drain carbs or not????

Y

yankeeslover

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question. I just got off the phone w/ the local Yamaha dealer, and he advised that when I summerize my sled, that I drain the carbs... now does this have to be done, even if i Use the good fuel stabalizer? I have no idea how to drain carbs, nor want to attempt to do it, as I would end up ruining the thing....my dealer charges $65.00 to summerize it...they fog it, throw in stablizer and drain the carbs...is this necessary? I would rather pay them the 65.00, then to ruin the sled..its a vmax 600..thanks, Pete
 
Conventional wisdom says that not draining the carbs will leave a coating of gasoline varnish inside the jets when the gas evaporates. Several iterations of this process will shrink the size of the orifice, that in turn reduces the amount of gas and oil that can pass through the jet, effectively 'leaning out' the mixture and causing a piston melt-down.
 
piston melt down?

great thanks....worth the $65.00..hehe...lol!! question on that scenerio that you gave with it running lean.......I just purchased this 96 vmax..... I have been running it for around a week now, maybe put on around 15 miles or so...not much...but have opened it up quite a bit.....I just found out yesterday that the sled was stored in a barn for two years, and the person i purchased it from, changed the gas out a few weeks ago, and pulled twice and it started.... they never cleaned the carbs or anything..My question is,,,, would I have had problems by now if all that varnish was left on there? I guess im trying to figure out if im out of the woods or not!!!! , or if i destroyed my motor.....I didnt know this, and I dont know how to clean carbs...I ran around 15-20 miles on this sled the past two days, and it runs GREAT.......does a piston melt down happen right away? or does it take time?..thanks, Pete
 
i never drain my carbs, cause i clean them every year, at the beginning of the season.....then i'm good to go. i don't like trusting carb drainings, sta-bil, etc.
 
not needed use stabil at double dose with fresh gas and fogg it then put her to sleep,i never drain my carbs,and never have a carb isssue,take it for what it's worth..
 
daman said:
not needed use stabil at double dose with fresh gas and fogg it then put her to sleep,i never drain my carbs,and never have a carb isssue,take it for what it's worth..
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Agreed
 
Amazingly, I'm in agreement with the last three posters, with some add-ons.

Find out how much it will cost for your dealer to clean the carbs and go the cheaper route. From your posts, I don't think you're ready for the carb cleaning task yet. Draining the carbs will probably make it a little harder to fire up the next season, but we can help you with that when the time comes.

You need to find somebody close to you to learn from or get a wrenching sled buddy.
 
daman said:
not needed use stabil at double dose with fresh gas and fogg it then put her to sleep,i never drain my carbs,and never have a carb isssue,take it for what it's worth..
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I agree as well. I've done this for 7 years on my '98 and never had a problem. I did have to go through the carbs when I first got the sled as the original owner didn't do a thing to it and let it sit for two years.

I should add, I always use non-ethanol premium in my sleds.

Mike
 
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Stabil does nothing to prevent phase separation with the newer ethanol additive gasolines. That stuff leaves a clear gooey substance behind. I learned my lesson and now drain the carbs. Also, I serviced small engines for about 10 years and over that time noticed that some years everyone needed a card cleaning and other years all was good. The temperature must have something to do with how long gasoline remains stable. I'm not doubting that people can get away without draining, but I think it is the best practice. I also think that $65 is a good price.
 
Never drain my carbs either. Fuel stabalizer at a extra dosage, Run it so it gets cycled thru the fuel system.. Store with premium fuel.
I also clean them every year..
 
If you tear your sleds apart every year like I do, you don't have to worry about draining your carbs. They simply spill out all over the workbench where you lay them. :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

Based upon my own personal observations, I am convinced that there is gasoline sold today that will clog up your pilot jets if left in the carbs over the summer whether you use Stabil or not. There is also gasoline sold that will not do this.

How do you tell which gas you are getting? I really don't know.

I just rebuilt a fuel pump that was full of a red gritty substance. This sled was only filled by me since new.

Rust? Dirt? Where did it come from? I really don't know.
 
yankeeslover said:
question. I just got off the phone w/ the local Yamaha dealer, and he advised that when I summerize my sled, that I drain the carbs... now does this have to be done, even if i Use the good fuel stabalizer? I have no idea how to drain carbs, nor want to attempt to do it, as I would end up ruining the thing....my dealer charges $65.00 to summerize it...they fog it, throw in stablizer and drain the carbs...is this necessary? I would rather pay them the 65.00, then to ruin the sled..its a vmax 600..thanks, Pete
Click to expand...

Obviously there are differing opinions on this subject based on experiences and I don't think you'll go wrong with any of them.

Having said that, I personally drain all the fuel from my sled after the season not so much for the carbs but for next year's ride. This is very easy if you know how to use a siphon hose. Just drain the tank and run the sled at idle or just above idle until it runs out of fuel. I will also use the choke plungers to suck the last bit out of the bowls before it flames out.

This doesn't necassary preclude a carb clean next spring, but what it does do is ensure you have fresh fuel next year and can avoid detination issues on that first long lake run when the snow flies next winter.

I know after waiting all summer that restraint on the loud lever isn't easy and I'm usually getting calls after the first snow from guys that had a burn down. I don't get calls from them the next year after I suggest they stop using stabil and instead drain and refill with same season fuel.

I use Stabil and have nothing against it, just not in a high performance two stroke. Detination isn't good for any motor but is nearly always deadly on a two stroke.

$65.00 isn't so bad until you see what you're getting. Get some tygon hose for draining and a can of fogging oil and you've basically done what the dealer is going to do. Add in some spray silicone to spraay on EVERYTHING at the season's end and you've surpassed what the dealer would have provided.
 
thanks

thank you...but is it ok to drain the gas tank all the way down? I was advised against doing that, cause I can then get moisture in the tank....so You say, you drain the tank all the way..then in the fall, you clean your carbs? then fill with fresh gas...also, you said spray silicone? where would I spray that on? the seat and track?
 
Yankee, there is a nut on the bottom of each carb. If your not gonna have the carbs cleaned, at least unscrew these nuts and check for the dreaded green goo. This is very easy to do without removing the carbs. This will drain the carbs so make sure to catch it with a rag. If you see the green goo, have the carbs removed and cleaned before anymore riding. Green goo=very bad!

I would try to clean the carbs yourself cuz it's pretty easy. A can of carb cleaner and some rags.
 
everyone has there own way of summerizing. The main concern is that you do summerize for a healtheir snow machine that will be reliable in future use. I personaly drain the carbs. I remember one year i did not ..i just put stabul in the tank and fogged the motor ...the next season i had to clean the carbs......they had this dry residue in the bowls....... When i drain the carbs though ..the next season they were always very clean! I now ,never have to clean the carbs!.......DRAIN EM!!! oh ya.......I have never drained the tank, just add stabil.
 
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As everyone said everyone has different opinions.
I top off the tank with gas. Then clean the carbs before starting the sled. I will usually pull it over several times with the carbs off to make sure there isn't any water or crap coming out the lines.

I will run it down to half a tank or less then fill it up again. Always seems to run good and such.
 
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