Storage Care

[mark2yahu]

What should I do for an engine before putting it in storage for a year or more? Not that I'll be doing this anytime soon to my MB, but it's good to know, and I have an old leaf blower engine project that will have to wait till '09.

Thank you, and happy Sunday to all

 

[darwin]

Just like a lawnmower or a motorcycle drain ALL the fuel out of the tank and carb and put a squirt of oil in the head through the plug hole. If it was sitting for a year that is what I would do. Others like that sta-bil fuel additive but personally I dont, just my opinion.

 

[mark2yahu]

So gas (petrol) can go bad too? Wonder what happens to gas when it goes stale

Will look for Sta-bil additive. Thanks good sir and thanks to all

 

[Large Filipino]

Gas will varnish your carby. Not cool. You'll need a total disassembly and that stuff is like maple syrup all dried and gunky.

 

[Alanh]

I depends a lot on the carbureator. If it's a float bowl type, then getting all the fuel out and leaving it dry is OK, just oil the piston in all cases. If it's a diaphram type carbureator, as is probably on the leaf blower, and the diaphram dries out, it gets hard and doesn't work any more, then you're in for a carb rebuild kit. Keep fuel in the diaphram type to keep the diaphram from drying out. Staybil will help, but it isn't good forever either.

 

[sabrewalt]

Gas sure does go bad.

It will turn into a big varnish plug in your fuel lines and screens. I rescued a small airplane that had been sitting in a barn for 15 years and the guy left auto gas in the tanks and lines. Everything was completly plugged. The O rings were also rotted but that may have just been from sitting. Before it turns to varnish however, it just loses it umf. Another time, I was asked to test fly a small plane that had been sitting about 14 months with auto gas. It stumbled pretty bad so we dumped all the old auto gas out, (some guy took it to put in his tractor mixed with fresh gas). Put in Fresh and let it run for about 30 minutes on the ground. Engine ran fine on the fresh gas. Gasoline is use it or lose it so dump it out if your gonna let it sit.

Model airplane guys generally put a lot of oil in there engines and bag em. They also turn them over a couple of times a year by hand.

 

[eljefino]

I would drain all gas on 2-cycle equipment. On mine at least the gas manages to evaporate but the oil sticks around. It sounds nice but it isn't. Maybe it's the solvents in the 2-stroke oil that take off and just leave goo. And I haven't seen a really tight fuel system on most cheap 2-stroke stuff.

 

[mark2yahu]

Making varnish is not good, except for furniture, heheh! So the main thing is to remove all fuel residue from the combustion chamber, carb, and lines, and then prevent rust. Very informative. Thanks Large Filipino, Alanh, sabrewalt, eljefe, Darwin, and all!

 

[SirJakesus]

If you're only putting it away for 6 months or so putting stabilizer in a full tank of gas and running it so it gets through the carb and engine should be enough to keep the engine from gunking up. The gas will still be good for the first ride next year too. If you plan on packing it away for storage run stabilizer through the remaining gas then empty it out and run it dry. Stuff or wrap an oily rag around the exhaust opening and the intake to keep moisture out of the engine. Lube up all chains, cables, freewheels etc. If your bike has an electrical system be sure to give the battery a charge every 3 months. If its kept someplace freezing your better off removing the battery and keeping it somewhere that stays above freezing point. Wipe everything down so things like road salt aren't there to collect moisture and corrode your bike while its sitting. Cover it up to keep dust and damaging UV light away.

 

[mark2yahu]

SirJakesus, what's in stabilizer?