Summerizing your ice auger.

[Bothun]

With the end of the hard water season coming I thought it would be a good idea to post tips on what to do to summerize your auger.

I start by taking the auger off and cleaning where it connects.

Next I drain the gas and start cleaning any oil or gas that has leaked onto the side of the motor. Next I open up the bottom of the transfer case and clean out the grease and pack it with new grease. Finally i take off the blades and wipe them down good and spray with wd-40 then put back on.

[PerchPounder]

There is a thread in the Equipment forum that covers this topic pretty well but new ideas are always welcome.

Summerizing your auger

[ice-man/vexilar-king]

Always a good idea to be ahead of schedule, But come on we may be fishing though the ice for opener this year! LOL We will have to pull this thread up a month from now!!!!

[tisosy11]

ahha - we have at least 20-30 days of ice fishing left!!!!

[tisosy11]

heck you might need the auger for opener...fish with your bout, anchor to the ice...auger to your spot!

[zamboni]

I have a 4 stroke. I do nothing.

[Bothun]

zamboni, so do i but am still going to drain the gas.

[TimBuck2]

Me also, but I have gas treated with Sea Foam, so I'll just start it every two weeks or so, or whenever i'm missing Ice Fishing. I usually start having withdrawls in May.

[SSSTaxidermy]

I drain most of the gas out of it, run some treatment though it and then start it frequently throughout the off season. There is not a better look on my wife's face, as I'm standing there running the ice auger, in 90 degree temps... with a huge smile on my face!

[Dave]

Last time I drained the gas, the carb leaked come to time to fire it up for ice season. I believe a gasket shrunk when the tank was empty over the summer. The gasket swelled back up and the leak stopped by itself however. That's why I just leave gas in and start it now and then.

[walleyeaddict]

Same problem encountered here Dave. But I generally dont start it in the summer...I simply pour out the gas before first use!

[zamboni]

 Originally Posted By: Bothun

zamboni, so do i but am still going to drain the gas.

I do that so I have the first fill up on the lawnmower.

[wishing for walleyes]

I have just ran mine empty on gas and have not had a problem for five years now.

[Surface Tension]

Whether you drain the gas or not, using nonoxygenated gas treated with a stabilizer is good practice. Run that treated gas through the fuel system. I've summerized a number of ways.

I like starting the auger a few times over the summer. I don't feel it necessary to fog the engine when doing that. Another benefit to that is the diaphragms in the carb don't dry out.

Common symptom of dried out diaphragms is having to repeatedly prime though either the carb of plug to get the carb to start pumping fuel on its own.

Another benefit of running the auger during summer is your lubing the cylinder walls and crank bearing. Moister is the #1 enemy for an engine during storage. For you guys that like running at 100:1 mix instead of the 24:1 recommend mix, fogging the engine or running it during the off season is a good idea.

Something else you can do is store the auger on its compression stroke. That'll keep humid air out of the crankcase.

Give the blades a shot of WD-40 or coat of oil.

Come next winter I'll dispose of any gas and start out with fresh gas. Remember the stabilized fuel you put in there last Spring? Well it may not have broken down but its absorbed moister all summer long. The idea of the stabilizer is so its not breaking down in the carb and leaving gum and corrosion.

[tisosy11]

If i just run some amsoil through it will i be fine?