Question about oil change for snow blower

[Lake161]

I have a Craftsman 2-stage blower (model 88173) and need to change the oil. The manual says to run the blower until the gas tank is empty before changing the oil. This seems like a waste of gas. I did a quick google search and generic instructions for changing the oil on such engines don't mention needing the gas tank to be empty. Can I safely ignore this instruction?

[phred]

Yes, absolutely.  Running the blower until the gas tank is empty refers to storing the blower after its season is over.  Since I assume you're going to be using the blower for a while longer, just change the oil and maybe lube the controls

[Lake161]

Thanks for the confirmation.

[Metric Mouse]

I always store mine full of fuel anyway. Keeps the carb floats from sticking and moisture from building up in the tank or lines.

[BudgetSlasher]

I have a Craftsman 2-stage blower (model 88173) and need to change the oil. The manual says to run the blower until the gas tank is empty before changing the oil. This seems like a waste of gas. I did a quick google search and generic instructions for changing the oil on such engines don't mention needing the gas tank to be empty. Can I safely ignore this instruction?

You should be able to, just make sure the gas cap is on tight and if there is a fuel shut off valve flip it. My snow thrower tell you to drain the gas when you are putting in on the storage position (basically lift the handles are rotate forward 90 degrees).

[paddedhat]

I always store mine full of fuel anyway. Keeps the carb floats from sticking and moisture from building up in the tank or lines.

Unfortunately, with the current ethanol/gasoline mix mandated in the states, leaving fuel in anything for more than a few months often leads to issues, usually resulting in a varnish like coating on carb. internals and operating issues.  A few years back I bought a new Stihl weed wacker. The dealer handed me a bottle of Startron gas stabilizer. Stihl and the dealer highly recommended using the stuff and the $8 bottle came with a $8 rebate. The dealer told me that it I used the stuff religiously, I wouldn't be back for repairs.If not, I was always welcome to join the dozens of others who show up in spring, for a carb. rebuild. Since the I have used it in the two and four cycle gas cans, and have  zero issues with leaving fuel in machines, indefinitely.

[Spork]

I always store mine full of fuel anyway. Keeps the carb floats from sticking and moisture from building up in the tank or lines.

Unfortunately, with the current ethanol/gasoline mix mandated in the states, leaving fuel in anything for more than a few months often leads to issues, usually resulting in a varnish like coating on carb. internals and operating issues.  A few years back I bought a new Stihl weed wacker. The dealer handed me a bottle of Startron gas stabilizer. Stihl and the dealer highly recommended using the stuff and the $8 bottle came with a $8 rebate. The dealer told me that it I used the stuff religiously, I wouldn't be back for repairs.If not, I was always welcome to join the dozens of others who show up in spring, for a carb. rebuild. Since the I have used it in the two and four cycle gas cans, and have  zero issues with leaving fuel in machines, indefinitely.

Totally agree here.  This is ESPECIALLY true of 2 stroke engines.  I've also seen it rot some of the rubbery type components and turn them to just a black mush.

I use an ethanol conditioner AND I run the carbs dry.  If it's something with a largish tank, I usually cut the fuel line and add a fuel cut off in there.  Then you can cut it off and not have to run the entire tank dry.

[Cadman]

Definitely some good advice here on storage of seasonal equipment. My preference is to get the fuel level low, add some Stabil, and run it for a few minutes until it stalls to ensure the mix circulates.

Any reason you're changing the oil mid-season? Spring is usually the best time to do it so you don't have dirty, contaminated oil in the crankcase all spring/summer/fall.

[Metric Mouse]

I always store mine full of fuel anyway. Keeps the carb floats from sticking and moisture from building up in the tank or lines.

Unfortunately, with the current ethanol/gasoline mix mandated in the states, leaving fuel in anything for more than a few months often leads to issues, usually resulting in a varnish like coating on carb. internals and operating issues.  A few years back I bought a new Stihl weed wacker. The dealer handed me a bottle of Startron gas stabilizer. Stihl and the dealer highly recommended using the stuff and the $8 bottle came with a $8 rebate. The dealer told me that it I used the stuff religiously, I wouldn't be back for repairs.If not, I was always welcome to join the dozens of others who show up in spring, for a carb. rebuild. Since the I have used it in the two and four cycle gas cans, and have  zero issues with leaving fuel in machines, indefinitely.

Oh, absolutely add fuel stabilizer!  I guess that was probably a pretty important step that I forgot to mention. I only run non-ethanol fuel in my small engines, and add SeaFoam to the gas can every time I fill it, so I sometimes forget to include that step in storage.

[paddedhat]

Oh, absolutely add fuel stabilizer!  I guess that was probably a pretty important step that I forgot to mention. I only run non-ethanol fuel in my small engines, and add SeaFoam to the gas can every time I fill it, so I sometimes forget to include that step in storage.

Also excellent advice. Generally, if you live in an area where boating, or other motorsports, snowmobiling, off roading, etc.... you probably have at least one retailer of "ethanol free" gas. For the little bit needed for yard machine and snowblower needs, it's worth hunting a source down.

[I'm a red panda]

It's becoming harder and harder to find non ethanol gas.  The only provider in our city is gone now :(

[Spork]

It's becoming harder and harder to find non ethanol gas.  The only provider in our city is gone now :(

Indeed.  I've been looking for one in town for several years for my 1970s era car.  I'd like to find high octane AND no ethanol.  I can find neither.  All I can do is blindly dump additives in and hope they do some good.

[Metric Mouse]

It's becoming harder and harder to find non ethanol gas.  The only provider in our city is gone now :(

Indeed.  I've been looking for one in town for several years for my 1970s era car.  I'd like to find high octane AND no ethanol.  I can find neither.  All I can do is blindly dump additives in and hope they do some good.

High octane race gas is harder to find around here as well. We do have one spot in town, iirc - my buddy used to drop it into his Ninja every now and then.

[lthenderson]

I guess I need to travel more. Every store here in the Midwest has at least one pump without ethanol. I've stopped using it in my vehicles (and small engines) all around because it always seems to play havoc with the emissions control sensors on them over time. Once I started using non-ethanol stuff, all those issues seemed to disappear. The one drawback is I rarely find non-ethanol over 91 octane. I mostly see it at 87 octane and somewhat frequently at 91 octane but never above.

With small engines, my local repair guy has always said keep the tank FULL with some sort of stabilization or drain it completely. He said even with stabilization in a partly filled tank, you can get condensation occurring over time that can play havoc on the system.

[I'm a red panda]

I guess I need to travel more. Every store here in the Midwest has at least one pump without ethanol.

What part of the midwest are you in?  Because the corn lobby has the industry wrapped around their fingers here.  Maybe we need to drive further out?

[paddedhat]

I guess I need to travel more. Every store here in the Midwest has at least one pump without ethanol.

What part of the midwest are you in?  Because the corn lobby has the industry wrapped around their fingers here.  Maybe we need to drive further out?

Yea, I was filling up my RV in corn country, a few years back, when I saw a guy looking real upset, standing next to a newer Mercedes Sprinter based camper. He told me that he was almost out of fuel and all he could find was biodiesel mix, no straight petro based fuel. He talked to Mercedes and was told that he would void the warranty if he used the stuff. His choices were to risk it, or have a towing company flat bed the thing to wherever real diesel was available.  Pretty sucky situation to be in.

[lthenderson]

I guess I need to travel more. Every store here in the Midwest has at least one pump without ethanol.

What part of the midwest are you in?  Because the corn lobby has the industry wrapped around their fingers here.  Maybe we need to drive further out?

I live in rural Iowa. Generally every pump has three choices, two containing ethanol and one that doesn't.  Having partly owned a company that made tanks for the ethanol industry, I can definitely say they are less relevant than they were ten years ago. I'm not sure of all the dynamics that play a part as we only made extremely large stainless steel tanks for them but at one point we had a backlog for tanks a decade long and about seven or eight years ago that number went to zero with just an occasional order.

[Metric Mouse]

I guess I need to travel more. Every store here in the Midwest has at least one pump without ethanol.

What part of the midwest are you in?  Because the corn lobby has the industry wrapped around their fingers here.  Maybe we need to drive further out?

I live in rural Iowa. Generally every pump has three choices, two containing ethanol and one that doesn't.  Having partly owned a company that made tanks for the ethanol industry, I can definitely say they are less relevant than they were ten years ago. I'm not sure of all the dynamics that play a part as we only made extremely large stainless steel tanks for them but at one point we had a backlog for tanks a decade long and about seven or eight years ago that number went to zero with just an occasional order.

Think this was related to the roll back on the mandated amount of ethonol sold? I know there was a mess about that time where the formula for mandating how much ethonol was sold would have required mixes that no engine could run on, and the rules had to be changed.

[I'm a red panda]

I guess I need to travel more. Every store here in the Midwest has at least one pump without ethanol.

What part of the midwest are you in?  Because the corn lobby has the industry wrapped around their fingers here.  Maybe we need to drive further out?

I live in rural Iowa. Generally every pump has three choices, two containing ethanol and one that doesn't.  Having partly owned a company that made tanks for the ethanol industry, I can definitely say they are less relevant than they were ten years ago. I'm not sure of all the dynamics that play a part as we only made extremely large stainless steel tanks for them but at one point we had a backlog for tanks a decade long and about seven or eight years ago that number went to zero with just an occasional order.

They must have taken them out of the city.  DH told me he actually has one option now in our city; but it has been out of order the last two times he went there. 

There are a lot more electric charging stations showing up though :)

[Cadman]

Here in NE Iowa you could always find a station with 87 Non-E and 89 ethanol, and if there was a third pump it'd be 91 or greater. This always surprised out-of-staters to see Premium Unleaded 10 cents cheaper than Regular. A couple years back after the mandate that required an increased ethanol mix, all the big stations changed their tank/pump setups before the deadline. Despite the fact there was the rollback, the new equipment was already in place. Stations that kept the non-E found it harder to get because out of state refineries were cutting deliveries now that there was less demand by the retailers.

I can still get non-ethanol 87 at a local store for 25% more the cost of the e-blend, but anything over that is now about impossible to find.