RayJayco wrote:
How long would you allow your car to sit without being ran? Engines need to run, tires need to roll.
As long as it needs to, with proper preparation. And the prep is partly sound maint practices and partly a placebo effect to make me sleep better knowing.
Generators in particular used to need to be loaded periodically to keep the windings up to snuff and putting out max power.
Engine wise, yeah totally make sure it runs good before you leave on a trip, but 100% not necessary to excercise monthly or regularly, IF you store them properly. Mainly fuel concerns.
I have somewhere around 20 engines around the house in various machines. From weed wackers to 500hp V8s and everything in between. I've not had a starting problem, and certainly not a fuel problem in a lot of years by simply "putting the, up for the winter" properly. Got a 6kw generator for power outages that never got used last winter, so last time it saw duty was winter '16-17. Just started it recently for a check. Gas is 2 years old probably, stabilized and run carb dry. It fired right up. If I use it, I'll dump a can of fresh gas in and she'll keep the lights on for as long as I pour gas in it.
By way of comparison, I probably clean 2 or 3 carbs on friends or relatives small engines every year. The old "ran fine last year, don't know this pos won't start now" scenarios.
If you leave it with a little non ethanol fuel, I prefer premium, AvGas or Race gas, depending on the engine and length of time stored, stabilize the fuel and if possible, run the carb dry, there is 0 reason it shouldn't start and run fine with no issue.
Leve it with a tank of Arco 87 for a year in the carb it's a 50/50 proposition.
