? about auger storage "UPDATED"

[cliffy]

Well, I pulled my 3 year old Strikemaster Xpress 10-inch auger out of storage today....I wanted to make sure she was in good working shape.

25 pulls later she just wouldnt start! A couple more pulls and whaccck...there goes the starter rope!! I brought it to the shop for repairs....but this is my question. How do you store your auger in the off season? Full of gas or do you run it dry? I have always just ran it dry and put it away. During the ice season I run it with a little seafoam mixed in the gas.

Some people say to leave it full and put some stable in the gas. I dont know if that is good or bad.

What do you guys do?

[jigging-matt]

Cliffy, That's the way I have stored my auger for the last 6 years and have had no problems. I was always told if it has a plastic tank to drain the gas, and if it was a metal tank to fill it to the top. I do change the plug on mine every year to every other depending on the shape of the plug. Actually heading to the garage to fire up my strikmaster right now. Hope you get yours running soon.

[BigDaddy]

I add Stable to a full tank. Then I run it for several minutes to get the Stable into the carb. Now the tank AND the carb have Stable.

I finish off by fogging the cylinder.

[DinkADunk]

On small engines like an auger (snow blower, chain saw, etc) I like to run them dry and when they are just about ready to die I hit them with a shot of fogging oil in the carb. Then pull the plug, shoot in some fogging oil, clean or replace and gap the plug, and retorque the plug. As for gas I always add Stabil to fresh gas when I fill up my gas containers. Doing that I don't worry if a little bit of gas is left in the carb during storage. For bigger toys (garden tractor, motorcycle, etc.) I make sure that I run the tank fairly low late in the season and then fill up with fresh gas and Stabil. Then change the oil, clean/replace filters, clean/replace plugs, check/change other fluids, and then kill the engine with fogging oil. Finally pull the plugs, shoot some fogging oil in them, replace and torque the plugs and pull the battery. Since I've done that I haven't had any problems with the carbs and the various machines have all started up fine when I've needed them.

[MuskieJunkie]

Gas Stabilizer is HUGE. I'd bet my best crankbait the problems you are having are due to the old gas gumming up the carbs. I store all my stuff with gas stabilzer in the tank and ran through the carbs and I am always suprized at how well they start the next year.

[Duffman]

After going the "Dry Tank" one year, it needed some work done on it. Now I just fire it up once a month or so during the off season, let it warm up, give it some gas and then shut it off. I repeat the next month no matter how many weird looks I get from the neighbors.

[Down Deep]

Our resident small engine mechanic at my workplace once told me that if two-stroke engines are stored dry (out of gas)that cylinder walls can dry out and lose compression making it impossible to start. Therefore, I always fog all my stored engines and have never had any problems with restart after storage. I also dump the gas after running some treated mixture into the engine. My auger is about 10 years old and I have never had restart proplems.

[Royal Dutchman]

Cliffy,

The only problems I've ever had with seasonal toys,from augers to outboards, was when I ran them dry and particularly when I fogged them. I simply run seafoam in them and fill the tank when I'm done. Sometimes some Stabil in the bigger stuff and never gasohol.

Seems to me it's just propoganda from shops & marinas to charge you $50 or $100 to do the job.

I'm always nervous but have yet to have a problem.

[PierBridge]

You guy's don't start and run your augers in the summer?

Strange I never go more than 3 weeks without starting all my gas engines.....

[Zdaddy76]

I have the same unit except I have the 8" drill. No difference in motor though. I fill it up, put in stabill and start it for a few minutes. Then in the Summer I bust it out and start if a couple times too. And then usually it works right away in the winter.

Zdaddy---

[pathogen]

I turn the gas valve off, run it til it kills, then add stabil to the remaining gas. I usually store the ice drill upright, don't know if that makes a difference or not. I did not run it since I put it away last spring and it started on pull #2. This is the norm for me, drill is on about year #20 and starts like this every time. It's been in for a tune up once.

[Mr. Pike1]

I can not say what is best. However, the last 4 years I have at the end of the year put some stabalizer with the last little bit of gas and ran until the stabalizer gets into the carbs and the engine kills. Put the strike master in its protective case and hang in the garage until next year. Usually around thankgiving I add fresh fuel and she pull starts in 3-4 pulls.

[cold one sd]

For the last 20 years I have used gas with a conditioner in it. When I'm done with the auger for the season I fill the tank with fuel and add a little extra sea foam. I then run the auger until the sea foam is through the system, shut it off and let it cool. Then I pull the plug and squirt some oil from an oil can into the cylinder and pull the engine over a couple times to get the oil on the cylinder walls, replace or change the plug and put it away for the summer. It always starts after a couple of pulls in the fall.

[cliffy]

Thanks for all the info guys. I find this pretty interesting stuff....seems like a mixture of answers. The guy at the shop told me to just run it dry and put it away in the off season....didnt say anything about pulling the plug and fogging.....although that does make sense to me.

The repair shop said they would give me a call when they find the problem. I will post my findings. Once again, thanks for the info.

Cliffy.

[NELS-BELLS]

I was told by a family friend that also happens to own a Polaris dealership, to use seafoam instead of stabilizer. It keeps the carburator and fuel line clean and it is a fuel stabilizer. I run it through my tank periodically throughout the season and when I put it away. I only leave about a 1/4 tank of gas when I store it so that I can fill it with fresh high octane (non-oxygenated) fuel when the season starts. I have the small Jiffy 8" and I found out the hard way that if you store it dry (after running it till it runs out of gas), you will risk drying out the diaphram in the carburator. You might not have that problem if you have a larger engine with the side mounted rubber fuel pump.

I do this with all my small engines when I store them and it seems to work.

Nels

[NWBuck]

cliffy,

Had a nearly identical problem last year with mine. I would run it dry...was told to do so. Long story short...my cylinder walls were scored and basically it was shelled. I now have it in my garage for spare parts for the new one. This time, I've been faithfully starting it every time I mow the lawn...and once every couple of weeks since mowing is done. And yes, during mid summer heat I have gotten many a strange look from the neighbors; that's the best part

At any rate, I now think this is the most dependable way to KNOW your auger is ready to roll when the ice is fit. Good luck.

NWBuck

[cliffy]

Well, I got her back tonight and all is well. 22.00 bucks for a new starter rope, new spark plug and cleaning and she is running fine. I guess the spark plug was the major problem.....I know...22.00 for that?!?! Oh well, it working and that is the most important thing.

Thanks.

[gvg_uwec]

Cliffy- I would say that it is very reasonable. probably took at least a half hour to pull apart and replace rope,check to find what was the problem, throw in the plug and clean. Shop rates are normally above $50/hr and rope and plug included...I would be happy with 22 bucks

[cliffy]

Oh yeah, I am happy....I was thinking it was going to be much much more. I really cant complain . Plus...it was done in one day......