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Jim: I have a few thoughts to add...I have left the fuel shut-off both open and closed. I am not sure that this is the most critical consideration. Firstly, the fuel shut-off valve is designed so that the first 2 full turns open get you to the main tank and going to full open gets you to the reserve tank (approx. 2 gallons). I recommend using it as intended, as you have no fuel gauge. I have depleted my main tank numerous times and then have been able to drive home, or to the gas station to fill up, on the reserve tank(by opening the shut-off all the way). Secondly, the reference to the needle valve is actually the float needle. If the float is improperly adjusted or the float needle does not seat properly, then the fuel wants to continually flow into the float bowl chamber--it has to go somewhere, so the carb leaks or fuel goes into the cylinders. There are two fixes for this, one being to use the fuel shut-off valve--no fuel, no carb leaks. The proper fix is to address the float settings and see that the needle & seat are in good shape. (This should also fix the problem of fuel seeping into the cylinders). Lastly, I think there are a whole bunch of environmental and use factors that must be kept in mind. Is the tractor garaged, or kept outside, is it exposed to very cold temperatures and what is the tractor used for? Any of these factors may lead to condensation in the tank, carburetor icing, etc. It is best to keep a full tank in the cold to reduce condensation and air working at aging the gas in the tank. If the tractor sits for a long time, it would be best to use a fuel stabilizer (i.e. Stabil). Depending on any of these factors, one may choose to use the fuel shut-off as a practice or as a band-aid fix for another problem that they may not want to fix. Sorry of the long-winded reply, but that's my $0.02 worth. David, MI
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