Run Her Dry?

I think it's a good habit; that way you're sure you've closed the tank-valve...

I forgot the other night, and came out the next day to a puddle and a strong smell of gasoline...
 
My car does not leak, but the garage always seems to smell like gas anyway. I shut the gas off about 100 yards from the garage on the drive in. No smell then.
 
I do the same. I turn the valve off when I am pulling into the driveway. Otherwise the garage smells like gas in the morning.
 
My standard procedure after a drive (late '31 indented firewall): Open garage doors... open left side of hood... reach across and turn off gas... drive into storage position... run dry... turn off ignition... remove fuse that sits on top of starter.

Before the next drive: insert fuse... turn on gas... start... drive.

Never a problem. Never a whiff of gas.

JMHO
 
sorry to buck the thread but i dont and never have a problem with smell. i have a properly functioning float valve and shutoff..
 
Mitch//pa said:
sorry to buck the thread but i dont and never have a problem with smell. i have a properly functioning float valve and shutoff..
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You don't "run her dry", or you don't shut the tank valve off ?


"Running it dry" is a habit I picked-up from my father, running farm equipment ( gasoline stuff, of course; don't want to run a Diesel out of fuel if we can help it ! )
 
cars56 said:
Any benefits of letting the A run out of fuel before parking her for the night?
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Benefits? YES, a big one- your carburetor, intake, and valves won't gum up with black stuff. I've posted this before, here's why:

Carbon backup into the intake is normal on every internal (infernal?) combustion engine that is stopped or shut off at low speed by switching off the ignition rather than shutting off the fuel. There is still a small amount of exhaust in each cylinder as it and the valves transition from the top of the exhaust stroke to an open intake valve that no longer has air moving through it.

Carbon fullerines (A.K.A. "buckyballs") are formed from unreacted carbon as the atoms seek to satisfy all four of their covalent bonds during cool-down of the exhaust. THAT is the light, powdery carbon that coats the inside of the exhaust pipe, and after shutdown as described above, is carried on thermal currents through the intake ports and right into the carburetor. There is often a slight amount of oil vapor too, which may make the deposit less powdery and more greasy in nature, often hardening into a black varnish as the oil oxidizes. Didn't you ever wonder where the carbon that dirties the inside of carburetors comes from? It's not road dirt! The deposits are heaviest in the intake manifold where the walls are coolest from the pressure drop (vacuum) that occured while running, causing a cooling effect. (see gas laws for explanation).

The best way to prevent carbon accumulation in the intake and carburetor is to shut down like an aircraft engine: Run the throttle up a bit, then cut the fuel valve, allowing the carb to run dry and the engine to sputter and die from lack of fuel, subsequently producing no final exhaust to back up and carbon foul stuff. By running up the engine when you do this, you ensure the engine will coast a few cycles with only air through the carb, further flushing out exhaust without gas-washing any oil off the cylinder walls and valve stems.
 
MikeK, WOW.

That explains a lot!


I guess I should also shut the fuel off on my ATVs rather then hit the kill switch?
I'm also in the habit of sometimes just letting the engine stall when coming to a stop when I'm done riding. Guess this would cause the same problem as killing the ignition.
 
Ideally, I'd agree with Mitch. My float valve works perfectly. I simply prefer not to rely on it if I'm not going to drive the "A" for a few days or more.
 
Special Coupe Frank said:
You don't "run her dry", or you don't shut the tank valve off ?


"Running it dry" is a habit I picked-up from my father, running farm equipment ( gasoline stuff, of course; don't want to run a Diesel out of fuel if we can help it ! )
Click to expand...

i do not ever run dry, but i do shut the fuel shutoff

if i do forget to shutoff the fuel at a pit stop or in the garage still no fuel leakage. imo thats the way its supposed to properly operate.
 
I agree with Mitch. The only time I ever ran her dry was when my
float was adjusted too high which caused the coupe to backfire upon
shutting off the engine. By running her dry, it stopped the backfire.
Once I adjusted the float, I never had the problem again and never had
to run her dry. I do, however believe in shutting off the valve. I highly
recommend doing that----especially for the A's that don't get driven every
day.

Jack
 
I only had truck for month now and starting to shut gas off and run it out.
i also put a battery cut off switch under battery box and shut that off also
along with plugging battery tender to battery so getting into habit of doing this.

When truck arrived on truck I saw no gas but 2 nights in garage the smell and puddle under it.
Finding out no one put screen from fuel petcock into tank and sucked items
down into petcock and carb..

So all fixed now and just have to learn how to start truck when warm and cold .
Joe
 
If any dirt or rust is stuck in the needle and seat you stand a better chance of flushing it out by running the carb dry. It worked for me once.
 
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