Malibu M5 M6 winterization

[theloungelife]

Has anyone heard if there are any changes for the 2022 engines or is it the same operation procedure?  Don't have my 22' A22 yet but probably will have it early/mid october.  Going to make sure I master this process to get the boat broken in and some cold water rides before putting it totally away for winter.  

[23LSVOwner]

15 hours ago, theloungelife said:

Has anyone heard if there are any changes for the 2022 engines or is it the same operation procedure?  Don't have my 22' A22 yet but probably will have it early/mid october.  Going to make sure I master this process to get the boat broken in and some cold water rides before putting it totally away for winter.  

Same procedure from what I have heard.

[Riverjunkie]

Just got around to really examining and finding all 4 drain plugs on my M6. My boat was build in june 2021 so maybe this is a new feature, but the PITA heat exchanger plug is now on a hose that you can access much easier freom the rear of the engine compartment, at least thats where i found mine.

[theloungelife]

Question for those that do run rv antifreeze through after draining.  Does the engine need to be up to temp like with other engines or is that not a big deal for this system?

[dcarl]

No you run the antifreeze through the raw water side.

[theloungelife]

19 hours ago, dcarl said:

No you run the antifreeze through the raw water side.

I get that, but what I'm wondering is if the engine needs to be warm when I do it.  I don't think it would matter since the anitfreeze isn't going into the actual engine block.  Just want to double check.  In my mind I drain the 4 blue plugs, put them back in, run a coupel gallons of rv antifreeze through and I'm done.  Can get in single digits here so don't want to rely just on draining.

[dcarl]

3 minutes ago, theloungelife said:

I get that, but what I'm wondering is if the engine needs to be warm when I do it.  I don't think it would matter since the anitfreeze isn't going into the actual engine block.  Just want to double check.  In my mind I drain the 4 blue plugs, put them back in, run a coupel gallons of rv antifreeze through and I'm done.  Can get in single digits here so don't want to rely just on draining.

It doesn't need to get up to temp as the thermostat is not on the raw water side.  FYI when I run the antifreeze via a fake a lake and a transfer I use about 6 gallons.

[Surf4FamFun]

On 10/24/2021 at 12:23 PM, dcarl said:

It doesn't need to get up to temp as the thermostat is not on the raw water side.  FYI when I run the antifreeze via a fake a lake and a transfer I use about 6 gallons.

Do you have a way to circulate the discharge back to the fake lake and circulate or just one pass thru?

If you don't pump do you gravity feed into the Fake Lake?

Do you drain before you circulate the PG or just let it do all the work?

Thanks in advance.

[dcarl]

15 hours ago, Surf4FamFun said:

Do you have a way to circulate the discharge back to the fake lake and circulate or just one pass thru?

If you don't pump do you gravity feed into the Fake Lake?

Do you drain before you circulate the PG or just let it do all the work?

Thanks in advance.

On mine I have a surf pipe so I catch the discharge in a 5 gallon bucket and send it back into the system.  But there is quite a bit of leakage because the fake a lake is not a prefect seal. That's why it take me about 6 gallons. 

You can't gravity feed it into the Fake lake its made for connecting to your garden hose that has pressure.  You would need some kind of pump to pressurize the antifreeze. Here the one I have its 12v but they make AC ones too.  I just power mine with a battery jumper.

https://www.menards.com/main/plumbing/pumps-tanks/utility-sump-pumps/barracuda-pumps-reg-12-volt-battery-powered-transfer-pump/90047/p-1504247253410.htm

I always drain first, I pull the 4 easy plugs and the sea strainer.  I leave the PITA one under the heat exchanger in.  That's they main reason I pump the antifreeze through and for piece of mind. 

[ahopkins22LSV]

1 minute ago, dcarl said:

On mine I have a surf pipe so I catch the discharge in a 5 gallon bucket and send it back into the system.  But there is quite a bit of leakage because the fake a lake is not a prefect seal. That's why it take me about 6 gallons. 

You can't gravity feed it into the Fake lake its made for connecting to your garden hose that has pressure.  You would need some kind of pump to pressurize the antifreeze. Here the one I have its 12v but they make AC ones too.  I just power mine with a battery jumper.

https://www.menards.com/main/plumbing/pumps-tanks/utility-sump-pumps/barracuda-pumps-reg-12-volt-battery-powered-transfer-pump/90047/p-1504247253410.htm

I always drain first, I pull the 4 easy plugs and the sea strainer.  I leave the PITA one under the heat exchanger in.  That's they main reason I pump the antifreeze through and for piece of mind. 

By leaving the bottom one in, you are not draining the earliest, lowest point of the raw water system. I would be concerned that you are diluting the antifreeze through the entire system like this. It probably works, but it would not make me comfortable at night.

[4mc]

After the thaw, is there anything necessary to dewinterize, or do you just replace the plugs and go?

 

 

 

[Slayer]

1 minute ago, 4mc said:

After the thaw, is there anything necessary to dewinterize, or do you just replace the plugs and go?

 

 

 

It should be as simple as replacing the plugs and going.  For me, I replace the impeller every season in my RLXi.  On my LSV, it was done at 50 hours and will be done again in the spring, if I still have it. 

 

[Dirtysidedown]

Watching this video, it appears the 2022's have some sort of extension hose for that hard to reach plug under the heat exchanger up against the motor mount.  

I have been able to get all of mine out, but I'm having a hell of a time getting the one under the heat exchanger, in the black plastic T, back in.  Hands are all torn up, used my teenagers smaller hands we just aren't getting it.  Need to walk away for a few days and come back at it.

How can i get one of these hoses. It was effortless for him to do this in the video.

 

Watch "How to drain Malibu or Axis M5 or M6 engine" on YouTube
https://youtu.be/uw0h4l8am2k

[csleaver]

I have used a small prybar to lift the hose under the heat exchanger up a bit where it is easier to remove or install the blue drain plug.

[wdr]

Loosen the hose clamps and rotate the housing until the mouse ears come up or just take a hose clamp and pull the hose off.

[asnowman]

Mine 2019 has a T fitting, basically right in the center under the engine, below the heat exchanger, on the way to the v drive. I pull that apart and it drains there.

I would like to have one of those extensions for a drain plug, but i don't even have the drain plug below the heat exchanger.

[Dirtysidedown]

On 12/24/2021 at 6:05 PM, Dirtysidedown said:

Watching this video, it appears the 2022's have some sort of extension hose for that hard to reach plug under the heat exchanger up against the motor mount.  

I have been able to get all of mine out, but I'm having a hell of a time getting the one under the heat exchanger, in the black plastic T, back in.  Hands are all torn up, used my teenagers smaller hands we just aren't getting it.  Need to walk away for a few days and come back at it.

How can i get one of these hoses. It was effortless for him to do this in the video.

 

Watch "How to drain Malibu or Axis M5 or M6 engine" on YouTube
https://youtu.be/uw0h4l8am2k

I went to the dealer to try and see about getting one of the new whip hoses that some of the newer boats are coming with and some aren't.  The parts guy tried to figure out the piece I was after.  Couldn't find it, so eventually the head service tech came out and showed/told me their secret to winterizing the M5/M6 that seems even easier......they remove the plug on the v drive, remove the hose on the top of the water pump housing and blow with their mouth until all the water comes out of the v drive.

If you follow the hose out of the top of the water pump, the next stop is the heat exchanger, then the pain in the a** pastic "T"with the blue plug/maybe whip extension installed, then the v drive.

They said at that point you can then pour antifreeze down the hose until it comes out the V drive, plug the v drive, reconnect the hose to the water pump.... if you really want to wear suspenders with your belt.

 

I removed the 3/8 hose off the manifold drains and extended them to be able to reach the vicinity of the v drive so it should be one stop shopping now with 3 blue plug in one spot and blowing into the top hose.  Blowing that water pump hose also forces stuff out of the manifold hoses.

Very easy process it seems.

 

Edited February 9, 2022 by Dirtysidedown

[dlb]

1 hour ago, Dirtysidedown said:

I went to the dealer to try and see about getting one of the new whip hoses that some of the newer boats are coming with and some aren't.  They tries to figure out the part and eventually the head service tech came out and showed/told me there secret that seems even easier......they remove the plug on the v drive, remove the hose on the top of the water pump hosing and blow with their mouth until all the water comes out of the v drive.

If you follow the hose out of the top of the water pump, the next stop is the heat exchanger, then the pain in the a** t with the blue plug/maybe whip extension, then the v drive.

They said at that point you can then pour antifreeze down the hose until it comes out the Vdrive, plug the v drive, reconnect the hose to the water pump.... if you really want to wear suspenders with your belt.

 

I removed the 3/8 hose off the manifold drains and extended them to be able to reachthe vicinity of the v drive so it should be one stop shopping now with 3 blue plug in one spot and blowing in the top hose.  Blowing that water pump hose also forces stuff out of the manifold hoses.

Very easy process it seems.

 

That sounds like someone has been thinking.  I like that approach, especially the suspenders and belt visual!

[ahopkins22LSV]

Adding a note to this thread to be a reminder to drain your sea strainer too. Last year I am 99% sure I took the cup off and drained the water out then put it back on. I though I had just trapped water in the threads and cracked the clear bowl but the mount for the bowl and hoses cracked too. And bad. I think I was close to having a major leak. Luckily, I had just a minor one that I was chasing after I replaced the clear bowl but everything else checked out so back to the sea strainer to take it completely off and inspect. Glad I did and glad I had to buy the whole assembly to get the clear bowl so I already had the parts. Now I’m questioning if I drained it this past winter or not and I definitely don’t remember what I did for 2020-2021 winter. This year I think I’m just going to pull the whole thing. The inlet and outlet hoses were easy to get off the barbs so it is an extra step but Ill know for sure it’s good then. 

[4mc]

Is the sea strainer just twist off with threads like a oil filter?

It is real hard to reach in the 25 LSV with M6 engine.  Never removed one before.

 

[asnowman]

10 minutes ago, 4mc said:

Is the sea strainer just twist off with threads like a oil filter?

It is real hard to reach in the 25 LSV with M6 engine.  Never removed one before.

 

Yes. Just a twist off. You can easily reach it from the swim deck reaching into the engine compartment. 

[OtherBoatisaCessna]

Ummm, okay I’m super late to the party on this thread, but… I have a new 23MXZ, bought in October, winterized.  I sure would have liked to take it out while it is still sunny.  Are you telling me that all you have to do to winterize is pull four plugs?  I know they typically also do the oil and impeller, but I think my dealer charges something like $750 bucks.  
 

Set me straight - what all has to be done to winterize, and where can I learn to do it for 2021 23MXZ with the M6.  Just pull the plugs as discussed here?

[ahopkins22LSV]

5 hours ago, OtherBoatisaCessna said:

Ummm, okay I’m super late to the party on this thread, but… I have a new 23MXZ, bought in October, winterized.  I sure would have liked to take it out while it is still sunny.  Are you telling me that all you have to do to winterize is pull four plugs?  I know they typically also do the oil and impeller, but I think my dealer charges something like $750 bucks.  
 

Set me straight - what all has to be done to winterize, and where can I learn to do it for 2021 23MXZ with the M6.  Just pull the plugs as discussed here?

And sea strainer. You definitely do not want to leave that full of water. Once the engine is drained of wanted it will be safe for freezing temps so you can call that winterized. Many choose to do oil changes at the same time but it is not required. I will be this year, but only because I am due for an oil change per the 50 hour interval. 

[hethj7]

The manual doesn’t actually call for the strainer to be removed but I get it is easy and may crack as a few have experienced.  I just noticed in 2021 the manual now says to run the engine after pulling drain plugs but for no more than 30 seconds to push out any residual water.  

[asnowman]

9 hours ago, OtherBoatisaCessna said:

Ummm, okay I’m super late to the party on this thread, but… I have a new 23MXZ, bought in October, winterized.  I sure would have liked to take it out while it is still sunny.  Are you telling me that all you have to do to winterize is pull four plugs?  I know they typically also do the oil and impeller, but I think my dealer charges something like $750 bucks.  
 

Set me straight - what all has to be done to winterize, and where can I learn to do it for 2021 23MXZ with the M6.  Just pull the plugs as discussed here?

Yes all you have to do is pull the plugs, but many dealers still run briefly to push antifreeze into the system.  My local dealer runs antifreeze into the block as well. 

I do my winterization, takes about 15 minutes.

One note, on the side drains. it is good to open them when the boat is in the water to flush a bit of water through, mine have had a tendency to clog up a bit. I open them and let them push some water through before pulling the boat.