'Fresh' Gas in Outboard?

[Zednotzee]

Originally Posted by mesquaukee

You were taken advantage of. Cleaning a carb is a straightforward task.

I would tend to agree with that. I paid someone to clean a carb, but I didn't pay $230 (I think it was about $50). As the gas sits in the carburetor it builds up what are referred to as varnish deposits, which clog the jets. I had this happen in a bike that sat for about 3 years (just got lazy). However, I often let equipment sit over the winter, or summer, for 4-6 months with no ill effect whatsoever.

If you add a fuel stabilizer, you really don't have anything to worry about, & it's probably worth the peace of mind.

[Ziggy]

At the end of the sailing season in the fall I mix some stabilizer into the tank, run the carb dry, and put the outboard away until the spring. This seems to prevent problems with fuel gumming up. The one time I forgot the stabilizer, I had to clean out the carb. The stuff works.

[Dockhead]

I've got a 5 horse Yamaha two-stroke, which I used to use on a skiff at our lake house, which I put away about 3 years ago without winterizing. I bought a different boat and kind of just forgot about the old one. I think I'll dump the gas out this weekend, pour in some fresh, and see if she starts. Interesting experiment. I'll let you guys know how it works out.