^^ Not sure why you guys have had the issues you've had, but for the record, I've had ZERO problems of any kind running the carburetor dry every time I use my snowblower. I certainly gets cold here, so my machine is garage kept in an unheated garage, but it's NEVER below 32 degrees inside. I push the snowblower outside, fill the tank w/ an appropriate amount of fuel, open the fuel shut-off valve and stow the gas can. Then it's three pumps on the primer and it starts right up, every single time! I've been using this method for as long as I've owned my Simplicity P1732E snowblower, so ever since 2008.

Regarding 'dried out seals' and the carb leaking all over, it's MUCH more likely that the float was stuck, leaving the needle & seat open/dumping fuel than any seal that had failed due to not keeping the float bowl full, especially if it sat for a while and/or was not used frequently.

Regardless though, Ethanol Free 'PureGas' isn't really available near me and sourcing AvGas is not practical. Back when I was doing a lot of MC riding, I ran nothing but Race Fuel in my bikes, so I always had it, and ran it in all of my small engines as well. As much as I loved the especially fragrant smell of the exhaust, I can't really justify driving 30+ miles (each way!) just to get gas for my snowblower.

quote:

Originally posted by nhracecraft:

Ethanol Free 'PureGas' isn't really available near me and sourcing AvGas is not practical.

You're in New Hampshire? Here's a list of airports in the state. You should be able to get 100 octane low-lead, corn-free gas at any of them. Some airports also have "mogas" -- corn-free auto gas, not 100 octane, I think it's 87. Not all airports have the mogas, but virtually all have the 100LL. No highway tax on avgas, so it's not legal for use on the road, but perfectly legit for non-highway use.

quote:

Originally posted by 400m:
That’s my Christmas gift to my Illinois SF members. Happy holidays!

Thank you. Much appreciated!!

quote:

Originally posted by ZSMICHAEL:
When I was a kid nobody had snowblowers. My father tasked me and my brother to shovel the drive. My Dad had to go to work. The only time we could not keep up was the 27 inch snowfall in 1967. Only the affluent had snowblowers.

I remember it well.

My Dad was stuck on the Dan Ryan. He abandoned his car and walked a couple of miles home. When he got there, my Mom told him that we never made it home from our Catholic school. We spent the night sleeping in the church. The next morning, my Dad walked a couple of miles to the church, picked us up, and we all walked back home.

This has been around for a while, but I still get a chuckle out of it.

December 8

It started to snow. The first snow of the season and the wife and I took our cocktails and sat for hours by the window watching the huge soft flakes drift down from heaven. It looked like a Grandma Moses Print. So romantic we felt like newlyweds again.

I love snow!

December 9

We woke to a beautiful blanket of crystal white snow covering every inch of the landscape.

What a fantastic sight! Can there be a lovelier place in the whole world? Moving here was the best idea I’ve ever had! Shoveled for the first time in years and felt like a boy again. I did both our driveway and the sidewalks. This afternoon the snowplow came along and covered up the sidewalks and closed in the driveway, so I got to shovel again.

What a perfect life!

December 12

The sun has melted all our lovely snow. Such a disappointment! My neighbor tells me not to worry - we’ll definitely have a white Christmas.
No snow on Christmas would be awful! Bob says we’ll have so much snow by the end of winter, that I’ll never want to see snow again: I don’t think that’s possible.

Bob is such a nice man, I’m glad he’s our neighbor.

December 14

Snow, lovely snow! 8 inches last night. The temperature dropped to -20. The cold makes everything sparkle so. The wind took my breath away, but I warmed up by shoveling the driveway and sidewalks. This is the life! The snowplow came back this afternoon and buried everything again. I didn’t realize I would have to do quite this much shoveling, but I’ll certainly get back in shape this way. I wish l wouldn’t huff and puff so.

December 15

20 inches forecast. Sold my van and bought a 4x4 Blazer. Bought snow tires for the wife’s car and 2 extra shovels. Stocked the freezer. The wife wants a wood stove in case the electricity goes out. I think that’s silly. We aren’t in Alaska, after all.

December 16

Ice storm this morning. Fell on my ass on the ice in the driveway putting down salt. Hurt like hell. The wife laughed for an hour, which I think was very cruel.

December 17

Still way below freezing. Roads are too icy to go anywhere. Electricity was off for 5 hours. I had to pile the blankets on to stay warm. Nothing to do but stare at the wife and try not to irritate her.


Guess I should’ve bought a wood stove, but won’t admit it to her. I hate it when she’s right. I can’t believe I’m freezing to death in my own living room.

December 20

Electricity’s back on, but had another 14 inches of the damn stuff last night. More shoveling! Took all day. The damn snowplow came by twice.
Tried to find a neighbor kid to shovel, but they said they’re too busy playing hockey.

I think they’re lying.

Called the only hardware store around to see about buying a snow blower and they’re out. Might have another shipment in March.

I think they’re lying.

Bob says I have to shovel or the city will have it done and bill me.

I think he’s lying.

December 22

Bob was right about a white Christmas because 13 more inches of the white shit fell today, and it’s so cold, it probably won’t melt till August.
Took me 45 minutes to get all dressed up to go out to shovel and then I had to peee. By the time I got undressed, peed and dressed again. I was too tired to shovel.

Tried to hire Bob who has a plow on his truck for the rest of the winter, but he says he’s too busy. I think the #%*&@ is lying.

December 23

Only 2 inches of snow today. And it warmed up to 0. The wife wanted me to decorate the front of the house this morning. What is she, nuts?!! Why didn’t she tell me to do that a month ago?

She says she did but I think she’s lying.

December 24

6 inches - Snow packed so hard by snowplow, l broke the shovel. Thought I was having a heart attack. If I ever catch the son of a bitch who drives that snow plow, I’ll drag him through the snow by his balls and beat him to death with my broken shovel.

I know he hides around the corner and waits for me to finish shoveling and then he comes down the street at a 100 miles an hour and throws snow all over where I’ve just been! Tonight the wife wanted me to sing Christmas carols with her and open our presents, but I was too busy watching for the damn snowplow.

December 25

Merry freaking Christmas! 20 more inches of the damn slop tonight. Snowed in. The idea of shoveling makes my blood boil. I hate the snow!

Then the snowplow driver came by asking for a donation and I hit him over the head with my shovel.

The wife says I have a bad attitude. I think she’s an idiot. If I have to watch “It’s A Wonderful Life” one more time, I’m going to stuff her into the microwave.

December 26

Still snowed in. Why the hell did I ever move here? It was all HER idea. She’s really getting on my nerves.

December 27

Temperature dropped to -30 and the pipes froze; plumber came after 14 hours of waiting for him, he only charged me $1,400 to replace all my pipes.

December 28

Warmed up to above -20. Still snowed in. That witch is driving me crazy!!!

December 29

10 more inches. Bob says I have to shovel the roof or it could cave in. That’s the silliest thing I ever heard. How dumb does he think I am?

December 30

Roof caved in.

I beat up the snow plow driver, and now he is suing me for a million dollars, not only for the beating I gave him, but also for trying to shove the broken snow shovel up his ass.

The wife went home to her mother. Nine more inches predicted.

December 31

I set fire to what’s left of the house. No more shoveling!

January 8

Feel so good. I just love those little white pills they keep giving me. Why am I tied to the bed?

quote:

Originally posted by nhracecraft:
^^ Not sure why you guys have had the issues you've had, but for the record, I've had ZERO problems of any kind running the carburetor dry every time I use my snowblower. I certainly gets cold here, so my machine is garage kept in an unheated garage, but it's NEVER below 32 degrees inside.

It gets way below freezing in my garage, but it proby doesn't help that my mower is also very cold blooded, and starts hard even when it's warm out. I agree about the seals, though...I never had a problem with them cracking or drying out back when I used to drain it. It's just much easier to use the ethanol free gas, and it prevents other problems.

On the topic of seals, I bought a generator in 2005 that I used for the first time in 2022. Before using it that first time, I changed the factory fill oil, put gas in it and started it. It fired right up.

The advice to close the shutoff valve and run the carb dry is good. Not doing so allows all the gas in the tank to flow into the carb over time. The carb is not sealed, the gas in the float bowl evaporates, the float lowers, allows more gas in, and the cycle repeats until all the gas is gone you with no gas and a gummy mess in the carb. I learned this the hard way more than once. It’s not limited to ethanol gas either.