Not winterized

[WakeGirl]

Update-As I write this, the boat in need of winterization is in the parking lot here at work with an owner despratly trying to find a dealership that will winterize for him.  Most dealers are closed on monday.  Yesterday we saw a high of about 40 and right now it is 19.  Today we will only hit the mid 30s with a high of 18 , wind, and snow in the forecast for tomorrow.  The boat has still been outside the entire time.

I will update when the dealer gets his hands on the boat and winterizes.  Kind of feel bad for the guy.  I am worried that he has already had some damage.  I would assume that hoses would be the first things to freeze?  It makes me really glad that my baby is in the garage and all winterized.

He should get a long extention cord and place a work light in the engine compartment until it can be winterized, or just go out there and drain the water out. If your not sure which hoses to disconnect, do all of them, but definately drain the block. It isn't that hard to do it yourself and replacing the block isn't an option. Those temps can break it.

Ditto that.

[Lakenut]

He did this last night. The extension cord.

[edwin]

Update-As I write this, the boat in need of winterization is in the parking lot here at work with an owner despratly trying to find a dealership that will winterize for him.  Most dealers are closed on monday.  Yesterday we saw a high of about 40 and right now it is 19.  Today we will only hit the mid 30s with a high of 18 , wind, and snow in the forecast for tomorrow.  The boat has still been outside the entire time.

I will update when the dealer gets his hands on the boat and winterizes.  Kind of feel bad for the guy.  I am worried that he has already had some damage.  I would assume that hoses would be the first things to freeze?  It makes me really glad that my baby is in the garage and all winterized.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Lnut-

I'm sure I missed something in the thread - any reason you didn't offer to run out to the parking lot and spend 10 mins draining the water out of his engine?

[Greg_S]

Does anyone make a solar powered engine compartment light? I've never worried about it before and never had any problems, but its been getting down to the mid/lower 30's this week and I keep my Bu in our PUD's storage. I don't even know if I should worry about it, but I would rather be safe than sorry. I still plan on riding through the winter, if you can call it winter here, so I don't want to drain it.

[Ronnie]

I wouldn't think you would need it if it's in the 30's.

Last night the low here was ~25. I've got a 60w light in the engine compartment and the boat is still hanging on the lift. The low temp inside the boat was 48.

[Greg_S]

I wouldn't think you would need it if it's in the 30's. 

Last night the low here was ~25. I've got a 60w light in the engine compartment and the boat is still hanging on the lift. The low temp inside the boat was 48.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

thanks - I was hoping for that reply. I hope it warms up a little, riding again in the morning.

[Baddog]

Update-As I write this, the boat in need of winterization is in the parking lot here at work with an owner despratly trying to find a dealership that will winterize for him.  Most dealers are closed on monday.  Yesterday we saw a high of about 40 and right now it is 19.  Today we will only hit the mid 30s with a high of 18 , wind, and snow in the forecast for tomorrow.  The boat has still been outside the entire time.

I will update when the dealer gets his hands on the boat and winterizes.  Kind of feel bad for the guy.  I am worried that he has already had some damage.  I would assume that hoses would be the first things to freeze?  It makes me really glad that my baby is in the garage and all winterized.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

19F and no winterization yet? Hoses are the least of his worries because those are easily replaced, but the block???? Can't be good.

I was at my dealer two weekends ago getting parts and some yahoo drives in with a Four Winds wanting to get it winterized. It had been in the low 20's for a bunch of days in a row and was only 29 when he brought it in. I heard the service manager saying: "That engine is a complete block of ice!" without laughing. All I can say is get out your Visa buddy, and grown a brain next year with your new engine.

[D-GOOSE]

I think its to late for putting a light inside. What kind of boat is it and yr?

[zzbutler]

My brother's boat was not winterized and cracked last year (Sea Ray). It really sucked because we took it out fishing and found out the exhuast manifold was cracked. So he replaced one and then we found out the other one was cracked so he went to replace it and realized the head was cracked so he replaced both heads and both exhaust manifolds. We took it out again and it wasnt running very good so I started looking at adjusting the valves and realized some were moving up and down as much as they should and water was still in the oil. I took off the intake manifold to find the block was cracked down both sides of the oil valley and the cam was flat from watered down oil and etc, etc, etc.

So, the point is that this was last year here in Dallas. I winterized my I/O without any prior experience by simply spending about 15 minutes removing the major hoses, two plugs in the side of the block, and two plugs in the bottom of the exhaust manifolds.

Fifteen minutes, a screwdriver, and a crescent wrench. Why do people put this off?

[vette-ski]

My brother's boat was not winterized and cracked last year (Sea Ray).  It really sucked because we took it out fishing and found out the exhuast manifold was cracked.  So he replaced one and then we found out the other one was cracked so he went to replace it and realized the head was cracked so he replaced both heads and both exhaust manifolds.  We took it out again and it wasnt running very good so I started looking at adjusting the valves and realized some were moving up and down as much as they should and water was still in the oil.  I took off the intake manifold to find the block was cracked down both sides of  the oil valley and the cam was flat from watered down oil and etc, etc, etc.

So, the point is that this was last year here in Dallas.  I winterized my I/O without any prior experience by simply spending about 15 minutes removing the major hoses, two plugs in the side of the block, and two plugs in the bottom of the exhaust manifolds.

Fifteen minutes, a screwdriver, and a crescent wrench.  Why do people put this off?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Ummm, how was the crack in the valley not seen when the heads were replaced??? Didn't the intake have to come off to replace them?

[Lakenut]

Lnut-

I'm sure I missed something in the thread - any reason you didn't offer to run out to the parking lot and spend 10 mins draining the water out of his engine?

I offered several times. I told him that it wouldnt be a "fix all" but would be better than leaving it full of h2o. He wouldn' take me up on the offer. I even got on line and found out where to drain a Merc at.

He took the boat into the dealer yesterday and got the job done. They picklled it with pink stuff and I would assume that if something had been cracked they would have found it. When they wraped the prop hub w/ shrink wrap they wrote in big letters "Winterized after motor was FROZEN" I guess that is their way of covering their back sides. Guess he will know for sure next season.

[88Skier]

In Maine some dealers keep a cup of water by their front door. The 1st time it freezes, they stop taking in boats to winterize.

[Baddog]

So their ads would say . . . "Beat the cup" or something like that, eh?

[88Skier]

So their ads would say . .  . "Beat the cup" or something like that, eh?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

If they had to advertise. There's a pretty big push around here between the middle of Sept. and Oct. to get boats winterized. We have a feast or famine economy.

[eubanks]

My brother's boat was not winterized and cracked last year (Sea Ray).  It really sucked because we took it out fishing and found out the exhuast manifold was cracked.  So he replaced one and then we found out the other one was cracked so he went to replace it and realized the head was cracked so he replaced both heads and both exhaust manifolds.  We took it out again and it wasnt running very good so I started looking at adjusting the valves and realized some were moving up and down as much as they should and water was still in the oil.  I took off the intake manifold to find the block was cracked down both sides of  the oil valley and the cam was flat from watered down oil and etc, etc, etc.

So, the point is that this was last year here in Dallas.  I winterized my I/O without any prior experience by simply spending about 15 minutes removing the major hoses, two plugs in the side of the block, and two plugs in the bottom of the exhaust manifolds.

Fifteen minutes, a screwdriver, and a crescent wrench.  Why do people put this off?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

What were the temperatures like and was his boat stored outside? Our family had left our Chaparral unwinterized in a storage shed at Lake Lavon for 8 years without any problems. I was just curious.

[zzbutler]

Ummm, how was the crack in the valley not seen when the heads were replaced???  Didn't the intake have to come off to replace them?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

My brother has not done alot of engine work. I am not sure how he would have missed it unless running it more got it hot and made it worse later. Or, it maybe because the cracks on both sides were so straight and consistent, it almost looked like they were supposed to be there. Good question though.

What were the temperatures like and was his boat stored outside?  Our family had left our Chaparral unwinterized in a storage shed at Lake Lavon for 8 years without any problems.  I was just curious.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

It was last year actually sitting in Gainesville, TX. So it was probably just a little colder than it was at your house or mine. We did have those few days of snow and I remember xmas eve was around 20 degrees. The boat was not even covered.

My brother didn't think he needed to winterize because his previous boat (in a storage shed) never had any problems. I was thinking of trying to get some kind of memory thermometer and put in my boat storage up in Sanger so we could find out exactly what the differences are.