# First time owner, how should I prep for storage?



## Lee (Jan 6, 2018)

I have a Ariens Deluxe 28 SHO - what should I do to prep it at end of winter? Drain the gas ... ? Please advise. Lee


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## nwcove (Mar 2, 2015)

new machine ? how many hrs this winter ? access to non ethanol fuel ? 
hose down and let dry, lube all cables, moving parts , grease zerks etc.


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## JLawrence08648 (Jan 15, 2017)

You are going to get multiple answers.

If you have non ethanol gasoline, use that.

Put fuel cleaner and fuel stabilizer in your gas can, put that in your snowblower, run it for 5 minutes. If a plastic gas tank, drain the tank and fuel bowl. If metal, keep it topped.

Some on here do their servicing in the spring, others wait until the fall, and some wait until the weather forecast! I just recently couple weeks ago started a post on this. You can search using my name.


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## Lee (Jan 6, 2018)

Well, I just asked two friends/neighbors - they say they drain the gas.

Looking around the site, I found this:

"Ariens just put out a reccomendation to fill the tank with stabilized fuel, and then run stablized fuel through the blower for a few minutes, before switching the fuel shut off...off, then letting the blower run until it runs out of fuel."
http://www.snowblowerforum.com/forum/snowblower-repairs-maintenance-forum/51410-drain-gas-not.html

We had little snow in New England this winter - I would estimate 3-4 hours of use, max.
I use fuel from the pump at the gas station - believe that is ethanol fuel, but I used stabilizer every time I refueled.

JLawrence, will look for your post, thank you.


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## Lee (Jan 6, 2018)

Here's what the shop I bought the blower from said in an email response to me: 

"Run out all gas station fuel Add a quart of ethanol free fuel. Run engine for 15 minutes and then store."

Does this sound reasonable?


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## s3ey3u (Apr 15, 2018)

I, too, are interested in this question, nowhere can I find the answer


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## leonz (Dec 12, 2014)

NO,

because your fuel is still going to vacuum up/attract any moisture that 
will enter the breather hole in the gas tank cap.

Use fluid film or PB blaster to lube the control linkages for the snow blower.

Do you know if you have a friction disc for the wheel drive or a snow blower transmission??? You need to find this out. 


If you are comfortable doing the work and have good hand tools and a spark plug wrench and a good wedge type gapping tool you can do it all yourself.

Spare parts you should have on hand WHERE YOU will remember they are.

1. V belts 

a.Put both of the V belts in a black plastic garbage bag and put a tag or a piece of tape on the bag and write on the bag what it contains and tape the bag to a wall where you will see it. The black plastic bag helps protect the V belt from the ozone in the air.

2. spark plug.
a. tape the zip lock bag containing the spark plug box on the wall next to the V belt bag. 

3. shear pins purchase at least 6 and tape the zip lock bag of shear pins on the wall with the other spare parts.

4. spare fuel filter tape it to the wall with the other parts. 

=============================================================================

1. drain all the fuel into a waste oil can or a standard gas can to use in another 
machine like a lawn mower if you have one.

2. close the choke and start the engine and let it run, when it dies again repeat closing the 
choke and starting the engine.

3. drain the fuel bowl of any remaining fuel by removing the drain plug

4. reinstall the drain plug
a. change the fuel filter if it has one with a new clear plastic fuel filter 

5. drain the old crank case oil and pour in new motor oil to replace the old oil you drained out.

6. reinstall oil drain plug

7. purchase some Irish Spring bar soap and put one bar at the base of the engine and the other bar
on top of the engine by the air intake box.
a. purchase a spray can of cable lube to lube the sheathed cables to keep them lubed up over the summer and fall months

b. raise the snow blower up and but some wooden blocks under it to keep the tires of the ground during the off season to 
prevent them from flat spotting. 

9. wait until the late fall and pour in fresh gas with some seafoam fuel treatment


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## Lee (Jan 6, 2018)

leonz said:


> NO,
> 
> because your fuel is still going to vacuum up/attract any moisture that
> will enter the breather hole in the gas tank cap.
> ...


This is way over my skill level - I'm not at all mechanical ("man's got to know his limitations .."), so no way I'm going to do all this. Can you advise a "snowblower summer storage prep for dummies," please? :crying:


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## JLawrence08648 (Jan 15, 2017)

Lee said:


> This is way over my skill level - I'm not at all mechanical ("man's got to know his limitations .."), so no way I'm going to do all this. Can you advise a "snowblower summer storage prep for dummies," please? :crying:


What about my answer?


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## Lee (Jan 6, 2018)

JLawrence, I tried to find it, but you have a lot of posts, and I couldn't seem to locate it. Could you help me find it? Thanks, Lee


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## 1132le (Feb 23, 2017)

use stabil start every 45 days run old fuel out pour in just enough to run a few min and get the fresh fuel into the carb
do that 4 times and it will be winter time
change oil just before winter lube everything done
takes no skill to do what leonz said abit overkill just effort
better learn


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## tpenfield (Feb 24, 2015)

As you can see, you will get lots of varying responses . . . 

There is no right or wrong as long as the following objectives are met.

1) prevent fuel from jelling/solidifying and clogging the fuel system.

2) provide lubrication to the engine intake/exhaust/cylinder internals, so they don't rust during the off-season.


Stabilzer can keep the fuel from causing problems. Non-ethanol fuels can also help in that regard. 

Fogging oil can provide the internal lubrication

I usually mix up a 'summerizing' 'cocktail' of fuel, stabilzer and 2-cycle oil . . . and run it through the engines for about 15 minutes (while drinking a beer).

Less fuel in the tank is best IMO. If you have a fuel line shut-off valve, then you can shut it off and let the fuel run out of the carburetor.


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## leonz (Dec 12, 2014)

Lee said:


> This is way over my skill level - I'm not at all mechanical ("man's got to know his limitations .."), so no way I'm going to do all this. Can you advise a "snowblower summer storage prep for dummies," please? :crying:


=======================================================================

Siphon the fuel out, then start it with full choke and then when it dies close the choke again and start it a second time and then leave the tank empty. It always works for me.


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## JLawrence08648 (Jan 15, 2017)

tpenfield - If you are using a fuel stabilizer and a fogging oil, what is the purpose or benefit of putting 2 cycle oil in the gas?



tpenfield said:


> 2) provide lubrication to the engine intake/exhaust/cylinder internals, so they don't rust during the off-season.
> 
> Stabilizer can keep the fuel from causing problems. Non-ethanol fuels can also help in that regard.
> 
> ...


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## rslifkin (Mar 5, 2018)

For storage a tank should either be completely full or completely empty. Nothing in between. Empty gets rid of issues of keeping the fuel fresh, full minimizes condensation in the tank compared to a partial tank (and there's more fuel to absorb whatever moisture does get in, so it takes more before it's a problem). 

Ethanol fuel or not, I'd fill it will fuel and stabilizer, run it for a few minutes, fog the engine and top off the fuel tank. When the next season comes around, pull the spark plug, spin the engine to blow out any excess fogging oil, clean or replace the plug (as needed) and reinstall, then it should fire right up. 

If it's a plastic tank, where rust isn't a concern, you can modify the above instructions to drain the tank instead of topping it off. In that case, when you go to put it back into use, remove any moisture, etc. from the tank before filling with fresh fuel. 

In addition, for something like a snowblower where it's hard to predict how much use it'll get and how much fuel you'll go through, it's generally a good idea to just add stabilizer to the fuel when you buy it. Then all of the fuel you have on-hand is stabilized and doesn't have nearly as much concern for how fresh it is.


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## Dauntae (Nov 10, 2016)

JLawrence08648 said:


> Glenfield - If you are using a fuel stabilizer and a fogging oil, what is the purpose or benefit of putting 2 cycle oil in the gas?


The 2 cycle oil IS the fogging oil, works well and much cheaper


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## Dragonsm (Nov 24, 2015)

As others have stated, this question asked to 30 different people will get you 30 different answers.

For me it's pretty simple. I have access to 87 octane non-oxy fuel rather close so this is what I run in all my OPE. With each can, I also mix in Stabil Marine along with a little shot of Yamaha Ring Free. (both those products are on hand at my house for the boat)

When winter begins to wind down, I have an idea of about how much fuel I'll use up and try and leave my tank 1/4 full or under.

Spring of the year when it's time to put it away, it gets a quick wipe down, a shot of grease in the zerks and fuel shut off and ran till it dies. Put in the back of the garage behind the boat and just the scraper bar goes up on a small piece of wood.

About September, I'll pull it out on a nice day, change the oil, check belts/tires and fire it up and run for a few minutes.....then shut the fuel back off and let it die...and tuck it back away until November when the boat gets put away for the winter...at that time it cycles to the front of the garage and we are ready to go.

There's no definitive "right or wrong" answer....what works for me has bitten others in the butt. I guess I'll stay the course until I get bit in the butt.

Steve


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## JLawrence08648 (Jan 15, 2017)

Dauntae said:


> The 2 cycle oil IS the fogging oil, works well and much cheaper


Fogging oil you can remove the spark plug and spray it in the cylinder, or as the engine is "dying" give a squirt into the carburetor throat.

How do you get the 2 cycle oil in? Remove the spark plug? If so, then why not give a squirt of dino or synthetic oil and pull the crank a few times to distribute the oil into the cylinder.


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## nwcove (Mar 2, 2015)

JLawrence08648 said:


> Fogging oil you can remove the spark plug and spray it in the cylinder, or as the engine is "dying" give a squirt into the carburetor throat.
> 
> How do you get the 2 cycle oil in? Remove the spark plug? If so, then why not give a squirt of dino or synthetic oil and pull the crank a few times to distribute the oil into the cylinder.


Its easy to get the 2 cycle oil in. Just add to the fuel, and run the engine until it starts blowing smoke.


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## Dauntae (Nov 10, 2016)

nwcove said:


> Its easy to get the 2 cycle oil in. Just add to the fuel, and run the engine until it starts blowing smoke.


Yup, leaves a nice sticky coat of oil over everything inside the engine. Fall you just run normal gas and it softens right up with engine heat and desolves into the fresh gas.


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## tpenfield (Feb 24, 2015)

2-cycle oil in the fuel is a boat MPI engine winterizing method that also seems to have application to other types of 4-stroke engines where it is difficult to spray fogging oil into the intake. 

Since the carburetor intake on snow blowers is not thee easiest thing to reach, because of the heater box, the 2-cycle oil method works well.


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