Does anyone else do this to winterize their motors? Is it safe?

[kyboy1020]

Last year the guy used the saltwater flushes and wired a bucket to it and filled the bucket with antifreeze and fired the motor. It pulled the antifreeze out of the bucket and through the motor. Is this sufficient?

[getrdunn]

Originally Posted by kyboy1020

Last year the guy used the saltwater flushes and wired a bucket to it and filled the bucket with antifreeze and fired the motor. It pulled the antifreeze out of the bucket and through the motor. Is this sufficient?

i have winterized my own boats for years and have always done very similar. most did not have salt water flushes however i would just use a 5 gallon gas can with the spout hooked to a 5 foot hose and earmuffs. i'm not sure if you have a t-stat however i would always run the boat on the trailer for sufficient amount of time to heat everything up and be certain the t-stat is opened. just be sure and get it up to temp and feel all your water lines to make sure water is flowing through all of them. disconnect the water and crack the throttles a couple of times to get some additional water out and then immeadiately run the antifreeze through your hook up. a mix of 5 gallons is plenty and you'll see the antifreeze come out your tips. if you have twins just be certain to valve off accordingly between winterizing. i'm not saying this is the best way by any means however it has always worked flawlessly for me and is very quick (for over 20 years). several other boater friends have used the same method for years also. i suppose you could crack your petcock valves as well as exhaust/oil cooler drains when done but i never have.

i have always lived in the country and didn't have neighbors looking however you could always contain the antifreeze with a small plastic childs pool if need be or even use some flexable 4" corigated pipe and clamp it over your tips and into a 5 gallon bucket.

[DonRoc]

Use RV antifreezze straight and you dont have to worry about spillage. I pull the block, manifold, and cooler petcocks, then run the antifreeze thru it, have a friend help and as soon as the mix comes out the prop or tail pipes -30 be ready with the fogging oil and fog it and shut it down. Dont forget the stabil, drive service, water sep filter and oil change.

[t500hps]

Warm the engine to get the thermostat to pop...drian the block quickly...then run it with anti-freeze just like you saw. Been doing it that way since 1994 without issue.

I actualy change all the fluids/filters first but don't use fogging oil with EFI motors. Drive fluid etc changed later that same day so it's ready for the spring.

[DonRoc]

Foging is very important expecially if using E-10 fuel. Get a 2 gallon fuel tank make a 2 stroke mix with stabil. and plumb it in just before the water sep filter. Run it thru, it wil coat and protect both EFI and carb engines, and there fuel systems. Merc and Volvo both have service bulletins out on the proceedure, the mix is a little different but the 2 stroke 50 to 1with a good synetic oil and stabil will work.

[ezstriper]

yeap, ben doing it that way for years...I pre-mix the anti-freeze before, just run to you see anti out of exhaust, then fog it down....Rob

[LAKESIDE RESTORATIONS]

Running AF thru is better than nothing, but you should drain the block before running it thru. You should also still fog the engine, treat the fuel & change the oils..

[kyboy1020]

Sorry for the ignorance but what are petcockvalves?

[LAKESIDE RESTORATIONS]

they are the drain plugs with wings on them that you take out or turn to drain the water.. Jamie / Lakeside

[DonRoc]

You should have 5 one on each side of the block, one each manifold, one on the cooler. Depending on year and make one on the t-state housing.
Don
Glen Harbor Marina