Equipment Storage Best Practices

[SwedishRider]

I was reading the September 2015 Amsoil magazine, and in it were some recommendations for winter equipment storage (page 6). They recommend the following four steps for lawn & garden equipment:

1) Stabilize the fuel
2) Fog the engine (if applicable)
3) Change the oil and filter
4) Remove grass, mud and debris

I completely agree with steps 1 and 2 (but I don't currently have anything that needs to be fogged).

But as a general rule, I wait to change the oil and any filters, and clean most of my equipment in the spring right before summer seasonal use. I realize this means used oil sits in the engine for the winter, as does debris on the underside of the mowing decks. But if the oil is changed before the winter, that oil will have sat in the sump exposed to the air for months before seasonal use during the next summer.

So, I'm hoping to poll the wisdom of BITOG. Is Amsoil's recommendation correct? Should oil, filter, and deck cleaning occur in the fall before winter storage? Or is it better to wait until right before the mowing season in the spring to do yearly maintenance? Thanks!

 

[Lapham3]

#3 I dump the dirty hot oil right after the last use of the season. I wasn't paying very good attention myself with #4 cleaning the mower deck on my 25 year old Deere rider and paid a price this year as the deck had rusted enough to lose structural integrity. I was lucky to find a good one so back in business

 

[dave123]

Amsoil has it just about spot on to me with exception I'd run VPracing SEF or C9 as the last fuel you put in it.

 

[Bluestream]

Every engine should be fogged for storage...but you always fog after the oil change so you can run the clean oil through the enine

 

[SwedishRider]

So no one here has any issue with putting fresh oil in a seasonal engine around October/November, and then letting it sit over the winter in a sump, and then using that Oct/Nov storage oil fill for the following Spring/Summer/Fall's use?

 

[Warstud]

I agree with everything Amsoil said except the oil and filter change. I prefer to change it before the first mowing.

 

[69GTX]

Originally Posted By: SwedishRider
So no one here has any issue with putting fresh oil in a seasonal engine around October/November, and then letting it sit over the winter in a sump, and then using that Oct/Nov storage oil fill for the following Spring/Summer/Fall's use?


I've always done it this way on the inexpensive base model $150 20" gas mowers. Had 5 of these. If our quality car oils can sit during the winter and still get a year's use out of it, why not a mower? I've never had an engine fail due to lubrication issues. It's always been issues with the carb (air/fuel) that eventually causes starting issues or the deck itself just rusts away. I agree with cleaning the underside of the deck though. I never used to do that other than to get the heaviest buildup off. But, then one of my wheel mounts rusted off and the deck became "flexible." Clumped grass will hold moisture in and continue to rot things.

Now when I buy a new (cheap) mower I paint any exposed metals of the undercarriage. There are many parts that are uncoated steel, even if just fasteners. Just cleaned up my deck for winter storage and wire brushed and scraped it down to expose all key parts. Then I coated them with oil. My mower is light enough to get into the basement where it's never 2 hour.

I'm not a fan of these new mowers w/o oil drain plugs. Now you have to drain every bit of gas out and turn the thing upside down to drain the oil. I guess that's because people either cut themselves removing a drain plug or didn't put it in tight enough and dumped their oil while mowing. I'll bet that the number of times those things happened is FAR outweighed now by owners who don't empty out all fuel and tip their mowers...only to contaminate air filters, spark plugs, etc.

 

[eljefino]

Old oil isn't going to be so old as to be corrosive, unless you really drop the ball.

I've had stabilized E10 gas turn into green "mountain dew" in six months.

I've had dry carbs grow this "white fuzz" that I wipe out with a paper towel.

I give up, really. I've honed my skills in getting fuel flowing again in ten minutes or less. Generally drop the carb bowl, fiddle with the float, add air pressure to the tank (gently), spray cleaner up the main jet, use ether to start the engine and make it suck that loogie through.

Cleaning the deck is an important step, though.

 

[69GTX]

I've changed the internal parts in automobile carbs years back. It was pretty simple. Never an issue. But, the first time I tried that with an even simpler lawn mover carb I could never get it to run again. I won't ever touch one of those now. Carb cleaner down the throat is about as much as I'll do.

 

[JHZR2]

I've rarely if ever, fogged an engine. Never had an issue year after year. Last year we did clean the mower deck and treat it. First time ever.

IMO a hot oil change end of season is a good job. My grandfather always did it in the spring and had some really old equipment. I suspect that as long as the oil is changed yearly and retains some tbn, there is no wrong way.

I've never found plugs on OPE to be a yearly requirement, even on stuff that gets hours of use per week. Rather it's a replacement when it gets a bit harder to start or runs funny. That's usually years.

Because of the oiled filters and dusty conditions, filters are a great move, with cleaning possibly being more often than once a year...

 

[Warstud]

Originally Posted By: JHZR2
I've never found plugs on OPE to be a yearly requirement, even on stuff that gets hours of use per week. Rather it's a replacement when it gets a bit harder to start or runs funny.

Exactly....I always keep a spare spark plug and air filter on hand in case my OPE starts acting up. And if the new plug or filter doesn't fix the problem I'll take it out and put the old back in.

 

[jhellwig]

Put in shed and turn it off is all I do.

 

[Bror Jace]

Amsoil gave sound, conventional advice.

elejefino: "I've had stabilized E10 gas turn into green "mountain dew" in six months."

what stabilizer do you use that gave you such poor results? I don't have serious issues with fuel stored 4-6 months even when I forget to use any stabilizer.

I was using Stabil red (classic - original) but I switched the Briggs & Stratton Advanced formula stabilizer that specifically mentions dealing with ethanol.

 

[road_rascal]

I've made it a practice to try and get at least one tank of non-oxy fuel in my equipment before it's stored for the winter (or summer for the snowblower). Then I just add a bit of Seafoam to the fuel for a little added extra protection.

 

[bmwpowere36m3]

I do the same, except for fogging... I only remember fogging our marine engines growing up. I treat the gas (contains 10% ethanol, all we get in CT) with Stabil marine formula. I've had cars sit close to a year without issues. I use it in anything that's sitting for more than a couple of months.

I've read somewhere that ethanol actually stabilizes fuel to a degree... more so than regular non-ethanol pump gas. I don't know how is compares to aviation or race/leaded fuel.

 

[chefwong]

Poll time - do you keep your metal/plastic gas tanks with spiked fuel and carbs. Or do you run it dry ...

At the end of season, I run all mine dry. May even pop open the caps, let it hang out in the sun for a day

 

[Woody71]

Spiked fuel and carbs . . .

 

[bmwpowere36m3]

Metal tank, always full to reduce condensation inside tank... plastic doesn't matter. I keep carbs full of "spiked" fuel (i.e., gas with stabilizer).