"Small Gasoline Engine - Fuel Cutoff Switch"

By Ron Stultz

12 September 2005

Maybe they have been available all along and I just not aware of them, but if they have been around forever and ever, why has not manufactures been using them?

Now available are inline fuel cutoff switches or valves.

If you read most lawn equipment or other small engine owner manuals, you will see that in preparation for an extended period of storage, you are supposed drain the gas tank and\or carburetor (carb) bowl of all gasoline. Ok, and how many times is the gas tank empty or close to empty the day you want to store the tractor or mower for the winter? And is your carb bowl drain bolt anywhere near where you can get to it easily? Mine isn’t.

So, I have now begun installing inline fuel cutoff switches on all my gasoline powered equipment. When I am ready to store the unit for the winter or other extended periods of time, I simply place the cutoff switch in the off or closed position and let the engine run until it is completely drained of any gasoline. Neat and simply as compared to draining the carb bowl or running the entire system out of gasoline.

Right now I am only dealing with 1\4 inch fuel line equipment and have not looked for smaller valves for smaller equipment like weed whackers or chainsaws but I suspect they are available somewhere.

Oh, if you want to install an inline fuel cut off value, you can used a large pair of wire cutters to cut the fuel hose, have a hose clamp ready to slip over the supply side of the line and then quick insert the closed switch into the fuel line. Although not needed here, or should not be, you can temporarily plug a fuel line with a pencil as a wooden pencil is shaped like a tapered plug and works great.

I found my 3\4 inch inline fuel cutoff valves at a local lawn mower dealer\parts store.