Hi guys, I'm kinda new to this forum but thought I would throw my two cents in on sled storage. I agree with Al P that running your sled out of fuel on purpose can be dangerous but if it is done right I think it is the best way to prep a sled for storage. I have never seen a sled with engine damage just from running out of fuel but if you are running on the edge with jetting and have it pegged across a lake when you start to run out that could be enough to burn a piston. The other thing you need to be concerned with on these Yamies that inject oil into the fuel lines is that when you refill them and prime the carbs ( I always find the fuel tank vent line and blow into it using lung pressure with the gas cap closed to prime them) that initial load of fuel the carbs get doesn't have any oil in it. On sleds with this type of oil injection system I will put in a gallon or so of premix, prime the carbs, get it fired and then top off the tank with fuel.
Here is what I do for long term storage on my sleds and I have never had any issues with getting them going again in the fall. First I get the sled clean and dry. (carefully) Wash off all the dirt, salt, belt dust, ect. I will use a combination of soap, water, compressed air, brake clean, rags and if it is really filthy from a late season ride I might get out the preassure washer. You want to be very carefull when using brake clean or a preassure washer as you can do more harm than good with them. I will get it up on the sled lift and take the seat and side panels off before I start to get them out of the way and do them by hand. After it is clean and dry I check out the entire sled including the front and rear suspension and if it needs anything like wheels, bearings, slides or dissassembly and lube get it done now and avoid the problems of frozen shafts and steering knuckles in the fall. I then loosen the track, fire it up and spin it while spraying down the track and suspension with WD-40 making sure to get a good coat on the rails, track clips, studs, ect. I then drain or syphone the fuel out, remove the air boxes and split the fuel lines right behind the 3-4 side airbox where the factory splice is. I purge those lines of fuel back to the tank by blowing into them and squirt some oil into the lines heading down to the fuel pumps. I then extend the oil pump cable to full oil and start the engine. I let it run that way while burping the throttle a little and spraying some WD-40 into the carbs a few times until it runs out of fuel and dies. It gets a little smoky but I know the inside of my engine is well lubed. I then drain anything that might be left in the carbs, squirt some more oil down the fuel lines so I know there is oil in them for the fall startup and put the lines back together. Next I pull the belt off and after is has cooled down I give just about everything under the hood (clutches and all), the skis, struts, tunnel, ect all a light coating of WD-40 to protect them from corosion. The WD-40 will dry and leave a light film on everything so you will need to wipe down the clutches and a few other things come fall but is comes right off and is alot easier than cleaning off all that white oxidation you see on sleds who's owners don't care. I then put it all back together, seal off the airbox intakes, stuff a little steel wool in the end of the exhaust, wax and amorall it, throw on the cover and park it inside off the ground and in a dry spot. Come fall all I have to do is wipe it down, clean the clutches, fuel it up, prime the carbs, clean the plugs, fire it up, adjust the track and I'm ready to ride. It seems like alot of messing around but around here snow can come early, late or not at all and if I get these things done now I know I can be ready to ride in an hour if it snows and if it doesn't I don't have worry about getting it ready just in case it might.
Good Luck, Phil (opsled)
