Do I need to burn off all the fuel in the carb each time I shut the motor down?

Hello,

I have a 98 Crest II ( 22') Pontoon Boat with a 97 Force 75 HP motor that can be hard to crank and can be easy to flood while trying to start. I am thinking ( from my pervious post) that I need to rebuild or clean my carb.

Today a friend of mine told me that every time he turns off his 2 cycle boat motor , lawn mower, weed eater, or blower that he always runs the gas out of the engine to prevent oil deposits from happening when the gas evaporates.

He suggested that I put a ball valve in my fuel line and when I stop my boat I need to shut the valve and let the engine burn off the excess fuel. The motor will stop after burning the fuel and then I would need to turn off the ignition.

Does any one else do this procedure when they shut off their 2 stroke? Is this correct?

Thanks,

Donald

Re: Do I need to burn off all the fuel in the carb each time I shut the motor down?

If you are going to store a 2-cycle engine for any length of time, you can drain your fuel out or just put some fuel stable in your fuel. As for running out the fuel with the engine, not a good idea for a 2 stroke. The fuel mixture will get very lean for a short time but sometimes long enough to burn a piston. This won't happen all the time, just possible.

Re: Do I need to burn off all the fuel in the carb each time I shut the motor down?

tjello,

thanks for the reply.

I keep my boat in the water all year long and I use fuel stabilizer in the winter months. I crank the engine at least one time per month during the winter.

You make a lot of sence to me about getting it too lean and burning a piston.

Thanks,
Donald

Re: Do I need to burn off all the fuel in the carb each time I shut the motor down?

The danger is worse in multi-carb engines like yours. One carb will go dry before the rest and run that cylinder dry. Bad news.

Re: Do I need to burn off all the fuel in the carb each time I shut the motor down?

Use sta-bil or Seafoam in your tank at all times.

Re: Do I need to burn off all the fuel in the carb each time I shut the motor down?

JB and Rosco,

Thanks for the advice. I will not put the valve in the fuel line but my motor only has one carb. It is a 1997, 75 HP model.

I was only putting stabil in my gas during the winter months and I leave it in the water all year. I also crank it once a month in the winter to keep the battery charged and to keep the rings from sticking. I will now run Stabil all year long.

Thanks,

Donald