Baller rodltg2 Posted October 27, 2015 Baller Share Posted October 27, 2015 I have never winterized my boat as I live in California and usually just stick in my garage during the somewhat risky months. I am moving at the end of November and my garage is a mess with no room for boat. It's gonna have to sit out for a bit. Normally wouldn't worry as November is normally pretty warm. It's still in the 80's now ! But just my luck we will get a freeze when it's sitting out. Won't have access to power where I'm gonna stick it so can't use engine block heater. What should I do at the very minimum? Don't want to get too crazy as it will be going indoors in December Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baller oldjeep Posted October 27, 2015 Baller Share Posted October 27, 2015 Pull the block drains(knock sensors on modern engines) and manifold drains, remove the heater core lines and shower lines if applicable and blow them out. Pull both hoses off the raw water pump and drain them. That is the generic process. Some engines will have fuel coolers with drain plugs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baller TallSkinnyGuy Posted October 28, 2015 Baller Share Posted October 28, 2015 IIRC I live near you (Auburn) and I just dry block my boat, like oldjeep described. No need to mess with running anti-freeze through it. Loosen the hose clamps and remove hoses on the rubber lines that carry water from your raw water intake in the bottom of the boat up to the engine and then the hoses that transport the water from your raw water pump and up to the engine water pump. You usually only have to remove one side of a hose connection to drain it. Leave the hoses disconnected to further air dry. There will probably be drain holes with plugs screwed into both sides of the engine block near the bottom. One will likely have the knock sensor screwed into it. Remove both of those. There should also be plugs screwed into the drain holes at the back of the manifolds just under where the exhaust hoses connect to the risers. Remove these to drain the manifolds. Put all the plugs into a bag and zip tie them to the steering wheel to make sure you remember to put them back in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baller oldjeep Posted October 28, 2015 Baller Share Posted October 28, 2015 I'm not a huge fan of leaving the drain plugs out, then you get to deal with new rust in the threads. Not to mention I prefer that the boat be all ready to just start and go when the time comes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baller LeonL Posted October 28, 2015 Baller Share Posted October 28, 2015 @rodltg2 you asked for the minimum. You got good answers, but a lot more work than you needed. Get your engine up to running temp, take the hose off the intake at the bottom of the hull, stick it in a bucket of two,gallons of antifreeze(may need an additional length of 1" hose) start the engine and suck it all up, reconnect the hose, put the cover on your boat, and go drink a beer, you're done! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baller TallSkinnyGuy Posted October 28, 2015 Baller Share Posted October 28, 2015 I think the threads will rust whether the plugs are out or in, but I suppose you could spray some WD-40 on them to help minimize rust either way. I always put anti-seize and teflon tape on the plug threads before putting the plugs back in (just anti-seize on the knock sensor since the tape could keep the sensor from properly performing). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baller rodltg2 Posted October 28, 2015 Author Baller Share Posted October 28, 2015 Now that sounds like a plan. I don't wantbto blow anti freeze into the lake so just run in on land and blow it out ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baller oldjeep Posted October 28, 2015 Baller Share Posted October 28, 2015 You might get away with running only 2 gallons into an engine full of water in ca, but here that would be a recipe for a cracked block and blown heater core. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baller TallSkinnyGuy Posted October 28, 2015 Baller Share Posted October 28, 2015 I agree with oldjeep. If you don't drain the block first before sucking up only 2 gallons of anti-freeze there is a good chance that anti-freeze will be very diluted and therefore not perform. Draining the block only takes a few minutes unless you have trouble getting the plugs out (the threads might be stuck due to rust). If you don't want to drain first you should use at least 5-6 gallons of anti-freeze. BTW, you should only use RV anti-freeze which is biodegradable, not car anti-freeze. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baller LeonL Posted October 28, 2015 Baller Share Posted October 28, 2015 Yes the pink stuff. I only mentioned 2gallons since he's in CA. However I'm in KY and have used 3 gallons in my 196s for at least 17 years with no problems. Last year it went to -15 here. Every year below zero. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baller oldjeep Posted October 28, 2015 Baller Share Posted October 28, 2015 We're just going to disagree then, Procedure in every manual I've ever seen is to fully drain and then introduce antifreeze if desired for corrosion protection. We gets weeks of -20F here, so block freeze is not something we screw around with in anything. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baller Fast351 Posted October 28, 2015 Baller Share Posted October 28, 2015 @rodltg2 You can run them into the lake. That pink antifreeze is environmentally safe. Edit: "All ingredients are listed in the U.S. Federal Register. This product is considered GRAS (Generally Regarded As Safe) by the Food and Drug Administration." If you can drink it, it's probably OK for the fish... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baller LeonL Posted October 28, 2015 Baller Share Posted October 28, 2015 @oldjeep, I don't disagree with you. I don't know where you are and don't presume to give advise for someone farther north than me. I just gave the guy in CA a MINIMUM recommendation, like he asked for, and related what had worked for me for over 17 years. Heck, I don't even suggest that to the guys at our lake. I just say that I've had no problem using that procedure, and they should do whatever they think best. If we had "weeks of -20" I'd do something different. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baller 6balls Posted October 28, 2015 Baller Share Posted October 28, 2015 @leonL agree with you, buddy has done it that way on his '87 Prostar thru MN winters since he bought it new in '87. Must be ok...we run closer to 5 gallons into the intake after warm on both his boat and now my Nautique. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baller Ed_Obermeier Posted October 28, 2015 Baller Share Posted October 28, 2015 I did mine a little differently this year. Normally I run antifreeze through the motor etc then drain everything, thought being that if any water/antifreeze mix remains it has enough antifreeze in it that it won't be a problem. Problem with that is trying to get the bilge and everything 100% dry before I put it in storage, which is usually the last possible day I can get it in storage before it either freezes or the storage place fills up. This year I drained the raw water out of everything earlier in the process, put all the plugs etc back in and then ran antifreeze through the motor and just left it in. That way I was able to allow the bilge to dry completely plus having antifreeze in everything should hold corrosion down. Took 6 gallons of antifreeze mix (I do use automotive antifreeze) to make sure it was coming out the exhaust, shower etc. Before you start getting on me about using automotive antifreeze, I us an oblong cattle watering tank with a backboard to catch all the exhaust water and in the spring I make sure to run it all out before I ever put it in the lake. I take the waste antifreeze to a recycling place to dispose of it. Costs me about $25-30 in antifreeze every fall but cheap insurance IMO. Never had a problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baller swc5150 Posted October 28, 2015 Baller Share Posted October 28, 2015 @rodltg2 If I remember, you have a 196? Don't forget to unscrew the water strainer and dump it out. The plastic cup will freeze and crack faster than a block, although it's much cheaper to replace! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baller oldjeep Posted October 28, 2015 Baller Share Posted October 28, 2015 I just dump Banfrost 2000 (-100 marine antifreeze) into the engine, manifolds and heater core through the hoses after fully draining and reinstalling the plugs. Takes just over 2 gallons to fill it. Costs around $30-40 for the 2 gallons of antifreeze, but well worth it for the corrosion protection and insurance if there was somehow a pocket of water left. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baller A_B Posted October 28, 2015 Baller Share Posted October 28, 2015 I would do like @LeonL outlines. That is what I have been doing in northern Ohio for 40 years. Just need a hose adaptor from autozone or some place so the hoses can join together quickly. Don't even need to clamp, just shove it in. I would do 4 gal of RV enviro friendly antifreeze. This helps lube the impeller on fire up next year. Keeps them in shape a lot longer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baller 6balls Posted October 28, 2015 Baller Share Posted October 28, 2015 Wud be really cool to install a quick connect valve within the intake tubing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baller Dano Posted October 28, 2015 Baller Share Posted October 28, 2015 All i do is drain the motor of water. Simply pull the plugs (engine block and exhaust) and all water hoses. I pull the cover off the RAW water pump just to be sure. Blow out the shower line, and walk away. Survives winter in Canada every time. I can understand wanting antifreeze of some sort for corrosion protection. I do think the benefits are minimal though. Most of the antifreeze will drain back out of the motor through the exhaust manifolds or back out the intake from where it came. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baller oldjeep Posted October 28, 2015 Baller Share Posted October 28, 2015 Virtually nothing comes out unless you over fill, the exhaust manifolds peaks are the high spot and unless you left the impeller out then nothing is going to drain out the raw water inlet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baller LeonL Posted October 28, 2015 Baller Share Posted October 28, 2015 A guy here at our lake does it like some of you. He drains first then sucks up some antifreeze. What he does differently is, in the spring he connects a small hose to the pit cocks and drains the antifreeze out and reuses it next winter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baller oldjeep Posted October 28, 2015 Baller Share Posted October 28, 2015 That sounds like a whole lot of work, but economical ;) I don't think that any modern engines have petcocks since they tend to clog so easily. The last boat I owned that had them was a late 80's Bayliner. In my current boat (350 Monsoon engine) it would be awful tough to get anything under the knock sensors to capture the fluid - unless you just let it all drop and slime up the bilge and collected it at the transom drain. Mine just gets fired up in the lake, I own a fake a lake but it still has the cardboard on it - haven't found a reason to use it yet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baller LeonL Posted October 28, 2015 Baller Share Posted October 28, 2015 He added the drain cocks. It's an '02 196. Too much work for me too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baller swc5150 Posted October 28, 2015 Baller Share Posted October 28, 2015 @6balls My brother installed a quick connect at the intake, and it's slick as all get out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baller Drago Posted October 29, 2015 Baller Share Posted October 29, 2015 If you have an old PP with speedo tubes plugging into the bottom,carefully remove at the pp unit and blow those out Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baller swc5150 Posted October 29, 2015 Baller Share Posted October 29, 2015 One last thing, blow out your heater core, if you have one. Those can be fragile too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baller Hallpass Posted October 29, 2015 Baller Share Posted October 29, 2015 They usually recommend the RV anti-freeze as it's suppose to be biodegradable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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