# End of Season Maintenance



## Nforesir (Dec 7, 2013)

Hello All
I suspect many different season ending maintenance procedures r out there as there are machines.

My procedure is to empty gas tank and run the engine till it shuts down, oil or grease moving parts and clean......change oil then store inside a shed from weather on a concrete floor. 

All comments welcome


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## nt40lanman (Dec 31, 2012)

I drain fuel and store it in my shed. I do all other maintenance before the upcoming season.


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## jonboat (Dec 19, 2013)

I do it pretty much like I do with my outboard when I put it to bed for the winter... I add stabilizer to the fuel (marine grade with ethanol protection) to my fuel tank and run it for 15 minutes to make sure the stabilizer gets through the whole system. I then use fogging oil on the cylindar until it stalls out (do this outdoors it gets really smokey). I store it in the corner of my garage (rotates storage spots with my lawn tractor) I wait until late fall just before snow-time to change the oil and grease all the moving parts, check belt tensions and conditions, check for loose nuts & bolts, etc.


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## Blue Hill (Mar 31, 2013)

I've been thinking that I should change the oil in the spring, after a winter's use, rather than in the fall. The theory being, that maybe it's better to get as much of the sludge out as I can, rather than let it lay in the bottom of the engine for six months and maybe not get it all out in the fall.


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## dbert (Aug 25, 2013)

It's not even Christmas and we are talking about end of season? 
Seems like just a month ago there was the getting itchy thread.
:


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## nt40lanman (Dec 31, 2012)

Yea, had some snow, not itchy anymore.


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## Nforesir (Dec 7, 2013)

Blue Hill said:


> I've been thinking that I should change the oil in the spring, after a winter's use, rather than in the fall. The theory being, that maybe it's better to get as much of the sludge out as I can, rather than let it lay in the bottom of the engine for six months and maybe not get it all out in the fall.


I like that thought Blue Hill.....


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## Colored Eggs (Dec 7, 2012)

My list for each snowblower

1. Let engine warm up. 
2. Drain all the gas.
3. Run Engine till all the gas is gone. Using choke at the end to get as much out as possible
4. Check oil and change if needed. Let it sit a few hours till its completely cool
5. Add the new oil and fog the cylander. Checking the spark plug at the same time.
6.pull the cord to move the fogging oil all around and then setting the engine to top dead center.
7. Check the machine over for any parts needing servicing. If needed I wash it.
8. Put the machine away when I believe all parts are fixed and its ready for the next use. If it has a part that is broken that I don't feel like fixing right away I will write it down.
9 Finally I fill out my maintenance log of everything that was repaired and done to the machine so next year if the same part fails I know there is a bigger issue or a defect in the design.

Forgot to add before I restart it next season I will look in side as best I can to make sure no mouse made residence in my machine.


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## petersd (Nov 29, 2013)

For my toys (50 hp Honda outboard, Honda lawn mower and now Honda snowblower).

I like to change the oil at the end of season. Then it sits all the off season with good oil and not dirty stuff. Just better for the engine IMO. 

I also add stabilizer to the fuel and run for a few min. Then shut the fuel off and drain carb or fuel line. 

For the upper engine, I pull the spark plug, add a few straws of oil, put a rag over the plug hole and turn over a few times to spread it around. Then reinstall plug and pull till feel resistance (closes valve to reduce infiltration into engine). Then its good till the next season. Will smoke a bit on first start-up and then ready to roll.


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## SlowRider22 (Oct 17, 2013)

What I do is pretty much the same as everyone else...fuel treatment, change the oil, oil up the cylinder, and also run the machine every other month or so.

What I have been doing lately is topping off the gas in one some of my machines because they have a metal gas tank. I add the appropriate amount of fuel treatment (seafoam, stabil, or lucas ethanol treatment) and add gas to the top. This keeps condensation from accumulating on the exposure metal inside of the tank and prevents any rust from forming. 
Plastic tanks I just run dry after using the fuel treatment


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## scipper77 (Dec 4, 2013)

You are supposed to change oil at the end of the season. Something about the oil becoming acidic or mildly corrosive. Most seasonal equipment does not even remotely "wear out" the oil if changed once per season. For that reason I personally only change the filter on my rider every second or third season. For my blowers I do nothing with the fuel system other than stabilizer. Instead I start them and let them run a few times throughout the summer.


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