On Fri, 10 Oct 2008 02:12:40 -0500, wrote:

On Mon, 06 Oct 2008 19:20:38 -0400, Phisherman
wrote:

On Mon, 06 Oct 2008 18:52:46 -0400, Paul Oman
wrote:

What is the best way to 'winterize' my lawn mower and other seasonal
internal combustion engine yard tools for the next 5-6 months of winter?

thanks all - paul


Two methods:

Empty the tank and run dry. At this point you could add a cup of
kerosene to the tank if you remember to remove it in the spring. My
father used this technique, works great and prevents rust.

Add a stabilizer to *fresh* gasoline, add to the mower, and run the
engine for a couple minutes.

I just use the stabilizer, run for a few minutes and put the mower in
a garage or shed. There's no need to change the oil until spring. If
it's not being used, who cares if the oil is clean or dirty. In fact
I think that clean oil is spring means it will be clean when the mower
is used. Unlike sitting in the crankcase all winter.

You were doing okay until you recommended storing the engine with
dirty oil in it. Used oil isn't just dirty, it's acidic.