Extended storage? X2

[Thrall]

Originally Posted by Dylan

It sounds like you have a handle on the situation. It's a shame you're not taking the boat, I heard crab fishing up there off an X2 is the norm

Haha, funny you should say that. My neighbor here has a 08 Thunder Jet? 6.0 Vortec. Would make a good fishin boat for up there (other than it would suck too much fuel to take too far up the rivers). He's selling it and wants something more ski friendly.
Told him we should just trade for 2 years (tongue in cheek, since his $50k boat sits outside in the rain all year! He doesn't really take care of his stuff. There's about 10 bays of indoor storage on his property and even his brother's boat is under a carport.)

[Thrall]

Dunno yet exactly what toys will be making the trip with us. Boat and SRT Charger are definately staying home.
Sleds are coming for sure and probably the quad, hopefully the old Jeep.
Thing is I'm planning for 2 years gone, but it's a possibility that we may be able to get the project complete by mid summer next year and not go through a 2nd winter (job is on the north slope on ice roads during the dead of winter!).

[Footin]

Double dose of Sta-bil and run it through the system, fog it and call it good.

[02ProstarSammyD]

I thought stabil no matter what ratio wouldn't push gas life over like 6 months?

[Thrall]

Originally Posted by 02ProstarSammyD

I thought stabil no matter what ratio wouldn't push gas life over like 6 months?

I dunno. I'm sure that I have stabilized gas that has sat in my old Jeep for a year with no problem, but you can clean the fuel system on that with a screwdriver, piece of wire and some carb cleaner.
I know about a year unstabiled gas will gum up carbs. I think the stabil may keep the gas from varnishing up for much longer, but after 2 years it might only have like 10 octane left!
My sleds and boat (all efi) regularly sit for up to 8 months, stabilized, with no issue, fire right up, ni injector isues, but I'll still be more inclined to drain the tank, but first do what footin said, dose the crap out of it and run it a bit. Then store it with an empty tank but not actually run the fuel injection system out of gas.

The car is easy. I can get someone to come over and excercise it periodically no problem.

[CC2MC]

Perhaps put a little no ethanol gas in the tank before you run it out. That should help to minimize the varnishing.

[Thrall]

Originally Posted by CC2MC

Perhaps put a little no ethanol gas in the tank before you run it out. That should help to minimize the varnishing.

Good suggestion. I ran no E gas in the last tank before layup last year, but is now over 7 months old.
May try to get some fresh no E and use up some left over race gas to get a good mix in 'er before the 2 year nap.
What about running it out of gas so the injectors and rail don't sit with stale fuel in them?
After all prep work done, fire it up, pull the fuel pump power and let 'er die.
Good or bad idea?

[homer12]

How about just sell it, not take the depreciation expense, and get one of the same year when you get back? Then you don't have the expense or worry of storing it, unless you are attached to it... which I get

[Thrall]

Originally Posted by homer12

How about just sell it, not take the depreciation expense, and get one of the same year when you get back? Then you don't have the expense or worry of storing it, unless you are attached to it... which I get

Yeah, that's a consideration, along with selling the SRT8 Charger. Any other arrangement at home and both would be on Craigslist already, but we are fortunate enough to have a large detached shop, so storage is a no brainer and no cost.
Deprecition wise, have had it for 3 years now and could still sell it for as much or more than I paid for it, got the stereo and a bunch of other work that I'd prefer not to re-do as well. Besides with the low hours on it, and popularity of X2's, I'm guessing/hoping that it will still be worth about the same a couple years from now.
I am sort of attached to it, but it's not like it's a classic or appreciating in value.
Also have no financial need to get rid of it.
So that's kind of 50/50 deal right now.
If I sold it, I'd probably just have a bunch of cash in the bank for 2 years and then go spend it on pretty much the same boat.

[JimN]

Originally Posted by Thrall

Well, may be heading to Alaska for the next 2 years. Not taking the boat for obvious reasons. I can layup the boat in my shop where it sits in the winter for about 8 months anyway, so it dry and protected, but a couple years is a different story.
Couple things I'm planning in addition to everything required to winterize normally (already done) are as follows:
Block up trailer on frame to keep the weight off the axles and tires (never done this before, but usually end up moving the boat once or twice in the offseason for some reason).
Fog the cylinders. (Again, never done in the past for a winter layup, but probably will do for 2 year layup.)
Pull the batteries. (And put them in my truck. OE batteries are 7yrs old in the truck anyway and hate to trash a couple high dollar Odyssey batteries and dont want them sitting that long unattended on the maintainer.)
Fuel? This is the big question. Typically I just run it low, Seafoam it and call it good for the winter, never had any trouble with that. But 2 years, closer to 3 yrs maybe adding in this current off season, is different. I'm sure the fuel pump "should" stay wet, but what ever, that's an easy cheap replacement if when it craps out. Drain the tank? How to get all the fuel out?
What about the engine/fuel rail? Run it out of gas? What's best with regards to this?
If I was close to someone I trusted I'd rather it get run a few times each summer, but not possible here.

Any other suggestions?

I would probably run it very low and buy a cheap fuel pump from Napa or somewhere to evacuate the tank completely, or to the point that a few shop towels can blot up the rest. The fuel lines and rails should angle downward when the boat is level, to removing the fuel line(s) to let the fuel drain to a container near the tank might work. If you want to make sure, maybe compressed air can be blown in at the Shrader valve. If the fuel can't drain into the tank when the lines are connected, maybe low pressure air can be used while cranking the engine to clear out anything past the Shrader valve.

I would also disconnect the exhaust hoses from the manifolds and use rubber caps that seal with a hose clamp, rather than a plastic bag- they're cheap and harder for a critter to chew through. LTR? I would get a container of Damp-Rid and place it inside of the flame arrester and cover that well, so damp air can't get into the cylinders and cause corrosion on the areas the fogging oil misses.

Why the move- are you going on the lam?