Fuel Shutoff

[mellow]

What is up with all the fuel shutoff valves leaking over time? I can't find a single one that does not have some bad reviews about it leaking. They all seem to leak after a year or two.

2 years ago I thought I was smart and got a nice metal one from Tractor Supply thinking it would last forever, nope, lasted 1 season. Went to use the snow blower this last snowfall and the stupid thing had failed and I had to take apart the carb to clean it.

This is the one I got that failed: (broken link removed)

I tried to take it apart but you can't, not exactly sure how it failed as it looks all metal but there must be a gasket in it of some sort.

Anyone found one that actually works?

 

[Bad LP]

China??
The plastic ones always sucked.
I have a metal one from 8 or so years back that is still tight.
No idea on decent replacements.

 

[CaptSpiff]

I'll take a WAG and suggest the ethanol is deteriorating (hardening) the rubber o-ring.
I use the fuel shut-off while in season, but at the end of season I try to empty the tank by running system dry.
I'll also add a bit of lubricant to the gas, like MMO or even a splash of 2-stroke oil. Just my opinion that it might help lube that fuel shut-off and everything else.

 

[mellow]

I can understand ethanol, I use ethanol free gas in all my power tools and mowers/snowblower so that in theory should not be an issue.

I guess like you say I should just drain the snowblower tank during the summer, I like to start them during the year to exercise them hence why I was leaving gas in the tank but maybe I need to change that to add just enough gas for it to run for a bit.

I might just end up cutting open this fuel shutoff, I can't find where anyone has done that before to see what fails on these metal fuel shut offs, I have found it for the plastic ones.

 

[jatoxico]

Funny, I just replaced one! That one was supposed to be genuine B&S. New one from Stens ( looks the same). Guess we'll see how it lasts.

Not to change the topic but my old snowblower did not have a shutoff. It's gravity fed (Tecumseh) and I'm just now thinking that the adding the shot off means that part of the fuel delivery is lower than the carb on the other side. Wonder if this explains some of it's strange behavior .

 

[Corey]

Planned obsolescence. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planned_obsolescence

It's not like materials which will hold fuel for decades are hard to come by. Even a cheap plastic vodka bottle will hold ethanol forever, so that's not exactly an engineering challenge either. But if anyone ever made one of these 'super' valves - you'd buy one in your lifetime - and use it. So they make a crappy valve and you come back every 2-4 years and buy a new one. $$profit$$

 

[mellow]

Funny, I just replaced one! That one was supposed to be genuine B&S. New one from Stens ( looks the same). Guess we'll see how it lasts.

Not to change the topic but my old snowblower did not have a shutoff. It's gravity fed (Tecumseh) and I'm just now thinking that the adding the shot off means that part of the fuel delivery is lower than the carb on the other side. Wonder if this explains some of it's strange behavior .

My troy bilt snowblower with Tecumseh didn't have one either, I added it so I wouldn't have to drain the tank, but so much for that idea.

So one of the descriptions on the metal fuel shutoff lists this on Amazon:

• Virtually eliminates the problem of fuel sloshing back into the carburetor when the front of a snowmobile is in a higher than normal position.

Sports Parts Inc Fuel Flow Shut-Off Valve L7118

 

[jatoxico]

Virtually eliminates the problem of fuel sloshing back into the carburetor when the front of a snowmobile is in a higher than normal position

I'm speedy w/ the snowblower but probably not that speedy .

The new shutoff is holding but its only been a couple weeks. In my case the potential problem with adding the typical "red and black" shutoff is that they both have the barbed inlet/outlets and it causes the valve to sit lower than the carb.

That's not how the unit was originally setup and may be causing some fuel flow problems.

I'm thinking something like this might be better because it sits tight to the tank.

 

[mustash29]

Try something like this with a barb fitting in each end. Teflon seal so it should last a long time.

BVT018-NP - Bluefin BVT018-NP - 1/8" Full Port Threaded Mini Ball Valve (supplyhouse.com)