4 Stroke Summer Storage

[frano]

My 05 is my first 4 stroke sled. On my 2 strokes, I've always stabiled the fuel, drained the carbs and fogged the engine. My dealer tells me to stabil the fuel and start the Rage monthly during the Summer. Is this the proper way to store the machine?

 

[snofisher]

i have done both to my 06 vector gt and both worked. i also spray the suspension, front a arms and about anything else metal with WD 40 or some other lubricant to help keep the rust off.

 

[Flipper]

frano,

I have followed the procedure you outline below for your 2 stroke sleds on my Vector for the last three summers with no issues.

Line snofisher says, I spray the A arms and the shocks down with WD-40 to prevent rust.

 

[MadMax]

I completely clean and polish everything.... Spray oil on all metal surfaces, grease all jerks.. change the motor oil. Change the chain oil everyother year. Then I put the cover on it.. Close the trailer and back it into my pole barn... When I take it out in the fall I trickle charge the battery and put fresh gas in the tank with syn. fuel system cleaner for the first tank.... Works good on all the sleds we run around with.. MM.

 

[sleddheadd]

if you start them over the summer you need to let them get up to opperating temp. otherwise you will evetually foul plugs and cause condensation in the motor. best to fill it full of fuel, get some sort of stabil in the gas and let it sit till fall. just my 2 cents, i am sure there are other opinions that are way different.

 

[yammie3687]

Siphon all the gas out of the tank, and run it out of gas. I do not leave any gas in the tank of any of my sleds. Even with stabil it will be bad next season.

 

[N'orEaster]

I drianed mine, fogged it then ran it out. I would not leave any of the gas from this area in it...has ethanol in it...ethanol attracts more moisture.

 

[RSVECTORFREAK]

I park mine thats about it. I did spray the suspension parts with oil but thats all.

 

[Gone Blue]

I thought I remember reading in the owners manual something about fogging the motor? I cant tell if this applies to the 4 stroke or if it was carried over from the 2 stroke manual? G.B.

 

[SnOrIdEr]

Arent you suppose to put a teaspoon of oil in each cylinder head, and the turn it over to coat the walls

 

[Metallicat]

Now is a good time to repack your jackshaft and driveshaft bearings on the PTO (clutch) side. The procedure has been described many times before, so if you're not sure then do a search. After 3200 miles my bearings were bone dry. I just repacked the upper jackshaft bearing this evening, will do the lower driveshaft tomorrow. I should have serviced them 1500 miles ago, but at least I got to them before they went south on me.

Grease every zerk, WD-40 all of the suspension components, and if you are like me you'll drain all of the fuel from the tank then pull off the airbox and drain the carb float bowls. Then start it and run it until it stalls and is out of fuel. This eliminates all possibilities of contaminating your fuel reserves over the summer months, and you won't have to worry about your pilot jets gumming up on you.

I am not sure about putting oil down the cylinders. I have a 2008, and the spark plugs are so difficult to access, I don't even want to bother with that and risk fouling a plug when I start it back up next fall.

 

[SnOrIdEr]

yah good point

 

[Metallicat]

I just pulled the seal off of the driveshaft bearing behind the speedo housing. Easy to take off...remove the four 12mm nuts and then pull the bearing flange and speedo sensor off, and then the bearing seal pops right off.

The bearing had water and RUST in it! Not good to let set over the summer. I cleaned the bearing out with a good contact solvant then sprayed it with WD-40. I'll repack it tomorrow. I can see how bearings fail after 5000 miles now. It didn't have any grease left in it, just water and crud.

 

[kyzer]

Does anyone have a white residue on the motor, almost looks like salt built up, what have people done to clean this up and prevent this from happening again...I know this past fall, I had to drain the gas in my carbs and start up with fresh gas, it wouldn't start..Soon as it got the new gas no problems...

 

[Metallicat]

Does anyone have a white residue on the motor, almost looks like salt built up, what have people done to clean this up and prevent this from happening again...I know this past fall, I had to drain the gas in my carbs and start up with fresh gas, it wouldn't start..Soon as it got the new gas no problems...

Yup, mine has the white residue as well. Oxidation from the aluminum.

Someone suggested this product. I am going to see if the local Sears has it. http://www.boeshield.com/