45 HP Sputtering at speed

"Hi, I'm new to this discu

"Hi, I'm new to this discussion group. Looks good.
I have a 1994 45HP Tiller that sputters (occasionally) at full throttle. I bought the motor used a few years ago, ran like a top at first. I also now only use it a couple of times a year and store outside for the winter. I add fuel stabilizer (and run) and drain the carbs before winter. From reading the previous discussions, my guess is that it is to do with the carbs or could be water in gas. so some of the suggestions have been to add a water separator and run carb cleaner in the gas.
What about adding STP Water Reducer in gas or higher octane fuel? I want to try the easy approaches before considering removing the carbs. thanks....."

"The carbs in today's moto

"The carbs in today's motors need to have clean, fresh fuel or will not perform well. The water separator is a must. A fuel additive is like having insurance, Seafoam is a very popular product for that purpose. You might want to pull the thermostat to see if it is closing. A bad t-stat will not allow the motor to get to the proper temp and run well. Besides it is usually a lot easier to replace than fix your carbs."

"Thanks, If my usage is minima

"Thanks, If my usage is minimal, what would a good mixture of things to put in each gas tank full (I have a 40L in floor tank). I'm sure things would likely be better if I converted to red portable tanks in order to make sure the fuel is always fresh."

"In your case a small portable

"In your case a small portable tank might make good sense. Just mix your additive per the manufacture's instruction and you should be good to go! Considering the age of your motor, I would still look into checking the t-stat.
Nick"

"Thanks,
my local service is

"Thanks,
my local service is not very good. The manual doesnt say much about fuel additives. Do you think that I should add fuel stabilizer and carb cleaner to every fill up (if in small portable tanks) (I might burn 60L (15gal) per summer). If I opt to keep my big floor tank in, should I also add STP water remover? all according to mix ratios on the respective bottles."

"If I were in your shoes I thi

"If I were in your shoes I think I would drain the main tank, and use the small tank. I would also use Seafoam as an additive because it will stabilize the fuel and clean the carbs. If you can, store the portable fuel tank some where out of the weather. The temp changes cause the tank to condensate water inside and spoil the fuel."

higher octane fuel is only goo

higher octane fuel is only good over winter
run a stabilizer