Well that was a surprise!

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Monday I was finishing up some lawn work from the weekend and needed to edge the driveway and sidewalks but unfortunately the old electric BD edger burned up the last time I used it. So it was either go buy a new one or get out the old John Deere E35 gas edger that I rescued from my father in laws shed and get it running. Now this thing has been in the back of his shed since at least 2003, and when I opened the fuel cap I saw exactly what I expected...bad fuel. The weird thing about the fuel is that it was green, almost chartreuse. I dumped the fuel and added a little fresh fuel to the tank, sloshed it around and dumped it into the same container. At a minimum I figured I was in for rebuilding the carb, but I said what the heck lets see what happens. I added about 1/4 tank of fresh "pure" gas and on the 3rd pull the old Kawasaki engine fired right up and ran just like it had years before. I was stunned and happy! Just to make sure it wasn't a dream I went out last night to make sure and the thing fired up on the first pull. Its not all bad luck around here! Going to change the oil in it this weekend.
 
Great News!

I had bought a "yard sale" Echo trimmer awhile back that had been through the same. After digging the mud daubers out of everywhere, it also lit off - despite having been stored with bad gas for years.

Conversely, my P.O.Worthless.S. Poulan "Pro" chainsaw has never run right, no matter how much I mess with the carb or how fresh the gas is. Poulan is a waste of good materials on this earth!
 
Originally Posted By: Linctex
Great News!

I had bought a "yard sale" Echo trimmer awhile back that had been through the same. After digging the mud daubers out of everywhere, it also lit off - despite having been stored with bad gas for years.

Conversely, my P.O.Worthless.S. Poulan "Pro" chainsaw has never run right, no matter how much I mess with the carb or how fresh the gas is. Poulan is a waste of good materials on this earth!

Poulan did make the Husqvarna 136. I once cut a huge 36 inch live oak into rounds (from both sides)and generally abused this saw for years until my father-in-law snatched it ,right before it was supposed to go to the church rummage sale.Amazingly it still runs well.
 
Originally Posted By: InhalingBullets
but unfortunately the old electric BD edger burned up the last time I used it


If I may ask, how many years did you get out of the BD edger, I been tossing around buying one instead of renting a gas powered one like I have been.
 
Originally Posted By: Duffyjr
Originally Posted By: InhalingBullets
but unfortunately the old electric BD edger burned up the last time I used it


If I may ask, how many years did you get out of the BD edger, I been tossing around buying one instead of renting a gas powered one like I have been.
Sorry for the delayed response, somehow I wasn't notified. It lasted about 8 years, which is pretty good in my book.
 
Originally Posted By: eljefino
I've had bad gas that looks like Mountain Dew. Chemistry is weird!


I am currently fixing my father in law's generator that he left half full of un-treated e-10 gas. Siphoning the old gas out into a bucket was interesting. The old gas came out like green tea. A dark tea brown with a greenish yellow layer at the bottom. I am pretty sure the green stuff is the infamous phase separated ethanol and water mix.

I think you got lucky and got it all out before it dried in the carburator. Hopefully I have the same luck.
 
Two cycle trimmers have diaphragm carbs. There will be insignificant amounts of fuel in the carb to cause problems. Diaphragm carbs generally fail due to failed diaphragms from either drying out/cracking/tearing or losing their elasticity.

As long as the bad fuel isn't forced into the carb, the machine should fire given everything else is functioning as designed. Even if bad fuel gets into the carb, it can be purged out if the carb has a primer bulb and fresh fuel is put in the tank. If no primer bulb, just keep pulling until clean fuel passes through the carb and into the combustion chamber.
 
Originally Posted By: InhalingBullets
Originally Posted By: Duffyjr
Originally Posted By: InhalingBullets
but unfortunately the old electric BD edger burned up the last time I used it


If I may ask, how many years did you get out of the BD edger, I been tossing around buying one instead of renting a gas powered one like I have been.
Sorry for the delayed response, somehow I wasn't notified. It lasted about 8 years, which is pretty good in my book.


No problem, I went ahead and bought one, that is good to hear it lasted that long. I figured if I got three or four years I'd be happy.

It also does a good job, pleased with the purchase.
 
Originally Posted By: boraticus
Two cycle trimmers have diaphragm carbs. There will be insignificant amounts of fuel in the carb to cause problems. Diaphragm carbs generally fail due to failed diaphragms from either drying out/cracking/tearing or losing their elasticity.

As long as the bad fuel isn't forced into the carb, the machine should fire given everything else is functioning as designed. Even if bad fuel gets into the carb, it can be purged out if the carb has a primer bulb and fresh fuel is put in the tank. If no primer bulb, just keep pulling until clean fuel passes through the carb and into the combustion chamber.


The OP was talking about a 4 cycle edger.
 
"
The OP was talking about a 4 cycle edger."

Good enough. I was thinking handheld trimmer.

Thanks for the clarification.
 
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