Keeping carb/fuel system clean

[Brandon5778]

Hi, I searched a few things but couldn't really find much on this subject, but how do you guys maintain your carbureted engines? I plan on keeping my boat for some years, and I want to keep the fuel system clean. I have a like new remanufactured carb, new fuel lines, and new filter. I have also emptied and entirely cleaned out the fuel tank. The engine runs perfectly and I've had a great season so far on the water 2-3 days a week.

So what can I do going forward to keep it running good? Does seafoam help? Will I just expect to take apart and clean the carb after x amount of time or something? I understand that fuel sitting for long periods of time is what is bad on carbs. I use my boat a lot, but for the winter is there a way to not leave gas in the carb?

I really don't post here often, but I do read new topics posted pretty much every day and the expertise on this forum has been invaluable to me. You guys know who you are, thank you!

 

[tpenfield]

I have used a heavy dose of fuel system cleaner during spring start-up and prep work to dissolve any gum buildup in the carburetor. You will want to put a healthy amount of stabilzer in the fuel during winter lay-up work. I assume that you have a fuel filter, and that should keep the fuel going to the engine clean and free of tank debris.

If your carburetor does get gummed up, starting fluid is a great solvent. Not sure if it does a number on gaskets, etc., but it dissolves fuel deposits quickly.

 

[Scott Danforth]

simply put.....use the boat.....often. nothing more needed

for winter, drain the fuel from the carbs (there is a fuel bowl drain)

sitting ships go to shi#

 

[Brandon5778]

Sounds good guys. So as much as I use the boat I should never have any problems, just drain the bowl before winter. What kind of stabilizer do you use? I have heard bad things about the red stabil brand stuff?

I assume that you have a fuel filter

Yup, with an extra onboard. I plan on changing it annually.

 

[ajgraz]

Do you have a water separating fuel filter?

 

[Brandon5778]

Do you have a water separating fuel filter?

Yes, the filter I mentioned above is a water separating filter.

 

[harleyman1975]

I add two cans of seafoam with the last fill of fuel in the fall and run it through. Always run non oxy fuel, change your filters regularly. My 14 yr old 5.0 has always run like a champ!

 

[garbageguy]

I'm in the use it, drain it/use stabilzer for layup (have used the red st@bl for years - no problems) camp. My son like to put K-100 in the fuel, I don't think it makes much difference either way

 

[Rick Stephens]

Personally, I can't imagine dumping stabile or seafoam or anything else in a fuel tank for a measly 5 month winter set. I don't treat the fuel in my lawn mower, my flatbed truck with its 7.4L, or anything else that gets parked for the winter. I don't use ethanol in the boat or any small engine stuff I own, especially if they have plastic fuel tanks. If your fuel is clean and of quality, what is a winter storage going to do to it? I do park all this in the shop, not outdoors though. Temp changes and water from weather would have deleterious effect on partially full tanks of fuel. And any water that gets directly into the tank won't be handled by stabile anyway. I don't see the advantage to adding more $$ to the tank unless storage is going to be for longer than the winter.

 

[harleyman1975]

Well sometime stuff happens. We are getting older and you just can never tell what's in store for us in the future so I just do it...just in case.

 

[Rick Stephens]

Well sometime stuff happens. We are getting older and you just can never tell what's in store for us in the future so I just do it...just in case.

No argument. Everyone has to bite their own bullets. Just thinking out loud. I can see having something that made the boat sit for 3 years and me whining I shoulda coulda woulda if I'd only known :^)

 

[Cortes100]

My last boat with a 3.0L was used for 8 years without ever touching the carb, and I used 87 regular fuel. If you're running it at least weekly, there should be no issue. That means using it and burning some fuel for the day. Nearing the end of the season, I would run a tank of premium only because that's the only fuel we can get without ethanol. Dump some sta-bil in there for the winter sleep over, and it would start right back up the next season.

 

[Bondo]

Ayuh,..... I run non-ethanol gasoline,....

I change the fuel filter probably twice a year,..... just to See if there's an issue comin' my way,...

I've got the Merc/ Weber AFB carb,.... It drains itself in less than a week,....

'n like Rick, a 5 month lay-up ain't worth the stabil,....

I haven't had the top off my carb since I did the final "Tunin' " nearly 20 years, 'n nearly 2,000 hours ago,....

 

[JoLin]

'n like Rick, a 5 month lay-up ain't worth the stabil,....

EXCEPT, when stuff happens. Lousy spring weather, late launch, windy and rainy summer weekends, conflicting family plans. I'm FINALLY buying fuel again this weekend. As of today I'm still running on what I put in last October. I always use Sta-Bil (Marine Sta-Bil is cheaper to use than the red, btw) in the last fill of the season. I'll stick with it.

My .02

 

[Brandon5778]

Thanks for everyone's thoughts. Bondo, wow, 20 years? I am impressed.