Winterizing small engines

[Rio_Grande]

The thread about the 10 hp diesel engine on a splitter got me thinking.

What do you do to winterize your small engines for the winter sit?

I only ask because we used to drain ours, run stabil in them, drain and repolace the oil and every year we had problems. I took on a business in conjunction with my full time job and reallly cut my available time down. For 6 years now I do not drain anything run stabil in nothing and change the oil when it is time.


That said, when I drained and changed I always had engine problems, always tinkering and messing with stuff,,,

After I quit doing all that my stuff starts fine.

I had a push mower that my wife left behind one shop, I bought the 0 turn that year and the push mower sat there for over a year rain, snow sun,,, Started on the second pull when we gave it to our neighbor to use. My truck compressor is out in the weather all the time,,, fires up first or second pull????


Shouldint it have been exactly backwards?

 

[beenthere]

Stuff happens. I don't think there is a script that has to be followed to either "get by" or to "have trouble". Common sense should prevail, IMO. A bit like russian roulette or playing the odds.

Whatever fits for the circumstances. May your good luck continue.

 

[dave1949]

I run my small gas engines dry trying to get every drop of gas out them I can. If the oil needs changed, I do that. About once per month I pull the starter ropes so the valves don't 'take a set' and a little lubrication happens on the cylinder walls.

For engines like the generator which may be needed, I run them for 15 minutes about once per month. I use Stabil in the gas, shut off the fuel supply valve after a test run and let the engine run until it has used all the gas in the carb. I only keep enough gas in them for testing to avoid having a tank full of old fuel. I don't have condensation problems in the fuel tank but, it is stored in a heated building.

Any stabilized gas that gets more than 3-4 months old goes into the car and I start over with fresh gas.
Dave.

 

[Diamondpilot]

I have the opposite luck. If I leave fuel in it I am asking for issues.

What I do is top off tank with stabil mixed fuel, run to warm up, turn off fuel and let it die. Top off tank again and change the oil. Never have a issue when I go this route.

Chris

 

[Gordon Gould]

I'm like you are now. I do nothing. Keep stuff in the unheated garage. No trouble. Yesterday my son called - wanted to use my ice auger. I didn't use it at all last year or this. So two year old 2 cycle gas in it. Started right up.
Have lawn mowers, weed wackers, brush saw, chain saws, ice auger, generator, trail mower, the works. I am 64 years old, burn 10% ethanol now, never any trouble with small engines in northern VT by leaving them the way they are last time I used them. Except I never leave them empty. If I run out of gas I always fill and restart them before putting them away. This is not advise - just what I do.

 

[Jay4200]

I only ask because we used to drain ours, run stabil in them, drain and repolace the oil and every year we had problems. I took on a business in conjunction with my full time job and reallly cut my available time down. For 6 years now I do not drain anything run stabil in nothing and change the oil when it is time.

I won't comment on not having problems with neglected machines - that is just lucky. Having problems when you drained and changed, however, is indicative of improper procedures. Running something out of gas does NOT empty the carb. Gas DOES go bad in well under a year, even with Stabil in it.

I have battled with storage of small gas engines for years. Besides the mowers, chainsaws, generator, snowblower... I have a pile of dirtbikes and ATVs.

I have made the mistake of leaving gas in a bike for 18 months - almost had to throw away the carburetor - I did have to change all the jets for new. My procedure now for all of my machines when I put them up for extended (>1 month) storage is to drain the gas tank completely and drain the carb bowl, either by cracking the drain screw (4-stroke) or removing the bowl nut (2-stroke). I usually like to also flush the bowl with carb cleaner. Then I change the oil (I use Rotella T 15W-40 in everything) and put it up. The machine can sit for years that way, and when it is time, just fill the tank and it's ready to go.

I just serviced an XR50 this past weekend that had been sitting since early summer, so it had been sitting about 7-8 months with stabilized fuel in it. The fuel was bad - looked like pee and started to smell bad. Brown deposits had begun to form in the carb. I drained all of the fuel out of the tank, and had to remove the carb so I could flush the jets and inner passages out with aerosol carb cleaner. Much easier if you remember to break it down BEFORE the gas goes bad.

JayC

 

[Gordon Gould]

I dont believe good luck or bad luck is a factor. But I have noticed that there are two vastly different sets of experiences people have with small engines. It completely boggles my mind why this is. I do not neglect my equipment. I keep it clean and well maintained. Most of it is half as old as I am with plenty of use along the way. I just don't consider fuel a problem because it never has been for me.

 

[msb1766]

I had a guy recently tell me to run and drain the gas out of the motor and carb, the put about a 8 oz. of racing fuel it the tank, run the motor for a few minute and you are all set.

 

[Canada_CT230]

Go to your local airport and get some 100LL aviation fuel. It is very shelf stable. It will easily last 2 yrs untouched. Empty your tank and run the 100LL through the engine and then store. The next year. Empty the fuel tank or burn it up.

The only cavaet is that is contains lead and is of slightly higher octane (100). One tank full won't hurt anything (except O2 sensors).

 

[Runner]

"Go to your local airport and get some 100LL aviation fuel. "

I LOVE the smell of burning 100LL..... Sometimes I stand behind aircraft in the run up area at the airport just to smell it...I know, I'm weird...

Anyway, I always make sure the gas in the tank has some Stabil in it. I then drain the gas and run the machine until it dies from fuel starvation.

I'd rather take a chance on dry gaskets than a gummed up fuel delivery system.