[DeTomaso] Fuel "stabilizer"

[Charles McCall]

Hi all

I took advantage of a recent trip to Denver to hand-carry my carburetor in
my luggage to have Dennis Quella rebuild for me. I hadn't been particularly
happy with how my engine was running, suspected I had a blown power valve at
least, and wanted him to look at it. I'm thrilled because he found it was in
pretty rough shape - when I went to pick it up he asked "did you actually
get the engine to run with this thing installed?" I say that I'm thrilled
because this indicates that it's pretty likely that we found the cause of my
lack of satisfaction with the engine recently... 

 

What he found (among other issues) was that the interior was pretty
comprehensively clogged with sediment, crud, and rust, despite having a fuel
filter installed. Granted, the carb was installed some 17 years ago and
hasn't been touched since, but. He felt that this was caused by letting the
car sit for extended periods of time, something that has unfortunately
happened over the past couple of years. At least twice in the past 18
months, it has sat for 4-5 months without starting the engine.. 

 

My first question is if simply starting the engine at a minimum of, say,
once a month in the winter months should be enough to keep things flowing
and keep sediment from forming in the carb? Or does the car need to be
actually driven, sloshing the fuel around pretty good to avoid the sediment
from consolidating?

 

Second question - I see many ads for "fuel stabilizer", with the focus being
on protecting the gasoline - keeping it from degradation or breaking down.
Is this its real and only purpose, or does it also help keep the sediment
from settling out and rust from forming? Is there a preferred brand of fuel
stabilizer, or are they all more or less the same thing? Or is this like
asking which brand of motor oil is "best"?

 

Thank you !

 

 

 

 

-------------- next part --------------
   Hi all

   I took advantage of a recent trip to Denver to hand-carry my carburetor
   in my luggage to have Dennis Quella rebuild for me. I hadn't been
   particularly happy with how my engine was running, suspected I had a
   blown power valve at least, and wanted him to look at it. I'm thrilled
   because he found it was in pretty rough shape - when I went to pick it
   up he asked "did you actually get the engine to run with this thing
   installed?" I say that I'm thrilled because this indicates that it's
   pretty likely that we found the cause of my lack of satisfaction with
   the engine recently...


   What he found (among other issues) was that the interior was pretty
   comprehensively clogged with sediment, crud, and rust, despite having a
   fuel filter installed. Granted, the carb was installed some 17 years
   ago and hasn't been touched since, but... He felt that this was caused
   by letting the car sit for extended periods of time, something that has
   unfortunately happened over the past couple of years. At least twice in
   the past 18 months, it has sat for 4-5 months without starting the
   engine..


   My first question is if simply starting the engine at a minimum of,
   say, once a month in the winter months should be enough to keep things
   flowing and keep sediment from forming in the carb? Or does the car
   need to be actually driven, sloshing the fuel around pretty good to
   avoid the sediment from consolidating?


   Second question - I see many ads for "fuel stabilizer", with the focus
   being on protecting the gasoline - keeping it from degradation or
   breaking down. Is this its real and only purpose, or does it also help
   keep the sediment from settling out and rust from forming? Is there a
   preferred brand of fuel stabilizer, or are they all more or less the
   same thing? Or is this like asking which brand of motor oil is "best"?


   Thank you !