Proof There ARE Stupid Questions

[Seahawk]

From me.

LSS, I bought a small Honda Generator EU2000i to power the well at the stable last year. Very portable for my wife.

My company was also going to be involved in two site flight test and I bought a second EU2000i to power ground control station, etc. at the same time. Also, I bought a new electric start generator for the house since my wife has a hard time pull starting the larger generator. So I have spare capacity.

We have not needed either one of the Honda's and they are still NIB, unopened.

My question: They have not been gassed or oil put in. Any idea how long they can be stored NIB?

I am assuming years. I have done a bit of poking around on the interwebs and can find nothing.

I'll call Honda after you guys stop making fun of me

[Superman]

Good question.

[herr_oberst]

Seals dry out. Condensation happens. Rust never sleeps.

I think it's a very apt question.

[Seahawk]

Originally Posted by Superman

Good question.

Originally Posted by herr_oberst

Seals dry out. Condensation happens. Rust never sleeps.

I think it's a very apt question.

I am waiting for the other shoe to drop

[Superman]

Well.....engines parts can be protectively coated and I suppose the coatings can be effective and last a "long" time ("long" being undefined here). But then there are the electrical parts and the generator/alternator windings are going to be exposed. We know these manufacturing preparations can protect for a time, but we also know that time is not forever. A question of when, I suppose. Worst case scenario....you run them every six months for several minutes or so. Or perhaps once per year, and fog the engine before storage.

[flatbutt]

I run my honda every 6 months in the hope that doing so will keep bad things from happening.

Would the other shoe be you selling one?

[Crowbob]

Originally Posted by Seahawk

From me.

LSS, I bought a small Honda Generator EU2000i to power the well at the stable last year. Very portable for my wife.

My company was also going to be involved in two site flight test and I bought a second EU2000i to power ground control station, etc. at the same time. Also, I bought a new electric start generator for the house since my wife has a hard time pull starting the larger generator. So I have spare capacity.

We have not needed either one of the Honda's and they are still NIB, unopened.

My question: They have not been gassed or oil put in. Any idea how long they can be stored NIB?

I am assuming years. I have done a bit of poking around on the interwebs and can find nothing.

I'll call Honda after you guys stop making fun of me

I'd open the boxes and stuff abuncha those little desiccant packets in there (don't eat any) then wrap the entire box in a plastic garbage bag (don't put the gag over your head) seal them up with tape, put the whole shebang in the attic or dry basement or wherever. Then, a few years later when you stumble upon the bags and say, 'What's in these?' you can reopen them.

[Seahawk]

Originally Posted by flatbutt

I run my honda every 6 months in the hope that doing so will keep bad things from happening.

Would the other shoe be you selling one?

I run the larger ones once a month, use ethanol free gas, etc. Load test as well.

I also do what Sup recommends.

I just don't want to pull the two out of the box until I have to because routine maintenance often isn't

I plan on keeping them. They will be perfect for South Carolina and the small camping trailers I am looking at.

[Seahawk]

Originally Posted by Crowbob

I'd open the boxes and stuff abuncha those little desiccant packets in there (don't eat any) then wrap the entire box in a plastic garbage bag (don't put the gag over your head) seal them up with tape, put the whole shebang in the attic or dry basement or wherever. Then, a few years later when you stumble upon the bags and say, 'What's in these?' you can reopen them.

Excellent.

Thanks!

[Scott Douglas]

I have a Honda powered mower. My son put the Honda engine on a Snapper chassis for me when he was in high school. That mower sat, unused for over a year and a half while I had my heart issues. When I went to start it up again, all I did was prime it with a couple of pulls to get the oil (old Bradd Penn oil from my SC) circulated, sprayed some starting fluid in the air cleaner (the throttle cable handle is broken off so it's always on the rabbit setting ie FULL Throttle) and gave it a pull. Fired right up no problem. And on year and a half old gas too.
Since your's haven't been run I don't think you'll have a problem if the tanks aren't rusty inside.

[Por_sha911]

The thread title reminds me of a great quote (no reflection on the post creator)
"There are no stupid questions but there are some amazingly inquisitive idiots"

[dad911]

I think I would fog the cylinders

[Steve Carlton]

Why not sell one or both and re-acquire when needed? You'll probably have your Lightning by then, anyway...

[Superman]

Originally Posted by dad911

I think I would fog the cylinders

They might already be coated with the cylinder wall equivalent of "assembly lube."

[cabmandone]

There's assembly lube in the engines so I wouldn't get too worried. Are you storing them in a climate controlled building that doesn't see a lot of temperature swing?

Originally Posted by Superman

They might already be coated with the cylinder wall equivalent of "assembly lube."

Exactly what I was thinking. The cylinder walls would typically have some sort of lubricant applied prior to the pistons being installed. I don't know if Honda test fires their small engines or not though. If test fired even for a short period of time, the assembly lube on the cylinder walls would be gone.

[A930Rocket]

Originally Posted by cabmando

There's assembly lube in the engines so I wouldn't get too worried. Are you storing them in a climate controlled building that doesn't see a lot of temperature swing?



Exactly what I was thinking. The cylinder walls would typically have some sort of lubricant applied prior to the pistons being installed. I don't know if Honda test fires their small engines or not though. If test fired even for a short period of time, the assembly lube on the cylinder walls would be gone.

What about some rust inhibitor in the empty gas tank?

[LEAKYSEALS951]

Honda guarantees the first start regardless.

Ethanol will probably do more harm than the year of storage most likely ever would.

If it doesn't have oil, it was never started, so the assembly lube is probably still there. I see 40+ year old garden tractor engines NOS go up for sale all the time. Any rust on the inside of a new tank is less than the rust on a used older tank. Most older used tanks look like the hold of a sunken ship, if not pin hole rusted through. Yours will be fine.

edit- another clue... yours are in a box. Is the cardboard rotted away? If not, the engine has been exposed to less moisture than the amount needed to mess up cardboard. The NOS kohlers I see are unpainted raw, never came in a box, and have sat on a shelf since Carter was president, perhaps even Nixon. Light surface rust if anything.

[masraum]

Originally Posted by LEAKYSEALS951

yours are in a box. Is the cardboard rotted away? If not, the engine has been exposed to less moisture than the amount needed to mess up cardboard.

My thought was "new in a box, should be fine," but I didn't comment because I don't know enough to comment.

[Racerbvd]

A car I have listed for sale, stating that it is basically , a barely street legal track car, with pictures.

See any wipers??






I got an email asking if it had AC
Lexan windows and does it have AC, lol.

[LEAKYSEALS951]

Unless he's been storing them down by his shoreline under the retaining wall, I think he's fine.

God Byron, that's the cleanest newestest? 944 engine I've ever seen. But I don't see a turbo in the second pic, or a steering wheel, are they included?

How bout wipers? Power windows? Door panels?