Do you ALWAYS shut off the fuel when done?

[jimbob200521]

The more threads I read around here, the more I hear about people shutting the gas off to there Cubs when they are done using them. For me, the only machines I've ever shut fuel off on was my dad's old Cub's, but that's because they seemed to develop leaks (that, and when your dad says to do something, you do it ). So that brings me to my Cubs; I honestly don't shut the fuel off when I'm done, I just don't see a reason to (outside of running the bowl dry for winter storage). Some of my machines go a couple weeks without being run, some run weekly; none have an issue with the fuel being on. The way I look at it, the only real reason to shut it off is to work on it or if there's a leak. And if there's a leak, I'd rather fix it than just shut the gas off every time.

So what do you guys do? Am I breaking a cardinal rule by leaving the fuel on, or are some just being overly cautious?

[J-Mech]

Never shut mine off. If it leaks, I fix it. A lot of my cubs have side panels on them. I'm not pulling the panels just to shut the fuel off.

[olds45512]

I don't shut mine off, as Jon said if it leaks it has an issue and needs to be fixed.

[Berwil]

Yup. It became habit with the O to turn the gas off as I was driving into the shed. Never had a leak that prompted me to do it, was just so accessible why not? Now with the 1450 I shut it off then pull it in the shed. The needle stuck a few times (fixed it since) so I got in the habit of shutting it off. Someone here suggested making a hook to turn it on/off without removing the side panels, works great. Before starting it I've got the hood open to check the oil anyway, just takes a second to turn the gas on. If I had a tractor that wasn't gravity feed, I would probably never shut it off.

Bill

[j4c11]

I think it's good practice to shut the fuel off. You are depending on the carb needle to seal, and it may, until one day when some crud gets in there and it doesn't anymore. You may spot that right away, or you may spot it a week or a month later when you go to use it again, or you may not spot it at all and drive it around with gas in the oil. I think that if you do a cost/benefit analysis it's worth doing it.

I also imagine there would be extra pressure on the needle tip from the mass of gasoline in the tank if leaving it on, but I don't know how much impact that would have on the needle valve, if any.

[Sam Mac]

I shut off the fuel on the "O", the 121, and the 149 and I run them dry. The Cyclops because the tanks are below the carbs I leave them on.

[jimbob200521]

Originally Posted by j4c11

I think it's good practice to shut the fuel off. You are depending on the carb needle to seal, and it may, until one day when some crud gets in there and it doesn't anymore. You may spot that right away, or you may spot it a week or a month later when you go to use it again, or you may not spot it at all and drive it around with gas in the oil. I think that if you do a cost/benefit analysis it's worth doing it.

I also imagine there would be extra pressure on the needle tip from the mass of gasoline in the tank if leaving it on, but I don't know how much impact that would have on the needle valve, if any.

I can see your point, but I think I'm on the same page as Berwill (and others): Every single time I start a Cub, I check the oil first. Since I'm checking it, I usually give it a quick sniff because I've had one too many fuel pumps fail on me and flood a crankcase. If I can't tell from the oil level suddenly being higher than before, I will tell from the smell.

[64fleetside]

I shut the fuel off when finished on any gravity fed anything-a practice leftover from my 3 wheeler days 30 yrs ago....you never know when one grain of crud will empty a tank onto the floor or into the crankcase.
The manufacturer would not have spent a dime on fuel shutoffs if not needed.

[j4c11]

Originally Posted by jimbob200521

I can see your point, but I think I'm on the same page as Berwill (and others): Every single time I start a Cub, I check the oil first. Since I'm checking it, I usually give it a quick sniff because I've had one too many fuel pumps fail on me and flood a crankcase. If I can't tell from the oil level suddenly being higher than before, I will tell from the smell.

I just think it's easier to stay out of trouble than to get out of trouble, especially in this case. Just like checking the oil is part of your routine, shutting off the fuel can become part of your routine as well, and it only takes a second.

[drglinski]

My carb doesn't leak. I don't shut the fuel off.