Calling it quits, also question on long term storing a pump

I want to first say since day one I was very impressed with this forum and I want to thank everyone for all their help in the past year and a half because I would have been completely screwed trying to figure things out on my own. So now onto the good news: I was offered a very good job offer in another type of business on Saturday that I would be completely nuts to turn down because of all that is being offered to me but unfortunately one of the stipulations is I have to close down my striping business so I can completely focus on this new job. FYI: I financed my business with 100% cash out of my pocket and never once borrowed money so the business is completely debt free. I also have completed all my jobs so I don't have any outstanding contracts that need to be done. Ok, so now to my question: When storing my machines (3500's) do I have to keep the pump under pressure while they are stored with mineral spirits or cooking oil in it ? OR can I just run it through the pump recirc and shut off pump and store it that way where the pump isn't under pressure ? I also plan on removing the long hose on each machine and only leave the short hose to make it easier to clean out the mineral spirits and to also use less mineral spirits for each machine. So another question: How long can I store the machines before I should do something with them ?

Since you're going to store it for a long while you should run motor oil through it, doesn't need to be pressurized. Be sure to clean out the long hose before storing it. If the job doesn't work out you could sell sand to the yankees, they need it so they can move around on all that ice.

As important or even more important is to run all the gas out of the engine. Don't leave any gas in the tank or carb. Bad fuel and varnish in the carb from evaporating fuel is the #1 cause of small engines not running correctly after storage. Stabil will not help long term (more than 6 months to a year). Never ever store a pump (or even walk away from an airless striper) with pressure in it. It is a safety hazard and doesn't help anything in any way. Oil on the packings, oil or diesel for the inside of the fluid system and fuel gone and you can store it forever.

Best wishes on your new journey.

Everyone has pretty much covered what you need to do... SAE 30w Oil in the paint pump/lines and remove all gas from the unit. I'd say the machines will last for a good year or two just will need an oil change. After a year If you haven't used them I think you would be best selling them. Maybe sell one and keep one around for little home projects you might have come up.... painting a fence or the exterior of your house.

Thanks guys for all the info and the good wishes, right now my plans are to store away everything and sell what paint I have left and make that decision after a year at this new job, after that I will probably be back here posting to sell the machines or announcing my return to the business. If no one here is interested in the paint I think I will just post the unopened buckets of traffic paint on craigslist to sell it

If they are not opened, sell them back to the paint store or get credit. Talk to your sells rep. We also want to know what you will be doing? ??

Best wishes to you in your new endeavor.

Rock wrote on Sep 8, 2015:Go to #7

If they are not opened, sell them back to the paint store or get credit. Talk to your sells rep. We also want to know what you will be doing? ??

I already tried that and they say they already have an overstock of traffic paint plus the paint was bought at the beginning of the year Well anyway I will be managing the operations of a potato plant for Pieper Farms that is out of Williams, Minnesota but they opened a plant and have fields in Arizona, basically I will oversee the planting, harvesting, storing, bagging and shipping of seed potatoes to different parts of the United States and export them to other countries too. Without boring or maybe coming off as bragging I will just say I was offered a pretty sweet deal but I had to stop operations of my striping business because they want me to be completely focus on the job they hired me for.

Istripeit wrote on Sep 9, 2015:Go to #8

Best wishes to you in your new endeavor.

Thank you, I will pop up and read some of the new posts from time to time, so I am not going away completely