I recommend storing all engines which are not going to be used for 2 months or longer, DRY. I have seen to many engines which have been stored with StaBil needing carb work because of seat or viton tipped needles swelling up.
Tecumseh is no longer in business. The LCT corporation has acquired rights to make Tecumseh replacement parts.
#3
cpurvis
Just keep the ethanol gas out of them, if you can. That's all I do and I've never had a problem. A 3 hp Briggs roto tiller sat for at least ten years with gas in it and fired up with no problems and went to work running fine.
OTOH, if ethanol gas is all you can get, run it dry.
What you need to do depends upon so many things it is not funny.
Some will get away with nothing more than a cap of stabilizer, for others they have to drain the tanks run the carb dry, change the oil, remove the blower housing ( leave it off ), plug up the carb hole & the muffler and they will still have problems in the new season.
So for 4 strokes, run them dry then change the oil.
If you are in a mouse prone area, remove the blower housing so the mower does not become the rodent hilton ( paris is here for that ).
Remove the spark plug put a dollop of oil in the cylinder and rotate the engine a few times by hand to distribute the oil ( WD 40 is not oil )
Hold your finger over the plug hole while turning the engine , to find compression stroke then run the piston just past TDC and replace the plug finger tight.
With ride ons, do a full lube using dry lithium spary grease, you should use about 1/2 can, everything that moves gets a shot
Brake on ( prevents belt getting a set ) or brake off stops the spring stretching, your choice. Belt off a pulley and brake off is best.
Push mowers, dry lube for height adjusters and pull the wheels off , clean & lube them ( same grease ) engine same as above.
Two strokes, tip out the fuel from the tank the start the engine & run dry,
Chain saws, a few squirts of bar grease into the nose sprocket. turn by hand to distribute it.
Same spray grease on the chain & into the bar . Plug the muffler &/or store it in a bug tight cover or box
Leaf blowers, as above then plug the blower end and store the engine end in a tight fitting bag ( prevents bugs & mud pluggers taking up residence )
#5
1pep
FWIW,
I believe where someone lives will determine how and best way to store. Example I live in GA, always run high test fuel, store the mower with a full tank of fuel.
Keeping the tank full will keep the moisture at bay... Spring comes around close choke, open the fuel cut off, one pull, open the choke second pull fired, running. The only other thing done oil change after the first spring cut a plug every 5 springs or so.
I use high test in all yard equipment, 4 cyl edger, 2 cyl blower, 4 cyl tiller, 2 cyl chain saw, 4 cyl string trimmer. Never have the problems like some seem to have reading forums ....
Age of the equipment 10 - 30 years mower being the oldest, all are stored in a garage.
pep
#6
7394
It's easy access here to get 100% gas, so I leave my stuff full, but I do add the correct amount of Seafoam for storage.
StaBil has limited shelf life, once opened. :thumbdown:
I use ethanol in my mower which is kept in a garage from November to Easter every year for the past 20 years. I have never had any problems with it and drive around with a 5 gallon jug full of gas for a month. Perhaps I have good luck.
#9
1pep
Not real keen on the SeaFoam or StaBil folks rave about.
I will add a proportioned dose of Marvel Mystery oil to a 5 gal can of fuel once in a while. It is good at keeping valve sets and guides free of carbon deposits. Got a ruff running engine MM can clean it up.
pep
#10
7394
Careful the MMO will get gummy in time like StaBil.
Seafoam can be on the shelf (after opening) for 50 years & still be good as new. But everyone has their own thing.
And it has superb internal combustion cleaning qualities.
Careful the MMO will get gummy in time like StaBil.
Seafoam can be on the shelf (after opening) for 50 years & still be good as new. But everyone has their own thing.
And it has superb internal combustion cleaning qualities.
When I fill up my 5 gallons jug, I get premium (91 octane) fuel, since it's the only way to get ethanol-free fuel around here. Even so, not all brands offer it.
This jug then receives proper amounts of Stabil and Marvel Mystery Oil. Stabil since it may take a while to deplete this jug and MMO for cleaning abilities (can't hurt).
When I reach storage time, fuel in the engines is ready for it.
All my gas powered equipment have plastic tanks, so I store them with whatever fuel is left in them at that moment, then top it up when they come out of storage.
If you have metal tanks, either run them dry or fill them up with treated fuel.
If you can only get fuel with ethanol, either run them dry or use the blue version of Stabil which is meant for this type of fuel (the red one is for pure fuel).
I have more experience with generators and I run them dry before putting them away. I was forced to use ethenol in a power failure in a Honda EZ3500 once when I could not find non ethenol and it messed things up but good. Now I run them dry every time I use them. I do not run ethanol in anything but cars that are late model. I now have 206 hours on the Honda.
I also run Mobil 1 synthetic 10W30 in generators and mowers.
I also mix in a little molybdenum disulfide powder in all my engines with Mobil 1 as a result of taking a course at Rock Island Arsenal called Corrosion Control and Prevention of Material Deterioration in 1985 time frame. It was the best course I ever took. Lasted five days 8 hours a day and instructor was outstanding.
#16
7394
I think many have their own way they get ready for hibernation of the machines. Important part is when they fire right up after their break.
