[[email protected]]

My BIL has been asking me for years to winterize his inboard outboard
boat. I never realized how much he was paying until yesterday. I'm a
shop teacher with a good working knowledge of mechanics and small
engines. From what I've read, it seams that the job is fogging the
cylinders, change the oil/filter, change outboard trans fluid,
antifreeze the coolant, and stabil the gas. Is that it? Are special
tools or equipment needed?
thanks, Ron

[[email protected]]

On May 27, 1:45*pm, wrote:
My BIL has been asking me for years to winterize his inboard outboard
boat. I never realized how much he was paying until yesterday. I'm a
shop teacher with a good working knowledge of mechanics and small
engines. From what I've read, it seams that the job is fogging the
cylinders, change the oil/filter, change outboard trans fluid,
antifreeze the coolant, and stabil the gas. Is that it? *Are special
tools or equipment needed?
thanks, Ron

If you tell us more about what make and model engine, on what boat,
and as much about the configuration as you can. There are a couple of
pro mechanics here that would probably be able to point you in the
right direction. I am sure you will get some general stuff, but if you
were more specific, they could be too. Unfortunately, that is the most
help I can give you. Scotty

[[email protected]]

On May 27, 1:45*pm, wrote:
My BIL has been asking me for years to winterize his inboard outboard
boat. I never realized how much he was paying until yesterday. I'm a
shop teacher with a good working knowledge of mechanics and small
engines. From what I've read, it seams that the job is fogging the
cylinders, change the oil/filter, change outboard trans fluid,
antifreeze the coolant, and stabil the gas. Is that it? *Are special
tools or equipment needed?
thanks, Ron

Many service manuals have details on winterizing. And you will find a
lot on the web as well. You've got the basics right but I would add
that often people just drain the cooling system instead of adding
antifreeze. On most engines this usually means just removing the
drain plug(s) on the block and disconnecting a few low hoses. Getting
antifreeze in can be tricky since some i/o cooling designs bypass the
engine until it gets hot. No special tools needed. Is this a
mercrusier? Or one of the others?

[[email protected]]

I would think as the engine is sitting on the boat floor, the oil
would have to be sucked out rather than drained as a car. Don't these
engines use antifreeze in the coolant all the time to prevent rust? So
for winterization, wouldn't it just be a matter of increasing the % of
it?

ron

[[email protected]]

I just realized they don't use a radiator and only circulate the
water. If the block is drained, why add antifreeze?

[John H.[_4_]]

On Tue, 27 May 2008 16:40:01 -0700 (PDT), wrote:

I just realized they don't use a radiator and only circulate the
water. If the block is drained, why add antifreeze?

If you are sure every little crack and crevice in the engine is drained,
then it's not necessary. As the owner for about eight years of an I/O 5.7L
Mercruiser, I had the antifreeze added every year - even with the global
warming.
--
John *H*

[John H.[_4_]]

On Tue, 27 May 2008 16:36:53 -0700 (PDT), wrote:

I would think as the engine is sitting on the boat floor, the oil
would have to be sucked out rather than drained as a car. Don't these
engines use antifreeze in the coolant all the time to prevent rust? So
for winterization, wouldn't it just be a matter of increasing the % of
it?

ron

Yes, the oil gets sucked out, unless a drain adapter has been installed.
West Marine sells pumps which operate off the battery and do a pretty good
job. Check the dipstick pipe to see how the opening is made before buying
the kit.

You answered your own 'antifreeze all the time' question.l
--
John *H*

[jamesgangnc]

wrote in message
...
I just realized they don't use a radiator and only circulate the
water. If the block is drained, why add antifreeze?

Most people simply drain the block and do not add antifreeze. All the
blocks have a drain plug at the lowest point in them. There is also
typically drain plugs on the exhaust manifolds or you disconnect the hoses
going into the bottoms of the exhaust manifolds. Often you disconnect the
hose coming in from the outside as well. On a Mercrusier this often will be
going to a water exchange power steering fluid cooler. The out drive should
be lowered for storage and it will drain it's self in this position.

Unless you have one of the more sophisticated closed cooling systems there
is not any antifreeze anywhere. "Raw water" cools everything and then is
pumped back out with the exhaust. There are closed systems that have a
water exchange radiator instead of an air exchange one. It will look like a
big tank somewhere on the front of the engine. They still need the raw
water sections drained but it's not likely your friend has one of these.

The oil is usually pumped out the dipstick tube. There are electric pumps
and cheaper hand pumps. It is way easier to get the oil if you run the
engine and get the oil hot first. Don't run it on land without the rubber
garden hose muffs hooked to the outdrive and the water turned on. Or if it
has a raw water pickup on the bottom there is other solutions for hooking a
garden hose to it. The raw water supply pump is rubber vaned and the rubber
will melt in short order if it is run dry.

[HK]

jamesgangnc wrote:
wrote in message
...
I just realized they don't use a radiator and only circulate the
water. If the block is drained, why add antifreeze?

Most people simply drain the block and do not add antifreeze. All the
blocks have a drain plug at the lowest point in them. There is also
typically drain plugs on the exhaust manifolds or you disconnect the hoses
going into the bottoms of the exhaust manifolds. Often you disconnect the
hose coming in from the outside as well. On a Mercrusier this often will be
going to a water exchange power steering fluid cooler. The out drive should
be lowered for storage and it will drain it's self in this position.

Unless you have one of the more sophisticated closed cooling systems there
is not any antifreeze anywhere. "Raw water" cools everything and then is
pumped back out with the exhaust. There are closed systems that have a
water exchange radiator instead of an air exchange one. It will look like a
big tank somewhere on the front of the engine. They still need the raw
water sections drained but it's not likely your friend has one of these.

The oil is usually pumped out the dipstick tube. There are electric pumps
and cheaper hand pumps. It is way easier to get the oil if you run the
engine and get the oil hot first. Don't run it on land without the rubber
garden hose muffs hooked to the outdrive and the water turned on. Or if it
has a raw water pickup on the bottom there is other solutions for hooking a
garden hose to it. The raw water supply pump is rubber vaned and the rubber
will melt in short order if it is run dry.




Are outdrives stored for the winter with the drive up or down? Most
outboard boats that are properly covered and stored up here where we
have freezing temps have the outboard tilted up (for ground clearance),
and the through-hub exhaust taped and covered so water cannot get into
the apparatus there, freeze, expand, and do damage.

[jamesgangnc]

"HK" wrote in message
...
jamesgangnc wrote:
wrote in message
...
I just realized they don't use a radiator and only circulate the
water. If the block is drained, why add antifreeze?

Most people simply drain the block and do not add antifreeze. All the
blocks have a drain plug at the lowest point in them. There is also
typically drain plugs on the exhaust manifolds or you disconnect the
hoses going into the bottoms of the exhaust manifolds. Often you
disconnect the hose coming in from the outside as well. On a Mercrusier
this often will be going to a water exchange power steering fluid cooler.
The out drive should be lowered for storage and it will drain it's self
in this position.

Unless you have one of the more sophisticated closed cooling systems
there is not any antifreeze anywhere. "Raw water" cools everything and
then is pumped back out with the exhaust. There are closed systems that
have a water exchange radiator instead of an air exchange one. It will
look like a big tank somewhere on the front of the engine. They still
need the raw water sections drained but it's not likely your friend has
one of these.

The oil is usually pumped out the dipstick tube. There are electric
pumps and cheaper hand pumps. It is way easier to get the oil if you run
the engine and get the oil hot first. Don't run it on land without the
rubber garden hose muffs hooked to the outdrive and the water turned on.
Or if it has a raw water pickup on the bottom there is other solutions
for hooking a garden hose to it. The raw water supply pump is rubber
vaned and the rubber will melt in short order if it is run dry.


Are outdrives stored for the winter with the drive up or down? Most
outboard boats that are properly covered and stored up here where we have
freezing temps have the outboard tilted up (for ground clearance), and the
through-hub exhaust taped and covered so water cannot get into the
apparatus there, freeze, expand, and do damage.

Outdrives should be stored tilited down, ie the position where the prop
shaft is parallel to the boat hull. You want the rubber bellows in a
neutral position when it sits so it doesn't "take" a curved shape from
sitting. Just about all boats have clearance for the drive, i/o or
outboard, to be down because of the trailer height from the ground. If your
outboard sticks further down than that you probably have it mounted too low
anyway.