storeing my quad for a year or more

[hillkillcult]

im puttin my quad up a while. im in the air force could be gone for more then a year and just wondering what things you guys would do to keep good . im drainin the gas, puting it on a lift and takein the wheels off, so they dont touch the grond and its harder to steal i was thinkin about pouring a cap of oil in the sparkplug hole, what do you think am i missing any thing, I should drain the carb huh ?

[Budweiserebel07]

take the negative side off the battery.. i think youve pretty much covered the rest big guy.

[400man]

i'd also plug the end of the exhaust to keep any kind of critters from making a home in there.

so is it gonna be in a garage or storage unit or something?

[ridehonda400ex]

Plug the snorkel with some steel wool so mice dont get in there and eat up your filter

[400excracer]

Put some Star Tron fuel stabilizer in the tank and run it for a little while before you drain the tank and carb. This stuff is amazing and is way better than Stabil or Seafoam. Good Luck and thank you for serving our great country!!!

[JOHNDOE83]

Drain all the gas, pore the oil in the plug, Leave the brake fluid in, and cover the exhaust and intake. Also get a quad cover.

Also Im glad 400man said the thing about critters, my quad sat for "2 weeks" and I noticed a tiny green leaf in my carb vent while inspecting before a ride!!!

So I looked at it and sure enough, some bug built a lil home out of mud and leaves in my carb vents!!!

Maybe you should also pinch the vent lines shut just in case...lol.

Also, I always before storing my quad clean, dry and spray ALL the metal parts, electricals and chain with a high quality industrial silicone spray, after sitting even for extended periods of time, once you pull off the cover it still looks BRAND NEW and shiny and all lubed up... its nice, lol.

[hillkillcult]

thanks for the help guys , I dont have a quad cover but i am thinking of useing a tarp should work the same? These are good tips i will use them all.

[NacsMXer]

I second the silicone spray. It will prevent rubber parts from cracking and keep rust from forming on the entire quad. Douse the whole quad in it, it will wash off easily when you take the quad out of storage. Also don't forget to change the oil, it's a lot better to have fresh clean oil sitting in it. Small amount of oil down the spark plug hole is good too. Make sure to turn the motor over by hand to distribute it evenly.

[DirtyBirdRacing]

I dont know anything about storing quads wish I could help, just wanted to say thanks for serving our country. Im swearing in to the navy next week my self. :)

[4HundredEX]

Originally posted by hillkillcult
im puttin my quad up a while. im in the air force could be gone for more then a year and just wondering what things you guys would do to keep good . im drainin the gas, puting it on a lift and takein the wheels off, so they dont touch the grond and its harder to steal i was thinkin about pouring a cap of oil in the sparkplug hole, what do you think am i missing any thing, I should drain the carb huh ?

I agree with 400excracer, put some type of fuel stabilizer in the tank and run it for a while. Drain the carb and the tank, as it wont rust since it is plastic. Remove the battery, and just plan on buying another battery for it when you get back. I wouldnt leave it on a maintainer for a year, as anything can go wrong with the maintainer and it would suck if the battery blew up. Remove the wheels, and soak the tires in some sort of tire shine to aid in not dry rotting. Lube the chain up good. Change the oil so there will be less moisture and acid inside the motor. Get some fogging oil and use as directed, and still put a cap or so of oil in the plug hole. Turn the motor over for a sec or two with the plug out to distribute the oil on the cylinder walls. If you havent done it recently I would repack the wheel and carrier bearings also to rid of any water or moisture as they will rust.

Basically you are winterizing a motorcycle, pwc, or boat in theory, just need to add a few extra steps for the longer storage time.