Switching small engine equipment out

Well winter is coming or if you are in the north eastern US has already come. With the changing season comes a change of seasonal toys and equipment. I have seen lots of equipment fail because it was put away incorrectly. Remember it costs a lot less to prevent issues than to pay some else to fix them. Also it is no fun when you need or want to use something and it doesn't work. 

I always check my equipment before I need it as I don't want to be stuck trying to get my snow blower running when there is 12 inches of snow on the ground. This way if it is broken you can get it repaired before you need it and not be stuck waiting for the shop to fix everyone else's equipment before they get to yours. So basically don't wait to check your equipment until the weather service issues a storm warning

To ensure that things are ready to go when I want to use them next I do the following. Apart from changing the engine oil all of these are applicable to 2 stroke and 4 stroke engines.


Putting Equipment away for the year:

1. Drain the fuel - I do this since gasoline does have a finite lifetime of about 6 months. Also modern gasoline has ethanol added to it which absorbs water. By draining the gas you prevent rust from forming in the gas tank if it has a steel tank, prevent water from getting into the gas, and also prevent varnish from forming that will plug up the carburetor. Once all of the fuel is out of the tank try to start the engine to get all the fuel that is left in the carburetor out.
2. Change the oil - All of my 4 stroke small engines get fresh oil put into them at the end of the season so that they don't sit there with old oil in them all winter. This also ensures that there is fresh oil when I want to use it.
3. Fog the engine - If you have never heard of this fogging the engine basically is to spray the cylinder with a fine oil that will prevent it from rusting and ceasing. You can buy special oil in an aerosol can for this purpose. The best way to fog an engine is to pull the spark plugs and spray the oil directly into the cylinder and then replace the spark plug.
4. Check or Replace the spark plugs - Since you have pulled the spark plugs you might as well check them to see if they are still go, and if not replace them if needed.

Getting equipment out for the year:

1. Put fresh fuel in the tank - This can be the fuel you just removed from the equipment you just put away so why not use it instead of letting it go to waste. If you left fuel in it from the year before it might be a bit questionable and should be drained and disposed of first.
2. Check any belts to make sure they are in good working order, not cracked, and have the right tension. Replace as needed.
3. Lube any chains and gears - This will prevent rust and ensure that they move freely. I find this especially helpful to do on the shoots of snow blowers so they don't frees or get stuck in place.
4. Start the engine and let it run - I have always found that the first time starting a piece of equipment each year is always the hardest. This will also let you know if it works correctly or if you need to have it repaired. 
5. Once running take off the air filter and spray some carburetor cleaner into the intake to clean out any deposits that may have formed. Don't let it stall but it will smoke as it is running really rich when you do this. A few (4 to 5) quick 1 second squirts with a few second wait between each will do wonders if the engine isn't running very well. Now go put the air filter back on it. Once done let the engine run for 10 to 15 minutes.

That New Used Car

As I have never purchased a new vehicle only used I always make sure to do some basic maintenance for worry free operation. Recently I purchased a new to me 1996 Jeep Cherokee with the 4.0L inline six and 5 speed manual to replace my failing 1988 Bronco II. This is really a high mileage vehicle with 368,XXX on it and it actually runs really well. As I would like to keep it running as such I need to take care of it. Also by doing this maintenance I can get an idea of the care the previous owner took of the vehicle.

So what are the things I do to a used vehicle when purchased. It is basically fluids, filters, and depending on mileage spark plugs and wires as well.

1. Engine oil and filter service - First thing is first check the oil level, it should be in the normal fill range, if not the engine might have an excessive leak or be burning oil. Then check to see that it is in the normal range of color (light clean tan to darker brown indicating it is time for a change) if it is really black they may not have changed the oil as regularly as they should have. If it is milky then there is either a head gasket leak that is causing coolant to leak into the oil or there is a plugged PCV valve/system. If you have milky oil hope it is just a plugged PCV valve otherwise return the vehicle if they didn't tell you it had a bad head gasket or valley pan gasket (not all vehicles have a valley pan). At this point I have all the info I can gather from the oil so I just do my normal oil and filter service even if the oil is reasonably fresh. This enables me to know exactly when the oil was changed and if there were any deposits you just flushed them out.
2. Transmission fluid and filter if automatic - Most people neglect their transmission especially automatics. Here I check the level to ensure there isn't a leak and then change it. If it is an automatic you should change the filter as well and clean out the pan to remove any filings that are in there. Manual transmission don't have a filter but when changing fluids always open the fill plug before opening the drain plug (this is a common theme). You do this to ensure that you can refill the thing before you empty out all the fluid. If I can't get a plug out (I have only had this happen once) I am willing to make it someone else's problem as a fluid change isn't that expensive on a manual transmission or differentials. Once they crack it open it will be easy the next time you want to do it and you won't have to pay someone else to do it this time. Fresh fluid and filter will greatly extend the life of an automatic transmission.
3. Coolant - Here I check the level and also check to see if there is any oil in it. Once done I drain it and fill it back up with a 50/50 mix of distilled water and antifreeze. If you have oil in your coolant then you might have a blown head gasket or bad valley pan gasket. Use distilled water it doesn't have all the minerals that tap water has in it that can cause corrosion and lime scale build up and will extend the life of your cooling system.
4. Transfer case fluid - check the level to ensure that it doesn't leak and then drain and refill. Again here always open the fill plug before opening the drain plug since you don't want to drain it and then not be able to refill it.
5. Differential fluid - Again here check the level before draining and refilling to ensure that there isn't a leak. When changing it always remove the fill plug before removing the cover or drain plug to ensure you can actually refill it. Once the cover is off clean up the interior of the differential using paper towels to wipe out any material and remaining oil you can. You will need to scrape off any gasket material that may still be stuck to the differential or the cover. The nice thing is if they have been using different color RTV gasket material you can tell how many times it has been changed. It appears on my Jeep it has been done at least 2 times as there wasn't the factory paper gasket (this is all Jeep used) and there was some old orange RTV gasket material and newer gray RTV gasket material. Also you can check for excessive wear marks or scoring on the gears.
6. Fuel filter - Who knows when this was last changed and they are cheep.
7. Air filter - Even if it looks clean these are cheep and easy to do so might as well
8. PCV valve - Again here it is cheep and really easy to change
9. Spark plugs and wires - With 368,??? on the Jeep the $12 in plugs and $14 for wires seemed reasonable. This also gives you a great insight into what is going on inside the engine and how it is running if you want to read your spark plugs (not my site but this diagram is a common one and is correct). Also since this Jeep still has a distributor I also changed the cap and rotor as they looked to be the factory originals and I didn't want to get stuck for the $11 it cost for new ones. It is cheap insurance and you are already working in that area of the vehicle.
10. Power steering fluid - This also seems to be a neglected fluid much like transmission fluid is. I always do a partial exchange when changing oil so might as well get some clean fresh fluid in there. Just use a fluid transfer pump to empty the reservoir and refill with clean fresh fluid. You probably only change out 1/3 to 1/2 of the fluid but do this a few times and you will be near all new fluid in your power steering system.

Additionally I give the vehicle a good once over checking all the belts and hoses to ensure that they aren't in need of replacing if you find one that needs replacing do it now not later, road side repairs suck and tows are expensive. Also at this point I will convert a vehicle to fully synthetic fluids for all their added benefits. Now that most things have been done and you know when they have been done you can just follow a regular maintenance schedule and hopefully have years of worry free operation. 

And Now my Car is Overheating

If you didn't follow my advice on how to help you car beat the heat you might of had some overheating issues with the recent heat. There are ways to deal with an overheating vehicle until you can get it to a shop or home to be fixed and not wreck your vehicle.

Turn up the heat
Now this may not be what you want to do on a hot day, but if your vehicle is starting to overheat you can head it off by turning on the heater to max temp and max speed. This will help cool your engine down as the heater core is basically another radiator thus by letting hot coolant flow through it and blowing air across it will increase your vehicle's ability to get rid of excess heat. Please roll your windows down and open your sun roof otherwise it is going to get really hot really fast in your car.

Add some Water

Now if your vehicle has overheated please shut it down and let it boil over and cool down. This will prevent you from causing serious damage. Now once it is cooled down (about 30 minutes) open the cap and go find some water to fill it back up with. The water doesn't have to be cold. As I mentioned in a previous post water transfers heat better than coolant so by refilling with water you will be able to increase the cooling capacity.

Fix that leak

If your vehicle leaks coolant some where (sometimes coolant leaks are really hard to find) you should always carry some extra coolant in your trunk or back seat. If you let it get too low your vehicle will loose its ability to stay cool and may overheat. This is the worst kind of overheating as some parts of the engine may be starved for coolant such as the heads. This can be disastrous as you could blow a head gasket, crack the head, or crack the block which may be an engine ending failure. If you don't have some premixed coolant then regular water will work as will those stop leak products. 

The good news

The good news is that most gas stations carry products that can help to temporally resolve your overheating issues. Most will sell some automotive products like oil, coolant, stop leak, and gas additives. Also they carry water which you can use in a pinch and/or have a hose and spigot out back. Once you get the vehicle home or to a repair shop get the issue resolved. This may be replacing hoses, a radiator, or a flush and fill. Getting a flush and fill will do wonders if you have a vehicle that has a neglected coolant system, if you regularly exchange your coolant you probably don't need a flush and fill as it will only cost more money.

The magic carburator

If you are around in the car culture long enough you will eventually hear about some old crusty guy who invented a carburetor. There are some of you who probably know where this is going and for others this may be the first time you hear this. This story is complete BS and I will explain why.

The Story
The story always follows this pattern:
Some guy tells you a friend's relative (or distant relative's friend) was working on some big pig old (Cadillac, Lincoln, Buick, Mercury, Chrysler, or some other land yacht), and came up with a new carburetor design in the (40's, 50's, 60's, or 70's). It was so good he drove this vehicle (half way or the whole way) across the country and used only (a half, a quarter, an eighth, or a whole) tank of gas doing so. Upon returning home he shopped the design of this carburetor around to (GM, Ford, Chrysler) and they were very interested. A few days later (the government, Arab sheiks, auto executives, oil executives) showed up and (killed him, paid him millions, disappeared him) taking his new carburetor. Currently the (oil companies, government, car companies, oil cartels, or any combination of them) are sitting on technology that could easily give up (100, 200, 300, 500, or 1000) MPG in our current cars.

The Truth
Personally I am sick of hearing this story. I don't know if people actually believe this story, like telling it because they are into conspiracy theories, or like messing with people who don't know much about cars. Very often the story teller will mention a specific type of carburetor, a fish carburetor, a catalytic carburetor, or a vapor carburetor. Basically it is impossible to create a vehicle of that size that gets that type of mileage. My other thought is that people are confusing the ultra high mileage cars that various teams build with actual cars. Now the ultra high mileage cars take fuel savings to new levels and basically these contests are about who can abuse the rules the most. These things are slow, extremely  light, seat one, and are started by pull sting. To achieve these extreme mileages the teams go and find about the smallest girl they can to have as the driver and then build the car body around them. Depending on the class that these cars a competing in they typically get between 500 and 3000 mpg.

Now if you are going to hold those types of "cars" up as proof that we can build cars that get extreme gas mileage and Detroit, the Government, or the oil companies are just withholding this technology they you are kidding your self. To improve on fuel economy there are only about 4 things that you can do and most you can't change once you purchase the vehicle.

Engine efficiency
This is one of the things you can change some on an existing vehicle. Internal combustion engines are typically between 20% and 30% efficient meaning that they only extract between 20% and 30% of the energy of the fuel. Now for those of you who think that this is some massive conspiracy and that they should be closer to 100% then you are kidding you self. The internal combustion engine that has the highest efficiency is a combined cycle GE gas turbine that is about 60% efficient and is used in power plants. For reciprocating piston engines the best is about 50% and that is only achievable in large engines like this one with a bore of 3 feet and a stroke of 8 feet. For those of you who think someday we might actually achieve 100% efficiency you are kidding your self. Thermo dynamics puts a limit on the maximum efficiency that can be achieved, this limit is the carnot cycle efficiency. So lets assume that it is possible to have a 100% what would one of those big pig cars mentioned earlier get. Well if we assume currently one of those engines is 20% efficient (this number will help our calculation) and lets also assume that the vehicle gets 20mpg (a gross overstatement, but it makes the numbers work out nicely they probably got more int he range of 12-14mpg) then by putting a 100% efficient engine in it it would get 100mpg which is pretty good but is would be a gross overestimate for this car which is frequently used in the story.

Mileage through lightness
Another way to get good mileage is to have a lighter vehicle. Those high mileage competition vehicles weight int eh 100-200 pound category, sometimes weighing under 200 pounds with driver. You can make some changes to your vehicles weight but don't expect any significant ones unless you start taking out everything you don't need including seats, and other trim pieces. Even then your vehicle will still weigh significantly more than those mileage competition cars, hell most motorcycles weigh more than those cars. The cars in the story usually weight in between 5,000 and 8,000 pounds or between 25 and 40 times the weight of the high mileage competition cars.

Better Aerodynamics
This is something you really can't change on your vehicle for the better, but you can make worse. If you look at those high mileage competition cars they are extremely aerodynamic. They also present a very small cross sectional area which also has a lot to do with how much energy is needed to move the air out of the way. Now compare that to another favorite car in the story and you can see how bogus thing really are starting to become.

Go slower
One thing all of those high mileage competition cars have in common is they are slow. Typically they will start the engine get up to speed and then shut it off and coast to a stop then repeat. These cars would be fast if they could go 30 mph. At these slow speeds you have less wind resistance. Now compare that to any production car made in the last 60 years. For the most part all cars made after WWII can reach 100 mph some can even go well over 200 mph.

So what gets really good mileage
Even today's best production cars don't get as good of milage as the best ones of all time. If you want to maximize your fuel economy I suggest reading this posting of mine but don't expect incredible gains at best you might get 5 or 6 mpg extra. The problem is most people don't want the cars that get close to 100mpg as they seat one maybe 2 don't have much power, and aren't very safe. If you are curious about these cars here is a list of some of the more famous or unique ones:

• Messerschmitt KR200 (considered to be the best engineered post WWII micro car)
• BMW Isetta 250 or 300 (the car that saved BMW, also the most successful micro car)
• Peel P50 (the smallest production car ever)
• Peel Trident
• HM Vehicles Free-way (Minnesota made also had an electric version)
• Subaru 360