Fuel tank winterization

[aigram]

It's that horrible time of year where the bike gets put away for 6 months due to Wisconsin winter.
I'm removing the fuel tank this off-season for a project, and would like to drain the fuel for ease of storage purposes. Couple questions:
1) I have a siphon, but it struggles to get the last of the fuel out. What is the best way I can go about getting the remaining fuel out?
2) Before putting the tank into storage, I was wondering if coating the inside of the tank with WD-40 would be a suitable winterizing strategy for the tank?

This is separate from my normal winterizing procedure. I get the bike onto stands (weight off the tires and suspension), run fogging oil through the intake and in the spark plug holes, drain the carbs, and put the battery on a tender.

[aigram]

Just posting to bump this. What do others do when storing the tank for an extended (roughly 6 months) period of time?

[ZOA NOM]

Move.


But seriously, if I had to let it sit for so long, I might just take the tank (empty it through the hose on the bottom) and the carbs off (drain 'em) and put them on the bench to clean and ready them for the thaw.

[fj1289]

I'd consider pouring two stroke oil into the tank and rotating it around for coverage.  My thought is come time to clean it out, two stroke oil is made to dissolve in gas - should make it a bit easier to remove come spring time. 

[Old Rider]

It's that horrible time of year where the bike gets put away for 6 months due to Wisconsin winter.
I'm removing the fuel tank this off-season for a project, and would like to drain the fuel for ease of storage purposes. Couple questions:
1) I have a siphon, but it struggles to get the last of the fuel out. What is the best way I can go about getting the remaining fuel out?
2) Before putting the tank into storage, I was wondering if coating the inside of the tank with WD-40 would be a suitable winterizing strategy for the tank?

This is separate from my normal winterizing procedure. I get the bike onto stands (weight off the tires and suspension), run fogging oil through the intake and in the spark plug holes, drain the carbs, and put the battery on a tender.

To get the fuel out you can suck the vacuumhose or better use a empty ketchup bottle and put the tip in the vacuum hose.
To get out the remaining fuel take the tank off and use a towell rolled up and put it in the fillerhole and hold the tank upsidedown and shake it.

[ribbert]

It's that horrible time of year where the bike gets put away for 6 months due to Wisconsin winter.
I'm removing the fuel tank this off-season for a project, and would like to drain the fuel for ease of storage purposes. Couple questions:
1) I have a siphon, but it struggles to get the last of the fuel out. What is the best way I can go about getting the remaining fuel out?
2) Before putting the tank into storage, I was wondering if coating the inside of the tank with WD-40 would be a suitable winterizing strategy for the tank?

This is separate from my normal winterizing procedure. I get the bike onto stands (weight off the tires and suspension), run fogging oil through the intake and in the spark plug holes, drain the carbs, and put the battery on a tender.

Well Alex, you say you're removing the tank, what fuel remains after draining from the outlet hose can simply be gotten rid of by turning the tank upside down with the lid open, any remaining residue will evaporate very quickly in a warm environment (with the lid open and the tank upright). WD40 is a great product when used for it's intended purpose but the ever expanding lists on the internet for it's many uses are bullshit, and in which context it becomes the most overrated product on the market. To start with, it's 50% kero.
We are fortunate where I live that such precautions aren't necessary but if you are concerned about the tank rusting internally, I would fill the fuel tank with engine oil from my last oil change and slosh it around for coverage then just drain it out come next season. Maybe flush the bulk of the residue out with a small amount of fuel and the little that remains won't matter (Upper cylinder lubricant!) it will simply burn off in use on the first tank of fuel.

We also don't have a lacquering problem in the carbies, but I'd be reasonably confident there is a solvent out there that dissolves it, particularly before it hardens, and in which case I would remove the carbs and immerse them in it as soon as the riding season finished and maybe then just leave them dry for the off season. Any industrial chemists out there?

Noel

[racerrad8]

Alex, here of the Yamaha recommendation.

http://www.fjowners.com/index.php?topic=18811.msg190260#msg190260

Randy - RPM

[aigram]

Thanks Randy.
I took the known-to-me approach and just filled the tank to the brim, with Stabil. Two months from now I'll curse myself for making the bike weigh a boatload when I have to move it around.
I also saw what Yamaha suggested. I definitely stray on the over-protective side, but I can't imagine that my sloshing around of some motor oil is going to provide a even coverage of the metal surfaces inside the tank. Maybe for a brand new tank 32 years ago this was acceptable long-term storage, but I'm all about displacing as much (all) of that reactive oxygen away from the only fuel tank I have!
Whoever said to just move: You're not wrong!

[Millietant]

It's that horrible time of year where the bike gets put away for 6 months due to Wisconsin winter.
I'm removing the fuel tank this off-season for a project, and would like to drain the fuel for ease of storage purposes. Couple questions:
1) I have a siphon, but it struggles to get the last of the fuel out. What is the best way I can go about getting the remaining fuel out?
2) Before putting the tank into storage, I was wondering if coating the inside of the tank with WD-40 would be a suitable winterizing strategy for the tank?

This is separate from my normal winterizing procedure. I get the bike onto stands (weight off the tires and suspension), run fogging oil through the intake and in the spark plug holes, drain the carbs, and put the battery on a tender.

Well Alex, you say you're removing the tank, what fuel remains after draining from the outlet hose can simply be gotten rid of by turning the tank upside down with the lid open, any remaining residue will evaporate very quickly in a warm environment (with the lid open and the tank upright). WD40 is a great product when used for it's intended purpose but the ever expanding lists on the internet for it's many uses are bullshit, and in which context it becomes the most overrated product on the market. To start with, it's 50% kero.
We are fortunate where I live that such precautions aren't necessary but if you are concerned about the tank rusting internally, I would fill the fuel tank with engine oil from my last oil change and slosh it around for coverage then just drain it out come next season. Maybe flush the bulk of the residue out with a small amount of fuel and the little that remains won't matter (Upper cylinder lubricant!) it will simply burn off in use on the first tank of fuel.

We also don't have a lacquering problem in the carbies, but I'd be reasonably confident there is a solvent out there that dissolves it, particularly before it hardens, and in which case I would remove the carbs and immerse them in it as soon as the riding season finished and maybe then just leave them dry for the off season. Any industrial chemists out there?

Noel

In my career in road construction, when needing to break down samples of asphalt for analysis, we used Methylene Chloride (MeCl). It was the best solvent for bitumen (a refined oil based product) - lumps of asphalt were put in steel cylinder which was filled with methylene chloride and sealed, then rotated for 90 mins. All of the petrochemical product was dissolved. We also used it to clean up parts covered in oil.

Never tried it on carbs and these days you can't buy it and use it the way we used to do because of health and safety reasons (eventually had to keep any open containers, and use, it in a fume cupboard- it evaporates really quickly !!!!).

In the right controlled environment, it would be interesting to know how it worked.

[FJ_Hooligan]

Thanks Randy.
I took the known-to-me approach and just filled the tank to the brim, with Stabil. Two months from now I'll curse myself for making the bike weigh a boatload when I have to move it around.

Warning, my brother did that once with his dirtbike tank.  Filled it to the brim with stabilized fuel. 

Come the following spring, he removed the cap and was greeted with a very rusted fuel cap.  All the condensation accumulated in the small air gap and I guess the venting through the cap allowed enough oxygen in to cause a significant amount of rust.

[Waiex191]

My harley golf cart suffered a failure when I lived in NY.  It was about 3 or 4 years before I got it going again.  The old two stroke gas seemed fine - I wonder if the oil in the gas, or whatever is in 2 stroke oil, works some sort of preservation magic.

[Ted Schefelbein]

Alex,
I have always run the engines out of fuel, and drained the tank. I didn't pour a cup of oil in the tank, but, perhaps 2 ounces of 5W30 motor oil, and some WD40 on the upright surfaces of the tank.

I have owned collector cars my whole life, and long ago came to the conclusion that fuel can't cause issues if it isn't there. My 1967 442 is coming up on it's second year of storage (didn't run it this summer during shutdown) and the fuel was run out of it as well.

My storage is better than most, indoors with forced air heat, kept about 45 degrees in the winter months. I put a piece of foam between the tires and the concrete, to keep the tires from wicking. Small motors get plugs pulled, and oil in the hole. Some of them sit in the shed all winter, it is COLD out there, but, no problems.

Never any troubles, here.

Ted

[aigram]

Hey Ted,
Fuel in the tank is the natural state for the tank. It isn't so much the fuel causing issues as it is moisture in the atmosphere condensing. That said, I get what you're saying
Sigh...I guess I'll siphon out the tank It's a pain how many variables are involved in successfully storing vehicles long-term without causing harm. I'm also fortunate that my bike lives in a covered, heated garage; Still a hassle to store a bike for so long.

[Ted Schefelbein]

Alex,
The problem is one of which fuel you got. The formulations change with the season, and, as an added bonus, if the refinery has a cracking imbalance from different grades of crude, those chemicals end up right back in the fuel. An example is benzene, there is really no safe way to dispose of it. It goes right back in the refined fuel.
Is you fuel slightly acidic, or, slightly alkaline, from tank to tank?
You don't know. Neither do I.

I Er on the side of an empty tank. Some oil seems like a great idea. YMMV.

Ted