Summer storage?

[Head Monkey]

I got my first sled this spring, an 09 M8 153. What do you guys tend to do for summer storage of your sleds? I’ve heard some people don’t bother and simply start their sled every couple of weeks and let it warm up a bit. Others take their sled to the dealer and have them do the whole nine yards for summer storage. Is that really necessary, or is the bi-weekly warm-up good enough? I’d like to get thoughts from people who have owned their sleds for a few years.

I’ve been doing the bi-weekly warm up for the past two months or so, but I’m wondering if this is really the right way to go or not.

Thanks!

 

[Bounty Hunter]

For the last few years I start them once in a while . Have had no problems

 

[lynxer292b]

I throw some sta bil in the tank and some bounce sheets(laundry things) in the seat pouch exhaust pipe and just around the sled under the hood and what not. Keeps the mice away. I start mine every once and a while just to smell the 2 stroke Also keep the track off the ground.

 

[Sled365]

I throw some sta bil in the tank and some bounce sheets(laundry things) in the seat pouch exhaust pipe and just around the sled under the hood and what not. Keeps the mice away. I start mine every once and a while just to smell the 2 stroke Also keep the track off the ground.

x2 on every thing. never thought of the laundry sheets though we use them up at my cabin.

 

[Head Monkey]

Heh… good call on the dryer sheets. I’m guessing at this point there are either some pretty deaf mice running around here that smell like 2-stroke oil, or my sled is gonna smell like more than hot dogs next fall

 

[scram400]

Dryer sheets don't seem to work. A buddy of mine had a whole box in his camper the next spring the mice had made a nest in the box of dryer sheets.

 

[Rprecision]

The only thing I am going to do not mentioned is plug the the exhaust. Should help keep out unwanted dust, moisture, Etc.

Start them up about once a month

I would suggest doing some research on fuel stabilzer. Stabil is a funny sort of thing. It is closer to a soap then anything as it is made to coat the outside of the fuel. This in-turn keeps oxygen and nitrogen away which oxidize and degrade the fuel. The only problem comes up when the fuel is disturbed by movement which breaks this "Seal." Nobody has ever been able to say one way or the other how well it reseals ? For those of us who choose not to fog starting it ever so often whould impact this.

A product called Sea Foam http://www.seafoamsales.com/motor-treatment/index.html , while more expensive, actually treats the fuel making it last longer. It contians a number of inhibiters and so forth that mix with not just coat the fuel. It also cleans injectors and so forth. In my workings with sea foam fuel seems to store much better. It seems to fight the alcohol (Ethonol) better too!

They both do the trick, but its helpful to understand how each works. I have had fuel treated with both at the same time with no ill effect as well !

On the newer injected sleds taking the time to focus on the fuel can save you alot of time and money !

Oh and make sure your tank is all the way full. This keeps the fuel pump covered and helps fight the growth of algae, rust, etc

 

[polaris dude]

I just start mine every month or two

 

[kane13]

I just did mine first i cleaned it then greased it, and after that i added the lucas fuel stabililizer with about 2 gallons of fuel left, ran it for a while pulled the plugs then added fogging oil, with the plugs grounded i then pulled it over about 10 times and put the plugs back in plugged the exhaust and put the cover on. I should have probably changed my dd oil but i store it indoors in my basement garage so i think i will be ok till fall and change it then. there are many different opinions on this subject and they all seem to vary, in your manual there is a section that describes what AC wants to see it seems a bit much but if i was storing outdoors i would probably have followed those steps. JMT

 

[m7maniac]

i quit using stabil for anything. too many gummed up carbs and injectors from it. was recommended to use evinrude/johnson fuel stabilizer by my local sled/boat shop and have not had a problem since.

 

[harf69]

i wondered about stabil doing that gumming up injectors i put stabil in the tank for summer storage then remove and replace with new fuel come winter

 

[XFIRE800]

another vote here for sea foam, that stuff has never let me down. You are supposed to put it in your oil too, and it is supposed to really help clean things up.

 

[Vertical_Escape]

Sea Foam, raise off track, and plug exhaust outlet with steel wool until fall. Cleaned them prior to putting in shed. I'll do the servicing when fall gets closer......

 

[lynxer292b]

Sea Foam is good stuff. I havent used it for storage, but should. I have heard many mixed feelings on Stabil. I havent had any problems what ever works for you. Sea Foam is good stuff and has worked well for me on cars. Put it in the gas when they have a little miss. Put it in the oil when the valves are making noise or sticking.

 

[Skinner]

Where do you get Seafoam at?? Sounds like what I should use.

 

[Vertical_Escape]

Most auto parts stores carry it I believe, maybe even Walmarts .....

If not, check a truck stop .....

 

[MT rydn]

stabil / run for 10-15 minutes once a month - spin track/ keeptrack off floor / stored in garage. And is fun just to uncover them and run them in off season
Have not had problem with stabil but will have to look into that other product I see others talking about.

 

[DTG]

Dont bother to fill them up on the last ride if you know that you are not going on anymore rides that year. Its a waste when you do that and 30 gallons of gas goes bad. For my track, i just stick some 2x4 running adjacent to the track, so they are inbetween the lugs. I set my skis up on 2x4s. Keep the covers on so you dont get dust and crap. Plus it keeps animals from gettin in.

P.S. Dont forget to clean out your hot dogger. Trust me, it is no fun to have your sled smelling like rotten hot pockets and having to scrape the rotten hot pocket out of the hot dogger.

 

[Rprecision]

Dont bother to fill them up on the last ride if you know that you are not going on anymore rides that year. Its a waste when you do that and 30 gallons of gas goes bad. For my track, i just stick some 2x4 running adjacent to the track, so they are inbetween the lugs. I set my skis up on 2x4s. Keep the covers on so you dont get dust and crap. Plus it keeps animals from gettin in.

P.S. Dont forget to clean out your hot dogger. Trust me, it is no fun to have your sled smelling like rotten hot pockets and having to scrape the rotten hot pocket out of the hot dogger.

Thats funny...............

I had some food in my prowler from hunting a year before.........

Cleaned it out for the wife to ride ..........that was a suprise !

 

[ripnit]

Another vote for sea foam. Grease it, change the oil in the chain case, don't want any moisture staying in there for 4-5 months, start it 2 or 3 time during the summer just to huff the smoke. I'm not a fan to cover it if its stored inside. Covered it one summer and had a mouse nest on the intake of the air box on my Indy ditchbanger, didn't run so good till I found it.