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Curious

(Running Engine Out Of Gas)
(J. Reeves)

If the engine has but one carburetor, it's unlikely that running the engine out of gas would do any harm. When the carburetor runs out of the fuel/oil mixture, the engine stops running.
However, a engine that has more than one carburetor should simply be shut off. The reasoning is that the top carburetor will run out of fuel first due to gravity and the engine will continue to run on because of the still existing fuel in the other lower carburetors.
This results in having at least one aluminum piston running up and down a steel cylinder wall with improper or no lubrication. Not a good idea!
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Thanks joe, never thought of it that way . My dad always ran his out of gas at the launch, so hence so did i. I will say this though, when i recently rebuilt the carbs they were clean like new, no varnish. I will now just shut it off, don't want to ruin my motor. Again thanks for the quick answer.
 
Multi carburetor engines:

When in use every few weeks, it's unlikely that any varnish will build up in the carbs.

When done for the season, remove the carb face plate and then drain the carburetors via the float chamber drain screw/bolt.
 
Always run fuel out of the carburetors !---------Even on multi carburetor engines the oil is coating the parts in order to lubricate them ( it does not work any other way )------So when one carburetor runs out of fuel , there is plenty of oil on the parts to lubricate them.
 
Well i'm 58 and have been running the fuel out of the carbs all my life, and never blew an engine. (knock on wood). Was curious to see how many other do the same.. Thanks for the answers guys.
 
When oil is coating the parts and the carburetor runs dry the oil stays on the parts as the motor rotates.-----------There is no power produced by those cylinders ( no load ) and only air blows thruogh the motor.-------------The oil sticks to the parts !!!!
 
In the time that I was associated with OMC, I believed in religiously following the recommendations of the technicians above me, one area of which I condensed into the small message posted above. My personal opinion, had it differed, which it does not, would would have been of no consequence.

For those of you who insist on running a multi carbureted engine out of gasoline at the end of the day upon the advice of others, I suggest you obtain their home phone number. When some portion of your engine finally starts to turn blue and a funny noise begins to surface, give them a call..... I'm sure they'll run right over with wrenches in hand.
 
Outboards run out of fuel all the time on 6 gallon tanks -----------There is no WARNING in any owners manuals about running a 6 gallon tank empty.------------------Oil coats parts in order to " lubricate " them , there is no magic in this at all.--------------So when fuel stops coming into the cylinders, the oil that is there and all over the parts just does not disappear instantly.------------Enough said.
 
I'll go along with Joe on this one. More fuel in a carb with a stabilizer is better than no fuel for sitting. The less fuel you have, the eaiser to gum up.
 
Are you guys talking about extended storage periods. I add fuel conditioner, and use a little Fogging Oil, since fogging the engine as recommended OMC on the can seems to foul things and it takes a long time to clear up even with Engine Tuner. No one mentioned Fogging Oil???
 
If one does a search on line on " how to winterize an outboard motor "--- Even the official YAMAHA website says to run the fuel out of them.
 
If you "run" the fuel out of them you'll always have fuel left in the bowl to gum up. If you "drain" them PROPERLY there should be no prob.
 
Perhaps you would like some info on how a nuclear power plant works ------But I am sure you would laugh about that too !!!
 
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