winterizing tips

[Mover]

I'm winterizing today and have a can of Seafoam but have never used it before.

How much Seafoam should be added to a tank?

Thanks

Mover

[dray]

OK here is what i do

 

8 ounce's of stabil and 1/4 can seafoam go for about 30 min. ride and park bike

change oil , top off gas with can , stuff oil soaked rags in exhaust pipes when motor and pipes are still warm .

 

put battery in house

 

go ice fishing as soon as ice up for eye's and perch

 

ill return to bike in spring put in battery , pull rags , and drive it like i stole it!!!

[V7Goose]

I'm winterizing today and have a can of Seafoam but have never used it before.

How much Seafoam should be added to a tank?

Thanks

Mover

For winterizing there is no need to use a lot of Seafoam - you are not trying to clean anything, just prevent the fuel from breaking down and forming varnish. Either Seafoam or Stabil is fine for this. Read the can, it has instruction on how much to use for stabilizing gas; four ounces is plenty for a six gallon tank.

 

Do make sure to ride the bike for at least 30 minutes after you have treated the tank; not only do you want to make sure all the fuel in the carbs is replaced with treated fuel, but you need the engine oil to get completely up to temperature to burn off the moisture and acids. This is important even if you are going to change it (which you really should do before storage), since there is always some old oil in the bearings, galleries and various nooks and crannies. This is always going to be old and dirty oil unless you go for ANOTHER 30 minute ride after you change it, so you don't want it to be old oil that is also full of moisture and acids!

 

Just remember, letting the bike run until you think it is warm, or even until the fan comes on, does NOT mean the oil is hot enough to flash off the moisture - that takes a LOT longer. If you have an oil pressure gauge you can see that it takes a VERY long time for the oil to get hot enough to thin out when it reaches full engine temperature (that is when it finally drops below 10 lbs at idle). Until it gets that hot, all that new moisture you just flooded the engine with from the combustion and internal condensation is mixing up with all the combustion byproducts and forming metal-eating acids. That is why starting the engine every so often while it is in storage is one of the WORST things you can do. Once you have properly prepared it to sit for a while, do not start it for any reason until you are prepared to ride it for more than 30 minutes. Have a nice winter's nap!

Goose

[Trader]

This is a new battery that I bought this summer so I shouldn't be having this problem. But from what I remember need to use baking soda or wife brush to clean it off. Can't remember what to use to keep it from coming back.

 

Thanks.

 

 

I know it was just a typo....but isn't that called a freudian slip?

 

A wife brush....makes your head spin just thinking of all the possibilities doesn't it?

[dunvilsteev]

, top off gas with can , !!!

 

 

I ran into a problem with doing that, I put the gas in when it was about 5C (about 45F) and when it actually warmed up for a few days to about 13C I went into the shed and I could smell gas, puddle on the floor and gas dripped down the tank. I presume it had to do with heating - expansion and a crappy seal on the tank cap.

So the last two years I fill it, add the Stabil, go for short trip and then shed it from there, oh yeah, I also turn off the gas and let it idle until it runs out of gas. Is this useless or a good idea? Sadly, today is the day.

[V7Goose]

I ran into a problem with doing that, I put the gas in when it was about 5C (about 45F) and when it actually warmed up for a few days to about 13C I went into the shed and I could smell gas, puddle on the floor and gas dripped down the tank. I presume it had to do with heating - expansion and a crappy seal on the tank cap.

So the last two years I fill it, add the Stabil, go for short trip and then shed it from there, oh yeah, I also turn off the gas and let it idle until it runs out of gas. Is this useless or a good idea? Sadly, today is the day.

As long as your OIL is up to 200 degrees F (a "short" trip will not do it), then letting her run until the carbs are empty is a good idea - the fuel is going to evaporate anyway, so the less you leave in there to dry up, the better.

Goose