Fuel shut off valve or buy non-ethanol gas?

[Yardguy]

I have a John Deere JS28 walk behind mower. I have had to remove and clean the carburetor 3 times since I bought the mower in August 2012 because it wouldn't start. If I don't mow the lawn for about 4-6 weeks, the engine won't start. If I squirt some gas into the carb, the engine starts and runs for a few seconds. No matter how many times I do that, the carb never clears itself. I have to remove the carb and clean it to get the engine to start. I've been using Shell V-Power 92 octane E10 gas. I admit that I don't rotate the gas as some recommend. I have added Stabil to the gas storage container.

What's your experience with ethanol gas? Have you installed a fuel shut-off valve and run the engine until all of the fuel is used up? Has this cured your no start problems?

Or have you had to revert to looking for non-ethanol gas and only using that in your lawnmower?

Thanks for any help,
Yardguy

 

[Carscw]

Have you looked at your fuel filter?
I don't think that the gas sitting for 4 weeks is your problem.

 

[davbell22602]

Have you looked at your fuel filter?
I don't think that the gas sitting for 4 weeks is your problem.

Since when does walk behind mowers have fuel filters.

 

[Carscw]

Since when does walk behind mowers have fuel filters.

Sorry did not look at your model and just assumed you had a walk behind not a push mower.

Have you replaced the fresh start cartridge

 

[Rivets]

I suggest that you pull the carb off one more time and give it a good 24 soaking bath or have it ultrasonically cleaned. When you reassemble it, install a new float needle and seat. You don't give us an engine model number, I'm assuming that the part number is 398188. After you got everything back together, I recommend that you use non-ethanol fuel. This is what we recommend to all our customers who have this problem.

 

[davbell22602]

I suggest that you pull the carb off one more time and give it a good 24 soaking bath or have it ultrasonically cleaned. When you reassemble it, install a new float needle and seat. You don't give us an engine model number, I'm assuming that the part number is 398188. After you got everything back together, I recommend that you use non-ethanol fuel. This is what we recommend to all our customers who have this problem.

So what do you recommend to the ones that dont have the non ethanol gas available to buy?

 

[possum]

You can find some I would be willing to bet a sawbuck on it. If you look around a bit on the internet you will find at least 28 gas stations with it in just West Virginia. You could take a little drive over to Charles Town. Find some real gas there. Liberty Get and Go.

 

[lawn mower fanatic]

You can find some I would be willing to bet a sawbuck on it. If you look around a bit on the internet you will find at least 28 gas stations with it in just West Virginia. You could take a little drive over to Charles Town. Find some real gas there. Liberty Get and Go.

Ethanol-free gas stations in the U.S. and Canada

 

[Carscw]

I see this is going to turn into a blame everything on ethanol for the lack of proper maintenance.

The ethanol did not clog the carb up in just 4 weeks.

 

[Yardguy]

Sorry did not look at your model and just assumed you had a walk behind not a push mower.

Have you replaced the fresh start cartridge

No fuel filter on my walk behind mower.

I forgot about the fresh start cartridge. I did install the one that came with the mower and then forgot it existed. However, I'm more concerned with the gas stored in my gas can which is why I added Stabil to it. Don't know the advantage of the fresh start cartridge that's installed on the mower's gas cap verses adding a fuel stabilizer to the gas in the storage container.

Thanks,
Yardguy