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bobbotron
Member
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# Posted: 4 Feb 2013 09:24am
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I have a pack of those little bottles of stihl chainsaw oil to mix in with fuel. It says "contains fuel stabilizers". Does anyone know how effective these are? I was considering stabilizing my chainsaw fuel with Stabil, but unsure about it after reading that my oil also has stabilizers in it.
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Dillio187
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# Posted: 4 Feb 2013 10:44am
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I'd use Stabil to be sure, it's never let me down.
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Anonymous
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# Posted: 4 Feb 2013 11:09am
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I'd use Stabil to be sure, it's never let me down.
X2 - use stabil
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TomChum
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# Posted: 4 Feb 2013 12:12pm - Edited by: TomChum
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I've never paid attention to fuel stabilizer additives. I have been using gas engines for 45 years. Sometimes you have to drain (months-old) gas out of the carburetor bowl to get it to start.
In some situations I have had some trouble, I've wondered if using a stabilizer would help. Once leaving mexican gas in a motorcycle, all the brass parts grew a green coating, and had to be cleaned. But I have never used it in my snowmobiles and they sit 10 months a year, and fire up nicely at first snow, no stabilizer.
To me it makes more sense to drain the carburetor BEFORE it's going to sit unused. Can't drain the carb on a chainsaw though.
Well anyway I've never used stabilizer and I can't think of any situation where I'd want to add another bottle of "stuff" to my list of "worries". The internet is full of solutions for problems, there's no shortage of solutions for non-problems too. 
If the oil bottle lists a stabilizer additive, that would be enough for me, obviously! That's my 2cents.
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bobbotron
Member
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# Posted: 4 Feb 2013 12:24pm
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I hear ya TomChum. Then you have to worry about the stabilizer going off too. That said, I have some stabil, I think the next batch of fuel I mix up, I'll put some in it. I use the chainsaw so little, a 5 litre tank lasts me a long time!
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littlesalmon4
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# Posted: 4 Feb 2013 01:39pm
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TomChum, I am amazed you have never had a snowmobile issue.
The new ethanol gas only makes it worse. It is a must to clean carbs every year especially with out a fuel stabilizer. It is cheap insurance. It only takes 1 jet to be plugged and you are out the top end of your engine.
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joedepilot
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# Posted: 12 Feb 2013 10:58am
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one thing about chainsaw oil is to NOT use oil for outboards. Chainsaws run faster rpm. Also use ethanol free gas and stabile and you should be trouble free. The small difference in price is well worth it.(this from my small engine mechanic)
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TomChum
Member
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# Posted: 12 Feb 2013 12:33pm
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I hear the oil debate often. Wonder what oil they use in a racing outboard?
Quoting: littlesalmon4 It only takes 1 jet to be plugged and you are out the top end of your engine.
Well as I write this I am holding a bunch of replacement parts..... oooops. I don't attribute this to the gas, I think it was the base gasket.
The sled started easily after sitting the whole year, and ran great for 3 weekends prior to the holy event. I can tell this carb has never been removed since 1998 and it's clean as a whistle. Maybe the previous owner kept it dosed with Sta-bil?? But I have not in the 3 years I've had it. There are a lot of bad words about ethanol lately, I just assume it's cuz the oil companies are charging you more for what costs them less, and they want you to focus on something else. Hard to say.
Holy piston!
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Cleanest carb in the universe
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wakeslayer
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# Posted: 12 Feb 2013 02:44pm
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It is worth noting also, that not all 2 cycle engine oils are created the same. I have a Husqvarna leaf blower that decided to start leaking blackened oily muck out the bottom of it this past year or so. I had grabbed a crappy little bottle of whatever 2 cycle oil that Home Depot was selling and made a gallon of gas. It doesn't burn properly. I talked to my local small engine guy and he said to never use that junk. Use Farm Oyl or mfg versions like Stihl or Husq oil. Less crap put in them than lesser brands.
I am a Stabil fan. I use it in everything except my daily driver cars. If it is going to sit, it is getting stabilized. The debate goes on, but until it fails me, I will add it.
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littlesalmon4
Member
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# Posted: 12 Feb 2013 03:08pm
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Tomchum. The main jet is the small hex nut in the middle of the carb, there is another jet under the flat brass clip. The needle jet is attached to the top carb nut. There is also a pilot jet the you remove from the outside of the card. These jets have tiny holes in them. Make sure they are all soaked and cleaned before re-assembly.
That piston looks like detonation to me. It is from running to lean of oil mix. A plugged or slightly plugged jet will cause this. This is exactly what i meant when i said cleaning carbs is cheap insurance.
This is what your jets do.
pilot jet looks after idle to 1/4 throttle
needle jet looks after 1/4 to 3/4 throttle and the main looks after 3/4 to full throttle.
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larry
Member
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# Posted: 12 Feb 2013 03:48pm
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TomChum
is that a artic cat? if you find no fault with the carb you may wanto to check the crank shaft seal on the side in which the burn down happened. also make sure there are no exhaust leaks.
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TomChum
Member
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# Posted: 12 Feb 2013 05:10pm - Edited by: TomChum
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Both pilot and main were clean (as a whistle). Nothing in the float needle either. Nothing. Clean as new.
Yes its either lean - or a hot plug - or detonation due to carbon buildup or burning ember - or the base gasket - (or the crank seal, thx larry I forgot). It's an AC Jag340, with oil injection.
The base gasket came apart in pieces - NOT stuck to either part, and there was drool all around where the base gasket should have sealed. Not even sure ll the pieces were there. I think this was caused by the base gasket. All studs were tight.
I will be checking every orifice, but in 40 years I have never seen such a clean carb. I'm especially suprised on a unit that has gotten absolutely zero maintenance attention from me except when it quit. You know in the past we used to put alcohol in the gas to absorb and burn the water (rather than draining the tank). I wonder if alcohol always in the gas allows the gas to accept more water. Whereas if no alcohol, a water glob just plugs the main and it cuts out.
Anyway back on topic, I would like to have the time and energy to put a little stabil in every tank at the end of the season, I could do that. But I have a LOT of gas tanks, and I have NOT had conclusive evidence that its necessary. I HEAR about sta-bil, all the time, but I just don't SEE the need it, I just drain the carbs. Sometimes at the season end. But I'm never really sure when season end actually is. Mothballing everything is just too much work, and then I'm SOL if we get another good week. So I just ignore it.
But ___ if ____ I've forgotten to pickle machine, then at the season start when it won't start right away I put Fresh gas in the carb from the tank (of old gas!) and starting fluid too and that has been good enough.
I have four minibikes, all with carbs that look like an aquarium inside (crusty !!! ), but I just drain them every time before storage and let them sit dry and the bikes start every time. Minibikes seem to be more affected because the jets are so tiny.
There's something to be said for running a slug of stabil into anything that the carb can't be drained, I just can't schedule it!.
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toyota_mdt_tech
Member
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# Posted: 12 Feb 2013 06:44pm
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If the oil says it contasisn stabilizer, it does, dont add more.
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OwenChristensen
Member
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# Posted: 13 Feb 2013 08:10am
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If your base gasket or crank seals are leaking, you're sucking in pure air and less fuel. This will cause extreme high temperature on the piston top. No two stroke will last with any crankcase leaks.
Ethanol increases the volume of fuel by adding oxygen to the fuel. That is just about the same as a leak in the crank case. Ethanol use can be adjusted for with larger jets, more fuel.
Owen
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creeky
Member
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# Posted: 26 Feb 2013 06:22pm
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I was just at the Stihl dealer here. he says if you're not using your gas up quickly ... and you're using the Stihl stabilized oil additive, you should still add more stabilizer.
I'm going by next week to get a new chain so I'll get more detail. Stihl has a sale on the chain sharpener kit. by the by.
I've been using one tank of Stihl stabilized gas for, um, 9 or 10 months now, and as it's winter I'm cutting every couple of days. no problem with the gas and the saw starts easy. i luv this thing.
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bobbotron
Member
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# Posted: 27 Feb 2013 12:39pm
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I was cutting up wood with my MS250 the other day. I agree, they're great saws. Cut through ironwood no problem! The new chain helps.
Good to know, I misplaced my stabil (how something could go so missing is beyond me), but got a little tab of Laser stabilizer from HD, going to stabilize my next batch of gas with that.
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Anonymous
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# Posted: 27 Feb 2013 02:12pm
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Quoting: bobbotron I have a pack of those little bottles of stihl chainsaw oil to mix in with fuel. It says "contains fuel stabilizers".
when u find your stabil bottle u can do it the 3rd time. let us no if its 3x as stabil as raw gas
sorry couldnt resist.
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bobbotron
Member
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# Posted: 27 Feb 2013 03:49pm
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All of you small engine techs. Do you think it's useful to use some kind of fuel injector or seafoam in your saw once and a while? I get that taking something apart and cleaning it all is the best way, just curious what your thoughts are on cleaners.
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PA_Bound
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# Posted: 27 Feb 2013 04:00pm
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Bob... Unless I am going to refill the saws multiple times that day, I run Seafoam in my saws constantly. It may not always be necessary... but it doesn't hurt anything either. And besides stabilizing the fuel, it also acts as a carb cleaner. I have a 10 y/o motorcycle that sits much of each winter, that I also Seafoam almost constantly, and I've never had to pull the carb pack to clean them. To me that's proof in the pudding...
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bobbotron
Member
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# Posted: 27 Feb 2013 04:02pm
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Good to know. When you seafoam them - do you just put some in the tank, or something more advanced? I'm new to actually thinking about gas engines, I'm learning, slowly. 
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PA_Bound
Member
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# Posted: 27 Feb 2013 04:06pm
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On my motorcycle I add it straight to the fuel tank when I stop. On my saws, generators, etc. I add it to the fuel cans when I fill them at the gas station, then fill each implement from there.
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TheWildMan
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# Posted: 1 Mar 2013 10:33am
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with ethinol added to gas in many places now i wouldn't bother with sabalizer for saw gas. the ethinol tends to separate after a while (not just stale gas). separated gas runs too fast at first and burns up the saw engine. a friend of mine owns a chainsaw dealership/repair shop and has had to repair a number of saws that had tried to run ethinol gas that sat around a few months (the stabalizer didn't do anything). pure gas is better for a saw and can be stabalized (but can be hard to find, one gas station here carries it for powersports but they get it special ordered, most places only have the 10% or 15% ethinol gas)
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OwenChristensen
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# Posted: 3 Mar 2013 08:15am
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I repair Stihl saws every day. Just run them out of gas for storage. The ethanol ruins you rubber in gas lines and diaphragms. We can use it, but in time the lines will rot.
Owen
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Cooks Dock
Member
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# Posted: 3 Mar 2013 10:18am
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Premium fuel and Seafoam
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creeky
Member
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# Posted: 6 Mar 2013 02:03pm
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ditto on the premium/super. lots of places have no ethanol in the super.
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bobbotron
Member
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# Posted: 6 Mar 2013 02:55pm
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Bought a new thing of stabil (wow, I could stabilize a lot of gas now) and will be buying some new 91, found a place nearby that's supposed to be ethanol free. (Apparently all 91 in Quebec is ethanol free!)
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bobbotron
Member
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# Posted: 14 Mar 2013 05:05pm
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I just wanted to say, thanks for all of the advice everyone! My saw and genny are now happily stabilized, and the saw has (theoretically) ethanol free gas now.
You guys and gals rock. 
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wakeslayer
Member
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# Posted: 14 Mar 2013 05:30pm
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I thought higher octane gas was not necessarily good for little 2 stroke engines. Not stating that as fact, just my understanding.
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bobbotron
Member
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# Posted: 14 Mar 2013 06:42pm
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My chainsaw calls for 91.
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Anonymous
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# Posted: 14 Mar 2013 06:45pm
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higher then called for octane never hurts an engine, only the wallet.
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