To fog or not to fog

[redrooster]

I have been researching on winterization.  Some people fog..some don't.  Some run the engine and spray into the intake with air cleaner off while running, some just spray down the spark plug holes...Some do both.   What do you guys do?   

[uk_exile]

I don't.

[Bozboat]

I am a fogger. I fog with a spray into the air intake.  If you are a fogger, there is some argument that fogging into the spark plug holes could lead to damage if you over fog.   Also, I don’t have cats. If your boat has catalytic converters fogging may damage the cats. 

[Rack]

I Do both,  Thirty years now and no issues. 

Don't forget to treat your fuel  with stabilizer and run it before fogging. 

 

 

Edited October 8, 2023 by Rack

[justgary]

No fog for me.  No fuel stabilizer either.

[electricjohn]

If I remember (not this year), I just crank and spray lightly. I now store indoors since selling my home, so a little less concerned.

[Steve B.]

I don't at the end of the year. At the beginning of the year I pull the plugs, spray a little oil into each cylinder and crank it over, spray in a little more and keep cranking for 20 seconds or so. Plop the plugs back in and go.

[GAAHTH]

No-no for fuel injected models to spray thing intake? 

[oldjeep]

On 10/9/2023 at 12:03 AM, justgary said:

No fog for me.  No fuel stabilizer either.

X2

[redrooster]

Another thought... why not just pull the coil wire and crank for a 5-10 seconds every month or so???

[oldjeep]

20 minutes ago, redrooster said:

Another thought... why not just pull the coil wire and crank for a 5-10 seconds every month or so???

Why?  Just leave it alone until you are ready to use it.

[Steve B.]

1 hour ago, GAAHTH said:

No-no for fuel injected models to spray thing intake? 

On older engines like ours it's recommended. CAT engines? Anyway, you can buy throttle body cleaner everywhere. I've only done it a few times and it very much helps idle and overall response. I warm up the engine. Shut it off then with the plenum exposed spray everything till any other than clean is loose. Then start it up and rev aggressively to send it thru the engine. Then repeat until it's 100% like new. Especially where the butterfly meets the housing, the IAC completely and TPS. They are easy to remove and clean those areas seperately. Then start it back up and rev.

[justgary]

14 hours ago, Steve B. said:

On older engines like ours it's recommended. CAT engines? Anyway, you can buy throttle body cleaner everywhere. I've only done it a few times and it very much helps idle and overall response. I warm up the engine. Shut it off then with the plenum exposed spray everything till any other than clean is loose. Then start it up and rev aggressively to send it thru the engine. Then repeat until it's 100% like new. Especially where the butterfly meets the housing, the IAC completely and TPS. They are easy to remove and clean those areas seperately. Then start it back up and rev.

Yup, basically do what it says on the can of spray.  Getting that butterfly edge and IAC clean can really improve the idle if things were getting gunky.

These days you can also get CAT-safe carb spray.

[solorex]

I fog.  But I'm carbureted , run at idle and fog into carb until is stalls out.  Stabilizer, don't really need to use, just make sure you put non-ethanol fuel in your tank for your last fill before winter.  I've noticed lately that some stations near me now have ethanol in the marked fuel (don't like this).  Used to be ethanol free.

[pauley71]

Depends on your location and layup season.  Some people have long layups (9+) months and rainy edge seasons.  So question is different from upstate NY to NC to AZ to ??.  I use to fog my carb engines in VA but do very little other than pull the drain plugs these days.

[redrooster]

On 11/7/2023 at 4:26 PM, oldjeep said:

Why?  Just leave it alone until you are ready to use it.

i have heard that if you leave your boat for 8 months you could develop condensation on the inside the of the engine, leaving pitting on the cylinder surface from rust.  Is that just an old wives tale?

[oldjeep]

1 hour ago, redrooster said:

i have heard that if you leave your boat for 8 months you could develop condensation on the inside the of the engine, leaving pitting on the cylinder surface from rust.  Is that just an old wives tale?

Yes it is an old wives tail unless you are talking about a freshly bored motor that has not been run.  The cylinder walls hold a lot of oil in a seasoned block.  There is also no reason that your block is gonna get filled with condensation since it has basically assumed room temp in storage.  Fogging a cylinder that is already impregnated with oil just sticks oil on top the piston

Edited November 9, 2023 by oldjeep