Malibu M5 M6 winterization

[shawndoggy]

5 hours ago, hethj7 said:

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.  

I don't usually to AF, but I did this year (my first M6 winterization).  I feel less bad now about spending the extra $20 on antifreeze, because I didn't mess with the strainer.

[OtherBoatisaCessna]

Okay… I started to get a little suspicious that the boat I bought, which was supposed to be winterized, wasn’t.  So just to be safe I went out to open up the drain plugs.  

First, I pulled the V-drive plug.  A lot of water (or potentially antifreeze, trying to confirm with the dealer) came out.  It took a minute or so and eventually ran dry.  Second, I found and emptied the port side manifold plug, and got a few teaspoons.  Next, the starboard manifold drain, and a few more teaspoons.  Finally, I went and did the heater one - mine is on a little extension hose and is no big deal to get to - and got no water whatsoever, almost like it was dusty dry.  

Does this all sound right?  I guess I need to go back and check for the sea strainer and I’ll do that tomorrow or his weekend. 

Also, there is a dryer-vent spiral hose thing on the extreme rear starboard side of the engine that isn’t attached to anything.  Is that right?  I’ll post a picture if I can.  

2021 23MXZ w/M6.

TIA… stressful day realizing there’s a pretty good chance my boat has not actually been winterized and we’ve already been below freezing a number of times.  There was, for instance, approximately 30 gallons of water in the ballast bags :facepalm:  

[BillyChinookVLX]

Sounds like it got 1/2 done. If you didn’t have a bunch of water out of the drains then it was drained but not filled with antifreeze. Not uncommon practice, but I prefer to fill mine with RV antifreeze as an extra level of security and rust prevention. Was the fluid out of your v drive sticky at all? Antifreeze gets slightly sticky on your skin when it dries.

if it hadn’t been drained, you would have a couple of gallons of water when you pulled the plugs in the engine block.

 I’m guessing your dryer hose is part of your bilge venting system. Aka right where it’s supposed to be.

I don’t think you need to panic at this point.

[asnowman]

21 minutes ago, OtherBoatisaCessna said:

Does this all sound right? 

Also, there is a dryer-vent spiral hose thing on the extreme rear starboard side of the engine that isn’t attached to anything.  Is that right?  I’ll post a picture if I can.  

2021 23MXZ w/M6.

TIA… stressful day realizing there’s a pretty good chance my boat has not actually been winterized and we’ve already been below freezing a number of times.  There was, for instance, approximately 30 gallons of water in the ballast bags :facepalm:  

This all sounds right. The dryer vent tube that is not attached is the air intake for the bilge vent as @BillyChinookVLX said.

My 2019 drains about what you described when i winterize it.  

The ballast bags are fine, takes a while to get them to actually freeze. Being in the compartments, a night at 30 won't cause any issues. 

[JeffK]

8 hours ago, OtherBoatisaCessna said:

First, I pulled the V-drive plug.  A lot of water (or potentially antifreeze, trying to confirm with the dealer) came out.

When you open all the drain plugs, you can't always get all the water out.  My guess is as the boat was transported or as it sat, the remaining water in the system found the lowest point.  For that reason, I have always either run some environmentally friendly AF through the boat after draining or left the system open.  I usually choose to run AF because I like the idea of having the anti-corrosive properties in all the components up against the metal as it sits all winter.  Overkill?  Maybe.  Piece of Mind?  Worth every penny to me.  I store mine in a heated garage, so I rarely worry about freezing, but I still winterize every year.  But I've winterized and de-winterized several times in a year and will just drain and leave open until I'm sure I'm done.

[wdr]

Finally, I went and did the heater one - mine is on a little extension hose and is no big deal to get to - and got no water whatsoever, almost like it was dusty dry.

The M6 heater should be a closed loop system with no need to be winterized. I wouldn’t think they went backward in technology from my 2019, M5. The only little extension hose on my M5 is the oil drain line. There may be a hose off of the core to purge air out of it, but I have not seen or heard of that before. 

[shawndoggy]

12 minutes ago, wdr said:

Finally, I went and did the heater one - mine is on a little extension hose and is no big deal to get to - and got no water whatsoever, almost like it was dusty dry.

The M6 heater should be a closed loop system with no need to be winterized. I wouldn’t think they went backward in technology from my 2019, M5. The only little extension hose on my M5 is the oil drain line. There may be a hose off of the core to purge air out of it, but I have not seen or heard of that before. 

I'm sure he meant "heat exchanger" (which would also be where the fourth plug is if his first three were V drive and the two manifolds).

[OtherBoatisaCessna]

Can someone direct me to an article or video on how to run antifreeze back through the system?  There’s a lot of talk about it in this thread but no description of how to do it.  If I can figure that out, it would be some good peace of mind.  

[shawndoggy]

Get yourself one of these. Close raw water intake valve. Run hose from winterizer gizmo to the flush valve on the transom. Open the valve on the flush container full of antifreeze. Start the boat. Watch the magic happen. Shut off boat when antifreeze is gone. Remember to reopen the raw water seacock. 

Edited November 4, 2022 by shawndoggy

[Bagar20]

With M5 or M6 anyone ever just use a regular 5 gallon bucket and stick hose end in bucket and hook up to flush valve on back of boat. Is raw water pump strong enough to pull antifreeze from bucket without the gravity feed style set up. 

[shawndoggy]

1 hour ago, Bagar20 said:

With M5 or M6 anyone ever just use a regular 5 gallon bucket and stick hose end in bucket and hook up to flush valve on back of boat. Is raw water pump strong enough to pull antifreeze from bucket without the gravity feed style set up. 

can you drill a hole in your bucket and install one of these and create a low budget gravity system?

 

https://www.amazon.com/Joywayus-Connector-Theaded-Bulkhead-Stablizing/dp/B07SDCYLS8/ref=asc_df_B07GPP23K9/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=278878233965&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=13328917580435024073&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1022653&hvtargid=pla-530035370529&th=1

[Bagar20]

Yes can always make one or even buy one but wondering if anyone tried just pull straight from bucket. 

[shawndoggy]

13 minutes ago, Bagar20 said:

Yes can always make one or even buy one but wondering if anyone tried just pull straight from bucket. 

Give it a shot!  If you put the bucket up on the sun pad you’d get a siphon going with a little suction. 

[Steve B.]

I'm thinking just use one of those jiggler siphon things the moment you start the engine. I've got one and they work amazingly well. Just stuff the output into the flush input.

Steve B.

Edited November 9, 2022 by Steve B.
adding some info

[pauley71]

5 gallan bucket + THIS + < 3 gallons of RV antifreeze  (I drain first, then pump in the pink stuff)

https://www.amazon.com/GROWNEER-Submersible-Fountain-Aquarium-Hydroponics/dp/B07MDBYTLS/ref=asc_df_B07MDBYTLS/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=343220021881&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=9959358330578015322&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9007574&hvtargid=pla-745986374815&psc=1&tag=&ref=&adgrpid=71762479111&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvadid=343220021881&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=9959358330578015322&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9007574&hvtargid=pla-745986374815

Edited November 9, 2022 by pauley71

[JeffK]

I had an extra ballast pump that I just drop in a bucket and attach to the hose.  I've got wires long enough to reach a battery.  

[Bagar20]

Tired it and it worked perfectly. Regular 5 gallon bucket, full, sitting on deck above swim platform where pop up ski pylon is. Old garden hose cut short and just stuck in bucket an attached to flush hook up on back of boat. Pulled the antifreeze thru perfectly. 

[ahopkins22LSV]

On 6/21/2022 at 7:44 PM, ahopkinsVTX said:

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. 

Adding to this. When I winterized this year, I removed the four plugs, let all of the water drain out then I removed the strainer cup. Quite a bit more water drained out of the strainer cup housing and the bottom drain plug. I’d highly recommend removing the strainer to everyone’s procedure. 

[csleaver]

FYI, on newer Malibu boats with the electric ballast inlet valves, it is recommended to turn on the ballast fill for a minute with the boat out of the water, then turn on the ballast drain.  This helps to remove water from the brass inlet ball valves and prevent freeze damage.  It is also recommended to inspect the valves prior to the first use the following season.

[hethj7]

13 hours ago, ahopkinsVTX said:

Adding to this. When I winterized this year, I removed the four plugs, let all of the water drain out then I removed the strainer cup. Quite a bit more water drained out of the strainer cup housing and the bottom drain plug. I’d highly recommend removing the strainer to everyone’s procedure. 

I just re-winterized today and agree.  I pulled the strainer and was shocked how much water still came out.  I had bumped the engine as well prior to that per the manual, which spit out a good chunk as well.  Also, my strainer seems to be covered in soap or something along the threads, that got all over the housing as the water seeped out after loosening it.  Odd, but I had never touched it since taking delivery before today.  

[ahopkins22LSV]

8 hours ago, hethj7 said:

I just re-winterized today and agree.  I pulled the strainer and was shocked how much water still came out.  I had bumped the engine as well prior to that per the manual, which spit out a good chunk as well.  Also, my strainer seems to be covered in soap or something along the threads, that got all over the housing as the water seeped out after loosening it.  Odd, but I had never touched it since taking delivery before today.  

Can you bump it with just the key without it starting?

[hethj7]

1 hour ago, ahopkinsVTX said:

Can you bump it with just the key without it starting?

Good question.  I didn’t try so can’t say for sure.  

[shawndoggy]

5 hours ago, ahopkinsVTX said:

Can you bump it with just the key without it starting?

Pull the lanyard?

But what would be the downside of the boat firing for a sec?

[hethj7]

1 minute ago, shawndoggy said:

Pull the lanyard?

But what would be the downside of the boat firing for a sec?

Starting with my 2019, pulling the lanyard won’t allow the boat to crank at all.  My 2016 would crank but not start.  I am not sure what year it changed for sure. 
 

No real downside for a quick startup and shutdown.  The latest manual actually has that as the procedure to winterize.  

[ahopkins22LSV]

4 hours ago, hethj7 said:

Good question.  I didn’t try so can’t say for sure.  

 

4 minutes ago, shawndoggy said:

Pull the lanyard?

But what would be the downside of the boat firing for a sec?

 

1 minute ago, hethj7 said:

Starting with my 2019, pulling the lanyard won’t allow the boat to crank at all.  My 2016 would crank but not start.  I am not sure what year it changed for sure. 
 

No real downside for a quick startup and shutdown.  The latest manual actually has that as the procedure to winterize.  

Really no downside. Just asking. It could be more handy when changing the impeller.