Petrol & oil additives to help performance

A properly tuned engine will require no "mechanic in a bottle".

About the only worthwhile additives may be Sta-Bil, for storage, and Sea Foam, which can help remove carbon, and keeps fuel somewhat stablized over a long period.

Octane boosters are a complete waste of money in a small, normallt tuned engine of any kind. They are good only when octane requirements can't be met with normal pump gas (petrol).

If you aren't running 10:1 or higher (which you aren't) compression, forget the octane booster.

Hello guys, I have ridden a couple of Robins but do not own one. I ride the more powerful Honda GX50HA and the HS 142F 49cc 4-strokes, and Whizzers.

I have said that in advance so that you-all will know where I come from, now on to real experiences.

California gas is what I'm dealing with in this post, tho other states may be selling the same garbage. CA gas is no loaded with what some say is a double-shot of ethanol, and a dose of sulfur to raise the burning temp that was lowered by the overdose of alcohol.

Here are symptoms that I have suffered:

Gas jelling in the tank

gas either jelled or a month or two old drying leaving a yellow powder behind

Carbs coated inside in a nasty yellow color

my van idling rough

2 neighbors report the same thing on small-engine cars

small engines beginning to run rough especially at idle

small engines that will only run on choke

finally small engine will not run, starts and dies!

I short-term fixed my Honda with some carb and fuel-injection cleaner, and did not continue it's use and it starved out again!

In CA. the "cleaners in a can" will help, probably resolve, and maybe avoid these problems.

I am happy to have a solution, but hopping mad at the state for forcing the purchase and burning of more chemicals in my engines.

We truly are being ripped off again, this time in a new way.

Mike
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Wow Mike, that is a sad state of affairs fo'sho'!

Hi Joe, yeah I kinda feel like they have 2 big guys holding us down while the third one gives us the business!

When I write, I try to be clear, concise, and true. This episode took me a while to learn, Quenton told me to try those cleaners, I have never used any of that stuff, and I started doing professional mechanic work in 1971 as a Datsun Dealership Line mechanic. It has never been necessary for me till now! The first bottle I used I had won at a Hot Rod rally about 10 years ago!

The thing I forgot to mention above is to pull the fuel line, and fill it directly with the cleaner, this will help clean much faster on one that is starved out badly. If your carb is plugged this way, start it, let it sit, and restart. It may take a couple days, but it does work, and I prefer not to take things apart unless it is necessary.

I bought Sea Foam but have not tried it. A customer of mine is an Automotive Chemist, and he says that Berrymans in the metal can has all the right stuff, and that it is in metal can because it would dissolve the plastic bottle!

Good Luck guys!

Mike