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WD 40 primed thru 2 stroke carb for long storage ?

Fellow was telling me that if something like my chain saw is to be stored long term, to empty gas/oil mix, add WD 40 liquid & primer bulb it thru the carb & then drain out.

I know it will disperse any moisture, but is this good advice ?

Appreciate any input.

(and for my regular stuff, I always use Seafoam* for winter storage). But I'm talking about maybe a few years or so.

Numbers,
Never heard of this before so not sure.

Re: WD 40 primed thru 2 stroke carb for long storage ?

BlazNT- Thank You, I have never heard of it before either.

Anyone else ?

Never heard of it. I like your new signature though :laughing:.

Thanks, Yea that handle (Numbers) got started here. :laughing:

Considering what WD 40 will do to most trigger sprayers and that it causes nylon & nylon derrivaties to swell, I doubt it would be a good idea.
Spray the outside mediocre benefit

I am not a real big fan of WD-40. I fix lots of stuff for people that think it is some sort of lubricant. It is not. It does clean some things and displaces water well but I normally do not use it as a whole. It attracts dirt like crazy.

BlazNT said:

I am not a real big fan of WD-40. I fix lots of stuff for people that think it is some sort of lubricant. It is not. It does clean some things and displaces water well but I normally do not use it as a whole. It attracts dirt like crazy.

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I stopped using it a long long long while ago.
Contact cleaner for dewatering electrical stuff and Innox for penetrating & superficial lubing.
Penetrene for really stuck stuff

Thank You both. I certainly appreciate your replies. WD 40 is a petroleum base, according to the can.

That's why I posted the question, I was leary of it's "benefit" for storage, after primer bulb pumping it thru the carb. Friend swears by doing this. I won't be doing it tho.

I'll stick to my use of 100% gas w/ Seafoam. And long, long term just emptying the tank & run it till it stops. Then fogging the combustion chamber(s) @ TDC.

Maybe my friend uses ethanol blend gas ?

Penetrating oil maybe but definitely not WD 40. WD 40 is a water dispersant not really a good lubricant. It will wash the oil out of the engine and if anything I believe do it more harm than good.

I know you can clean a gun with WD 40 and within days the barrels will be rusting.

jekjr said:

Penetrating oil maybe but definitely not WD 40. WD 40 is a water dispersant not really a good lubricant. It will wash the oil out of the engine and if anything I believe do it more harm than good.

I know you can clean a gun with WD 40 and within days the barrels will be rusting.

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I used WD-40 on guns, but no longer. Never noticed any rust but surfaces where the WD-40 didn't get wiped off would have a gummy, dirt-holding residue.

"gummy, dirt-holding residue".

Certainly not a good thing.

I've had good results on items in storage by adding a small amount of Sta-Bil to the fuel, and running the engine a few minutes before letting it sit idle for weeks/months. But, then, even when I have something sitting idle for the Winter, etc., I still fire it up every month or two and let it run for 5 minutes. Mowers, trimmers, generator, chainsaws, log splitter, garden tiller, etc....I keep them all "exercised" a bit...that way, when it comes time to use them, I can usually count on them working without spending hours of fiddling and rebuilding. About the Only "tool" I use year round is my Kubota tractor, and I add a small amount of diesel fuel stabilizer to it with each tank full.

deminin said:

I've had good results on items in storage by adding a small amount of Sta-Bil to the fuel, and running the engine a few minutes before letting it sit idle for weeks/months. But, then, even when I have something sitting idle for the Winter, etc., I still fire it up every month or two and let it run for 5 minutes. Mowers, trimmers, generator, chainsaws, log splitter, garden tiller, etc....I keep them all "exercised" a bit...that way, when it comes time to use them, I can usually count on them working without spending hours of fiddling and rebuilding. About the Only "tool" I use year round is my Kubota tractor, and I add a small amount of diesel fuel stabilizer to it with each tank full.

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Read the fine print on a bottle of Sta-Bil, it has a shelf life of only 2 years once the bottle is opened. After that it gets sticky & useless. And as a stabilizer is only supposed to be good for 1 year.

I don't like to run my stuff for such short intervals during storage, it doesn't get hot or run long enough to burn out the condensation.

Seafoam* is what my Dad used & I have been using it ever since, almost 50 years now.

7394 said:

Read the fine print on a bottle of Sta-Bil, it has a shelf life of only 2 years once the bottle is opened. After that it gets sticky & useless. And as a stabilizer is only supposed to be good for 1 year.

I don't like to run my stuff for such short intervals during storage, it doesn't get hot or run long enough to burn out the condensation.

Seafoam* is what my Dad used & I have been using it ever since, almost 50 years now.

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To each his own...this routine has been working for me, for years. If you like Seafoam, use it.

Thank You. Not trying to pizz ya off.

FWIW: I was just trying to let you know once you open Sta-Bil, might wanna write the date on that bottle, cause it will go bad.

7394 said:

Thank You. Not trying to pizz ya off.

FWIW: I was just trying to let you know once you open Sta-Bil, might wanna write the date on that bottle, cause it will go bad.

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I just buy a small bottle...enough for one Winters use...nothing lasts forever. I make sure that I use any spare gas by just putting it in the car or truck after it sits for more than a couple of months, and keep enough fresh gas to run my stuff for a few minutes every few weeks. We have a local gas station that has Ethanol free Premium gas, and that's all I run in my Stihl chainsaws....the extra 25 cents/gallon saves needless repairs, IMO. Knock Wood...I haven't had to rebuild or replace a carburetor in years.

That's all I use as well, 100% gas. 87 octane in my mowers & in my wacker & blower I use 93 octane, 2 stroke mix & 1 ounce of Seafoam.

Seafoam (after opening) can sit on the shelf for 20 years & not go bad. For stabilizing, good for 2 years.

According to the Seafoam SDS, it is composed of a proprietary 'hydrocarbon blend' and isopropanol, i.e., alcohol. The alcohol content is specified as "less than 25% by weight."

You do realize you're going to the trouble of buying alcohol-free gasoline, only to add alcohol back in with Seafoam?

I could not find what the composition of the 'hydrocarbon blend' is but unless I miss my guess, it's petroleum distillates (aka, kerosene) mixed with naptha (lighter fluid) or xylene, (paint thinner), all of which are deliberately excluded from gasoline by the refineries.

That is a different alcohol than ethanol in gasoline. It does not cause the problems ethanol does. It is a superb cleaner. antifreeze, base stock for other additives, and has about a billion uses in industrial applications. Seafoam was the go to stuff for my fathers generation. They used it and it worked. There is nothing wrong with Stabil, it works very well. It has a shelf life but if it stays red it is still good to use . I buy it by the quart. Years ago oil field service outfits bought a no name brand of stabil or a look alike in 55 gallon drums. They used it in everything, gas and diesel. Later they used drums of military surplus Powerservice, or its lookalike. All the farmers I know in my dads age group used 20 weight motor oil as a fuel additive to prevent rust in their fuel tanks and barrels. All this stuff worked. Still does. If using WD40 scares you to winterize your engines then buy some engine fogger. Donnyboy73 on youtube has stated that any spray lube will work fine. That guy has forgot more than most know myself included. I have used WD40 on guns, doors, locks, screws, bug guts, blood, windows, lawnmowers, tools, and any metal part painted or not for 50 years. I have locks that are 40 years old and have been outside all that time. They work just fine. My firearms have no rust, they are old. They have been used in horrible conditions. Is there better spray lubes? No doubt. But WD40 is still a good product.

They make fogging oil in a can...

Yes they do.

I just saw this thread for some reason. Anyway, WD 40 is a great product but I don't think I would put it in an engine for storage. It will wash the lubricants out of the engine and cause it more harm than good I believe. A penetrating oil maybe but not WD40.

WD 40 is a water disbersant. It is actually not a good lubricant.

Innox would be better.
As previously mentioned WF 40 is not and never will be a lubricant.
Like penetrating oil, it will get between things and allow them to move over each other, for a short while till it evaporates.

Sometimes I used it to soak something for a little while but never for a long storage.

7394 said:

Thanks, Yea that handle (Numbers) got started here. :laughing:

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I wonder who did DAT ?? .. :laughing:..:laughing:

I don't think the W-D 40 is a good idea, Being in Fl. I really don't have to worry about winter storage, even when we get to "FREEZING" (LOL) here I usually get out to start and move my machines around, to keep everything moving at least a few times a month, I do run my trimmers and Stick-edgers till empty but with Lucas fuel treatment in the final tank of fuel, replace all filters EVERY season sooner if need be !

Well, I guess the general consensus is unanimous. I will tell my friend to go jump in the lake. :laughing:

If I'm not mistaken, WD40 is a petroleum based product, is it not? If that be the case, then any thing else that's a petroleum based material, like plastic, it will actually deteriorate it, in a sort of way.

When I first started driving a truck, the floors were all rubber. So I tried to clean them with WD-40. Because it's a good cleaner. And I like the smell. (Reminds me of my dad) Anyways it didn't matter how much whiped the floors, the rags would get black. I could use a whole role of paper towels, and the last one would still whipe off black.
A friend of mine told me how WD will break up or mix with the rubber.

So, it was back to soap & water.