What To Check — This Machine Has Been Sitting

This is grounded in three things: (1) what’s already been found and documented from direct inspection and Research, (2) what the Grove handbook says explicitly about machines left idle, and (3) well-understood, ordinary consequences of a carbureted gasoline engine and hydraulic machine sitting unused — not a generic “here’s what could go wrong with any equipment” list.

The operator’s handbook is direct about this: “Do not let the work platform remain idle for long periods of time. At least once a week, start the work platform engine and cycle all functions several times.” Treat everything below as “assume it needs attention” rather than “check if it happens to need attention.”

1. Already known — from inspection

These aren’t hypothetical — they’ve already been found. Listed here so this is one complete punch list rather than scattered across pages:

• Mousy wiring damage on the boom lowered limit switch wiring (P/N 7872001401, harness P/N 6512001903, at the rear of the turntable), near the engine bay linkage — trace and replace that harness section (see Startup §1.6)
• Throttle/choke solenoid missing from its housing (Grove P/N 7750000085 — confirmed part, see Specs)
• Disconnected coil on the hydraulic valve body, left side of engine bay, exposed windings — one of the individual solenoid coils on the Grove hydraulic manifold, P/N 7926003166 (My Story, Specs) — match it against the factory schematic (see the electrical/hydraulic schematics, hydraulic valve bank on p.10) by connector/wiring before reconnecting.
• Damaged hose near that coil — replace regardless of what the coil turns out to be
• Spark plug holes open (plugs out) — reinstall per Startup §1.2 gap/torque spec
• Cylinders need PB Blaster + air to free up before cranking
• Control bucket (platform controls) has some damage — not yet diagnosed; inspect and document specifically what’s damaged before relying on platform controls at all

2. Fuel system — highest-priority “it sat” risk for a carbureted gasoline engine

Stale gasoline is the single most common reason a carbureted small engine that “ran when parked” won’t start after sitting. Ethanol-blend pump gas left in a carburetor bowl for months gums up jets and can corrode aluminum carb bodies.

• Drain and inspect the fuel in the tank — smell/look for varnish, discoloration, or a shellac-like odor. If it’s old gas, drain the tank fully rather than trying to run it through.
• Pull the carburetor bowl (or at minimum inspect via the bowl drain) for gum/varnish deposits before the first start attempt — a gummed jet is a common reason for a “cranks but won’t catch, or catches and immediately dies” symptom.
• Fuel lines — check condition/flexibility, not just for the specific damaged hose already noted. Rubber fuel line perishes from the inside out sitting full of stale ethanol fuel; don’t assume a line is fine just because it looks fine from outside.
• Fuel filter — replace it regardless of apparent condition, given the unknown sitting duration (P/N 7437000104, confirmed in Maintenance §4).
• If this unit does have the factory dual-fuel option (see My Story): inspect the LP-gas tank mounting/lines for leaks per the handbook’s explicit pre-start LP-gas check before doing anything with the fuel system, and don’t smoke or allow open flames nearby while doing it.

3. Ignition system — separate from the fuel question

• Distributor cap and rotor — check for corrosion/moisture staining inside the cap, a common issue after long storage, especially if the machine was stored outdoors or in a humid space.
• Points and dwell — per the confirmed factory spec (Specs): point gap 0.018–0.022 in, dwell 49°–55°. Check both before assuming the ignition system is fine.
• High-tension (spark plug) cables — factory spec is under 30,000 Ω resistance; check with a multimeter rather than assuming, since cracked/aged insulation on stored cables is common.

4. Hydraulic system

• Hydraulic fluid level and condition — check for water contamination (milky appearance) or sediment, not just level. A machine stored outdoors with a breather cap issue can draw in moisture over time.
• Return and pressure filter elements — the handbook calls for 6-month replacement intervals under normal use; given unknown sitting time, replace both now rather than trying to judge condition (P/N 9304100081 return element, 9437100642 pressure element).
• All hoses, not just the one already found damaged — rubber hydraulic hose can develop surface cracking (ozone/UV checking) from prolonged static pressure and sun exposure while parked. Look specifically at any hose runs that were left flexed/bent during storage.
• Cylinder rods (boom lift, telescope, steer) — check for surface corrosion/pitting where exposed, which can happen if the machine sat with cylinders partially extended.

5. Tires

• Inflation pressure — check against the tire decal, don’t assume it held.
• Sidewall condition — dry rot/cracking from age and UV exposure while stationary is common and isn’t the same thing as tread wear; inspect specifically for it.
• Flat-spotting — if the machine sat in one position for a long time, check for flat spots on the tire contact patch.

6. Battery and electrical

• Battery state of charge and load test — a battery that sat is very likely deeply discharged or sulfated even if it takes a surface charge.
• Cable/clamp corrosion — per the handbook’s daily-check item, but especially relevant after long storage.
• Given the confirmed rodent activity in at least one harness location, do a broader visual sweep of accessible wiring runs for chew damage beyond the one spot already found — rodents that got into the engine bay once often nested and chewed in more than one place.

7. Belts

• Drive belt condition — factory spec is 8–12 mm deflection under 98 N (Specs). Belts that sat under tension for a long time can develop cracking at the point where they wrap the pulley; rotate the engine by hand and inspect the full belt length, not just the visible arc.

8. General mechanical

• Grease points per Maintenance §3 — treat every weekly/monthly point as overdue and grease it once as a baseline before returning to regular service.
• Wheel bearings (non-drive hubs) — handbook calls for 1,000-hour/annual repack; given unknown history, this is a reasonable one-time check now rather than waiting for a scheduled interval.
• Boom wear pads — inspect condition (not just lubricate) given they’re weekly-lube items that have likely gone without for a while.

Sequencing

Do this roughly in the order above before attempting the startup procedure — several items here (fuel, ignition) directly affect whether the engine will even run cleanly, and starting on stale fuel/bad points risks masking a real problem as “engine trouble” when it’s actually a storage consequence. Fluids/tires/hydraulics can be checked in parallel with the fuel/ignition work.