winterizing an EFI/closed loop cooling?
 

Hey Guts

U am getting ready to winterize my boat for the first time, its my first EFI/Closed Loop Cooled boat, so, I am not sure what to do? I am a firm believer in being "safe, not sorry". So I would rather do "more" than I actually have to, just to be safe.

Thanks Guys, feel free to PM or Email if its easier

Michael

winterizing
 

Hi

1. First measure your antifreeze/water mix so that you are sure your closed system are at safe levels (I usually do it at my local gas station, they have a meter, 50/50 mix gives you best rust-protection as well)

2. Figure out were the engine-intake of raw-water is (either thru-drive or thru hull)

3a (thru hull) Attach a hose on the other side of the water intake (inside the boat), so that the impeller can sip up the antifreeze

3b (thru drive) Attach muff+hose over the drive

4 Make sure you have about 3 gallons of 50/50 ethylen-glycol/water mix (antifreeze) in a bucket (3a) or in a container (3b) and that they are attached to the hose

5 start engine, let all of the mix go thru, ask a friend to watch when it is about 2 qaurters left, start fogging with WD-40 into the air-intake and shut off when the antifreeze it finished…..

Good luck

Great! Thanks for the info! My boat has a Vravo drive that appears to have a big "hose" inside the outdrive that feeds the impeller, the boat has been sitting on shore for about 2 weeks with the drive "down". Could I just unhook the hoses on the raw water pump and drain them?

Thanks again for the info!

Michael

Here is a thread. You might like.
http://www.offshoreonly.com/forums/g...-full-way.html

Sure you could, however I usually fill everything up with antifreeze to minimize all risks of waterpockets and to get the extra corrosion protection.

You wanna remove the impeller as well and store it cold and dark if you wanna be really picky about things...

Great! Will disconnect all the lines and dump some antifreeze down them, I was told to replace the impeller every year and thought I would change it in the spring, if I pull it out and store it will it last for more than a year?

Thanks for ALL the help guys, I was a little nervous about doing the winterizing myself, but, I am A LOT more comfortable now, THANKS!

Michael

youre right, change the impeller (20-30$) is the best....I just read in my volvo Penta Manual that if you were about to store the boat/engine for any longer time, they recomended to remove the impeller and treat it like an old bottle of wine.....impellers are cheap, overheating is not...

Take Care, see you on the waters in the spring