Can anyone recommend a good carb cleaner fuel additive that works? I try to
run out all my fuel after use (with stabil in it) but I would like to know
if there is an additive that can remove the gum from the idle circuit and
float needle that eventually builds up. I have a 1972 50hp Johnson and I
have rebuilt the 2 carbs but it is starting to get a little gunked up again.
It's been 4 years since the rebuild. It is a freshwater Northern boat that
sits for the winter. One of the 2 float needles seems to stick and free up
now and then. Unfortunately it only gets used about 25 hours per year.

Thanks in advance,

Steve

Mercury Quick Clean works for me.

Sherwin D.

Roadrunner Newsgroup wrote:

Can anyone recommend a good carb cleaner fuel additive that works? I try to
run out all my fuel after use (with stabil in it) but I would like to know
if there is an additive that can remove the gum from the idle circuit and
float needle that eventually builds up. I have a 1972 50hp Johnson and I
have rebuilt the 2 carbs but it is starting to get a little gunked up again.
It's been 4 years since the rebuild. It is a freshwater Northern boat that
sits for the winter. One of the 2 float needles seems to stick and free up
now and then. Unfortunately it only gets used about 25 hours per year.

Thanks in advance,

Steve

To prevent this buildup during winter storage use Evinrude Johnson 2+4
instead of stabil.


"Roadrunner Newsgroup" wrote in message
...
Can anyone recommend a good carb cleaner fuel additive that works? I try
to run out all my fuel after use (with stabil in it) but I would like to
know if there is an additive that can remove the gum from the idle circuit
and float needle that eventually builds up. I have a 1972 50hp Johnson and
I have rebuilt the 2 carbs but it is starting to get a little gunked up
again. It's been 4 years since the rebuild. It is a freshwater Northern
boat that sits for the winter. One of the 2 float needles seems to stick
and free up now and then. Unfortunately it only gets used about 25 hours
per year.

Thanks in advance,

Steve

Also store the motor trimmed fully down and keep the bowls full... pump the
ball once every 2 weeks. Try to start it on the muffs more often.

-W

"Shortwave Sportfishing" wrote in message
...
On Fri, 11 Aug 2006 09:18:33 GMT, "Ron Knapik"
wrote:

To prevent this buildup during winter storage use Evinrude Johnson 2+4
instead of stabil.

2+4 is the exact same composition as Stabil.

Other than specifically cleaning the lines, Stabil should be
sufficient.

Roadrunner Newsgroup wrote:
Can anyone recommend a good carb cleaner fuel additive that works? I try to
run out all my fuel after use (with stabil in it) but I would like to know
if there is an additive that can remove the gum from the idle circuit and
float needle that eventually builds up. I have a 1972 50hp Johnson and I
have rebuilt the 2 carbs but it is starting to get a little gunked up again.
It's been 4 years since the rebuild. It is a freshwater Northern boat that
sits for the winter. One of the 2 float needles seems to stick and free up
now and then. Unfortunately it only gets used about 25 hours per year.

Thanks in advance,

Steve

If they are gunked up, I'd rebuild them again, then use preventative
measures to keep them that way, using Stabil and starting once in
awhile as Clams has said.

This is an interesting topic. I've always thought the add to the gas
cleaners were sort of snake oil. After all gas it's self is a pretty
good dissolver, what could be in these cleaners that would do it better
but still not be so corrosive that it ate up all the gaskets. Anyone
really take a carb apart, look at, put it back together, run a can of
cleaner through, and then take it back apart and see what got cleaned?
That would really tell the tale.

I've always been in a quandry about carbs with float bowls too. I add
stabilizer to my boat gas and fill the tank as winterizing but it
mostly evaporates from the float bowls over the winter anyway.
Merc/chevy small block with a holley on it. I figure the stabilizer is
good for the gas in the tank but the carb problems are typically
because the gas evaporates and leaves crud on the inside of the jets.

On my generator, which we only use once in a rare while, I shut the
fuel valve at the tank and let the engine burn as much as it can from
the float bowl. I do periodically run the thing but I always shut it
down by turning off the fuel.

I've thought about adding a valve to the boat gas line right at the
carb so I could do the same thing to it.

basskisser wrote:
Roadrunner Newsgroup wrote:
Can anyone recommend a good carb cleaner fuel additive that works? I try to
run out all my fuel after use (with stabil in it) but I would like to know
if there is an additive that can remove the gum from the idle circuit and
float needle that eventually builds up. I have a 1972 50hp Johnson and I
have rebuilt the 2 carbs but it is starting to get a little gunked up again.
It's been 4 years since the rebuild. It is a freshwater Northern boat that
sits for the winter. One of the 2 float needles seems to stick and free up
now and then. Unfortunately it only gets used about 25 hours per year.

Thanks in advance,

Steve

If they are gunked up, I'd rebuild them again, then use preventative
measures to keep them that way, using Stabil and starting once in
awhile as Clams has said.

They are all about the same. Their cleaning power is limited because
anything that's stronger would damage rubber and some plastics. As long
as they work - fine.
When they stop working (too much stuff in the carbs), the carbs have to
be pulled off, washed and/or rebuilt. I used acetone, it's a very good
solvent for the job. All rubber and acetone-sensitive plastic parts, if
any, should be removed to avoid damage (better solvents do exist, but
they are not as easily available).

In article ,
Shortwave Sportfishing wrote:

On Fri, 11 Aug 2006 09:18:33 GMT, "Ron Knapik"
wrote:

To prevent this buildup during winter storage use Evinrude Johnson 2+4
instead of stabil.

2+4 is the exact same composition as Stabil.

Other than specifically cleaning the lines, Stabil should be
sufficient.

"jamesgangnc" wrote in message
oups.com...

This is an interesting topic. I've always thought the add to the gas
cleaners were sort of snake oil. After all gas it's self is a pretty
good dissolver, what could be in these cleaners that would do it better
but still not be so corrosive that it ate up all the gaskets. Anyone
really take a carb apart, look at, put it back together, run a can of
cleaner through, and then take it back apart and see what got cleaned?
That would really tell the tale.



Try this sometime. Put a small amount of gasoline purchased from your local
gas station in a glass or open mason (ball) jar. Put it in a safe but
protected space outside and let the gas evaporate. It will probably take a
couple of days for a quarter of a cup or so of gas.

After it has evaporated and no liquid is left, observe the glass or jar
bottom and sides. That hardened goo is what screws up the carb if gas is
allowed to sit in it and evaporate. Stabil is claimed to prevent this. I
add Stabil to the gas tanks of my "classic" cars everytime I put gas in them
because they are not used or run often and the gas you get today goes stale
very quickly.

Fuel injection does not suffer from this because the lines stay under
pressure and the gas does not evaporate.

Eisboch

"Eisboch" wrote in message
...

"jamesgangnc" wrote in message
oups.com...

This is an interesting topic. I've always thought the add to the gas
cleaners were sort of snake oil. After all gas it's self is a pretty
good dissolver, what could be in these cleaners that would do it better
but still not be so corrosive that it ate up all the gaskets. Anyone
really take a carb apart, look at, put it back together, run a can of
cleaner through, and then take it back apart and see what got cleaned?
That would really tell the tale.



Try this sometime. Put a small amount of gasoline purchased from your
local gas station in a glass or open mason (ball) jar. Put it in a safe
but protected space outside and let the gas evaporate. It will probably
take a couple of days for a quarter of a cup or so of gas.

After it has evaporated and no liquid is left, observe the glass or jar
bottom and sides. That hardened goo is what screws up the carb if gas is
allowed to sit in it and evaporate. Stabil is claimed to prevent this. I
add Stabil to the gas tanks of my "classic" cars everytime I put gas in
them because they are not used or run often and the gas you get today goes
stale very quickly.

Fuel injection does not suffer from this because the lines stay under
pressure and the gas does not evaporate.

Eisboch

Could you try the same experiment with stabil in the gas?
I'd do it myself, but you know how busy I am.
Jim

"Jim" wrote in message
nk.net...

"Eisboch" wrote in message
...

"jamesgangnc" wrote in message
oups.com...

This is an interesting topic. I've always thought the add to the gas
cleaners were sort of snake oil. After all gas it's self is a pretty
good dissolver, what could be in these cleaners that would do it better
but still not be so corrosive that it ate up all the gaskets. Anyone
really take a carb apart, look at, put it back together, run a can of
cleaner through, and then take it back apart and see what got cleaned?
That would really tell the tale.



Try this sometime. Put a small amount of gasoline purchased from your
local gas station in a glass or open mason (ball) jar. Put it in a safe
but protected space outside and let the gas evaporate. It will probably
take a couple of days for a quarter of a cup or so of gas.

After it has evaporated and no liquid is left, observe the glass or jar
bottom and sides. That hardened goo is what screws up the carb if gas is
allowed to sit in it and evaporate. Stabil is claimed to prevent this.
I add Stabil to the gas tanks of my "classic" cars everytime I put gas in
them because they are not used or run often and the gas you get today
goes stale very quickly.

Fuel injection does not suffer from this because the lines stay under
pressure and the gas does not evaporate.

Eisboch

Could you try the same experiment with stabil in the gas?
I'd do it myself, but you know how busy I am.
Jim


Still raising baby pineapples, huh?

Good idea though ... I'll try it sometime.

Eisboch