HELP with lower drive ?
 

Ok so here is my dilemma. I have DWP lowers on my boat. Two years ago I installed nose cones without the lower pick ups. I felt I didnt need them for my application so I plugged the holes and installed cones over the lower holes.

Now winter comes and I realize the the water doesnt self drain from the lower because the cavity in the drive is lower them the side water holes.

How do I go about draining so it doesnt freeze in the winter. I know I can just remove them but Im trying to avoid having to do that. I just removed lowers to drain now but I would like to correct issue before I reinstall this weekend.

So can I drill a lower hole below the existing lower water pickups so it will drain? Do I drill both sides? Will this effect anything?

Or do I fill cavity with Hard Block or epoxy resin to bottom of lowest hole?will this effect any performance?

There is only about a quart or so that drains out after I remove the lower so its not a ton of space to fill.

Anthony

Why not toss a set of muffs on it and suck some AF up through the drive?

I thought of that also, but how to I guarentee that all the water was removed and I dont loose two drives over the winter? I eveb tried to come up with a way to vacuum or suck the water out thru side holes to no avail. Plus If and when I sell boat I dont want to have to explain what needs to be done.

So if you duct tape one side of the side pickups off and then tape all put a couple holes off on the other side and stick a shop vac up to the remaining holes you get no water out?

Cavity goes 7" below lowest hole. Then a second shaft drops off to the rear and is a total of 9". I think I may drill a hole fron the front of the cone into this void like a low water pick up. This would be the lowest point and drain it all. Or like I said fill the whole thing with Block filler.

Do the anti freeze trick. The anti freeze will also have a rust inhibitor in it. Drain your motor and drive as much as possible, then run it through with anti freeze, stabilizer in the motor oil and gas untill to motor is warm, plug it up when done so it stays in there. Motors and drives can have corrosion issues when left dry.

Don't forget to fog.

IMO, if he is going to winterize it anyway, run it on the hose... get it to temperature, shut the motor down, drain the block, hook up the muffs with -100 below antifreeze, run 5 gallons through it, towards the end start the fogging and done... don't drain the antifreeze out.

Ok so I think ive come to the conclusion that I will fill this cavity so that I dont have to woryy about it. Im thinking of using vinlyester resin to just pour it in and fill it up. What do you guys think? Or should I use something else?

Anthony

Ok so I decided not to fill the voids and instead I drilled holes to self drain these cavities. I located the bottom of each cavity and drilled holes into them. then I sanded and repainted both drives. Hung them on the boat today and they work great...

Nordic95