Fake-A-Lake and 4 to 5 Gallons of Anti-Freeze

[minnmarker]

47 minutes ago, granddaddy55 said:

Wisconsin , hmmm, cold huh?

Yep.  Our lakes are pretty clear though because everything dies over the winter.  Ya get some and ya don't get some.

But we do know how to winterize.

[t a]

My 15 VLX has 3 plugs to unbolt and 2 hoses to disconnect.  Antifreeze is supposed to be extra protection, not the only protection.  Don’t get why everyone is so scared of turning a wrench and pulling some hoses.  There is more to the system than just a 1 way in and 1 way out so pushing antifreeze through doesn’t push all the water out.  As was mentioned earlier, there are numerous posts every year who thought they were good by running antifreeze only.  Never seen a replaced block by anyone who drained it. I ride through the winter with a wetsuit and drain multiple times per year, it does not take as much time as running the boat up to temp, setting up these antifreeze feeders with pumps, etc and continuing to run it until you “hope” it’s ok.  Just cause pink is coming out the exhaust does not mean the block is full of antifreeze.

edit: I am also in the dallas area, it prob didn’t freeze hard enough to cause any damage (I had a water bottle in my truck that was just mushy and that’s a much smaller volume of water).

Edited November 15, 2018 by t a

[onwi]

@t a I agree - like I said, not my method.  I personally drain and then fill the block with antifreeze for storage in a heated building.  Once you know where everything is draining takes 20 minutes.  Just sharing that others have had success up here.  We do use propylene glycol and the garage is not just a pole building.  Not heated, but I'm sure its insulated.  For future planning I'll throw a remote thermometer in my detached garage this winter.  I'll see how cold it really gets inside this type of building in Wisconsin.  

We don't ride through the winter, but we do ride whenever it isn't iced over.  Only month we've never gone is January.  Its great to have a boat available should we get ice out earlier than I'm ready for.    

[adgray]

I went ahead and drained the both sides of the block and the hose near the transmission..... is their another hose I need to pull or missed?   It is in a covered metal barn unheated but we are in the Dallas area about the coldest it gets might be the teens for a day or 2 at most..  

 

I had 2 boats to do and I know on the LSV, Pink was flowing out of the Exhaust but when we pulled the plugs it was water,  so I guess the thermostat didn't open all the way, glad I went back and pulled those plugs and drained the block.. 

[jwl019]

30 minutes ago, adgray said:

I went ahead and drained the both sides of the block and the hose near the transmission..... is their another hose I need to pull or missed?

On the boats with the Monsoon engines, I always disconnected the J hose to let drain (trans cooler to impeller housing), on the new 6.2 400 this year in my '18, there was a blue winterization plug that replaces that step.

[minnmarker]

On 11/15/2018 at 8:47 AM, onwi said:

Only month we've never gone is January.

You must live in SOUTHERN Wisconsin!  We have ice from Nov/Dec thru early April.

[ahopkins22LSV]

5 hours ago, adgray said:

I went ahead and drained the both sides of the block and the hose near the transmission..... is their another hose I need to pull or missed?   It is in a covered metal barn unheated but we are in the Dallas area about the coldest it gets might be the teens for a day or 2 at most..  

 

I had 2 boats to do and I know on the LSV, Pink was flowing out of the Exhaust but when we pulled the plugs it was water,  so I guess the thermostat didn't open all the way, glad I went back and pulled those plugs and drained the block.. 

Good call. I’d double check your manual to see what hoses to pull to be sure too. Might as well get everything done. Then next year it will be a breeze because you know exactly what to do. 

[t a]

5 hours ago, adgray said:

I went ahead and drained the both sides of the block and the hose near the transmission..... is their another hose I need to pull or missed?   It is in a covered metal barn unheated but we are in the Dallas area about the coldest it gets might be the teens for a day or 2 at most..  

 

I had 2 boats to do and I know on the LSV, Pink was flowing out of the Exhaust but when we pulled the plugs it was water,  so I guess the thermostat didn't open all the way, glad I went back and pulled those plugs and drained the block.. 

This is exactly what I tell ppl that just wanna run antifreeze.  What year is the LSV and what motor?  I can walk you through the 350 monsoon and am also in Dallas area

[adgray]

11 hours ago, t a said:

This is exactly what I tell ppl that just wanna run antifreeze.  What year is the LSV and what motor?  I can walk you through the 350 monsoon and am also in Dallas area

it is the 350 Monsoon Motor.  I have a 2013 LSV and 2014 MZX... I have already did the plugs on each side of the blocks and the water hose... i guess their is another intake hose and heater hose?

[adgray]

On 11/14/2018 at 11:15 PM, t a said:

My 15 VLX has 3 plugs to unbolt and 2 hoses to disconnect.  Antifreeze is supposed to be extra protection, not the only protection.  Don’t get why everyone is so scared of turning a wrench and pulling some hoses.  There is more to the system than just a 1 way in and 1 way out so pushing antifreeze through doesn’t push all the water out.  As was mentioned earlier, there are numerous posts every year who thought they were good by running antifreeze only.  Never seen a replaced block by anyone who drained it. I ride through the winter with a wetsuit and drain multiple times per year, it does not take as much time as running the boat up to temp, setting up these antifreeze feeders with pumps, etc and continuing to run it until you “hope” it’s ok.  Just cause pink is coming out the exhaust does not mean the block is full of antifreeze.

edit: I am also in the dallas area, it prob didn’t freeze hard enough to cause any damage (I had a water bottle in my truck that was just mushy and that’s a much smaller volume of water).

yeah I live on Texoma and I keep water bottles in my truck usually and I haven't seen any ice or slush yet and my truck stays outside uncovered..    I know we need to be in the low 20's for a few days before ice can build up in the boat with all the insulation from seats and if it is fully in a covered building.   I went ahead and drained each side of the block and the water hose connections..   

[ahopkins22LSV]

FYI, in the resources tab there are links to engine and boat manuals per year/model: 

 

Engine Manual. Winterizing steps start on page 7-3:

https://www.themalibucrew.com/_files/engines/indmar_2012_2015.pdf

 

[t a]

28 minutes ago, adgray said:

it is the 350 Monsoon Motor.  I have a 2013 LSV and 2014 MZX... I have already did the plugs on each side of the blocks and the water hose... i guess their is another intake hose and heater hose?

 

V drive plug

Knock sensor (port)

Knock sensor (starboard)

J hose (Port side of tstat housing)

Tranny cooler hose(starboard side of tstat housing)

Make sure ballast is drained

Here’s my checklist, it’s a 2015 but I don’t have heater or shower.  If the boat doesn’t have dripless shaft cooling then you have to drain a crossover hose for the exhaust as well.  I think those models do though.

[adgray]

12 minutes ago, t a said:

 

V drive plug

Knock sensor (port)

Knock sensor (starboard)

J hose (Port side of tstat housing)

Tranny cooler hose(starboard side of tstat housing)

Make sure ballast is drained

Here’s my checklist, it’s a 2015 but I don’t have heater or shower.  If the boat doesn’t have dripless shaft cooling then you have to drain a crossover hose for the exhaust as well.  I think those models do though.

thank you.... 

[onwi]

14 hours ago, minnmarker said:

You must live in SOUTHERN Wisconsin!  We have ice from Nov/Dec thru early April.

For sure! From now on I'll say I'm from the South!  (Waukesha County)

[carguy79ta]

Is this the right stuff? Am going to completely drain then put this in. Propylene glycol..pricey 5/gal

[KDCr7]

Looks like the same ingredients as the one I use.

[minnmarker]

That's just alcohol and water. Get the -75 stuff which is propylene glycol.   I get it on sale at Menards for about $3 per gallon.

[KDCr7]

Wow thats cheap. I found some -75 up here (Canada) in the fall. 13.50$ a gallon

[carguy79ta]

49 minutes ago, minnmarker said:

That's just alcohol and water. Get the -75 stuff which is propylene glycol.   I get it on sale at Menards for about $3 per gallon.

If you zoom in to the pic, it says propylene glycol

[minnmarker]

11 minutes ago, carguy79ta said:

If you zoom in to the pic, it says propylene glycol

You're  correct.  It must be only -50 due to it is mixed with >50% water.

 

[carguy79ta]

12 minutes ago, minnmarker said:

You're  correct.  It must be only -50 due to it is mixed with >50% water.

 

Okay, great, I will check menards and other places on the computer maybe cheaper. Its not a lot of money, but a buck is a buck,right?