amazon. The last incident was when I tried to install one on a 2001 JD mower (Briggs INTEK). It was hard to open and close and despite using petroleum grease, the downstream nipple twisted off when I tried to insert it in the hose. I then went to my local Ace Hardware that also sold Tecumseh and Briggs parts and a great fellow told me that there were a lot of knockoffs being sold on Amazon & Ebay. Who would've thought?!? He unwrapped a genuine Briggs valve and the action was extremely smooth and went on without a problem. Yup, it was $9 with tax but you know, I didn't mind. I supported a local business and got good service.


----------



## ST1100A (Feb 7, 2015)

I mentioned a 5/8 inch hole, it may have been a 3/4 inch. I used a hole saw drill. 
When I got done with it, it fit into the hole tightly and you could still turn the handle well, plus it kept the valve from trying to twist so I didn't have to wire tie it fast by the hose lines. It was like a "Snap Fit".
Like many others have mentioned, make sure you use a good valve, more expensive valve, stay away from the cheap knock off valves because they do leak and you can twist off the knob on them when they turn tight.
Depending on where you are located, N.A.P.A. auto parts stores sell them, made by Prime-Line. I had some good and bad ones, the original Briggs valves are the same.
If you can get a metal valve, they are more expensive, but seem to be a lot better.
Your best bet is to get the genuine Briggs valve if you can, they cost more but do turn smoother and the handle stays on better. If the handle comes off, it will leak like crazy.


----------



## Doofy (Dec 6, 2020)

Ditto on metal valves. There are just to many cheap Chinese knock-offs that leak.


----------



## ShellDude (Dec 18, 2020)

I had thought about doing the valve right where the fuel line exits the tank in that 4" or so run between the tank and carb inlet but decided to just drill the hole down below with the loop instead for the sake of simplicity.

I live outside of Philadelphia and the biggest storm we've gotten here in the past 20 years was maybe 30" tops. I doubt I'll ever have to deal with icing as mentioned. I really do like the rubber grommet idea and will see about finding something I can plug in there regardless. 

I considered air bubbles / trapped air. I did not want to do a loop but was able to rationalize purging air with the primer and just letting the damn thing run. I know I passed air yesterday because the engine surged and shutdown with a practically full tank shortly after firing it up for the first time. Repriming it did the trick and it ran for hours afterwards. No big deal in the scheme of things. Something I'll just contend with as part of annual readiness.

Regarding lingering fuel in the loop during storage periods, yeah... thought about this too and I acknowledge it could be a problem if I'm using an ethanol blend fuel. I know this may sound crazy, but I was planning on just blowing through fuel cap with the carb drain open at the end of the season. I prefer to completely drain my system before storage and I also try to avoid ethanol blended gas all-together. 

I know the damage ethanol can do to a fuel system. I've been riding bikes since I was a kid, have had a countless number of small engines over the years, and have cleaned / replaced plenty of carbs since ethanol became a mainstream additive. I hate the stuff.


----------



## ShellDude (Dec 18, 2020)

oh also gentlemen... please post some pictures of your setups! I found this group (and post) via google trying to get ideas for placement / etc.

I may have done things differently if there'd been some visual reference (such as the in-line approach).


----------



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

If you look at the LCT engines they put a shut off valve on the right corner of the machine. Yes, I agree that Cub should put a valve on their engines as it is suppose to be the upscale MTD. Other than the 3 stage feature and yellow paint job what distinguishes it from the others in the MTD family? 
AS far as the hole in the heater box goes, I would wait and see before you go off and plug it up. In theory it may cause some issues. Look at all of the people who have been using Preditors with no heat box at all. I am not saying they don't have issues but many don't. The conditions have to be just right to get freezing and you only have a 3/4" hole that is partially blocked by the valve. The larger loop making a trap sounds like a more realistic possible problem, As you described. There is no easy solution with what you have. Progress happens in increments. I applaud you for what you have done. The next one will be better.

Shut off valves are also at Advance Auto and Auto Zone. I am not sure of their source but I would bet they are the same. I have seen them in blister packages as they are packaged at NAPA in the Prime Line brand. This is the frist time I have had problems with the generic valves on Ebay. I have used about a dozen in the past year with no issues. Most have been straight ones on Mowers.


----------



## Ziggy65 (Jan 18, 2020)

Never ever use the gas shut off valve that comes with some of the cheap Chinese carbs on e bay and Amazon. Ask me how I know  
Also toss out the in line fuel filter and any gas line that may come with those carbs.


----------



## ST1100A (Feb 7, 2015)

ShellDude said:


> oh also gentlemen... please post some pictures of your setups! I found this group (and post) via google trying to get ideas for placement / etc.
> 
> I may have done things differently if there'd been some visual reference (such as the in-line approach).


I wish I had taken pictures of the jobs I did on them. It would have helped you a lot.
I think what you did will work for you, but you may have some problems with things I mentioned so I wanted to share that information with you.
I just installed the shut off valve on a 3X26 the other day for a customer and when I saw your post I had to write in and offer you some advice that may help if you have any problems in the future with it.
You learn a lot from experimenting with them.


----------



## bibeaud (Jan 1, 2021)

ST1100A - any chance you could post or send a picture (from the outside) where you cut the opening for your fuel shut off? I'm across the river in P'Burg.
I am thinking of installing closer to the pull handle if I can find a straight section. Already ordered a metal shut off valve from Amazon (Scag 48568/Oregon 07-403 copy)
It would be a worth while summer project that would require pulling the blower out of the shed after being put away for the off-season.


----------



## ST1100A (Feb 7, 2015)

bibeaud said:


> ST1100A - any chance you could post or send a picture (from the outside) where you cut the opening for your fuel shut off? I'm across the river in P'Burg.
> I am thinking of installing closer to the pull handle if I can find a straight section. Already ordered a metal shut off valve from Amazon (Scag 48568/Oregon 07-403 copy)
> It would be a worth while summer project that would require pulling the blower out of the shed after being put away for the off-season.


You're right across the bridge from me.
I wish I took a picture of it when I did it so I could have sent it to you.
The next time I do one of those again I will photograph everything, but at this time I am busy with lawn equipment, so I don't know when I will get one in for service again, but I could soon.
I used a 90 degree angle one I think on that job, or it may have been the straight one, I forget at the moment.
The hole was drilled with a hole saw right near the handle and had to cut a tiny slot for the valve body to set in to keep it from turning.
It fit in snug and didn't move once it was set in place.
I think I also drilled 2 small holes to put a wire tie strap around the fuel hose to keep it from moving and it worked out perfect.
I got the valves from the local NAPA store, made by 'Prime-line' they were plastic.
You can get them either at the Easton or Stewartsville stores, they are only a couple of dollars.
When I see the person who owns the snowblower again I will try to take a picture of it,it looks like a factory installed valve after I got done with it.
The metal valves are usually better, more durable than the plastic ones, so it might be a little bit different shaped than the plastic one.
I put those valves on a couple of different Cub Cadet machines, plus many other manufactured units.
It was a little tricky figuring out exactly where I wanted to put the hole at, at first, but measured and marked everything first, and it worked out perfectly with the hole position and hose lengths I needed.
The valve 'clicked' right into the hole and has been fine ever since.


----------



## bibeaud (Jan 1, 2021)

ST1100A said:


> You're right across the bridge from me.
> I wish I took a picture of it when I did it so I could have sent it to you.
> The next time I do one of those again I will photograph everything, but at this time I am busy with lawn equipment, so I don't know when I will get one in for service again, but I could soon.
> I used a 90 degree angle one I think on that job, or it may have been the straight one, I forget at the moment.
> ...


I finally added a 90 degree shutoff valve on Thursday 11/11 and replaced all the fuel lines 1/4id 1/2od with new hoses and clamps too. I could not line up the shutoff valve with the handle sticking out of the nice and neat 1" hole I drilled into the panel below the throttle valve. I ended up "hacking" a larger hole so I could access the shut off valve handle behind the plastic shroud. I am hiding some of the rough cuts with electrical tape to "square it off". It works. Now I can run the carb out of fuel during the snow season. Thanks to the original OP in this post for giving me ideas.


----------



## bibeaud (Jan 1, 2021)

photo of 90 degree shutoff valve below throttle lever.


----------

