Winterizing - Which Fogging Oil

[gathermewool]

Are all fogging oils the same? What is your preference and why?

How do you guys winterize your OPE?

I just moved from a condo to a house, so this is the first time in YEARS that I've had to worry about this. When I was younger, the only thing we ever winterized were boat water pipes (antifreeze) and the outboards (new transom lube, oil, etc.) All lawn equipment was run hard and put away wet, so to speak.

 

[Danh]

I've had the same Honda mower for 30+ years. Here's my winterization process: 1) run the gas tank dry, 2) change the oil, 3) pull the starter rope to the point on maximum resistance. No fogging spray. Say goodbye until spring.

Some OEMs, like Briggs, give the option of storing with a full tank of gas if a fuel stabilizer was used. I've done this on another mower and it seems to work as well. Easy to overthink the process.

 

[maxdustington]

Originally Posted by gathermewool
Are all fogging oils the same? What is your preference and why?

How do you guys winterize your OPE?

I just moved from a condo to a house, so this is the first time in YEARS that I've had to worry about this. When I was younger, the only thing we ever winterized were boat water pipes (antifreeze) and the outboards (new transom lube, oil, etc.) All lawn equipment was run hard and put away wet, so to speak.
Fogging for winter storage seems to have fallen out of favor in recent times. I think because it is completely unnecessary unless you live in the jungle or something.

My dad used to tell me to pull the plug and squirt some oil in the cyl then rotate the engine a few times. I think he was old fashioned and that level of maintenance stopped when I was not around to do it for him. It never made any difference when he stopped. It was always the carbs getting clogged, even if drained at the end of the season.

 

[gathermewool]

Thanks for the replies, so far.

I'm not trying to overthink this, and I don't have any elaborate plans for winterization. One of my OPE's manual states to add some motor oil to the cylinder via the spark plug hole and pull the starter cord to distribute the oil prior to long-term storage. I don't have a funnel to easily do this, even with the mower tilted (without potentially making a mess), so I figured I'd simply purchase some fogging oil for a few bucks and be done with it.

I don't plan to follow the sections that tell me to replace the spark plug, air filter, and fuel filter yearly. That seems ridiculous! Fogging an engine takes 3 minutes and it seems like it might have at least SOME benefit for when the motor is fired up the following Spring.

//

Like I said, as a younger man my family never maintained any of our yard equipment, and all of it still ran and did the job every single year. I mean, I'm sure my dad changed the oil in the mower at some point, but I don't recall him or anyone in my house ever actually doing that or ANY other maintenance on any of our equipment. I'm sure that my changing the oil every year is a million times better than what we used to do when I was young.

My grandpa was the worst. I remember his oooooold riding mower blowing a lot of black smoke and the oil, when I was old enough to know to check it, was jet black (though not low, surprisingly). The oil in my grandpa's old Blazer was also jet black, even after only several miles from when I changed it.

As an aside: the fuel gage in his Blazer didn't go below 1/4 tank. He was a cheapskate, and routinely ran the tank to empty, having to call my grandma or my uncle to bring him some gas...Note: the analog trip gage worked just fine...

 

[Yah-Tah-Hey]

I winterized my lawnmower with Sta-Bil fogging oil to prevent cylinder wall corrosion. Seemed to work well.Believe I saw it at Walmart.

 

[maxdustington]

Originally Posted by gathermewool
not trying to overthink this, and I don't have any elaborate plans for winterization. One of my OPE's manual states to add some motor oil to the cylinder via the spark plug hole and pull the starter cord to distribute the oil prior to long-term storage. I don't have a funnel to easily do this, even with the mower tilted (without potentially making a mess), so I figured I'd simply purchase some fogging oil for a few bucks and be done with it.
Any spray oil will be sufficient I think. Even a good blast of WD-40 would be great if if you used the straw though the spark plug hole.

 

[gathermewool]

Originally Posted by Yah-Tah-Hey
I winterized my lawnmower with Sta-Bil fogging oil to prevent cylinder wall corrosion. Seemed to work well.Believe I saw it at Walmart.


That's what caught my eye first on the Walmart shelf, though I wasn't looking for fogging oil at the time I saw it.

I figure one is as good as the another. If I choose to use it, I'll likely go with the cheapest name-brand.

 

[Linctex]

Fogging oil isn't necessary if the piston is on the compression stroke.

Fuel stabilizer is a MUST!!!

Buy Ethanol-free fuel when you can.

 

[Linctex]

Back in the old days, oil would soften lead deposits in the combustion chamber all winter long.

It isn't needed anymore.

 

[CourierDriver]

It is 60 degrees F here in Chattanooga tn,,we could be running 40 wgt oil and all would be ok, if your engine was set for it...life goes on..no worries..

 

[jhellwig]

I don't think I have take a head off of any small engine that didn't have a film of oil on the cylinder walls.

 

[gathermewool]

Originally Posted by Linctex
Fogging oil isn't necessary if the piston is on the compression stroke.

Fuel stabilizer is a MUST!!!

Buy Ethanol-free fuel when you can.


My mowers have both been run dry. If this is done, how much is usually left in the bowl?

Originally Posted by jhellwig
I don't think I have take a head off of any small engine that didn't have a film of oil on the cylinder walls.


Yea, I doubt 4-5 months is long enough to cause problems - just curious.

 

[Snagglefoot]

Put away wet wet for 16 years. Sometimes some Stabil or another Canadian Tire knockoff. Always left the fuel low and gave it fresh gas the the spring. Still Purrs.
We are in a low humidity zone, but the mower was stored outside. That compression idea sounds OK but never did that either. I follow the Red Green school of maintenace when it comes to an item that can be totally replaced for $350.

 

[Propflux01]

Fall: Run machine dry of fuel, change oil, store.

Spring: Fill with gas, start.

 

[Snagglefoot]

Overall, a shot of fogger couldn't hurt. I always do that for the outboard.

 

[gathermewool]

Originally Posted by Snagglefoot
Overall, a shot of fogger couldn't hurt. I always do that for the outboard.


Do you do it through the plug hole or into the intake, after you disconnect the fuel line from the outboard (i.e., as the engine is burning off the last little bit of fuel)?

 

[Kamele0N]

It is done via air filter...

 

[gathermewool]

Originally Posted by Kamele0N
It is done via air filter...


With the air filter removed, right (i.e., not spraying into the air filter itself)?

Also, usually "..." implies that the answer is obvious. It may be for you, but not for some of us. You're also answering for someone else, who may have done what we used to do, which is to simply disconnect the fuel line from the side of the outboard and let it run out of fuel, which usually took 30+ seconds.

As an aside: When I was a kid, I was always surprised by how long the outboard engines idled after the fuel line was disconnected at the engine. Really drove home how much fuel is actually injected or, in the case of a carb'd engine, sucked in, to an engine and burned each stroke. Pretty interesting stuff as a kid.

 

[buck91]

I am more partial to "summerizing" my snowblower(s) as they might not come out for extended periods based on how much and frequent are winter snowfall is. Grew up shoveling, still tend to shovel more than blow.

 

[gathermewool]

Originally Posted by buck91
I am more partial to "summerizing" my snowblower(s) as they might not come out for extended periods based on how much and frequent are winter snowfall is. Grew up shoveling, still tend to shovel more than blow.


How do you summerize your snow blowers?

My brother and I grew up having to shovel. If it was a snow day (i.e., no school or on a weekend), we'd run around the neighborhood and charge $15-30 to shovel out other people's driveways. That was HUGE money back in the 90's...especially compared to our $0 weekly allowance! lol

Heck, we'd go back to people on the fence at the end of the day and offer to shovel anything, from their driveway to their walkway, for < $15. We didn't always make a ton of money, but sometimes we made bank!