Winterization Walk Through

[NeedAmalibu]

This is totally up for debate, In my mind. It takes me a matter of minutes to run the boat on antifreeze. To me even though it may not be totally necessary it provideds a little insurance policy and makes me rest easy throughout the winter.

I have been winterizing boats in Vermont for 12 years and have never had an issue spending the extra few mins to flush the cooling system with Antifreeze, and personally I would NEVER sign my name on a Winterization without this step.

I just winterized my boat with a giant gravity fed funnel (5gal bucket) hooked to raw water intake. Basically I want to hear your particular input...here's what i did. I had a garden hose in the 5gal bucket/funnel connected directly to raw water intake, while running engine with gas treatment thru fuel system. I ran engine around 20min or so. I Turned garden hose off and let the existing water leave (5gal bucket/funnel) then poured RV fluid in funnel, all while engine continues to run. Used around 4-1/2 gal of Rv fluid and had buckets to catch diluted fluid out exhaust... the fluid was very pink upon exiting exhaust. once funnel was emptied of rv fluid I turned motor off. then finished with oil change/fogging/ballast draining/trans fluid ect...

here's my question: Do you think i accomplished draining most, if not all water out of system.??? Like I would have if I disconnected all the hoses, then flushed with Rv fluid.???

[Bill_AirJunky]

here's my question: Do you think i accomplished draining most, if not all water out of system.??? Like I would have if I disconnected all the hoses, then flushed with Rv fluid.???

Only one way to know for sure...... in the spring time.

[NeedAmalibu]

Only one way to know for sure...... in the spring time.

Yeah, i guess that's the only true test to a new way of doing things.... I just hope I'm not being a Block Crack Head for cutting corners... I'm pretty sure it's a sufficient way to achive the same thing as draining the entire system and then flushing with RV fluid. The RV fluid may be a bit more dlilluted with water but i don't think it's enuf to crack block. might get slushy if anything....? what u think

[99response]

Yeah, i guess that's the only true test to a new way of doing things.... I just hope I'm not being a Block Crack Head for cutting corners... I'm pretty sure it's a sufficient way to achive the same thing as draining the entire system and then flushing with RV fluid. The RV fluid may be a bit more dlilluted with water but i don't think it's enuf to crack block. might get slushy if anything....? what u think

Honestly I think you're an idiot to be gambling with a $6000 (min) engine.

Drain down then add antifreeze. If you don't know how to do that find someone who does and ask for their help or pay someone to do it.

Cracked block could easily ruin half your season waiting for it to get fixed.

Edited November 1, 2010 by 99response

[Bill_AirJunky]

Yeah, i guess that's the only true test to a new way of doing things.... I just hope I'm not being a Block Crack Head for cutting corners... I'm pretty sure it's a sufficient way to achive the same thing as draining the entire system and then flushing with RV fluid. The RV fluid may be a bit more dlilluted with water but i don't think it's enuf to crack block. might get slushy if anything....? what u think

About all you've done is dilute the antifreeze so it is NOT even as effective as it's max rating. By draining the engine, heater & shower first, then you make sure the antifreeze is as effective as possible.

I skied last Friday. Drained everything while sitting on the ramp in about 5-10 minutes. Then drove home with the hull drains open. I don't understand why this isn't done by everyone...... actually I do understand. It's because people haven't taken the time to learn about their boats enough to know how it's done.

Take the time. It's an expensive lesson if you don't.

[martinarcher]

This is totally up for debate, In my mind. It takes me a matter of minutes to run the boat on antifreeze. To me even though it may not be totally necessary it provideds a little insurance policy and makes me rest easy throughout the winter.

I have been winterizing boats in Vermont for 12 years and have never had an issue spending the extra few mins to flush the cooling system with Antifreeze, and personally I would NEVER sign my name on a Winterization without this step.

Totally agree. Go ahead and skimp, but I bet no one that sucks antifreeze all the way through their engine will ever start a "It's spring and my block is cracked....how can this be?" thread. Good luck next spring.

[NeedAmalibu]

Thanks to all you passionate folks here.

I'll re-drain the system just to see how that rv fluid looks. then take thermostat out and and re-flush. you scared the idiot right out of me

[99response]

Thanks to all you passionate folks here.

I'll re-drain the system just to see how that rv fluid looks. then take thermostat out and and re-flush. you scared the idiot right out of me

For the sake of experiment save a cup of the antifreeze/water mix that comes out of the block drain (not the manifolds or hoses), maybe throw it in the freezer or leave it outside when it gets real cold and report back.

[Bill_AirJunky]

Thanks to all you passionate folks here.

I'll re-drain the system just to see how that rv fluid looks. then take thermostat out and and re-flush. you scared the idiot right out of me

Good call.

BTW, one thing that makes a big difference is where your located. I'm not sure if MI is Michigan or Mississippi. But one of them gets butt-cold in the winter & you might need some full strength anti-freeze in the boat.

[NeedAmalibu]

For the sake of experiment save a cup of the antifreeze/water mix that comes out of the block drain (not the manifolds or hoses), maybe throw it in the freezer or leave it outside when it gets real cold and report back.

I'll let ya'll know.... i'll try to freeze it in freezer if it freezes, thank you for calling me an idiot. If it does not oh well atleast I got to sit in the boat on last time. I love making more work for myself. I had my doubts of what I did that's why I asked. later

[Bill_AirJunky]

..... I got to sit in the boat on last time.

Give it a few months. We'll all be doin some "garage boating" by January.

[Badger]

Does someone have the .pdf of the file they can send me? I was hoping to print and bring it home this afternoon, but were still running IE Explorer 6.0 at work and I can't get to the darn thing.

[Ndawg12]

Does someone have the .pdf of the file they can send me? I was hoping to print and bring it home this afternoon, but were still running IE Explorer 6.0 at work and I can't get to the darn thing.

Shoot me a pm with your email and I can send it to you.

[NeedAmalibu]

For the sake of experiment save a cup of the antifreeze/water mix that comes out of the block drain (not the manifolds or hoses), maybe throw it in the freezer or leave it outside when it gets real cold and report back.

Big thanks TO: Bill Air junky, 99response, and martinarcher for leting me have the hard truth, there are simply no short cuts to this process. So the experiment is done. I draind the liquid from the Engine Block thru the knock sensor.... totaly water with a bit of rv fluid. put it in freezer for 3hrs totally slush on its way to becoming a hard chunk of ice totally capable of cracking a block. the rest of the system was totally dilluted as well. drained the manifolds and same thing just a little more pink, turned into slush as well.... I just dodged a disaster bid lesson learned. I'm sure none of you are surprised of the results.

[skier_88]

I've heard mixed reviews about pulling the thermostat. I didn't, but I'm thinking I should re-do it just to be sure. I did drain both sides of the block and exhaust manifolds. I ran straight antifreeze through the water intake and sucked through a little over 4 gallons before anti-freeze was coming out the exhaust. I killed the motor by fogging it, what ya all think?

[martinarcher]

Big thanks TO: Bill Air junky, 99response, and martinarcher for leting me have the hard truth, there are simply no short cuts to this process. So the experiment is done. I draind the liquid from the Engine Block thru the knock sensor.... totaly water with a bit of rv fluid. put it in freezer for 3hrs totally slush on its way to becoming a hard chunk of ice totally capable of cracking a block. the rest of the system was totally dilluted as well. drained the manifolds and same thing just a little more pink, turned into slush as well.... I just dodged a disaster bid lesson learned. I'm sure none of you are surprised of the results.

Not surprised at all, but I'm glad we swayed you. You learned on the right end of the winter season and just saved yourself a bunch of cash! Good man. Protecting your engine is not a place to skimp. I believe the same when it some to filters and motor oil as well. Now get her filled up with straight antifreeze and sleep easy this winter.

By the way...I like how you took the scientific Mythbuster's approach to proving how important proper winterization is.

Edited November 4, 2010 by martinarcher

[martinarcher]

I've heard mixed reviews about pulling the thermostat. I didn't, but I'm thinking I should re-do it just to be sure. I did drain both sides of the block and exhaust manifolds. I ran straight antifreeze through the water intake and sucked through a little over 4 gallons before anti-freeze was coming out the exhaust. I killed the motor by fogging it, what ya all think?

I pull mine since if the t-stat isn't opened when you suck in the antifreeze in, the antifreeze could bypass engine passages that have nothing but water in them.

[Levi900RR]

Not surprised at all, but I'm glad we swayed you. You learned on the right end of the winter season and just saved yourself a bunch of cash! Good man. Protecting your engine is not a place to skimp. I believe the same when it some to filters and motor oil as well. Now get her filled up with straight antifreeze and sleep easy this winter.

By the way...I like how you took the scientific Mythbuster's approach to proving how important proper winterization is.

One step further, put it in a tuperware that is sealed, it will blow the lid right off...

[skier_88]

I pull mine since if the t-stat isn't opened when you suck in the antifreeze in, the antifreeze could bypass engine passages that have nothing but water in them.

So after already draining the block and manifolds and running straight anti freeze through (w/o removing t-stat) what is the best way to know the antifreeze is where it is suppose to be? Could I just remove the tstat and pour more in?

[Tedro]

So after already draining the block and manifolds and running straight anti freeze through (w/o removing t-stat) what is the best way to know the antifreeze is where it is suppose to be? Could I just remove the tstat and pour more in?

Get your boat up to temp by putting hose into inlet hose and running until temp gauge rises and then falls to normal. You know the thermostat is open. Then drain engine and block and hosez and run your RV anitfreeze in inlet hose until it come out back exhaust.

[NeedAmalibu]

Not surprised at all, but I'm glad we swayed you. You learned on the right end of the winter season and just saved yourself a bunch of cash! Good man. Protecting your engine is not a place to skimp. I believe the same when it some to filters and motor oil as well. Now get her filled up with straight antifreeze and sleep easy this winter.

By the way...I like how you took the scientific Mythbuster's approach to proving how important proper winterization is.

It was a sweet experiment.... All on accident. I really thought it was going to work the way I flushed it right after warm up with no drain(Totally Wrong process) It is totally a way to play russian roulet with one heck of an engine don't try it, if it sounds too good to be true it is.

close call

[martinarcher]

So after already draining the block and manifolds and running straight anti freeze through (w/o removing t-stat) what is the best way to know the antifreeze is where it is suppose to be? Could I just remove the tstat and pour more in?

I would remove the t-stat from the housing, pull it out in the driveway and suck two gallons through the intake water hose.

[skier_88]

Get your boat up to temp by putting hose into inlet hose and running until temp gauge rises and then falls to normal. You know the thermostat is open. Then drain engine and block and hosez and run your RV anitfreeze in inlet hose until it come out back exhaust.

This is what I did without pulling t stat, I'm just seeing what I can or if i should do anything more. I sucked through 4 gallon and stopped as soon as it came out the exhaust.

[skier_88]

I would remove the t-stat from the housing, pull it out in the driveway and suck two gallons through the intake water hose.

could I do this without starting the boat back up? The engine and everything is fogged and tucked away. I've heard people just bump the crank to push antifreeze through....

[martinarcher]

could I do this without starting the boat back up? The engine and everything is fogged and tucked away. I've heard people just bump the crank to push antifreeze through....

I've never done that, but I don't see why not. I know the boat pulls antifreeze in pretty quick and I don't think you would have to crank for more than 60 seconds. Just do it 10 sec or so at a time and the starter won't get too hot.

EDIT: I like the new avatar.

Edited November 4, 2010 by martinarcher