mixed gas & summer storage -- ice augers

[weedcatcher]

Last winter I bought a Stingray ice auger. I'm putting it into storage for the year, and I need some tips. I'm currently running the engine so the gas tank goes dry. I'll still have about a gallon of mixed fuel. Will it be no good next season? Could I put in a bit of fuel stabilizer to keep it from "going bad"?
If that gallon is going to be no good by next December, then can I put mixed gas into my truck, or will the 2-stroke oil mess my truck up?

Thanks

[buckmaster]

i add a bit more gas and use it in my lawnmower.

[mulecrazy]

The gas will likely still be okay next winter, not ideal, but you could just blend it with fresh stuff and go from there. Or, do what I do. I just dump the leftover gas into my larger jerry can for my lawnmower. That little bit of 2 cycle oil will not hurt my lawn mower at all. it has a bit more exhaust smoke, but it will be just fine.

[weedcatcher]

Thanks for the responses. The lawnmower suggestions are good, but won't work for me. I have an electric mower. I guess I'll just try mixing it with fresh stuff next season.
Thanks

[mulecrazy]

do you have a quad? or, heck. A tiny little bit of 2 cycle oil mixed with a full tank in your truck will not hurt a darn thing.

[Willowtrail]

Put a fuel stabalizer in it and run for a few minutes and she's good to sit for the summer.

[FishingFrenzy]

If you have a weedwhacker, chainsaw, rototiller.. etc lots of those are the same mix as augers..

also, how nice is this truck??? Shouldn't hurt it....

[weedcatcher]

Truck is a 2002 Toyota Tundra.

[bellr77]

2 stroke oil won't hurt a thing in a truck. Its not enough oil by the time all the gas in the truck dilutes it it will be like 100 to 1 at most.

One thing I always like to do when storing any engine 2 or 4 stroke for a considerable amount of time is I take out the spark plug and dump a capful of straight 2 stroke oil on the piston. Also make sure the carb is drained so it won't gum up.

[Geezle]

Add it to a full (well, almost full anyway) tank in your truck and you'll be fine

[WayneChristie]

if you run Jiffy oil, it has stabilizer in it, should be ok for next season. or leave the fuel in it til next winter to keep the seals moist, then dump it in your truck if you are worried about it.

[weedcatcher]

Originally Posted by WayneChristie

if you run Jiffy oil, it has stabilizer in it, should be ok for next season. or leave the fuel in it til next winter to keep the seals moist, then dump it in your truck if you are worried about it.

So now I'm a bit confused. I ran it dry yesterday thinking that was the best thing to do. I assume by running it dry the carb is now drained. So is it better to leave the fuel in it to keep the seals moist?

[Kokanee9]

Take the gallon of mixed gas and give it to somebody that has a 2 stroke mower, weedeater, chainsaw, whatever. even some lanscapers that are perhaps doing someones lawn on the street. It's only 1 gal. of gas. Don't mix it into your truck or anything else that is 4 cycle. I broke some rocker arms and bent a couple push rods once by doing that. Don't save it for next year for the sake of the cost of 1 gal of gas. Get a smaller container or get 2 or 3 people next year and mix 1 or 2 gal. and then split it up so you don't have to worry about this next year.

What seals are there on the inside of a small 2 stroke?

[Rock Doctor]

Originally Posted by weedcatcher

So now I'm a bit confused. I ran it dry yesterday thinking that was the best thing to do. I assume by running it dry the carb is now drained. So is it better to leave the fuel in it to keep the seals moist?

There is nothing in there you need to "keep Moist" with gas, draining the fuel is fine. You might want to spray some "storage oil" into the engine (should have been done with engine running, but you can fake it).

There is nothing in a 4 stroke engine that a bit of 2 stroke oil will hurt. I dump old mixed gas in my truck or quad all the time, doesn't bother them a bit.


RD

[mulecrazy]

Originally Posted by Kokanee9

Take the gallon of mixed gas and give it to somebody that has a 2 stroke mower, weedeater, chainsaw, whatever. even some lanscapers that are perhaps doing someones lawn on the street. It's only 1 gal. of gas. Don't mix it into your truck or anything else that is 4 cycle. I broke some rocker arms and bent a couple push rods once by doing that. Don't save it for next year for the sake of the cost of 1 gal of gas. Get a smaller container or get 2 or 3 people next year and mix 1 or 2 gal. and then split it up so you don't have to worry about this next year.

What seals are there on the inside of a small 2 stroke?

how much oil did you put in???? Not a chance dumping 1 gallon of 14:1 mixed gas is going to do that, no way in heck. Something else did that damage. All that it will do in a 4 cycle is cause it too smoke. Its just a lubricant, gas doesn't touch your rocker arms or push rods.

[alodar]

Originally Posted by Kokanee9

Take the gallon of mixed gas and give it to somebody that has a 2 stroke mower, weedeater, chainsaw, whatever. even some lanscapers that are perhaps doing someones lawn on the street. It's only 1 gal. of gas. Don't mix it into your truck or anything else that is 4 cycle. I broke some rocker arms and bent a couple push rods once by doing that. Don't save it for next year for the sake of the cost of 1 gal of gas. Get a smaller container or get 2 or 3 people next year and mix 1 or 2 gal. and then split it up so you don't have to worry about this next year.

What seals are there on the inside of a small 2 stroke?

Was it a dodge?

[weedcatcher]

I got this from the Eskimo website. It's off of a PDF of the owners manual:

Steps for Long Term Storage
1. Add fuel stabilizer according to manufacturer’s instructions.
2. Run engine for 10-15 minutes to ensure that the stabilizer
reaches the carburetor.
3. Remove the remainder of the fuel from the gas tank
into an approved fuel container.
4. Remove auger from powerhead and apply a thin layer
of grease to the output shaft (8913).
5. Store auger and powerhead (engine) in a vertical position.

I put in a touch of fuel and started it up again, and then followed the above instructions. Since the oil I use [Jiffy] has stabilizer in it already I guess I'm all set.

Thanks for the help and suggestions.

[Kokanee9]

Originally Posted by alodar

Was it a dodge?

Lol, no it was a chev 400 sb. Stuck in the forest reserve and had to add the boat gas (2-3 gallons mixed at 50/1) to about 1/4 tank in the truck in order to get out. From that experience I would not advise adding any 2 stroke oil to a vehicle. That truck had a carb on it and I would be even more wary of adding to a fuel injected motor.

I forgot to add the storage sprays that are available. With the motor running, you spray the stuff into the air intake until the motor stops running. It lubricates the inside of the motor for storage.

Mulecrazy- I understand the gas doesn't touch the pushrods or rocker arms. I feel that the damage was a result of the rate of combustion being slowed down and extended over a longer period of time. I think the oil may have slowed down the combustion process and spread it out over a longer period of time. The damage had to occur when the valves were trying to open and the fuel mixture was still igniting. The pressure made it hard for the valves to open and as a result, the bent pushods and broken rocker arms.

Thats the only explanation I can think of. Not every rocker or pushrod was damaged. It was limited to about 3-4 of each. If anyone can explain different, I would appreciate it. This was my experience and I wouldn't want the same to happen to someone else. Learn from my mistake, don't repeat it.

[dale7637]

Engine damage sounds odd to me, but anything is possible. If you got a big gulp of oil in one shot it is possible that the engine hyrdo locked instead of burning the oil off. This scenario would cause bent pushrods and all around valve train issues. Would be interesting to know if the damage happened all at once or over a period of time.

[dale7637]

Some quick math here... 3 gallons is roughly 12 liters... Mixed at 50-1 would be 240ml of oil.. A quarter liter.. Average tank size in an older truck was probably 120 liters.. So 240ml of oil in a quarter tank of 30 liters would put the mix ratio way way too lean to cause any engine issues. Me thinks something else went sideways on ya..

[alodar]

Originally Posted by Kokanee9

Lol, no it was a chev 400 sb. Stuck in the forest reserve and had to add the boat gas (2-3 gallons mixed at 50/1) to about 1/4 tank in the truck in order to get out. From that experience I would not advise adding any 2 stroke oil to a vehicle. That truck had a carb on it and I would be even more wary of adding to a fuel injected motor.

I forgot to add the storage sprays that are available. With the motor running, you spray the stuff into the air intake until the motor stops running. It lubricates the inside of the motor for storage.

Mulecrazy- I understand the gas doesn't touch the pushrods or rocker arms. I feel that the damage was a result of the rate of combustion being slowed down and extended over a longer period of time. I think the oil may have slowed down the combustion process and spread it out over a longer period of time. The damage had to occur when the valves were trying to open and the fuel mixture was still igniting. The pressure made it hard for the valves to open and as a result, the bent pushods and broken rocker arms.

Thats the only explanation I can think of. Not every rocker or pushrod was damaged. It was limited to about 3-4 of each. If anyone can explain different, I would appreciate it. This was my experience and I wouldn't want the same to happen to someone else. Learn from my mistake, don't repeat it.

This is a similar issue i had with my dodge and my mechanic said its happened to a few others but blamed the problem on low oil viscosity. On a side note i used all of my old auger fuel in my car and nothing happened(roughly 30 litres at 40:1)im leaning towards a coincidence that it happened to your vechicle when u did it.

[Isopod]

As for the initial question... it's just a gallon of gas... $5 worth. Dispose of it (recycling centre, backyard firepit, whatever) then move on. Next winter, mix up a smaller batch of gas for your auger. I use a 1 gallon container, fill it about half-full with gas, then add stabilizer to preserve it for the ice-fishing season. That is more than enough for my needs, the leftovers help me start a fire quickly in the BBQ pit...

[Kokanee9]

Originally Posted by dale7637

Engine damage sounds odd to me, but anything is possible. If you got a big gulp of oil in one shot it is possible that the engine hyrdo locked instead of burning the oil off. This scenario would cause bent pushrods and all around valve train issues. Would be interesting to know if the damage happened all at once or over a period of time.

We got to cochrane and put in a few more gallons into the tank. Things were fine at that point. By time we got back to calgary, the engine was misfiring. It wasn't an old motor. I liked your suggestion of hydro lock, but think it may have had more damage like a bent rod or damaged piston if that was the case.

Originally Posted by alodar

This is a similar issue i had with my dodge and my mechanic said its happened to a few others but blamed the problem on low oil viscosity. On a side note i used all of my old auger fuel in my car and nothing happened(roughly 30 litres at 40:1)im leaning towards a coincidence that it happened to your vechicle when u did it.

The oil was 10/30 or 10/40. I cant remember from 25 yrs ago. I take pretty good care of my stuff and cant see it being old oil in the motor at the time.

My apologies to weedcatcher for the hijacking.

[Sooner]

I do nothing but take out the spark plug and add a few drops of oil, pull over the engine slowly a few times. Put the plug back in. I keep the tank 3/4 full so no condensation happens and it sits all summer in the shed. Sometimes its been 2 seasons before I use it again. When I do I drain the tank, start with fresh fuel, its been 10 plus yrs and its still starts right away and has never given me a ounce of trouble.