When to shut off fuel

[michael a]

When to shut off fuel? Tell us when you shut off the fuel on your car or truck?

[Mike V. Florida]

Never

[3.6rs]

Every time I cut off the engine.

[johnbuckley]

I turn if off about 20 seconds before I switch the ignition off

[kbinde2]

I try to shut the valve off after every drive, letting the engine run to the first sign of "fuel-starvation".. the turn the key off. Both spark and idle levers go to a full up position. When I do a start-up I redo the whole procedure.. I guess the routine is a bit much, but so far works for me.!

[Ray64]

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When I turn in the drive 400 ft. to the barn and on the lift. Then she quits

[Anteek29]

I do the same procedure as kbinde2.

[Jacksonlll]

If you don't turn it off, there is the chance that you could fill your garage with all the fuel in your tank due to just a stuck float valve. Turn it off and sleep well.

[Dollar Bill]

Turn it off if it will sit more than 30 minutes. Run fuel out if parking for several days.

[1928Mik]

Like Dollar Bill says. I turn valve and let the engine die, then shut key off. No fuel in bowl, no chance of leakage in garage.

[Lona]

I turn it off just before pulling into the garage. That way, it quits before filling up the building with exhaust fumes. I used to get confused about what position was open or closed until reading a hint from someone else on the forum. He said; the valve is open when it's like a rocket in a vertical position ready for takeoff.

Glen

[Brendan]

Originally Posted by Mike V. Florida

Never

all the time!

[Keith True]

I just automaticly shut mine off whenever I stop the car and get out.When I was a kid an old woman with an A told me,down and out.If the handle is hanging straight down the fuel is going out.Now I do have a couple of old aftermarket shutoffs,where the lever position is reversed.Parallel to the tank is on,and straight down is off.I don't know where they came from,I got them in buckets of A stuff years ago.I would guess JC Whitney,as the man that had them died long before Ricks came along.

[DJ S]

As I'm pulling into the garage, I turn it off.

[Dick Steinkamp]

The "Instruction Book" makes no mention of the fuel shut off valve. I would think that if it was important to turn it off every time you stopped that it would be mentioned.

Henry moved the valve under the hood in May of 1931. I doubt if the owners opened the hood and shut off the valve every time the car was stopped.

I guess it doesn't hurt to do it...unless it wears the valve out quicker. How often to we check the valve to insure it is actually turning off the fuel?

[abachman3]

One of my club's car games is to shut off the valve and time how long it takes to have the engine quit running. Amazingly some never stop running... guess they need to rebuild the shut-off as it isn't shutting off!

[Bill G]

Mine has never leaked, but I don't want to have a bunch of gas on the garage floor some day, so I routinely do shut it off when I park it for any length of time.

There are many things that can be done out of an abundance of caution, and this seems to be one that is regularly practiced. However, I don't know what one gains by shutting it off and running the gas in the carb bowl dry.

[slammin]

I always shut it off when it parked in the shop. If I have it out and stop for a few minutes, I leave it open. Last week I forgot to shut it off. When I returned the next morning, the shop smelled of gas fumes. I wiped the bottom of the carb. There was just a small spot on the paper towel. Just as I disconnect the battery after use, it's better to be safe than sorry.

[Licensed to kill]

What would be the point of running the bowl empty?. To my way of thinking there is no way fuel can leak once the valve is closed and there isn't anything in the bowl that could be negatively affected by fuel sitting in there, even for extended periods so, why run it dry?.

[Y-Blockhead]

Originally Posted by Licensed to kill

What would be the point of running the bowl empty?. To my way of thinking there is no way fuel can leak once the valve is closed and there isn't anything in the bowl that could be negatively affected by fuel sitting in there, even for extended periods so, why run it dry?.

So the wonderful gas we get these days doesn't dry up in the float bowl??

[1crosscut]

Originally Posted by Licensed to kill

What would be the point of running the bowl empty?. To my way of thinking there is no way fuel can leak once the valve is closed and there isn't anything in the bowl that could be negatively affected by fuel sitting in there, even for extended periods so, why run it dry?.

Every once in a while on hot days after shutting off the engine and then restarting a short time later I have had some rough running issues for a minute or two. I figured what was happening was the fuel in the bowl and first bit of fuel line got hot due to no air flow / fuel flow and perhaps boiled causing the temporary running issue. Now I shut off the fuel and let it run for a bit when stopping for short times on hot days. This allows fresh "cold" fuel run into the carburetor for trouble free restarts.

I always shut the fuel valve off and let it run dry when parking over night etc...

[1929]

Originally Posted by johnbuckley

I turn if off about 20 seconds before I switch the ignition off

x-2

[California Travieso]

Originally Posted by Licensed to kill

What would be the point of running the bowl empty?. To my way of thinking there is no way fuel can leak once the valve is closed and there isn't anything in the bowl that could be negatively affected by fuel sitting in there, even for extended periods so, why run it dry?.

The first time I brought our new (to us) A Roadster I parked it in our attached garage without shutting the fuel valve off. The next morning my wife complained about "the awful gas smell" in the garage. I checked the floor and the carb and couldn't find any leaks. She said "I don't care get it out of the garage."

One of the guys in our club suggested I turn off the fuel shut off valve and let it run until it ran dry. I did it and no more gas smell in garage! Bonus, no more unhappy wife!

David Serrano

[HoarseWhisperer]

I always shut the fuel off as an added safety measure, but no longer run the carb dry due to flash rusting inside the bowl.

[denis4x4]

Turn off the gas and battery every time I pull into the shop. Using ethanol free gas, so I’m not concerned about leaving gas in the carb

[1928Mik]

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I will let the engine die cause the needle valve will stick closed on occasion otherwise. I also like the safety feature along with disconnecting battery.

[Keith True]

I just parked my 30 roadster for the winter.I poured in some
stabil,drove the car to a place I own three miles away,and backed it in the shed.I pulled the fuse out,shut the gas off,and slid a pan under the front of the engine.Next May or so I will put the fuse in,pour the anti-freeze that dripped out of the water pump back in the radiator,start it up and drive it away.In the spring I will pretty much run the tank to empty before I add fresh gas.I use the older 2 ball Grose valves,I have no problems with them sticking.

[NCRebel]

I had been turning the fuel valve off as I shut down the engine. However, I lean toward starving the carb bowl before shutting down. The heat of the deep south will create fumes in the garage. Anyway to reduce that problem sounds good to me.

[1930-Pickup]

On aircraft equipped with reciprocating engines, the pilot closes the fuel valve and then waits a few seconds for the engine to die. There are several advantages to this FAA recommended procedure. If my Model A shut-off valve worked properly, I would do it that way too

[ccb360]

Switch off the battery and shut off fuel valve (run carb dry) every time I park the vehicle in a structure in which I sleep.

[heneste]

I shut it off and then let the car die from lack of fuel flow. I figure it avoids residual gas from gumming up the jets and the carb if I don't run the car again soon. It's also a good habit for me so I don't have the shutoff valve seize in the open position from lack of use.

[holdover]

"Turn off the gas and battery every time I pull into the shop. Using ethanol free gas, so I’m not concerned about leaving gas in the carb"


Ditto Do same, same

[glenn in camino]

I turn mine off after I'm in the garage, I also place a plastic bucket under the carburetor in case of leaks.

[Chuck Sea/Tac]

Originally Posted by Licensed to kill

What would be the point of running the bowl empty?. To my way of thinking there is no way fuel can leak once the valve is closed and there isn't anything in the bowl that could be negatively affected by fuel sitting in there, even for extended periods so, why run it dry?.

Revist how a carbs work. There is a float valve , that can leak and will overflow the bowl and run out on the floor. I usually only shut mine late 31 valve off at night.

[Dollar Bill]

Originally Posted by Dick Steinkamp

The "Instruction Book" makes no mention of the fuel shut off valve. I would think that if it was important to turn it off every time you stopped that it would be mentioned.

Henry moved the valve under the hood in May of 1931. I doubt if the owners opened the hood and shut off the valve every time the car was stopped.

I guess it doesn't hurt to do it...unless it wears the valve out quicker. How often to we check the valve to insure it is actually turning off the fuel?

Good observation Dick. My guess is the original parts were better quality, they were at least newer

Henry must have thought the valve was needed or he would have omitted it?

Each time you run the fuel out of the bowl it creates an air gap in the glass sediment bulb. You can check for this air gap to ensure the valve is holding.

[smittykid]

Originally Posted by 1928Mik

Like Dollar Bill says. I turn valve and let the engine die, then shut key off. No fuel in bowl, no chance of leakage in garage.

Just make sure your valve under the tank isn't leaking. On one of my Tudors I would shut the gas valve off & let it run till it quit. Next morning I would still smell gas in the garage. Turns out the valve had a very small leak. I bought a valve rebuild kit just to find out that the repop gas valves can't be rebuilt-just the originals(or so I've been told). Got a new repop gas valve-problem solved.

[Licensed to kill]

Originally Posted by Chuck Sea/Tac

Revist how a carbs work. There is a float valve , that can leak and will overflow the bowl and run out on the floor. I usually only shut mine late 31 valve off at night.

My question was not about shutting the valve off, it was about running the bowl empty after closing it. Once the valve is closed, no fuel can leak even if the bowl is full so there is no need to run the bowl empty to prevent the possibility of leaking. That's why I asked what other reason there was.

[Dick Steinkamp]

Originally Posted by Dollar Bill

Henry must have thought the valve was needed or he would have omitted it?

A shut off valve is necessary to service or repair anything downstream from the fuel tank (fuel lines, fuel filter, and carb).

It's a bonus that it is there for us if we have a suspect needle and seat in the carb.

[26 Coupe]

There is another potential safety hazard no one has mentioned yet. If you are using an aircleaner with a paper filter that is below the carburetor throat, a leaking needle valve can allow gas to soak the filter. If you have a backfire occur, it can start a sizable fire in the engine compartment. The previous owner of my roadster had it happen to him. He was lucky that it only blistered some paint.

[steve s]

I shut the valve just before pulling into the garage. I don't attempt to run the carb dry; I just want to lower the level in the carb bowl to allow for expansion as heat soaks out from the block after shut down.

[terrypotter]

Two reasons to run carb dry. One, as has been said, float might stick and they do intermittently. Also, with today's gas and its limited shelf life it will go flat faster in a small confine such as the bowl.

[WHN]

When car is not running, gas is shut off.

In the fall I shut gas off and run engine until it quits. Enjoy.

[Cornishman]

I turn the fuel off after I’ve switched off the ignition to stop the engine. It’s part of my shutdown routine, nothing deeper.

[BILL WILLIAMSON]

IF there was no need for a fuel valve, it wouldn't be there in the first place!
Bill Simple

[40 Deluxe]

Originally Posted by heneste

I shut it off and then let the car die from lack of fuel flow. I figure it avoids residual gas from gumming up the jets and the carb if I don't run the car again soon. It's also a good habit for me so I don't have the shutoff valve seize in the open position from lack of use.

Here it is ! The voice of reason! The voice of sanity! This is the right way to do it, along with the reason (along with not burning your garage/house down)!

[F.M.]

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Never on both cars..

[Graham]

I can't hang the key on the shutoff valve if I don't turn it off. So it goes off whenever I'm out of the car. And the battery disconnect (anti fire and theft) gets shutoff too. If it's going in the garage, I run it till it quits, it seems I can still smell gas if I don't.

[JOHN CT]

I guess the vote is in 95% of us shut off the fuel. I shut mine off for sure!! I joined the gas on the garage floor club, it’s scary!! Lost a half a tank!

[daveymc29]

I was told the fuel is off if you can hang your keys on the valve. (Not so with indented firewall.0 If the keys fall off, the fuel valve is telling you to put them in the ignition and lets go for a spin. I shut mine off if the car will sit for more than a half hour or so.

[BILL WILLIAMSON]

Why risk an EMPTY tank or a dead battery, just because you didn't turn the valve off or check for an ammeter discharge, to see if the cut out points stuck or not????
Bill W.

[Corley]

Simplist way is an electric shutoff valve, so when the key is off, the fuel valve shuts off the flow of fuel. Of course, if you have the pop out switch, this is difficult to implement. Electric shutoff valve are on Amazon for $6.99. it also takes two fittings to hook into the cut fuel line.

NOTE:. NOT FOR PURISTS, BUT GREAT FOR FORGETFUL PEOPLE LIKE ME.

[al's28/33]

Post #5 let the carb run out of fuel then key OFF and sleep good for the night.

[rocket1]

I always shut the fuel off when parked,and if I park in the garage I run the carb dry.

[BILL WILLIAMSON]

Everyone should be their "OWN MAN" & do it you're OWN WAY! The DIE is "SET" & we RARELY CHANGE--LOL
Bill #1

[Jim M]

Thanks for the "Rocket" tip. My memory is not so great these days but I will remember this tip!

[monto]

Turn off ignition :- Shut off gas.

[Brendan]

Originally Posted by Dollar Bill

Turn it off if it will sit more than 30 minutes. Run fuel out if parking for several days.

yup me too!

[Brendan]

its a good Anti theft device also, just go for a short walk and find your car

[1928Pickuppain]

I turn mine off to work on my carburetor, clean out my sediment bowl or clean out the screen in the the carburetor. I have also turned it off once or twice if i knew i wasent going to be driving it for a while but usually i never turn it off and never once have ever had it leak a drop and it always starts up. Once set and good stuff should stay set and good.

[DHZIEMAN]

When the engine is not running, my fuel is shut off! This mentality of keeping it shut off probably relates to my Zenith having a leaky float valve with gas running on the garage floor! I have fixed the Carb, but the memory of this kind of leakage lingers on!

[henry's 31]

While it is true that if the float is correct the carburetor should not leak, why take a chance. I always turn it off after turning the car off. Better safe than sorry. Just my opinion.

[WHN]

Originally Posted by BILL WILLIAMSON

IF there was no need for a fuel valve, it wouldn't be there in the first place!
Bill Simple

Great answer. Keep it simple. It’s there for a reason!

[crumbaa]

We have started turning it off after every drive after we has a brass float in our Tilly develop a crack, and drain a full tank out on to the floor.

[F.M.]

Originally Posted by WHN

Great answer. Keep it simple. It’s there for a reason!

It was put there so you could change the fuel bowl filter or work on the carb..

[copgib]

How is going Dollar Bill? I have been working on my Model A little by little. Hugh

[Roger Green]

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2 of our 4 Model As are late '31s & I shut the fuel off in all of them at every stop.
Random ROG

[Corley]

Originally Posted by Roger Green

2 of our 4 Model As are late '31s & I shut the fuel off in all of them at every stop.
Random ROG

Yes, but Roger, you also wear a belt and suspenders! . By the way, how does one person keep up with the maintenance on your fleet of 52 cars, tractors, and lawn mowers?