[LikesRedTractors]

My walk behind rear tine tiller has a 6 hp Briggs engine, the carb keeps oxidizing and clogging up the small orifices. I have cleaned it out twice this year, and flushed the gas tank, and put fresh gas in it, along with sta-bil. It has been 10 days since the carb was taken apart, and cleaned and blown out the last time and it is needing it again.

Anyone know how to stop this white powdery stuff (looks like aluminum oxide) from forming?

 

[Red Kiwi]

I have 20 B&S engines and don't have a problem with that sort of thing. I use low grade (90 octane) & no additives. I"m thinking I would check the type of fuel you're using; wash everything out with white spirits, that should neutralise whatever is corroding the fuel system. You shouldn't have to disassemble anything, just flush it and drain it, let dry.
If no white spirits, you could try methylated spirits.......
Just as an aside to meths, meths mixes with water and petrol, so you can clean any water out of your petrol just by using meths.(that's of course if you haven't got lots of water in it). This is something I learned years ago, it saved a lot of time over the years, especially with engines that you leave outside on water pumps etc. the condensation gets to them.

 

[BigDaveinKY]

Not sure but, how much ethanol is in the gas?
If it's over E-10 don't use it in small engines.
There were warning sings in some places around here not to use the gas in small engines.
Until just recently,when the "Summer blend" came on the market here and spiked the prices.
I noticed yesterday when I put $133/35gal. of fuel in my truck the signs were gone.

 

[LikesRedTractors]

with the early spring conditions I was trying to get a jump on the garden. So when I filled my gas can it was still the "winter blend" I am not sure about how much ethanol is in it (or water either) To get all the stuff outta the carb I had to soak it in a parts cleaner, and use stiff wire to get the chunks out of the passageways. Dried it with compressed air, put the float and needle back in along with the emulsion tube... It ran fine and I used the tiller for a couple hours. Four days later same operation was required, and again 10 days after that.

I am wondering if there was some protective coating on the aluminum that is gone now (the tiller is 10+ years old and the engine is a first generation overhead valve design)

 

[John M]

Try some Seafoam in the gas. Ive heard of this type of thing happening on some Zenith carbs.

 

[LikesRedTractors]

I keep seafoam and stabil in the gas in the cans, and in the tractors and mowers and the tiller...tiller has been running fine since the third cleaning, has me wondering about that fuel line and fuel tank...

 

[alleyyooper]

Most likly the ethnol is 15% and is causeing all the problems. I know it cost more but try hgh test with less ethnol in it.
When ethnol first came out it was eatting the alum parts in carbs on cars and trucks causing all sorts of truble.


Al

 

[WyattB]

Regular gas has become a problem for small engines in our area especially older ones. I know of two small engine mechanics who recommend that only ethanol free gas get used in anything that may sit for periods of time and in our area that means high octane.