Big Ron
Extreme
The time is approaching...what/how do you prep the sled for summer storage? Full tank, empty tank, in the air, on the floor, etc...let's hear it!!! Suggestions always appreciated.
billy2guns
Veteran
I too am curious as to what is needed for summer storage. I have owned all 2 strokes in the past and this is my first 4 stroke.
I asked my dealer and he said with the four stoke just to leave it and run it every month or so for 5-10 minutes. No feul stabilizer was required.
What is the general concenses on this forum?
I asked my dealer and he said with the four stoke just to leave it and run it every month or so for 5-10 minutes. No feul stabilizer was required.
What is the general concenses on this forum?
dab102999
Expert
Gunna probably be lots of variations here for sure. This is my first 4 stroke also but here are my plans. This is based on what I have done for the last 20 years and haven't had a problem.
Wait till I know it is gunna be warm out (usually late April or may)
Put sea foam in it and run for a while.
Change the oil (first time I have had to say that)
Change the plugs (just cus I am in there)
run it to get oil circulated and a good coating.
Drain all the gas out.
Check doughnuts
Grease everything to grease and look it over good.
look the suspension over for cracks
go through the clutches
Change the chain case oil and check chain
Clean the snot out of it and polish and coat all plastic parts with wd-40
Put a cover on it and on a stand.
put a battery tender on it once a month for a day or two
Haven't read the book yet to see if they recommend loosening the track or not.
I always plan on a day per sled and a case of beer. Doing all of this in the spring gives you time to get parts if needed and be ready to ride when the time comes.
In the fall put new slides on it, grease again, fill with gas (and sea foam) and get ready to ride.
This is what I have always done with my two strokes except the added:
Fog motor
Clean carbs and preseason (after clean I fog the crap out of them)
look the intake boots over good
Ever since they have put plastic tanks on sleds I leave em empty. Some say to worry about condensation but I don't think that is a problem. I have 4 sleds and can't see spending the money on 40 gallons of gas just to sit there and go bad all summer to have to drain it out in the fall and put in the tractors.
Wait till I know it is gunna be warm out (usually late April or may)
Put sea foam in it and run for a while.
Change the oil (first time I have had to say that)
Change the plugs (just cus I am in there)
run it to get oil circulated and a good coating.
Drain all the gas out.
Check doughnuts
Grease everything to grease and look it over good.
look the suspension over for cracks
go through the clutches
Change the chain case oil and check chain
Clean the snot out of it and polish and coat all plastic parts with wd-40
Put a cover on it and on a stand.
put a battery tender on it once a month for a day or two
Haven't read the book yet to see if they recommend loosening the track or not.
I always plan on a day per sled and a case of beer. Doing all of this in the spring gives you time to get parts if needed and be ready to ride when the time comes.
In the fall put new slides on it, grease again, fill with gas (and sea foam) and get ready to ride.
This is what I have always done with my two strokes except the added:
Fog motor
Clean carbs and preseason (after clean I fog the crap out of them)
look the intake boots over good
Ever since they have put plastic tanks on sleds I leave em empty. Some say to worry about condensation but I don't think that is a problem. I have 4 sleds and can't see spending the money on 40 gallons of gas just to sit there and go bad all summer to have to drain it out in the fall and put in the tractors.
shanksyamaha
TY 4 Stroke Guru
I would definately use fuel stabalizer no matter what. Even good fuel is only good for about 30 days and these days with the 10% ethanol, It dosn't even last that long..
Everyone will give you different answers on this one but I do a combination of what was told to me by one of the best 4 stroke engine builders on the planet and what yamaha says.
One thing that yamaha specifically says not to do is start your engine in the off season. Starting your engine to "keep it fresh" according to yamaha, is the worst thing you can do, it introduces large amounts of unburned fuel into the oil as well as lots of contaminants. According to them, if you can't ride the sled and actually "load the plugs" you will do more harm than good.
what I do is this: First thing to do is wash the sled to get all the sand, salt, and other debris off the machine then I start like this: 1) I put the sled in my shed out back so it is out of the light and covered to keep dust off. I usually don't keep it in my garage because that way its out of site and out of mind, keeps the kids from crawling all over it all summer, and stuff from being thrown on it, etc... 2) I fill the tank with fresh gas and add a good stabalizer to the fuel (sea foam is about the best). Filling the tank is important because the more air space you leave in your tank, the more condensation you will get in your fuel. If there is no air space in the tank, there will be no room for condensation to form and you will have less moisture in your fuel. Then you should run the engine to circulate the fuel and stabalizer so it all gets stabalized. 3) Then I fog the motor, I usually do this by running it and spraying fogging oil into the throttle bodies until the motor bogs right down or stalls, Then I take each spark plug out and put a good squirt of fogging oil in each cylinder and turn the motor over by hand a couple times. 4) Once the fuel is stabalized and the motor is fogged and Im sure I won't be running it anymore, I take the air box off and take out the battery, I store the battery in my garage on a shelf and usually put the air box with it, I then plug all 4 throttle bodies and plug the exhaust, this will keep any mice or other animals from forming a nest in a place that I can't reach. 5) Then I take the belt off and leave it right there, and loosen the track up so its not under full tension all summer long stretching. 6) Then I grease everything I can, and coat all the metal parts with some WD-40 to keep surface rust from forming. I don't suspend the rear of the sled off the floor because there is nothing on the floor of the shed that will hurt it. If you want to keep the sled off the ground all summer I do NOT recommend simply putting something under the rear bumber. First of all that will load the front suspension and you will be storing your sled with the front suspension loaded all summer. Second it is not good to put that kind of stress on the chassis for months at a time. If you need to lift the sled off the ground I recommend putting blocking under the front of the sled to bring the front suspension off the ground (directly under the middle of the front of the sled works good) then place blocking on both sides under the running boards tight to the track. The chassis is strong at this point and it will split the weight between both sides as well as lifting the sled off the ground evenly. Then I cover it up and walk away.
I do not change my engine oil or chain case oil in the spring. Both of these oils are housed in a metal tank that is not full. So, there will be condensation forming in both tanks all summer long, not that plastic tanks don't produce condensation because they do. Also, the fogging oil will pollute the engine oil so if you want good, fresh, oil next winter, its best to change it in the fall before you get the sled out, same for the chain case oil.
When fall comes and the temp starts to get cold I get the battery back in, put on the belt and tighten the track. Then I start the motor and let it warm up for a while. Usually it will run rough because of the fogging oil and condensation that has formed in the motor over summer. Once I get it fired up I pull it out and put it in my garage and change the oil, change the chain case oil, and change the plugs.. That way I have fresh oil, and fresh spark plugs. When my motor is running 11,000 rpm's its nice to know there is good fresh oil circulating and fresh fire from fresh plugs as well as good fresh chain case oil...
Lost of people do things lots of different ways and this is no exception, you will probably get a ton of different answers to this question, its kinda like the "how do I break my engine in?" question or the "what oil is best" question... Everyone has a different opinion, I have been riding sleds and quads for almost 20 years now, I have studied and researched this subject over the years and this is how I do it... To each his own...
Everyone will give you different answers on this one but I do a combination of what was told to me by one of the best 4 stroke engine builders on the planet and what yamaha says.
One thing that yamaha specifically says not to do is start your engine in the off season. Starting your engine to "keep it fresh" according to yamaha, is the worst thing you can do, it introduces large amounts of unburned fuel into the oil as well as lots of contaminants. According to them, if you can't ride the sled and actually "load the plugs" you will do more harm than good.
what I do is this: First thing to do is wash the sled to get all the sand, salt, and other debris off the machine then I start like this: 1) I put the sled in my shed out back so it is out of the light and covered to keep dust off. I usually don't keep it in my garage because that way its out of site and out of mind, keeps the kids from crawling all over it all summer, and stuff from being thrown on it, etc... 2) I fill the tank with fresh gas and add a good stabalizer to the fuel (sea foam is about the best). Filling the tank is important because the more air space you leave in your tank, the more condensation you will get in your fuel. If there is no air space in the tank, there will be no room for condensation to form and you will have less moisture in your fuel. Then you should run the engine to circulate the fuel and stabalizer so it all gets stabalized. 3) Then I fog the motor, I usually do this by running it and spraying fogging oil into the throttle bodies until the motor bogs right down or stalls, Then I take each spark plug out and put a good squirt of fogging oil in each cylinder and turn the motor over by hand a couple times. 4) Once the fuel is stabalized and the motor is fogged and Im sure I won't be running it anymore, I take the air box off and take out the battery, I store the battery in my garage on a shelf and usually put the air box with it, I then plug all 4 throttle bodies and plug the exhaust, this will keep any mice or other animals from forming a nest in a place that I can't reach. 5) Then I take the belt off and leave it right there, and loosen the track up so its not under full tension all summer long stretching. 6) Then I grease everything I can, and coat all the metal parts with some WD-40 to keep surface rust from forming. I don't suspend the rear of the sled off the floor because there is nothing on the floor of the shed that will hurt it. If you want to keep the sled off the ground all summer I do NOT recommend simply putting something under the rear bumber. First of all that will load the front suspension and you will be storing your sled with the front suspension loaded all summer. Second it is not good to put that kind of stress on the chassis for months at a time. If you need to lift the sled off the ground I recommend putting blocking under the front of the sled to bring the front suspension off the ground (directly under the middle of the front of the sled works good) then place blocking on both sides under the running boards tight to the track. The chassis is strong at this point and it will split the weight between both sides as well as lifting the sled off the ground evenly. Then I cover it up and walk away.
I do not change my engine oil or chain case oil in the spring. Both of these oils are housed in a metal tank that is not full. So, there will be condensation forming in both tanks all summer long, not that plastic tanks don't produce condensation because they do. Also, the fogging oil will pollute the engine oil so if you want good, fresh, oil next winter, its best to change it in the fall before you get the sled out, same for the chain case oil.
When fall comes and the temp starts to get cold I get the battery back in, put on the belt and tighten the track. Then I start the motor and let it warm up for a while. Usually it will run rough because of the fogging oil and condensation that has formed in the motor over summer. Once I get it fired up I pull it out and put it in my garage and change the oil, change the chain case oil, and change the plugs.. That way I have fresh oil, and fresh spark plugs. When my motor is running 11,000 rpm's its nice to know there is good fresh oil circulating and fresh fire from fresh plugs as well as good fresh chain case oil...
Lost of people do things lots of different ways and this is no exception, you will probably get a ton of different answers to this question, its kinda like the "how do I break my engine in?" question or the "what oil is best" question... Everyone has a different opinion, I have been riding sleds and quads for almost 20 years now, I have studied and researched this subject over the years and this is how I do it... To each his own...
darv
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good write up well done
twomorestrokes
TY 4 Stroke God
All I do is clean it good, grease it, WD40 the suspension, change the oil and add stabilizer.
Gone Blue
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shanksyamaha said:
Fuel contanimation in the oil also happens over time when the engine is running. Fuel can be corrosive to the bearings in the motor. This is why it is important to change your motor oil at the end of the season.
I run fuel stabilizer thru mine and then drain the the float bowls on the carburators along with cleaning and greasing everything. G.B.
twomorestrokes
TY 4 Stroke God
Right. Once mine is put away, it's done. I don't start it until the next season.
sobfrogg
TY 4 Stroke Guru
I leave mine in the trailer just the way it came home from the last trip. Open the trailer a few times to say HI.
Open the trailer a couple of nights before the first trip. Drain fuel clean carbs, change oil and some grease.
Thats it
Open the trailer a couple of nights before the first trip. Drain fuel clean carbs, change oil and some grease.
Thats it
y_guy
Expert
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- Feb 22, 2005
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- 220
1. run seafoam in the tank
2. wash and lubricate all metal parts
3. use formula 303 to protect plastic
4. drain the tank (some keep it full but i don't)
5. Change oil and filter
6. put cover on it store on trailer.
this is what i have done for years. Works perfect every year i use this method.
2. wash and lubricate all metal parts
3. use formula 303 to protect plastic
4. drain the tank (some keep it full but i don't)
5. Change oil and filter
6. put cover on it store on trailer.
this is what i have done for years. Works perfect every year i use this method.
quebecmoutainrider
TY 4 Stroke Junkie
alright
wicked..now I know my sled is going to last..lol..sobfrogg said:
APEX 06
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dab102999 said:
Thats is for the most part what i do but I also take the front end apart to look it over.
erosled
Extreme
Shanksyamaha, I agree with most of your write-up, with the exception of the oil change. The acids in used oil are bad for both machine and man. Change the oil before storage, any condensation that may build up in the oil during storage will get burned off the first time you run the engine at full operating temp for a decent amount of time. (such as a 10-20 mile ride) Acids burning into metals and bearing surfaces cannot be burned off by normal use, or use period.
I see many people thinking fogging isn't needed on 4 strokes, but cylinder rust doesn't care what the engine is, just how well treated the engine is. Fog it!
I see many people thinking fogging isn't needed on 4 strokes, but cylinder rust doesn't care what the engine is, just how well treated the engine is. Fog it!
shanksyamaha
TY 4 Stroke Guru
Gone Blue said:
LOL. I know fuel contaminates oil no matter what if its running but it runs much richer and is unable to burn off as much of the fuel when the motor is cold and the plugs are not loaded. You are correct that fuel IS corrosive to bearings in the motor, thats why its important to change the oil in the fall so your oil is fresh for the season. If you change your oil in the spring, then you start your engine during the summer, you just contaminated that fresh oil with gas and now your gunna let it set all summer, and then your gunna run the engine at 11,000 rpm with old, watered down, contaminated oil. These motors are a dry sump system, so there is only about 1/2 cup of oil in the motor at any given time, so when the engine is stored, the bearings are, for the most part, out of the oil.
To each his own, I feel there are far better reasons to change it in the fall so thats what I do, if you would like to change it in the spring, by all means please do. And if you never change it, the engine will still outlast the rest of the sled... I think its kinda a moot point..
dab102999
Expert
Two more questions then,
I never thought about fogging the motor, If I do will this run a chance of foling the plugs when I start it in the winter???
(I always set my sleds up as to the point of in the fall it is grease/gas /sea foam and go)
Second question, (which I have thought about but not come to a good conclesion on my own). I really don't want to start it once I change the oil because of the thought of some fuel getting into the oil (even thought I know it will be a small amount) but is there any way to get all the oil that is needed into the unit without starting it and letting it circulate a little???
Thanks
Doug
I never thought about fogging the motor, If I do will this run a chance of foling the plugs when I start it in the winter???
(I always set my sleds up as to the point of in the fall it is grease/gas /sea foam and go)
Second question, (which I have thought about but not come to a good conclesion on my own). I really don't want to start it once I change the oil because of the thought of some fuel getting into the oil (even thought I know it will be a small amount) but is there any way to get all the oil that is needed into the unit without starting it and letting it circulate a little???
Thanks
Doug
