Engine care

[Sandhill Crane]

This Subaru engine was stock on the SuperSplit HD. I think it's seven years old. Two years ago after refueling the float stuck and it was leaking fuel. I pulled the engine and took it to a shop. It would be close to a week before they could look at it. I left it, and walked out with a gx200.
The Subaru engine has sat on a shelf in the container since.
It was obviously a fuel problem not an engine problem.

What is the best practice for long term storage?
Or should I pull the gx and alternate using the Subaru.
I had considered using it on the conveyor in place of the aging gx160, which needs a new breather tube. But the gx160 engine keeps on providing.

 

[Marley5]

For long term engine storage, I remove spark plug and spray oil into piston cylinder, replace plug and leave fuel in tank and lines.
Some say run the engine dry of fuel, I don't.

 

[holeycow]

use non-ethanol fuel with lots of conditioner.

 

[Sandhill Crane]

When something quits working, almost everything else comes to a stop.
That's why I bought the gx200.
Without the splitter during good weather, it would mean cutting/splitting in crap weather to keep up.
I've just started using Sea Foam last fall.
The engine on the PackFix sits on top of the hydraulic cabinet and is a vertical crank shaft.
The PackFix is an outdoor piece of equipment, and in the late fall the recoil prongs froze closed after a rain storm/ice storm and there was an accumulation of water in the fuel.
I really did not want to pull the engine and pump. Drained the fuel, the carb, new plug, and thawed the recoil. No start. Added Sea Foam and with a good deal of persistence, got it running. Changed the oil.
I run non-ethanol in all the small engines.
And now I add Sea Foam. A cap full per tank every few tanks. And in the snow blower for the off season. Run it a bit and get it into the carburetor bowl.
I need to get the Subaru engine out, make a mounting plate, and start it, and change the oil for beginners.
I may pull the clutch and double pulley on the Honda and mount the Subaru on the splitter for a while.

 

[holeycow]

Old-skool motorcycle winter storage:

fill crankcase to brim with fresh oil
fill fuel tank to brim with fresh, premium fuel. leave petcock "on"
put a tablespoon of engine oil in each cylinder via spark-plug hole(s). Kick it over a couple of times with kill button "off".
plug all exhaust outlets and airbox inlets with rags or something
get the tires off the deck via centrestand or somesuch
cover with loose-fitting cotton sheet or somesuch

 

[CentaurG2]

I would change the oil. Start the engine and let it get up to operating temp. Shut it off and let it cool down. Drain out fuel from tank and carb, remove the spark plug and put about 2T of synthetic oil into the cylinder and pull it over a couple of times. Replace the plug seal off the muffler and intake. Cover it over and it is ready to catch dust bunnies.