Snowblower: Putting Away For The Season ?

Hi,

What's the "best" way of putting away a Snowblower for the off-season ?

I always put in some of that Stab-Oil, and pull the starter rope a few times. Don't necessarily re-start it, but imagine ther pulling gets the now treated gas into the Carb.

Should I actually run it ?

If so, should I shut it off by closing the valve to the gas tank, and just letting it run out of fuel ?

Or,...?

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Thanks, Bob

Reply to
Bob
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I run mine dry.

Once left it with gas with Sta-bil but following season it would not start.

Two possible problems, gas evaporates from carburetor gumming it up or ethanol containing gas attacks seals.

I've never had a problem starting next season if I have run dry. Great if you have a valve to shut off. Do that and run dry.

Reply to
Frank

There's varying opinions on this, so I'll just let you know what I do.

I use Sta-Bil in my gas cans all year, so treated gas is always in my engines.

I put my snowblower up on a dolly and roll it into the back corner of my garage. The back end is propped up so it's not resting on the tires. About once a month I roll it, dolly and all, out into the driveway, start it and let it warm up to operating temperature. I run the auger and the drive wheels a little bit to keep them freed up. Once it cools down, back into the corner it goes.

I look at it this way: Some winters, I could easily go a few weeks (or more) and never need to use it. If it can sit for a few weeks without being started in the winter, then it can sit for a month or so without being started in the off season. I've been doing this for the 6 years that I've owned my current snow blower and it has never failed to start on one pull.

By the way, I do the same thing with my lawn mower in the winter. They share the same off-season, back corner parking spot . During the appropriate season, they are a little more out in the open for ease of access.

One tip: Don't run the snowblower in a dusty environment. They don't have air-filters.

Reply to
DerbyDad03

Drain gas, run it dry, change the oil, and spark plug. Put some WD-40 or oil inside the cylinder before installing new spark plug and pull the starter to move the piston up and down a few times to distribute the liquid.

Also, clean/replace the air filter, check all nuts for tightness, spray cold weather lube into cables, inspect moving parts for damage- especially impeller. Clean then wipe down metal parts with oil/WD-40.

Come December, pour some fresh gas in there and you're good to go with no fuss and a 1-pull start;-)

Reply to
Wade Garrett

You have an air-filter on your snow blower? What make/model is it?

Reply to
DerbyDad03

If your snow blower is two stroke (gas oil mix) might not want to run it dry. I did run my ETQ generator dry, and now it's got a nasty piston rod knock, and doesn't start very well. Manual for the ETQ says to stop it with the switch, not run it dry.

Reply to
Stormin Mormon

Agree...DD3 is *WAY* too anal about this!

Reply to
bob_villain

I assume you mean one of the gas stabilizer products. If you don't run it, it's not going to feed into the carb, where it's needed the most. So, yes, you need to run it for a few minutes. But I would drain/run it dry, that's what I do with mine. Near the end of the season I try to keep gas at a minimum, so I can just run it dry.

My first choice would be to store it with the tank empty. Second choice would be what you just suggested, put in the stabilizer, run it for 10 mins to get the product into the carb, then shut off the fuel and let it run the carb dry. If you're going to leave gas in the tank, I'd have the tank full or nearly full as opposed to mostly empty.

And change the oil, lubricate all the usual points that the manual says to keep lubricated.

Reply to
trader_4

I would bet that since the tank cap is vented, that all the gas would not be drawn from the carb bowl, by shutting the valve. The carb can't draw against a vacuum...

Reply to
bob_villain

Most instruction books for the small engines say about the same thing. I don't live where I need a snow blower, but do have a garden tiller that gets used about 2 or 3 times in the spring of the year. At the last usage I let it run empty of gas. Change the oil. Then put a table spoon or so of gas in the spark plug hole.

Been doing this for about 10 years and fill with fresh gas in the spring. Always starts with a pull or two.

I do use the ethanol free gas in the small engines. The chain saws and leaf blowers with the 2 cycle engines are always cut off with the switch or the choke . I never cut the gas off of them or let them run empty if I can help it.

While probably not needed I do put the stabil stuff in all the gas all year for all the engines. I put the required ammount in the 5 gallon cans before I go to the service stations to fill them up just out of habit.

Reply to
Ralph Mowery

If it's still under warranty, I'd follow the instructions in the manual(s) that came with the unit. If you can't find the booklets, you can probably do so online. That way, if anything goes wrong next season, you have a stronger case for a warranty claim. Actually, even if it's out of warranty, I'd follow the manufacturer's instructions. (Sometimes they are located in a separate manual for the engine.) I suspect not all engines require the same procedure and in some cases, piston rings or valves might be damaged by doing something with your engine that is beneficial for another company's engine.

Reply to
Peter

While I was born/raised "up north", I've lived in the deep south for 40+ years now (and have in fact become an adoptive redneck).

It's been that long since I owned a snow blower- so my maintenance check list was drawn from gladly-faded memory. A little quick research indicated that apparently SBs don't have air filters- so one less step to follow...and sorry for the bad into...

That's pretty much the way I service all my small engines- lawnmower, pressure washer, chain saw, etc., though.

Reply to
Wade Garrett

"best " way is to store with the carb empty and the tank either empty or right full. With plastic tanks, empty is best. With steel tanks empty can result in rusted tank - full means no air so no condensation

- but use ethanol free fuel only - stabilant optional.

Pulling the rope through will not get treated fuel to the carb. Shut off the fuel shutoff valve and run 'till the carb is empty and the engine quits.

Reply to
clare

The float bowl is vented, so you would most definitely lose your bet. It will draw all but about half a teaspoonfull of gas out of the carb on most units. Some will draw it all out - depends on the location of the main jet.

Reply to
clare

No 4 stroke engine will be damaged by running it dry. Doesn't matter what manufacturer. No 4 stroke engine will be damaged by putting a bit of oil in the plug hole and cranking it over. The oil will help protect the cyl walls ans rings from rusting. Neither of these practices will have any detrimental effects on the engine, and both are recommended for "long term storage".

Reply to
clare

I don't see any possible advantage to adding gasoline to the engine cylinder before long-term storage. It seems totally wrong, to me. The gasoline will tend to contaminate your fresh oil-change, prior to evaporating and perhaps leaving other contaminants .. If you meant that you add a tiny amount of gas to the cylinder for starting - after a long storage ... that's different. John T.

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Reply to
hubops

I've never heard of putting gas into the cylinder either. You can put a small amount of oil in there, which presumably helps prevent any rusting. With marine engines, you use a fogging oil that you spray into the carb for a few seconds prior to shutting it down. That said, I don't put anything into my small engines and haven't had any problems.

Reply to
trader_4

Would that be different if the fellow put some motor oil in the cylinder?

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Reply to
Stormin Mormon

..."most definitely" could be "more likely" lose the bet. Just my contention...

Reply to
bob_villain

Nuts, Ment to say motor oil instead of gas.

Reply to
Ralph Mowery

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