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First time winterizer, and I don't want to botch it up!


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I've read all I can find about winterizing and here is my plan. The oil, filter, fuel treatment, fuel filter, are already handled. I'm just nervous about the water freezing in something I failed to drain. I have drained the block, both sides, the exhaust manifolds, and pulled the hoses off the water impeller and drained more out of there so Im comfortable with that.

I have ordered the Flow-Pro valve and will install it as soon as it arrives. I plan to hook it up, put water to the engine, warm it up to operating temperature and then shut it down. Then I'm going to drain the water, hook up the Flow-Pro again and pump in the antifreeze, run the engine (now the thermostat is open right?) and after the antifreeze is spitting out the exhaust, fog the throttle body and shut down the motor.

Have I missed anything? I really want to do this right, the first time....

Thanks everyone.

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The thermostat wont be fully open until 160 or 180 degrees.

That's the main reason for the last two years, I leave the engine dry with no antifreeze. Running on a hose from the house, my boat just wont warm up enough at idle.

I rub a little oil on the threads of the engine so they dont rust and let her sit dry. Let us know if you have any other questions, this is the place to ask.

Steve B.

(quick edit: after I drain the water, i pull all hoses, then bump start it for 1 moment to blast any remaining water out)
Edited by Steve B.
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Follow the Indmar Manual, drain and leave dry. Lots of people on her swear by antifreeze, I don't.

Antifreeze out the exhaust is not necessarily antifreeze in the block.

  • Like 3
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little tip if you run your trailer jack all the way up and down once it tends to tilt the motor enough to get more water out driving around the block helps also gets the water moving from those hard to drain passages

Edited by robertstone9
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I've read all I can find about winterizing and here is my plan. The oil, filter, fuel treatment, fuel filter, are already handled. I'm just nervous about the water freezing in something I failed to drain. I have drained the block, both sides, the exhaust manifolds, and pulled the hoses off the water impeller and drained more out of there so Im comfortable with that.

Do all of this, plus fog the engine, remove and drain the bottom of the big C hose. If you have a heater, disconnect that hose and blow with your mouth or better yet, use an air compressor to run air into the hose and water out of the heater (core). Turn it over twice and call it good!

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Hi,

I'm glad you posted this topic. I too am a first time winterizer-of an '87 skier with a commander 300 (351) engine. I was wondering if anyone could provide a list of drains that need to be addressed?

So far I have drained:

1. Both sides of the block

2. exhaust manifolds

3. disconnected large tube from from thermostat housing (shaped like a loop) and drained remaining water.

4. I also disconnected the lower mounted hose from the piece where the transmission cooler lines come in and out.

My boat had a shut off installed from the raw water impeller with a second access with hose fitting plumbed in. After the above drainage I hooked up a trash pump in a 5 gal. pail with 3 gal. of RV antifreeze. I turned on the pump and turned the engine over until all the antifreeze was sucked out of my bucket. Antifreeze was trickling from the exhaust when I was done.

Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Jeff

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Hi,

I'm glad you posted this topic. I too am a first time winterizer-of an '87 skier with a commander 300 (351) engine. I was wondering if anyone could provide a list of drains that need to be addressed?

So far I have drained:

1. Both sides of the block

2. exhaust manifolds

3. disconnected large tube from from thermostat housing (shaped like a loop) and drained remaining water.

4. I also disconnected the lower mounted hose from the piece where the transmission cooler lines come in and out.

My boat had a shut off installed from the raw water impeller with a second access with hose fitting plumbed in. After the above drainage I hooked up a trash pump in a 5 gal. pail with 3 gal. of RV antifreeze. I turned on the pump and turned the engine over until all the antifreeze was sucked out of my bucket. Antifreeze was trickling from the exhaust when I was done.

Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Jeff

sucking the antifreeze in works okay, IF, and only IF the thermostat is open to fill your block with water. If the stat is not open, all you did is suck antifreeze in, and spit it out the exhaust, so your exhaust manifolds are full of it, but your block has nothing in it.

water connections are different on different motors, (and I'm not sure what your shutoff valves do or don't do) but in most cases, if you drain your block, and then pull the big hose off the Stat housing (the one that goes to the recirc pump), and pour antifeeze in it, you will be filling the block. 2 gallons is the usual amount that it takes to fill the block. Do the same with your exhaust. drain them, and then use the hoses that go from teh stat housing to the exhaust and pour antifreez in them. it takes about 1/2 gallon per manifold.

I have never not filled by motors with antifreeze. you will never get all the water out by draining, and water expands and cracks things. Antifreeze is cheap. New blocks are not. I know that Malibu and other Companies say you can just drain the block, but if it cracks they aren't going to pay because you followed their directions.

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except for the last 15 seconds thats a great how to video. He sucked antifreeze through his exhaust and not a drop went into the block.

my bad. i didn't follow through.

i was in search of an old word document that had a very comprehensive list of things to consider while winterizing.

when i saw "How-to-Winterize Your Boat" in the "resources / articles" i thought it was that document.

just passed on the wrong link. i'm "one of those guys" that doesn't use anti-freeze for winterizing so i would not recommend the video.

just wasn't paying attention.

if i find that article i'll drop a link to it.

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my bad. i didn't follow through.

i was in search of an old word document that had a very comprehensive list of things to consider while winterizing.

when i saw "How-to-Winterize Your Boat" in the "resources / articles" i thought it was that document.

just passed on the wrong link. i'm "one of those guys" that doesn't use anti-freeze for winterizing so i would not recommend the video.

just wasn't paying attention.

if i find that article i'll drop a link to it.

I have also been looking for that article. Let us know if you come up on it.

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You shouldn't have drained it all just to put water back in...

Anyway, warm it up, drain it all again. Take the fresh water intake out from the bottom. Connect a funnel. fill with antifreeze and have a frien turn the boat over, keep it filling with antifreeze until it comes out the exhaust. Use the antifreeze. It will not hurt anything and definetly will not freeze. Why go dry?? I am not sure of the reasoning. In a bit warmer climate maybe. My boat is in 40 degree storage and I still winterized.

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Just finished my Winterizing, changed oil/filter, transmission oil,cleaned screen, changed vdive oil. Warmed the engine up on the water hose up to just over 160degrees. Then I ended up funneling anti-freeze into the hose after in goes threw the vdrive. Fake a lake wasn't working out! So after the anti-freeze was coming out the exhaust I had a buddy fog the throttle and shut down the engine. I decided to then remove some hoses and check to make sure the engine had pink anti-freeze. I even removed the t stat to verify it was all pink. Removed the knock sensor and it was pink, Everything ended up having pink anti-freeze except the starboard side block drain. It was still water. why is this? The port side knock sensor drain was all pink while the starboard side block drain was all water. Im confused?

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I drained everything and still decided to use anti-freeze. I like to over-do stuff just to be sure. So i went to Menards and bought two schedule 30 3 inch plastic elbows and a length of pipe. Took the rubber exhaust flappers off, ground a little off the plastic elbows until they fit inside the exhaust and pointed both down into a 5 gal pail filled w anti-freeze and my 3 hp sump pump. I connected the pump to my new Perko Flush-pro valve.

All set. Plugged in the pump, started the engine, and circulated anti-freeze until the temp gauge hit about 165* then ran it for another five minutes, fogged through the throttle body and shut it all down.

All together I lost about 2 cups of anti-freeze due to spillage, and I have the kit ready to go again for next year. Super easy and I'm confident it is done properly.

Thanks to all that helped me out with advice.

Edited by WoodyBC
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Just finished my Winterizing, changed oil/filter, transmission oil,cleaned screen, changed vdive oil. Warmed the engine up on the water hose up to just over 160degrees. Then I ended up funneling anti-freeze into the hose after in goes threw the vdrive. Fake a lake wasn't working out! So after the anti-freeze was coming out the exhaust I had a buddy fog the throttle and shut down the engine. I decided to then remove some hoses and check to make sure the engine had pink anti-freeze. I even removed the t stat to verify it was all pink. Removed the knock sensor and it was pink, Everything ended up having pink anti-freeze except the starboard side block drain. It was still water. why is this? The port side knock sensor drain was all pink while the starboard side block drain was all water. Im confused?

This is why I don't use antifreeze. You may have thought you were good after running antifreeze through the engine and ended up with a cracked block if you hadn't checked it. Just drain everything and you should be good.
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This is why I don't use antifreeze. You may have thought you were good after running antifreeze through the engine and ended up with a cracked block if you hadn't checked it. Just drain everything and you should be good.

I understand where your coming from, But this is why after I run the antifreeze I still check all the lines and drains to make sure the water is gone and if I see pink then I know forsure I'm safe! I've used this method on all my other boats in the past and never had issues. Running the anti-freeze through the engine to me just guarntees that any little cavity or hose that might not drain fully is now sitting over the winter with pink antifreeze and not frozen water. Its cheap insurance and i still open all the drains anyway.

I was just alittle puzzled how 1 side of the engine block drain could be all antifreeze and the oppisite side I didnt really seam to see anything but water.

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This is why I don't use antifreeze. You may have thought you were good after running antifreeze through the engine and ended up with a cracked block if you hadn't checked it. Just drain everything and you should be good.

Which is why I always drain the system before putting antifreeze in it. And I have never run it through, always poured it in. When you only drain it, you are not getting anywhere near 100% of the water out. I have seen motors drained and blown out with air, that in the spring had every core plug popped. They were lucky it didn't crack inside also.

It takes ~ 2 gallons of antifreeze to fill the block, and an other 1-2 to do the exhaust and other lines. If you are using -100 thats $40. If you use -50, its about $25. A lot cheaper than any of the parts that could break.

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Just finished my Winterizing, changed oil/filter, transmission oil,cleaned screen, changed vdive oil. Warmed the engine up on the water hose up to just over 160degrees. Then I ended up funneling anti-freeze into the hose after in goes threw the vdrive. Fake a lake wasn't working out! So after the anti-freeze was coming out the exhaust I had a buddy fog the throttle and shut down the engine. I decided to then remove some hoses and check to make sure the engine had pink anti-freeze. I even removed the t stat to verify it was all pink. Removed the knock sensor and it was pink, Everything ended up having pink anti-freeze except the starboard side block drain. It was still water. why is this? The port side knock sensor drain was all pink while the starboard side block drain was all water. Im confused?

I have never heard of one side of the block getting antifreeze and one side not. If you did it without draining the block, and teh Stat started to close or did close its "possible" that it pushed out some of the water, then the stat closed and it couldn't push the rest out. It depends on how your Stat housing is set up. My engine is closed cooled, so I don't know how your system is set up. I have run Mercruiser for the last 15 years, and their Stat housing let water out unevenly. Thats why I always drain the block and exhaust before I put antifreeze into the engine.

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Which is why I always drain the system before putting antifreeze in it. And I have never run it through, always poured it in. When you only drain it, you are not getting anywhere near 100% of the water out. I have seen motors drained and blown out with air, that in the spring had every core plug popped. They were lucky it didn't crack inside also.

It takes ~ 2 gallons of antifreeze to fill the block, and an other 1-2 to do the exhaust and other lines. If you are using -100 thats $40. If you use -50, its about $25. A lot cheaper than any of the parts that could break.

How do you pour it into the block? How do you pour it into the exhaust manifolds?

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How do you pour it into the block? How do you pour it into the exhaust manifolds?

Pull the large hose that goes to the recirulating pump from the Stat housing and pour it in. That will fill the block. Takes about 2 gallons.

Do the same for the exhaust. Pull the hoses where they attach to the Stat housing, and hold them up so they are above the exhaust. Pour antifreeze in until it fills the hose, and then reattach the hose to the Stat housing.

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Pull the large hose that goes to the recirulating pump from the Stat housing and pour it in. That will fill the block. Takes about 2 gallons.

Do the same for the exhaust. Pull the hoses where they attach to the Stat housing, and hold them up so they are above the exhaust. Pour antifreeze in until it fills the hose, and then reattach the hose to the Stat housing.

Can I just pull the hose that comes off the raw water intake, keeping it higher than the engine and just pour AF in? I've read some posts say run the engine and suck the AF in from a bucket. Why? If you are are filling from the intake?

Thanks

Edited by skistud1
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Can I just pull the hose that comes off the raw water intake, keeping it higher than the engine and just pour AF in? I've read some posts say run the engine and suck the AF in from a bucket. Why? If you are are filling from the intake?

Thanks

You can't just pull that hose, because the antifreeze won't get past the impeller.

Yes, lots of people suck antifreeze into the engine from their flush device (fake a lake etc). That will work, but it can also have you toast an impeller if you run it too long and its running dry. Inboards are so easy to pull hoses from that by the time someone sets up the suck in device, I am done and putting the cover on.

The people that are sucking teh antifreeze in aren't also pouring it in. Its one or the other.

Edited by zone 5
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