Fake A Lake

[skier_88]

Ok, so I am attempting to my winterzing much easier on my 88 Skier. Last year I removed the raw water hose from the thru hull (bottom) and sucked antifreeze in that way. I also removed it and ran my garden hose in it for general maint, which was a pain.

My thoughts, which probably are wrong, but let me know what you think.

I need to get a fake a lake. (this will ease general maint by just hooking up the garden hose.

For winterizing:

I will shorten a piece of garden hose and hook it to the fake a lake. I will use about 6-7 feet of hose and run it to a 5 gall bucket attached to my tower. I will retro fit a fitting to allow gravity to feed the antifreeze to the fake a lake?

Has someone else already done this OR is it a plan that just wont work???

[Molarbu]

Make sure you either:

1. Drain the engine completely before adding the antifreeze.

or

2. Drain the engine after you add the antifreeze.

Putting it directly into an engine that already has water will not 'push' the water out and replace it with antifreeze, rather it just dilutes the antifreeze and you're in trouble. Anyway, I bought some simple hardware from Home Depot and put a garden hose hookup right above my water intake which is simple and more predictable than the fake a lake. I don't have pics, but I'll get some one of these days.

[skier_88]

Oh, I will definitely drain it first. I know there are draw backs to the fake a lake, but I think during this process I won't need to be in the boat so it should be ok. Does my idea sound ok? I just wanted to make sure I get antifreeze through the fake a lake....it wouldn't suck it without gravity would it?

Make sure you either:

1. Drain the engine completely before adding the antifreeze.

or

2. Drain the engine after you add the antifreeze.

Putting it directly into an engine that already has water will not 'push' the water out and replace it with antifreeze, rather it just dilutes the antifreeze and you're in trouble. Anyway, I bought some simple hardware from Home Depot and put a garden hose hookup right above my water intake which is simple and more predictable than the fake a lake. I don't have pics, but I'll get some one of these days.

[jk13]

I drain the block and remove an end of all the hoses to dump water out, including below the water pump and the trans cooler. Then put together whatever needs to be and pour anti freeze directly into each hose and under the t-stat housing until it will take no more. That way I know it's done right with no pockets of water. Took me 30 minutes the first winter and 20 minutes the second, with a break while the engine drained, of course. Super easy access on these DD boats, do it once with no guessing if your transfusion was complete.

Edited April 21, 2011 by jk13

[martinarcher]

I got sick of the fake-a-lake as well as fighting that hose off the thru hull for winterizing. Here's my fix I installed on the Sunsetter last spring.....

http://www.themalibucrew.com/forums/index.php?/topic/29489-intake-water-hose-mod/page__p__422534__fromsearch__1#entry422534

[Bill_AirJunky]

Yea Matt! Not sure how I missed that thread. Good job on the hose adapter.

I got sick of climbing under the trailer too. Heres a pic of the one I pieced together from Home Depot parts.

[martinarcher]

Heck yeah. After seeing threads of engines overheated after a fake-a-lake tipped over I figured I couldn't afford not to make a better way to run the boat in the driveway! Sure makes sucking 5 gallons of antifreeze out of a bucket a piece of cake too!

[Molarbu]

Oh, I will definitely drain it first. I know there are draw backs to the fake a lake, but I think during this process I won't need to be in the boat so it should be ok. Does my idea sound ok? I just wanted to make sure I get antifreeze through the fake a lake....it wouldn't suck it without gravity would it?

Correct, I don't think it will suck the AF through the hose and out of the bucket on it's own. It sounds pretty good, but I'm sure I would find a way to spill all 5 gallons inside my boat. Good luck! Also I don't know if the impeller and fake a lake would create enough suction to start the liquid flowing.

Edited April 22, 2011 by Molarbu

[99response]

If you want to make winterizing easier just skip the anitfreeze all together...

[skiguy]

Seems to me sucking the anti-freeze through the raw water inlet via fake-a-lake or whatever is making this way to complicated. It takes only a few minutes to pull and drain a few hoses, open the drain cocks and remove the water from the engine block and then pour in the anti-freeze via the main hose off the impeller. Voila. Done.

[Bill_AirJunky]

The theory is that you can't get anti-freeze into all the little cavities in the engine without it running & sucking the AF in. I've tried pouring it in & it will only take like a 1/2 gallon before it backs up

And frankly there is no point in using AF unless it's being stored for a long, cold winter. Certainly not for a few days or weeks in the spring.

Edited April 22, 2011 by Bill_AirJunky

[skier_88]

I will always use A/F. Yes, it is a pain the butt but I can't trust the Ohio winters!! Heck the other night was at freezing again.

The theory is that you can't get anti-freeze into all the little cavities in the engine without it running & sucking the AF in. I've tried pouring it in & it will only take like a 1/2 gallon before it backs up

And frankly there is no point in using AF unless it's being stored for a long, cold winter. Certainly not for a few days or weeks in the spring.

[martinarcher]

I will always use A/F. Yes, it is a pain the butt but I can't trust the Ohio winters!! Heck the other night was at freezing again.

Right on. Skipping steps while winterizing not worth the gamble for the tiny bit for time it saves you.

Ask anyone who starts a "my block cracked over the winter" thread if they would buy a couple gallons of antifreeze to fix their boat. Me thinks....

[Bill_AirJunky]

I will always use A/F. Yes, it is a pain the butt but I can't trust the Ohio winters!! Heck the other night was at freezing again.

I'm not saying that you shouldn't winterize. I'm saying there are other ways to get thru the winter without using AF.

We got another couple inches of snow last night too. But the boat was on the lake last weekend, will be again this weekend, and has been on the lake several other times this winter.

[martinarcher]

Bill, you plug your heater in for those nights, or just drain the block?

[Bill_AirJunky]

BOTH!

[martinarcher]

BOTH!

Cool. I finally got a big ole' hunk of aluminum from work that I can use to build my heater. I guess it will be a summer project now.

[Slayer]

Cool. I finally got a big ole' hunk of aluminum from work that I can use to build my heater. I guess it will be a summer project now.

Hopefully you'll document your efforts. I've been thinking of one of those heaters but if it's easy enough to fabricate one, maybe that's the way to go.

[martinarcher]

Hopefully you'll document your efforts. I've been thinking of one of those heaters but if it's easy enough to fabricate one, maybe that's the way to go.

No worries. I take pictures of everything!

[99response]

Right on. Skipping steps while winterizing not worth the gamble for the tiny bit for time it saves you.

Ask anyone who starts a "my block cracked over the winter" thread if they would buy a couple gallons of antifreeze to fix their boat. Me thinks....

Find me one guy who drained down the boat properly and popped his block.

Anyone who cracks a block didn't winterize, or used antifreeze without a proper drain down first.

[martinarcher]

Find me one guy who drained down the boat properly and popped his block.

Anyone who cracks a block didn't winterize, or used antifreeze without a proper drain down first.

Never heard of one, but I'm a paranoid boat owner who even used auto antifreeze. It's also a good way to prevent block corrosion.

Edited April 23, 2011 by martinarcher

[old skool malibu]

I installed the Perko Flush Pro. It allows easy garden hose attachment as well you can attach a garden hose to a bucket of antifreeze and winterize as well. I picked mine up from Bakes. http://www.bakesonline.com/detail.aspx?ID=821

Here is my install.

http://www.themalibucrew.com/forums/index.php?/garage/vehicle/50-malibu-wakesetter-vtx/page__tab__mods__mod_id__46