The time for snowmobiling has ended, and it is now time to prepare your sled’s storage and bumpers. Before the snow hits again, seasons will come when your snowmobile goes unused. Therefore, these seasons will also be months of possible snowmobile damage if your snowmobile is not stored properly.
If your snowmobile is one thing that makes your winter complete, then make sure to spend time preparing its storage and bumpers. Below are 11 ways of doing so:
Clean your sled thoroughly.
Your snowmobile has gone through a lot over the winter. It drove over dirt, mud, snow, and other debris that might get stuck to its exteriors. Leaving these foreign objects in for another year would compromise some of your sled’s exterior parts, such as springs, suspensions, skis, and track.
Cleaning your sled will prevent corrosion and abrasion from happening, which can damage the vehicle’s parts, machine, and structure. Doing so will ensure that you will still enjoy snowmobiling smoothly and without problems. Also, a clean snowmobile will be easier to examine once things get nasty while using it.
Remember the following when cleaning your snowmobile:
- Use warm and soapy water on the tunnel, seat, hood, and nose pan. Rinse them thoroughly and make sure to remove all debris and mud.
- Spray a grease-cutting cleaner under the hood of your sled.
- Then, spray a degreaser near the exhaust ports and oil reservoir. Rinse the parts after.
- Shine your snowmobile using the recommended wax.
Employ rust prevention measures.
After cleaning your snowmobile, you do not just put it in storage right away. It would be best if you worked on rust prevention measures to prolong the life of your sled. Oxidation or rust formation is a painful process for your sled as it may compromise the functioning parts of your machine.
So, making a rust prevention plan for your snowmobile is a smart move if you still want to go snowmobiling without difficulties next year. What you can do is:
- Check the sled’s suspension rails, bolts, nuts, and other metal parts that are starting to be rusty and replace them.
- Put on grease to where the fittings are to lubricate them. You may use the recommended grease type for the snowmobile.
- Spray lightweight oil on surfaces that are bare metal.
Do not store your snowmobile with an empty tank.
Before you store your snowmobile for good, it is essential to do fuel system maintenance first. Remember never to keep your sled with an empty tank! The reasons why you should never leave it empty are:
- Storing your sled with an empty tank will lead the gas gauge and seals to float and become dry. Leaving it empty will definitely damage your fuel tank.
- Fuel serves as a lubricant for your engine parts. And lubrication is vital to protect these parts from corrosion, mainly when they are not used.
- Emptying your tank is only for instances of having an older model of the snowmobile. This is because older models use a carburetor system that allows the fuel tank to be empty.
Treat the fuel you will put in the tank using a fuel stabilizer.
Filing your tank is not the only thing to do during fuel system maintenance. You must also treat the fuel that you will put in the tank.
You may add a fuel stabilizer to avoid the gasoline solvents from evaporating. If you skipped this step, corrosion might likely occur, damaging the carburetor. Also, a tip: Follow the directions printed in the container regarding the correct amount of stabilizer added to the amount of fuel used in the snowmobile.
After this, rerun your snowmobile to let the fuel flow in the system.
Remove the battery before preparing the storage and bumper.
Remove the battery from the sled and store it in a cool, dry, and, if applicable, temperature-regulated place. You may keep it on a trickle charge with a trickle charger that is .5 amperes or less.
Then, remove the drive belt.
After removing the battery, also remove the drive belt from your sled. This is a must in order to prevent the drive belt from taking the shape of the place where it is installed. But remember to put it back if you decide to run your engine after some time.
Fog your snowmobile engine if needed.
Fogging your engine will prevent moisture buildup, which may damage the machine during storage. Fogging coats your engine’s connecting rods, crankshaft bearings, and other parts with the fogging oil.
The fogging process allows the displacement of moisture from the metal parts, and the oil serves as protection. Having protection through these seasons would mitigate the risk of having corroded parts in the following winter.
Shield your snowmobile using a cover.
Even though your sled has its own storage room, scratches, dust, and rodents may still invade it. Cover your sled with a soft, breathable, and lightweight cover to ensure that these nuisances are prevented. Covering the muffler outlet and intake holes with a ball of steel wool, rubber ball, or a chicken wire may help keep rodents out of your sled.
Also, putting mothballs under the hood may help in keeping critters away from your snowmobile.
Find a good spot for your snowmobile storage and bumpers.
When your snowmobile is only placed outside your home, it becomes exposed to different weather conditions. These will worsen the probable damage that your snowmobile will get. So, make sure to find a sweet spot for storage.
If possible, a temperature-regulated room is a perfect choice. But if it is not achievable, you may also use a clean storage unit or a garage. Just keep it away from extreme conditions such as a wet environment or harsh sunlight exposure.
Do not make your snowmobile stay on the ground during storage.
Good storage is also about good positioning. One thing to remember is that you should store your snowmobile off the ground to take the tension off the snowmobile springs. You can do this by doing any of the following:
- Raise the back end of the sled by placing a jack stand under its rear bumper. Then, unhook the snowmobile’s springs.
- Lift the sled and set the base frame (chassis) on a crate to freely hang the front suspension of the sled.
Run your snowmobile’s engine monthly.
Like any other engine, running your snowmobile when not in use is also an excellent way to keep it functioning. By running the machine, you are preventing sediments from sinking and the seals from drying. And again, make sure that you install the belt first before running the engine.
Snowmobiling makes winter more exciting and thrilling. Thus, keeping it in good condition all year round is a good practice of valuing your snowmobile.
Rocky Mountain Snowmobile may help you in preparing your snowmobile storage and bumpers off-season. They can make your snowmobiling experience memorable and hassle-free with their high-quality gears, wears, and parts.
