# Shutting off and storing a Honda Snowblower



## Forum043287 (Jan 12, 2019)

I've been shutting off my Honda 1332 snowblower by first putting it into Neutral, than turn the fuel valve off, and let the engine die on its own. The engine surges up and down; My concern is this hurting the engine? I've heard shutting it off this was is good because theirs no gasoline in the carburator bowl. Should I stop doing this?

Also, what do you use for gasoline for your honda snowblowers? Ive been using 89 Octane and everytime I fill it up I throw star tron in it.


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## btm (Dec 25, 2017)

You do that every time you use it? Or just to park it at the end of the season?

I feel like it may be bad to do that since it'll be running lean as it starves of fuel. Could be wrong though. 

I have an HSS1332 also. I just shut it off from the key after each use. I leave the fuel on. At the end of the season, I park it, shut it off, turn off the fuel and leave the battery connected. I check the battery late summer with a multimeter and charge it up with a trickle charger. 

My dad got me Startron to add to my gas but I don't use it. I only use Shell Vpower 91 octane in anything I own, including my Honda blower. It's the best gas around. I feel like there's no need for stabilizer with it. 

I don't even add Startron for storage. Just fire it up with last year's Vpower in it. 

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## RedOctobyr (Mar 2, 2014)

Forum, I think the brief running-lean is fine. I've never had a problem from running a carb dry. You could add choke, as it starts to die, to maybe richen it up a bit. Running lean does make an engine run hotter, but in this case you're only doing it for a few seconds, I don't think it's a big deal. 

btm, if you're in Canada, I understand that sometimes 91 octane is ethanol-free. At least around here, in MA, that's not true, 91 will still have ethanol. If it has ethanol, I'd suggest adding stabilizer or something to it, to help reduce the risk of trouble.


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## tabora (Mar 1, 2017)

btm said:


> I leave the fuel on.


It's a good idea to turn the fuel off at the carb petcock, even if you don't run it dry. That way there's no chance that a stuck/dirty float valve will fill your crankcase with the contents of your fuel tank.


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## btm (Dec 25, 2017)

Yeah I'm in Canada. One of the reasons I use the Shell 91 Vpower is because there's no ethanol in it. Stabilizer is more important if your gas has ethanol in it?

I'll start turning off the fuel when I shut the engine off, makes sense. 

So you guys are fairly confident that shutting off the fuel to starve the engine at the end of each use is fairly safe? I may start doing that too. 

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## WVguy (Nov 24, 2018)

btm said:


> Yeah I'm in Canada. One of the reasons I use the Shell 91 Vpower is because there's no ethanol in it. Stabilizer is more important if your gas has ethanol in it?


Yes, by all means. Before they started that ethanol nonsense in the states we didn't have all that concern with fuel stability. I mean, the stuff would go bad eventually, but not in the time it took to get over a mild cold.



btm said:


> So you guys are fairly confident that shutting off the fuel to starve the engine at the end of each use is fairly safe? I may start doing that too.


Quite confident. I've been doing that for 30-some years and never any issues. Yes, it does run a bit lean as the fuel runs out but the key is that the engine is not under any load and is not trying to do any work.


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## RedOctobyr (Mar 2, 2014)

btm said:


> Yeah I'm in Canada. One of the reasons I use the Shell 91 Vpower is because there's no ethanol in it. Stabilizer is more important if your gas has ethanol in it?


Yes. 



> I'll start turning off the fuel when I shut the engine off, makes sense.
> 
> So you guys are fairly confident that shutting off the fuel to starve the engine at the end of each use is fairly safe? I may start doing that too.


I'm very comfortable with it. I'd done it on my blower for a while, then started just running the carb dry at the end of the season. But I've been moving back to running the carb dry every time. I agree with tabora that at least just closing the shutoff is a good idea to avoid fuel-leak problems.


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## dadnjesse (Nov 24, 2015)

I wish I could find pump gas with no ethenol, I buy the 4 cycle ethenol free gas in 5 gallon cans, but it's 80 dollars. I still think its worth the cost no having to deal with that crap.


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## Forum043287 (Jan 12, 2019)

In the Honda 1332 Manual it states:
To shutoff track unit:
1_ Disengage Handlebar (Auger and Drive)
2_ Put it in neutral drive
3_ Put it from fast to slow
4_Shut off key from On to Off
5_ Turn fuel valve off

I do steps 1 thru 3. I do step 5 and wait until it dies off by itself. than do step 4.


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## orangputeh (Nov 24, 2016)

end of season i do this plus drain the bowl.

shut off fuel between uses.

not sure why i would have to run dry after every use. I started using E FREE fuel this season and really noticed a difference.


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## btm (Dec 25, 2017)

Forum043287 said:


> In the Honda 1332 Manual it states:
> 
> To shutoff track unit:
> 
> ...


I think I'll do these steps, in your order, after every use now. 

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## SimplicitySolid22 (Nov 18, 2018)

The other day after the 8/9 inches we had I forgot to turn off the fuel valve when I shut it off. So once I realized this after it turned off I went back and turned off fuel valve and started it again and it ran for maybe ten seconds and then just died no surge. Does anyone else get fuel coming out cheap black/red valve for a few seconds when turning valve on and off???? Then valve seems to be fine.


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## tabora (Mar 1, 2017)

SimplicitySolid22 said:


> Does anyone else get fuel coming out cheap black/red valve for a few seconds when turning valve on and off???? Then valve seems to be fine.


 I have what sounds like the same valve on my Generac generator. Yes, it leaked when turning on/off. I replaced it for $1.00
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Straight-F...4:g:gVAAAOSwA3dYWfAF:rk:1:pf:1&frcectupt=true


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## RedOctobyr (Mar 2, 2014)

This year my black & red fuel shutoff valve started dripping when I had it turned on. The valve is probably about 5 years old. I replaced it with a Briggs valve, hoping to maybe avoid future issues. I don't remember the brand of the valve that failed.


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## Prime (Jan 11, 2014)

orangputeh said:


> end of season i do this plus drain the bowl.
> 
> shut off fuel between uses.
> 
> not sure why i would have to run dry after every use. I started using E FREE fuel this season and really noticed a difference.


I agree I dont see the need to run the carb dry every use. I do shut off the fuel valve thou,in case of a leak. Here in Canada we have access to E free fuel so I dont even drain between seasons. I add K100 to my fuel and never give it a thought. K100 is supposedly going to hold your fuel for 2 years. Seems to be so, I have more than 20 pieces of small engine equipment in my business and have not had a fuel related problem in 20+ years. At first I felt K100 was another overpriced snake oil product, but the price has been justified for me.


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## sscotsman (Dec 8, 2010)

IMO, there is absolutely no need to run the carb dry after every use. 
Does it hurt? Probably not.
Does it help? Probably not.
Is it necessary? Definately not. 

It could actually be worse though, because you are getting *most* of the gas out of the carb, but not all, so the little bit left over could dry out leaving varnish deposits behind, which could then gunk up and clog the carb. But if you just leave the gas alone until the next use, days or weeks later, there is too much gas to dry out completely, which IMO is the far better scenerio.

Most people do drain the carb, but *once a year*, at the end of winter, to prep the machine for 7 or 8 months of summer storage. In that case, they also remove the carb bowl and dump the excess gas, and wipe down the carb, to be sure its fully dry. Recent thread on that topic here:

https://www.snowblowerforum.com/for...scussion/146667-end-season-run-dry-treat.html

If you choose to run it dry after *every* use, its probably fine. But IMO there is no good reason to do it, and it could in theory be worse than not doing it.

Its always best to follow the manufacturer recommendations:



> In the Honda 1332 Manual it states:
> 
> To shutoff track unit:
> 
> ...


Which in this case is *not* running the carb dry after every use.

Scot


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## jsup (Nov 19, 2017)

Prime said:


> I agree I dont see the need to run the carb dry every use. I do shut off the fuel valve thou,in case of a leak. Here in Canada we have access to E free fuel so I dont even drain between seasons. I add K100 to my fuel and never give it a thought. K100 is supposedly going to hold your fuel for 2 years. Seems to be so, I have more than 20 pieces of small engine equipment in my business and have not had a fuel related problem in 20+ years. At first I felt K100 was another overpriced snake oil product, but the price has been justified for me.



Where I live, we never know when or how much snow we're going to get and when, long time between snowfalls.


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## melson (Feb 9, 2015)

The small Honda engines I've delt with all had very small main jets (orifice). They were prone to blockage by gum and varnish. I've had very mixed results using any of the gas stabilizers. Let me rephrase: I've had poor long-term results with stabilizers.
The only sure way I've have found to keep that teeny jet clear is to either drain the float bowl or run until the engine quits. And, because the latter option has worked 100% for me, and is easier...that's what I do.

Somebody mentioned something about being wary of 'running lean' while the engine starves for fuel. This is in no way the same 'lean' condition as running with a load at a lean fuel/air ratio. 

As for octane, these small engines have low compression ratio and mild spark timing, are designed to run fully loaded on XX octane (read the owners manual for the number, but usually 87). However!... that assumes *freshly distilled fuel. 
Gasolene octane deteriorates with age (more quickly if in warm environment) the fuel you stored in the can five months ago is no longer of the octane rating it was when fresh. While you can likely use aged fuel in an engine that is running cool and (typically) on the rich side, I wouldn't want to use it in my chain saws or other highly stressed engine because you'll never hear the tell tale detonation.
So this is where you might consider filling that jerry can with a higher octane than necessary - if you know it is going to sit around more than two months. Even if using an approved sealed container, even if using fuel stabilizer (which does NOthing to retain octane) that fuel will deteriorate over time.


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## partypants (Nov 18, 2018)

Turn key to the left, pull it out and walk away. No more thought required. 

Now when it comes to actually storing it during the offseason, full tank of fresh treated fuel and run the carb dry. Done.


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