Winter machine storage

[vhgmcbuddy]

Hello after any tips for storage of a ransomes cawler over winter. Was going to do same as I do with my Howard machines and engines. Which is spray with duck oil grease/wax oil and bright parts and cover with hessian sacks. This be first year I have wintered a mg cawler and would like to be okay in spring without to much trouble. It will be in a shed dry.

I will not be able to start or run it for about 5 months.

Thanks for the help

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[will-haggle]

Drain the fuel tank and carb, a bit of oil down the plug ‘ole wouldn’t hurt. Give the throttle cable a dose of lubricant. Now I’d better practice what I preach! A well known firm of motor accessory suppliers sell a product which neutralises the ethanol and acts as a fuel stabiliser, I’ve started using it having had all sorts of carb trouble recently….

[vhgmcbuddy]

Hello will
I’ve normal left a bit of fuel in then drain it out after storage as I find all the seals leak over wise. And to stop and condensation in tank. Oil in cylinder might be a good idea with it been tvo. Good thinking with throttle cable! I had a bit of trouble this year and I put it down to cheap bad petrol from a supermarket so I now only use a well noun national garage ultimate fuel yes it’s more but it’s worth it!

[expeatfarmer]

I would also suggest running the machine up on to a couple of boards to keep the tracks off the floor and reduce the risk of the tracks rusting on the contact faces.From experience plugging any larger holes like the exhaust outlet and track support tubes will deter mice from making them a winter home or a food store.

[charlie]

It is thought that some of the ultimate and similar fuels do not contain ethanol.

[vhgmcbuddy]

Regardless of how dry the shed is I’d buy a few of the disposable dehumidifier tots you can get for less than a quid and surround the machine. I tried a couple to shut our witch of a landlady up this year, ( she reckons that the mold in the house had nothing what so ever to do with the rotten/ missing fascia and instead was me causing it!). It really is amazing though how much moisture they will suck up. My shed this winter is going to be filled with them.

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[vhgmcbuddy]

Not sure if this is relevant or of any use but when we used to lay our saws up for the winter, 2 stroke I know but same principal, with normal “pump petrol” and oil, even v power, optimax, nitro etc the saws would suffer poor starting, poor response, lack of power and just not sound right when we pulled them out again several months later. I’m convinced it was the ethanol in the petrol going off. Now we have changed to an alkrylated petrol, which is basically synthetic fuel with much less nasties like benzene and aromatic hydrocarbons in, they always fire first pull and run on the second. I’m not suggesting running old machines on this (it is about £3 a litre) but maybe draining the tank, putting a splash in, running machine again before storage. Eddie the rep told me it has a shelf life of over two years.

[charlie]

I think I know the fuel you are talking about. I have various machines both two and four stroke and as a precaution always check float bowl is clean and jets are clear after winter lay up before starting, also check for spark. I then add fresh fuel.

[trusty220]

You’re quite right, diesel dave. Our Countrystore in Marlborough has just started selling Stihl branded 2-stroke mix in 5 ltr cans- we’ve tried one out at Redditch and it is sold as having a shelf life of 2 years and no ethanol content.

This may be the way to go in future for laying up machinery for the winter. Run the tank empty then pour some of this in and run it; I should think it will work on 4-strokes as well because the mixture is only 50:1, so when you come to start it up in the Spring just fill the tank with straight petrol and it will dilute it even further.

[will-haggle]

Sounds good to me! Marlborough is only just along the road, I used to deliver there….

[vhgmcbuddy]

We actually use aspen, there, i said it. They supply 2 stroke with synthetic oil at 50:1 and also straight petrol. I get ours from lister-wilder, most good garden machinery suppliers should stock it or could get it. Thinking about it, if you used a small amount of 2 stroke on a 4 stroke engine it will leave a noce bit of oil around the bore, piston, valves etc.

[andyfrost]

All sounds good , but synthetic oil is simply no good for most of the elderly twostrokes that we play with.

Andy.

[vhgmcbuddy]

Andy,
Forgive my ignorance on older two strokes, but why not? What is or isnt in it? I appreciate modern oils have lots of detergents in them and additives, i wouldnt think of putting a modern multi viscosity oil in the plain bearings on our steam engine, there is something in the oil that leaches the zinc from the bronze and it just crumbles away.
Could you not use straight aspen and add the appropriate oil to it?

[vhgmcbuddy]

I have used a high grade stihl two mix oil in a villers engine on a Howard rotovator and it has never run nice since. It has a small wimp from crank case. So only use sae30 engine in a mix for old two strokes now.the dertegents in Morden two Stoke oil is to harsh for old machines.

[vhgmcbuddy]

To expeat farmer good idea with the boards but both my sheds have ally floor so shouldn’t be a issue.and pests touch wood I don’t have much trouble I do put rat bait down as everything is covered in hessian sacks. But with 50 farm cats I think am okay ha ha .

Is it worth slacking the tracks off over winter?

And thought I’d be a odd one by by storageing stuff over winter but seems a lot of people do it?

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