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Block drain plugs


ThinBuLine

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29 minutes ago, oldjeep said:

Put them back in.  Sucks when the block threads corrode 

I was thinking about this and why I asked. I might just hop back in under the cover to put them back in. 
 

39 minutes ago, yotaisgame said:

We leave them out. No particular reason. You're in SoCal? Do you even need to winterize? 

I live at 3,000 feet and the boat is stored in a carport for the winter. We have random nights where it will drop below 30 for a few hours. Not worth the risk of cracking the block for a few minutes of work for me. 

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Wondering if there is a way to do a poll to see how many people leave them out vrs in and if ambient humidity makes a difference. It’s super dry where I’m at. 

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I leave mine out.  I have for the last 8 years I've owned my RLXi.  I simply coat the threads with fluid film after it's drained.  Prior to summerizing, I use a pipe cleaning brush to clean the threads, apply anti seize, and replace them.  Never had an issue.

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32 minutes ago, Slayer said:

I leave mine out.  I have for the last 8 years I've owned my RLXi.  I simply coat the threads with fluid film after it's drained.  Prior to summerizing, I use a pipe cleaning brush to clean the threads, apply anti seize, and replace them.  Never had an issue.

This sounds like good practice. We leave ours out and have been for 7 years. Stored indoors though. Never an issue. 

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2 minutes ago, oldjeep said:

I left mine out one winter and had to clean up the threads.  Besides I prefer that the boat be in a ready to use state when spring comes.  Pull it out of the garage and dunk it straight in the lake.

I understand that completely.  For us, I always take the boat out of storage, clean, polish, seal, treat the vinyl, etc. before it goes in the water.  It's a non issue for me to take a few minutes and reinstall those along with all the hoses and a fresh impeller.  It's part of my spring routine.    

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10 minutes ago, oldjeep said:

I left mine out one winter and had to clean up the threads. 

I'm with @oldjeep on this one and once was all it took. The more I thought about it not sure there is any benefit of leaving them out. The other benefit of putting them back in is that I don't have to fold myself into the storage locker in the spring to install them. That knowledge comes with age.

 

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We put them back in. We get a couple of 75-80 deg days in the middle of the winter and wanna be able to drop the lift and go. Then we just drain and get ready for next time. We usually "winterize" and de-winterize 3 or 4 times in the winter - takes about the same time as half-time on Sundays.

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19 hours ago, BearCreekBum said:

I'm with @oldjeep on this one and once was all it took. The more I thought about it not sure there is any benefit of leaving them out. The other benefit of putting them back in is that I don't have to fold myself into the storage locker in the spring to install them. That knowledge comes with age.

 

If I had your boat and had to crawl in there to drain, I'd probably put them back in as well.  On my RLXi, it's only a few minutes because the engine is installed in the right direction.  On my LSV, it's as simple as 4 plugs, which I also leave out. They're much easier to access than your block drains.  Except for the heat exchanger.  That one is a bit of a pita.

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Let me preface this with my boat is stored in my climate controlled shop. I pull them, drain it and reinstall so they don’t get “misplaced”! I unnecessarily shop vac out what little water there is left in the M5 block, VD and bilge while I am at it. A left over knee jerk response to my first newby boating days I guess. The oil and filter are done at the same time. Come the next season we can pull the cover and run and gun.

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With the plugs out, if you didn’t get all the water out, will it give room for expansion and therefor reduce the risk of the block cracking?

 

if that’s not the case then I don’t see the point of leaving them out as the rust issues are present. 

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22 hours ago, oldjeep said:

I left mine out one winter and had to clean up the threads.  Besides I prefer that the boat be in a ready to use state when spring comes.  Pull it out of the garage and dunk it straight in the lake.

I had to re-tap the threads the winter I left the plug and sensor out. Now I reinstall after a day or two of dripping. I like the boat 100% ready for spring. Gas and go on launch day.

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1 minute ago, electricjohn said:

I had to re-tap the threads the winter I left the plug and sensor out. Now I reinstall after a day or two of dripping. I like the boat 100% ready for spring. Gas and go on launch day.

Now days I put them right back in and fill with antifreeze.  The year I left them out was the year I bought the boat and had to winterize it in someone elses palace of a heated garage before I could bring it home (January/Feb in MN).

Edited by oldjeep
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23 hours ago, ThinBuLine said:

With the plugs out, if you didn’t get all the water out, will it give room for expansion and therefor reduce the risk of the block cracking?

 

if that’s not the case then I don’t see the point of leaving them out as the rust issues are present. 

Once drained, there wont be enough water in there to expand and crack anything. What little water may be left has enough room to do its thing without ruining anything

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I always put them in. I did not have A knock sensor so I also used a light wrap of plumbers tap.  But I also used RV antifreeze.  The water when drained was always clean no rust signs.  Not required just my choice.

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