TOPIC: winter storage tips

Hi guys. I was hoping to sell some kicker motors, but looks like will be keeping more than expected.

So, for winter storage, can I just run a mixture of stabil into all the engines on their last run, drain carbs as best as possible and hope theyre good to go next season? I dont want to fight varnish in the spring because many of these need to SELL. And they gotta run to do that.

Looking for the cheap and easy solution as they dont need any service otherwise. Mostly mercs, but some omc and a mariner as well, all 2 strokes.

They will be in a somewhat heated garage.

mercs

Well, thats all I do for decades and never a problem. A lot I don't even bother running out gas carb/s either unless long term stowage. I would fog'em though, then clean the plugs spring and fire and ready to go. Just did my Merc/ Flatbottom and the dogs boats 125 HP same way. And the "dogs boat"? 27 years old, and still never a problem. Even the 5 Honda kicker on it is only there emergency back. Not needed again this year. Same thing. Fresh gas spring (stabiled) and fire right up. Gas (carb) will evaporate over summer, and I simple forget about it 'till next year. Heck, my 20 year old 8 HP generator will sit all year after fresh gas and stabil fire, and if not needed just drain the gas, and do fresh, fire, and put away.

Maybe I just been lucky (and I got a LOT more motors also, small OB's, K5 blazer that sits, M/C's and scooters, lawn mowers...), but like said, I've had no problems. And E10 in all. I'd go crazy if I had to do much more as just to damn many and want them ALL to run when wanted. I'm just not buying this latest "gas goes bad in a month" as if did, I'd sell anything I got with a motor!

Heck, take a old carb, pull the bowl, fill fresh stabil gas and let it sit for a year on the bench. See what ya end up with.

As I'm always "experimenting" anyway, I bought a new carb for my old restored Honda CT 70 Minitrail. Well, bought the wrong one as not same bolt pattern the intake manifold. But as cheap, still a keeper. I just pulled the bowl, filled with 3 month old 2C stabiled 40-1 oil used gas blowers/weed whackers. Its gonna sit until spring on the bench and then I will show "results". We shall see..!

So the way I was thought by the good doc Frankenmerc is to run the motor with stabil and seafoam Non-ethonal let that work through the system for a little while. After about 15 minutes pull the fuel line off and allow the motor to continue running. Right when the motor starts to sputter and die rev the motor up high and hose it down with fogging oil. I recomend seafoam or crc fogging oil because it is fantastic at breaking down carbon deposits on the engine it's actually what I use when I clean pistons during rebuilds. From there the motor is good to go store it inside out of the elements to protect the paint and it will fire right up in the spring. If you have dogs in your working area or small children because it has a very sweet almost cinnomon smell and my dog loves to lick any leftovers that might have spilled. Hope this helps!!

To clarify my last post the CRC has a sweet smell. The seafoam does not!

Believe it or not I knew an old lady that use wd40 on her hands for arthritis. and she said it worked well.

"Right when the motor starts to sputter and die rev the motor up high and hose it down with fogging oil."

Only rev the motor up to a high idle, say 1200-1500 RPMs.
doc

By "hose it down' do you mean spray into carbs?

Yes! What fogging oil does is coat the internals the motor.

If the boat is stored in an unheated garage or outside, make damn sure the lower unit is drained and refilled with fresh oil, and the drain holes are not blocked. You will get a cracked lower unit if precautions are not followed.

if it is stored outside make sure the motor is in an upright position and the jet prop exhaust is covered. if it collects water and freezes it can crack the lower unit housing

AND,...When the motor has a lower unit - rather than a jet unit,...Always shift the beast into Forward Gear.
That way the shift shaft in the lower unit is not under load - like it is in Neutral and Reverse, consequently the shift shaft seal will not become oval and unable to keep the water out and the gear oil in.

Another thing that is a constant threat to the motor is if there is any opening(s) that mice can use to get inside the powerhead, build a nest, and urinate all over the place. The ammonia in the urine can destroy the aluminum, and rust the steel cylinder walls, etc.
The little stinkers can jump very high, and can access a cylinder to make a nest in by coming up the exhaust, or in through the air box, or carburetors, and into a cylinder via either the intake ports or the exhaust ports of a cylinder that is down on its stroke (piston is down - near the crankshaft rather than up close to the sparkplug.
Make sense??
doc

Doc, of course! But the OP post was a easy 5/6 months off season in a semi heated shop. Not 5/6 years, much less 5/6 decades. Lets not over think this for him. Plus there's a zillion searching post of "how to, and how long" a "pickle". Again like said me simple Stabil, park and forget for a short time. Its all I ever did. And decades zero prob. But long term? Thats a diff story...JMHO..

Were going to make 1 last fishing trip, hopefully tomorrow. At this point there arent any lakes close that are still open to power boating,, so one last road trip. Ill get non ethanol gas, and doctor it up with stabil. Going to try and run her out till gas dont flow any more. Its actually almost there,, but we need non eth, and at least a half hour of go time.

I whacked the tongue of the trailer for glasspar, so now its a 16' trailer instead of 18'. The glasspar, with its merc 800 and merc 60 should just fit in garage with motors down and about 8" to spare,, so will be in semi heated garage.

Managed to sell a couple more kickers,, so possibly might not have to store any extras,, but in case we do, then ill do as you guys suggest. Should be pretty easy going in the garage tho.

I work in garage, so it will be heated in day, but left to cool at night. Insulated, insulated door. Should be good for lower units, and other freezing issues?

You would need freezing temps 2/3 days inside before any POSSIBLE prob and thats IF any MIGHT have a lot of water in the LU. Don't sweat it.