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Winterizing older Response Direct Drive - How many do it yourselves?


sunvalleylaw

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I am doing it myself for the first time on my '98 Response LX.  The hoses and drains look a little different from the vids and guides I have found.  I was planning on using the RV coolant, and have a heater and a shower. Was going to change oil, drain everything, and run coolant through via the fake-a-lake.  I have 6 gallons of the stuff.  Any further tips?  

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2 minutes ago, ahopkinsTXi said:

Or just leave it empty. Been doing it that way for the life of the boat on ours and know a lot of others that never put any anti-freeze in their block. 

empty is ok, but I do it for corrosion protection - especially the heater core.  

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17 minutes ago, ahopkinsTXi said:

I read some research a few years ago that depending on the anti freeze it can actually be worse for corrosion. 

And before anyone asks, yes it was on the internet. So yes, it's true. 

lol.  The 04 lxi I ski behind is on its original heater core.  So it seems fine.

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1 hour ago, oldjeep said:

my only tip is after you drain it then pour in 2 gallons rather than puking out an extra 4 gallons.  Pour it into the upper heater core hose and the top of the j hose on the circulating pump.

So through the top of the J Hose will fill the block  - instead of pulling out the thermostat and dumping it in there?

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Ok, some pics to show what I did, and to see what I missed. I am marginally competent to change oil on a car/boat, but not very confident in this process, so would like some verification.  Here is what I did so far.  

Drained and changed oil and filter with Delo 400 SDE, and the appropriate Wix filter.

Drained here and on the other side, on the bottom rear of the manifolds.  And I broke this drain so will be ordering another.  This is starboard side.

IMG_6611.JPG

 

Here is the port side that I also drained.

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I pulled the drain plug I broke and found there is some rust and gunk in there.  I guess not surprising for a 1998 motor.  This pic was after I pulled some rust chips out of there.

IMG_6610.JPG

 

pulled the Knock sensor or whatever, and pulled this and drained.  Starboard side.

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Same on the port, by unscrewing where the red hose to the shower connects.  Found later I could have just unscrewed it at the shower controls.  

IMG_6607.JPG

 

Pulled this hose, and the one on the next pic down, and drained both.  I blew threw the upper hose with my mouth and seemed to get most of the water out.  Also put a hair dryer on the hose and cupped the opening with my hand to try to get a little more out.  

IMG_6613.JPGIMG_6612.thumb.JPG.c215469921511b6b70c4716563d535a4.JPG

 

 

 

 

drained all the water out of the shower by running it until dry.

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unscrewed both of the hose attached to these controls. Could have done this and skipped one step above to drain the port side of the block.  

IMG_6616.JPG

 

Gratuitous shot of how well the teak step held up after refinishing it with the Star brite products.  Looks good.  Maybe will clean it up and touch it up with a quick top coat next spring.

 

Ok, what did I miss?  I still intend on putting in the coolant.  But need to go get a funnel and will probably follow @oldjeep's method.  Although I did not get that j hose removed yet.  Seems to me also there is a hose somewhere connected to a tranny cooler and/or an oil cooler.  Did not find those.  As I said, I am kind of a rookie at this.  

Thanks for the help!

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Edited by sunvalleylaw
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You need to pull the house running from the raw water pump outlet to the bottom of the transmission cooler.  Also, check the screen at the bottom of the transmission cooler with your finger for any debris while you have that hose off.

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10 minutes ago, formulaben said:

Is that fitting custom or stock?  Never seen that...

Just what it came with from the prior owner.  So not sure.  Was going to see if I could find it at Bakes.  And until then, I will take unscrewed the piece that broke and will go to the hardware store and get a little bolt to put in there to plug it.  

Edited by sunvalleylaw
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1 hour ago, Sethro said:

You need to pull the house running from the raw water pump outlet to the bottom of the transmission cooler.  Also, check the screen at the bottom of the transmission cooler with your finger for any debris while you have that hose off.

Ok.  You wouldn't happen to have a pic that shows me which hose that is, do you?  Is it the hose coming off the impeller housing on the other side from the lake intake?  And if I do find debris, I just remove the debris, right?

Edited by sunvalleylaw
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And is that also the J hose that @oldjeep said to pour coolant in?

I also figure I will pour a little coolant back down into the shower line.  

Edited by sunvalleylaw
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Ok, got that one.  The hose end low and got a little water out, then seemed like no more.  And also took the hose off the bilge pump to see if any water was in there.  Nope.  

 

IMG_6618.JPG

 

So got all the water drained I guess.  Will do coolant another day as it is late and dark.  And will check the tranny oil too.  I do think after filling the hoses with coolant, I will fire the engine up with the intake hose in some coolant just to flush everything through once, and also to flush some of the new oil through the system before putting it to bed.  I don't have any fogging stuff, but maybe will do that also.  

Oh, also have to fill up and put stabil in before I fire it up.  I will fill with non-ethanol, which is all that I use anyway.

Edited by sunvalleylaw
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And thanks for all the help guys.  Like changing the oil, next time will be faster.  And I enjoy that I am getting to know the systems better so I can be aware of what is going on, and save a little dough as well.  

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Looks like you got it all.  If in doubt, just look at the engine, and think of which low hose could hold water.  You did the block on each side so you're good there, it just a matter of common sense with the rest - drain at the low points.  Nice duckboard too.

On antifreeze - when we rebuilt my 1994 engine there was a LOT of rust inside, enough where the builder asked if I ever ran in salt water..  The prior owner didn't use antifreeze.  So, I decided to use A/F ever since then, hoping that will keep the corrosion at bay.  I just drain the water from everything, then reconnect it all, and then pour in A/F in the top of the engine where the thermostat goes, and it fills it up.

@ahopkinsTXi, where did you hear the opposite, can you send a link?

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Well, one weather app says we hit a low of 26 last night, though it is coming up again.  Since we are a ways out from sustained freezing temps, I was not too worried.   Bu, glad I got it all drained at least.  Will look up where to find the thermostat and pour some stuff in.  I do think I want to fire it up once with the thermostat pulled to make sure I pull AF through.  

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a little late now, but my winterizing process is similar but with a "Lazy man" approach.

I manifold the exhaust ports together to a tee, then 90 down to a large Tupperware bucket. fill bucket with A/F, drop in sub pump, hook up pump outlet hose to tee on inlet in the boat. start sub pump, start boat, let run for duration of 355Ml of tasty beverage, run heater, run shower. Then drain everything as mentioned above. also I use a coat hanger to clean out the drain holes on the block, to ensure there is no stuff stuck there. then lastly I pull the fresh water impeller, coat with Vaseline and put it in a zip lock bag zip tied to the steering wheel.

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Very lightly snowing on the way to work this morning. Nothing that is going to stick right around here, though the higher  mountains  are getting white, but it is coming.

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I just did my own cold weather prep on my new to me this year 95 Response with the merc 350 EFI.  I drained the plugs on the bottom of the exhaust manifolds, drained the engine block from a drain on each side, and drained the transmission cooler, ran the shower until dry, and ran the bilge pump until dry.  I cranked the motor to clear the impeller. I plan to use the boat again in 2 weeks so I am just looking for some protection right now against the below freezing temps at night.  I will repeat the process along with changing the oil, impeller, and adding antifreeze for good measure when the boat gets put to bed for winter here shortly.

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