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Thread ID: 84197	2007-10-28 00:06:00	How to drain petrol from a lawnmower	Greven (91)	PC World Chat

Post ID	Timestamp	Content	User
605971	2007-10-28 19:48:00	I put stale petrol in my old lawnmower & I can't find any easy way to drain the petrol. Since when did stale petrol really matter to a lawnmower anyway? If it has been in a sealed container I can't see the problem. It's a lawnmower for chrissake, not an F1 race car. I have used positively geriatric petrol with no problems. Cheers Billy 8-{)	Billy T (70)
605972	2007-10-28 20:21:00	Problem is that when gasoline vapors . . the less noble ones . . . are liberated from the liquid fuel, most of what is left is not very flammable . They aren't even inflammable . (Same meaning!) These leftover chemicals cause "shellac" (I know . . it's just the term that was applied for years) and this shellac will coat the valve stems . . which is OK as long as the engine is running . . . . (if you can actually GET it running, that is) . Let it cool off and the shellac will congeal and form a really sticky goo that hardens . Next time you start the engine . . if the valve actually gets opened against the glue holding it in place . . the valve spring cannot draw the valve back to home position and it can get hit by a piston (bad) or bend the pushrod (if it has one) or cause loss of compression so bad that you cannot start the engine . Why tempt this to happen at all? Gas is pretty cheap in smaller quantities anyway . Even if the fuel can is sealed . . it loses volatile vapors all the time . Plastic cans are worse . If youse guys have any alcohol in the mix . . . the process is even more accelerated . If it smells sour . . . it is . . . get rid of it . I'd even go so far as to rinse the fuel tank out with a couple of doses of fresh fuel too . Don't tempt fate . . . clean the old grungy stuff out and put in fresh . Most fuels have a "use-by" date anyway . . gasoline is not like wine, cheese and women; it does not get better with age . Going against the grain of the other sages so far: a lawnmower engine is quite sophisticated . . . although not a high horse thing . . but as it's small it needs all the considerations you can give it . It operates in a very hostile world . . why make more trouble for it too? Give the little guy a break, mate .	SurferJoe46 (51)
605973	2007-10-28 21:56:00	You could always check the petrol level in the tank with a lighted match... Guaranteed to empty the tank! And FAST! (Warning: it would be wise to stand well clear when attempting this, or ask someone you don't like much to carry out this task for you.) :D	johcar (6283)
605974	2007-10-28 22:14:00	Don't tempt fate . . . clean the old grungy stuff out and put in fresh . Oh c'mon Joe, it's a flaming lawnmower for god's sake, not a finely tuned piece of precision machinery . I've never had a problem from "stale" petrol and sometimes I was using real old stuff . We kept a 10 Litre can at our bach for the lawnmower and it could be 2-3 years before we refilled it . I never once had a problem using it, and I usually just topped up what was left in the (vented) mower tank from last time . I doubt very much that much in the way of volatile substances could evaporate out of a sealed metal can either, the plastic insert in the cap was probably designed to prevent fire risks from vapours as well as to keep liquids in so personally I can't see the problem . Too much detail, not enough commonsense . Cheers Billy 8-{) :horrified	Billy T (70)
605975	2007-10-28 22:34:00	For me, common sense would dictate that I ditch the stale fuel. Especially if it was 2 stoke, which I have seen seperate in the past. Either way, for the sake of $4......	Metla (12)
605976	2007-10-29 00:02:00	I rolled it over & cleaned up the oil that seemed to come from everywhere, then refilled it & it went good as gold. The petrol was in the container when I moved into the flat (In March) & we only recently got round to fixing the handle on the lawnmower. The petrol was well & truly stale.	Greven (91)
605977	2007-10-29 01:34:00	I rolled it over & cleaned up the oil that seemed to come from everywhere, then refilled it & it went good as gold . The petrol was in the container when I moved into the flat (In March) & we only recently got round to fixing the handle on the lawnmower . The petrol was well & truly stale . YUP . . there's no denying it . . . even in a sealed can it has a shelf life and goes sour after a short time . This ain't your grandfather's gasoline here . . . this is poor by any standards . I have several "Jerry cans" of 87 octane (US Regular unleaded) that I have to rotate every 90 to 120 days or so by burning it off in a low compression engine . It just won't stay good even if I keep it cold . We have a gasoline additive here in the US to keep a tankful of gas sweet for 120 to 160 days . . but the product makes no warranties after that date . It's primarily used in boats and other seasonal equipment . You MUST keep the tank full to the top for it to do a decent job . I ran most of the stored gas out in the last power outtage . . last week when we had the fires . . . for my generator and some of the neighbors too . It smelled a little funny as it was about 100 days old at the time . . even with the additive . This, of course, is not using a catalytic converter . . . as generators don't have them yet . Remember that when fuel loses it's volatility . . it actually retards the timing and causes the engine to run hotter and with less power . Air-cooled lawnmowers and such are on the cusp of overheating anyway . . so why make the little guy run with a larger handicap? Be kind to the things that take care of you!	SurferJoe46 (51)
605978	2007-10-29 03:30:00	Got a Match and stand well clear. :D :lol: :lol: :lol:	Hitech (9024)
605979	2007-10-29 06:56:00	greven, it would pay to check your crankcase oil level now youve spilt some, theres very little in the crankcase to start with, there should be a screw-in bung on the side of the crankcase ( on a Briggs and Stratton 4-stroke anyway).	feersumendjinn (64)
605980	2007-10-29 07:29:00	greven, it would pay to check your crankcase oil level now youve spilt some, theres very little in the crankcase to start with, there should be a screw-in bung on the side of the crankcase ( on a Briggs and Stratton 4-stroke anyway). It must have been full because it still has plenty	Greven (91)
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