Jump to content

Welcome to TheMalibuCrew!

As a guest, you are welcome to poke around and view the majority of the content that we have to offer, but in order to post, search, contact members, and get full use out of the website you will need to Register for an Account. It's free and it's easy, so don't hesitate to join the TheMalibuCrew Family today!

Drain Plug Locations and heater draining


JeffC

Recommended Posts

As shown in my sig, 2017 22 VLX with a 410.   I do have a shower, and a heater. 

The next two nights we are supposed to get below freezing, and my winterization appointment is not until the 20th.   I figured I would throw a couple trouble lights in the boat for the next couple of nights to hold the temperature - but why not pull the plugs and drain it anyway, not sense in taking chances.  Ill still let the dealer do the full winterization (changing fluids, etc, they included it in the deal). 

I must be an idiot.   I have read both the Indmar manual, and the malibu manual.   I have searched the internet.   I have done contortions after crawling in the lockers that no 58 year old should every try.    I managed to find the blue plastic drain plug under the transmission at its most forward point. I found a blue plastic plug under the heat exchanger (at the stern, kind of a little to the starboard side.       I see there is a jig on the back of the motor to hold four plugs.   I have two, and for the life of me cannot find the other two.    I have seen videos of a quick connect in the cross over hose, and have looked in vain to find that, the hose appears to go behind the risers from both manifolds.   I see no hose connector. 

My pain has exceeded my pride now, so time to ask for help.   Where do I find the other two plugs?   How do I drain the heater?    I ran the shower until dry.  Pulled the PNP bags, and ran the pumps until dry. Is that sufficient for a couple of nights?

Thanks for any help... and please go easy, Im gonna claim idiot noob status and hang my head in shame.   How hard can it be to find two bright blue plastic plugs.

 

 

Edited by JeffC
Link to comment

For the heater you need to trace the 2 hoses (supply & return) from the heater core back to the motor, disconnect both and drain into the bilge.  I blow a steady amount of air into my heater core and lines with an air compressor to make sure it's all out then I add pink antifreeze and blow into the core. This is on a 2000 VLX not sure how much has changed on yours...

i don't have a shower but it has to be similar, not sure on your drain plugs. 

Link to comment

His heater is part of the closed cooled system.  No need to drain it.  

 

@JeffC  check this thread out and the info from engine nut.  Good reminder to us 2016 owners that our manuals are wrong 🙄

 

 

Link to comment
9 hours ago, hethj7 said:

His heater is part of the closed cooled system.  No need to drain it.  

 

@JeffC  check this thread out and the info from engine nut.  Good reminder to us 2016 owners that our manuals are wrong 🙄

 

 

Thanks for clarifying! Sorry JeffC for not helping. 

Edited by Cazan
  • Like 2
Link to comment
12 hours ago, hethj7 said:

His heater is part of the closed cooled system.  No need to drain it.  

 

@JeffC  check this thread out and the info from engine nut.  Good reminder to us 2016 owners that our manuals are wrong 🙄

 

 

Thank you!!!   This will be helpful!   Last night we hovered around freezing, and I had a couple trouble lights in the engine compartment.   Tonight it is supposed to be mid 20s, so Ill be a bit more aggressive about this.    Feel a little better that the heater is coolant vs raw water, as I dont have any heat source in the cabin (although I may arrange that for tonight just as insurance). 

I got far enough in that thread to find the post about not being able to find the exhaust drains... so I dont feel like QUITE as much of an idiot.    

I can say that Im a little sore today after cramming my 220 lb carcass into the PNP lockers trying to find them.    Im pretty sure that if someone had taken a picture of that, it would have been money.   Reminds me of the high school days of seeing how many people we could cram into a VW beetle. 

  • Like 2
Link to comment

Jeff, I have a bilge heater.   You are welcome to borrow it until your appointment if it would make you feel better.

I'm home today, and fly out tomorrow am. 

Edited by RyanB
  • Like 2
Link to comment
7 hours ago, pauley71 said:

Is there a holder for the blue plugs on the 2016? I remember seeing this on a nautique but not in my boat. Was it new in 2017?

No plug holder in 2016. 

I do recommend adding the "drain whip" to drain #3 that Engine nut refers to if you are going to service your own boat.  You can get all the parts at any good hardware store.  It is a pain the first time you deal with it but a cake walk after that. 

I used two barbed fittings, two clamps, one cap and hose.  I extended this drain point near the tranny so I don't have to get under here anymore...  makes winterizing really easy.

IMG_012123.jpg.dcfac97b970dfe8f813e0221049057fd.jpg

 

IMG_0115.JPG.78e9f26262f4dda06819e702be2dd938.JPG

Link to comment
5 hours ago, RyanB said:

Jeff, I have a bilge heater.   You are welcome to borrow it until your appointment if it would make you feel better.

I'm home today, and fly out tomorrow am. 

THANK YOU!  And my wife sometimes wonders why I spend as much time as I do on the forums.   I think I have a plan to get me through tonight.  I am going to take a little trip to wally world and get a BT thermometer to monitor.   Based upon the way the snow was melting off the cover this morning, I think I kept the interior temp pretty well above freezing inside the boat, but then it did not get as cold last night as it will tonight.   Going to have a small ceramic space heater at the ready as my emergency back up.

 

Link to comment
6 hours ago, store934 said:

No plug holder in 2016. 

I do recommend adding the "drain whip" to drain #3 that Engine nut refers to if you are going to service your own boat.  You can get all the parts at any good hardware store.  It is a pain the first time you deal with it but a cake walk after that. 

I used two barbed fittings, two clamps, one cap and hose.  I extended this drain point near the tranny so I don't have to get under here anymore...  makes winterizing really easy.

IMG_012123.jpg.dcfac97b970dfe8f813e0221049057fd.jpg

 

IMG_0115.JPG.78e9f26262f4dda06819e702be2dd938.JPG

What's a drain whip?

Link to comment
20 minutes ago, RudyMuller said:

What's a drain whip?

Sorry.  I was reusing Engine Nuts term.  Basically the short flexible hose I described that screws into where the yellow circle is in the picture so you can drain that section without busting your knuckles.

To be clear I think this is unique to 2016 Raptors only. 2017 has this hose from the factory to make it easy. 

Edited by store934
Link to comment
4 hours ago, JeffC said:

Looks like the plan worked as designed.   Temp dropped to 27 early this morning, but the engine compartment stayed at 38 or higher throughout the night.   

What about the accessories that are not in the engine compartment? ie;  heater & shower. Typically their the first to pop.

I put Ts in my heater hoses so it takes me seconds to just pull the caps & let the heater drain into the bilge. My shower has 3 quick release connectors to pull, then just run the pump till nothing comes out any more.

Edited by Bill_AirJunky
Link to comment

I just run a couple gallons of RV antifreeze through it before I drain the plugs and skip #3.  My chubby hands can't get to that one.  It literally takes me 15 mins start to finish. 

Link to comment
1 hour ago, Bill_AirJunky said:

What about the accessories that are not in the engine compartment? ie;  heater & shower. Typically their the first to pop.

I put Ts in my heater hoses so it takes me seconds to just pull the caps & let the heater drain into the bilge. My shower has 3 quick release connectors to pull, then just run the pump till nothing comes out any more.

The heater on the 17 runs on coolant (antifreeze).   I drained the shower, plus the pump, hoses etc are all in the engine compartment.  I had two 100 watt trouble lights in there, and the held the temp 10-11 degrees above the outside air, and I never dropped below 38.  Didnt sleep much because I kept checking it (I do have a remote monitor).    I had a space heater in the cabin ready to go if I needed it, but it never came to that.   Crazy Colorado weather, it will be pushing into the 60s today, and no more freezing weather on the horizon until I after the boat is fully winterized. 

 

Link to comment
On 10/9/2017 at 2:20 PM, store934 said:

No plug holder in 2016. 

I do recommend adding the "drain whip" to drain #3 that Engine nut refers to if you are going to service your own boat.  You can get all the parts at any good hardware store.  It is a pain the first time you deal with it but a cake walk after that. 

I used two barbed fittings, two clamps, one cap and hose.  I extended this drain point near the tranny so I don't have to get under here anymore...  makes winterizing really easy.

IMG_012123.jpg.dcfac97b970dfe8f813e0221049057fd.jpg

 

IMG_0115.JPG.78e9f26262f4dda06819e702be2dd938.JPG

I am pretty sure on the 2016 410 instead of doing the number 3 of 5 you can follow that back about another foot to the rear of the motor and find something else to remove and it does the same thing. Dont take my word for 100% though.

Link to comment
36 minutes ago, klingsdesigns said:

I am pretty sure on the 2016 410 instead of doing the number 3 of 5 you can follow that back about another foot to the rear of the motor and find something else to remove and it does the same thing. Dont take my word for 100% though.

That is also true.  It’s the water flow sensor and also not easy to get at from experience .  Several ways to address the problem (antifreeze, water flow sensor, pull the plug, add hose).  I just did what made sense and was easy for me to repeat.

Link to comment

Sure would be nice to have a 2016 manual that was accurate in what to do.  I would be PO’d if I followed the manual that still states winterizing is easy as A, B,C and then had freeze damage.  

Link to comment
5 hours ago, JeffC said:

The heater on the 17 runs on coolant (antifreeze).   I drained the shower, plus the pump, hoses etc are all in the engine compartment.  I had two 100 watt trouble lights in there, and the held the temp 10-11 degrees above the outside air, and I never dropped below 38.  Didnt sleep much because I kept checking it (I do have a remote monitor).    I had a space heater in the cabin ready to go if I needed it, but it never came to that.   Crazy Colorado weather, it will be pushing into the 60s today, and no more freezing weather on the horizon until I after the boat is fully winterized. 

 

Geez, that bulb blows & catches the boat on fire & burns your house down, it's not going to look good. Think about that big fire in the Portland marina a few years ago... there was speculation it was caused by a light bulb. Burned like 200 boats. Because someone was too cheap to buy a $100 bilge heater that was safer.

Link to comment

Or even placement of stickers on a 2016 VTX 1 on impeller cover 1 on heat exchanger 1 impossible to get to (1/8 pipe plug) 1 on back of transmission where is last sticker?

Link to comment

Did I miss where you said the 5th sticker placement is??  The impeller the heat exchanger the starboard side one that is a 1/8" pipe plug and the one on back of transmission with the anode. But I don't see the 5th one. I did see a blue wing nut inline on a hose laying on the bottom of bilge port side but no sticker?

Link to comment

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Restore formatting

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...