Winterizing a 4 stroke honda

Was at a marina today helping

Was at a marina today helping a freind winterizing her 2 stroke outboard. i have done it a million times before. i have and always will fog a 2 stroke engine running oil through intake and than fogging each cly with fogging oil. I have owned a 4 stroke for a few years now and have always fogged the each cly with foggin oil. Thinking about it why fog a 4 stroke. cars owners dont. maybe the salt envirment?? the cly is in a sealed chamber. What do you guys feel is the best.. owners manual says nothing about fogging engine.

"In the storage section of the

"In the storage section of the owners manual, it does recommend removing the spark plugs and shooting some oil in each cylinder. That is all the "fogging" that is required."

"I also run ethanol-free gas t

"I also run ethanol-free gas through the engine before laying up so that the gas in the filters and VST won't seperate. If you cannot get ethanol free regular gas, try aviation gas."

Was just reading an old memo f

Was just reading an old memo from Honda. It said that aviation fuel is 100 octane and is leaded. It also said that it is not recommended to winterize Hondas with it since it can cause damage to O2 sensors and other parts of the engine.

"Mike - Yes, I knew it was lea

"Mike - Yes, I knew it was leaded - that's how they get the 101 octane. But didn't know Honda ever stated not to use it. Had a Honda tech guy make that recommendation. So thanks - another lesson learned.

So, I guess we are back to either non-ethanol gas, which is tough to find, or Stabil."

"W D,

If you have a relatio

"W D,

If you have a relationship with you Honda tech, you can let him know that it was a "Tech Tip" in the Spring 2009 "Tech Talk" that Honda sends out to all dealers to give the techs new ideas and updated info on repair.

It would be interesting to get his thoughts. I have never even considered it until you brought it up. However, there are many many things that I have not seen. So who knows??"

The last few years I have give

The last few years I have given up on storing my 75 hp 1996 honda in south florida where I like to spend some time fishing during the winter. My best efforts at fogging the engine have never resulted in easy starting the following year. Removing the carbs from the engine and doing a thorough cleaning ( I always find "plaque" in the passages) was common procedure. My solution has been to tow my 5000lb boat and trailer rig 1600 miles north and then tow it back every winter. I would prefer to give up the tow job and leave my boat and Honda O/B in Florida. I attribute the problems to the very high heat and humidity during the south Florida summers. Does anyone know of a foolproof method to "pickle" a outboard for 7-8 month's in south Florida?
One other question aboout this engine which otherwise runs perfectly. The prop has been stuck to the shaft ever since I bought it...12 years now. All attempts to remove it by either myself or Honda dealers have failed. Heat hasn't been tried because of the likelyhood of seal damage. I don't need to remove the prop...it just bothers me that I can't remove it. Any suggestions would be appreciated