WINTERIZING - the full way!
 

OK, i had a list of step by step things to do on winterizing a boat.....it got ruined when i spilled something on it and so i had to redo it best i could from memory.....This should be printed out for those wishing to do-it-your self. enjoy and please add comments if i have missed anything so we can all have a complete list. Granted some of these can be in different orders but this is how i do it most times and works great for me.

Winterizing Boat:

1. Add fuel stabilizer to recommended amounts for your size of tank. Top off tanks full to prevent condensation.

2. Lube all grease fittings ie. Tilt/Trim, steering, control cables, drive coupling, etc...

3. Clean and degrease engine and bilge area. (reason i do this now is that you can see if you have any leaks on a clean engine and the engine dries its self off when you run it later)

4. Inspect wiring, hoses, belts etc....for softening/cracking/bulging etc...and replace or repair as necessary to be ready for next season. Better to do this now then try and remember to do it in the spring when the fever hits!

5. Get the anti-freeze ready.....either premix the green automotive stuff of have the pink ready to go.

6. Run engine up to operating temps, and let it run for a little while longer to be sure to get the mixed sta-bil gas though the system.

7. Shut engine down and hook up the anti-freeze mixture. The quicker you do this step the less likely the engine will cool enough for the thermostat to close.

**NOTE** to be 100% safe you can also at this point drain the block and any other onboard options that are cooled by "lake water" ie. risers, power steering cooler, oil cooler etc to make sure that the anti-freeeze will get to all parts of the engine for complete coverage. But it does not have to be done if you feel the cooling system of the engine is working properly***

8. Start engine and switch over onto the anti-freeze mix...run till you have the anti-freeze mix coming out of exhaust thus knowing its has gone thorough the entire system.

9. At this point you can go one of two ways:
9a. You can spray the fogging spray down the throat of the engine while under idle till she chokes
9b. You can take the fuel/water filter off....drain about 1/2 out and fill it with 2cycle oil and put it back on...and run it till its smoking good.

10. Once engine stops or is smoking good shut it down and proceed to change oil. Here i just change oil and leave the oil filter on the engine (i figure since you will be changing oil again in the spring there's no need to waste a good oil filter) Have the new oil filter on hand and leave it in the boat with the new oil so you don't worry about that come spring time.

11. Changing the fuel filter/water separator now is also a good thing.

**OPTIONAL** Remove spark plugs and inspect. Spray some fogging oil into cylinders and turn engine over once with kill switches removed to coat cylinders. Again have new plugs onboard ready for spring time startup.

12. By now the engine compartment should be mostly dry from running the engine and is a good time for any touchup paint work that may be needed on engine or in bilge.

13. Spray a corrosion inhibitor on engine. (T-9 is a good one)

14. Drain any onboard tanks like fresh water, waste tank, shower etc and add the biodegradable anti-freeze. (DO NOT USE THE GREEN AUTOMOTIVE STUFF!!!)

15. also make sure to protect the AC system. Either blow out the water in the lines with compressed air or disconnect the line and run anti-freeze though it while the AC is turned on.

16. Move drive to the down position so not to stress the bellows boot or the shift cable boot.

17. Remove batteries and store in a cool dry place. Check water levels if not a sealed type battery and add if required. Clean and grease all battery connections to prevent corrosion. Cable ties can be used to group cables together to ensure proper hookup in the spring. Make sure all switches are off. Place batteries on a maintenance trickle charger.

18. Now is also a great time to change drive oil. Doing it now not only save you the time in the spring but the main purpose is to get any moisture out before it has a chance to start rusting the bearings in the outdrive. This time also gives you a chance to fix any problems you find over winter so you are not faced with a big expensive surprise come spring!!! Check all zinks mounted on either the drive or Gimbal housing and on Trim tabs.

19. Remove props, cover opening of drive with a garbage bag to keep rodents out.

20. If you have a fridge onboard, clean it out, disinfect, and prop door open for air circulation

21. Clean the interior of the boat and put a moisture absorbing or mildew fighting container/device. Bounce dryer sheets spread around the cockpit/cabin and possibly some rat/mouse poision in the cockpit of the boat to help ward off any unwanted guest's and have the boat smelling fresh.

22. Check all built in coolers, storage compartments, anchor lockers etc for any standing water that may freeze and remove.

23. Remove any electronics that are not permanently installed and store in a warm dry place.

24. Wash and wax boat. helps repel dust and dirt during storage and its nice to come back to a clean boat in the spring!

25. Now is also a good time for trailer maintenence. Inspect the trailer coupler and latch assembly. Inspect the saftey chains and fasteners. Check condition of trailer wiring, lights and bulbs. R&R winch strap/cable. Inspect rollers/bunks, nuts, bolts and hardware. tighten or replace as necessary.

26. If trailer is equiped with brakes check fluid level and top off. Good time to check pads and rotors/disks.

27. If you can....block the trailer and remove wheels and store on theirs sides to avoid flat spots. If not removing tires, fill to recomended air psi. (check the sidewall of tire for recomendations) Good idea to place some sort of cover on tires to help avoid UV damage from the suns rays.

28. Loosen the tie-down straps to reduce stress on hull

29. Leave the drain plug out and tilt boat up for any water that may collect to drain out. You can put the drain plug in a clear sandwhich bag and tie it to the steering wheel so not to loose it.

30. Check license plates for up to date registration and renew if needed.

31. Put cover on boat and make sure if you are in the snow belt that the cover can support any snow that may accumulate on it without ripping! Better yet place another plastic tarp over your boat cover.....this will keep stains from birds and leaves off the cover and will let you remove any snow buildup if outside more easily.



**NOTE** during winterization is also a good time to change the sea water pump impellor for good measure. This one $20 item can save you thousands in repairs from overheating if changed seasonally.

**Parts List***

-Fuel sta-bil enough for your size tank
-Heat or any fuel moisture absorber
-engine anti-freeze
-biodegradable anti-freeze for fresh water tanks
-grease gun with marine grease
-new oil enough for two oil changes and 1 fresh oil filter per engine
-New fuel/water filter per engine
-new sparkplugs per engine
-touchup paint
-T-9 or equivalent corrosion inhibitor spray
-mildew fighter and/or moisture absorber for interior of boat
-Bags to cover drives
-Any cleaning supplies for interior and or fridge etc...
-Bounce dryer sheets
-Rat/mouse poision
-Sea water pump impeller
-tire covers
-Tarp the size of boat
-Brake fluid for trailer (if so equiped)
-Misc electrical supplies for repairs
-2 stroke oil
-Holding tank deodorizer (head)
-Bowl and seal cleaner (head)
-Zinks if need replacement


If i forgot anything please post it here and i will add it to the list! :D

Good idea!
 

Thanks Wally!

Thanks Wally...that's a great list. For the EFI/MPI people do not spray fogging oil into the throttle body. I believe the best way to "fog" an EFI motor is to use a premix oil/gas and connect to fuel pickup. Obviously when motor starts to smoke the mixture is in the motor.

Yes guys.....refer to item 9b :D
Ofcourse when doing it this way its best to follow any mfg recomendations :D

Thanks for the clarification Wally. A very thorough list!

Extremely thorough !! The only thing that I do also is to "Drain all freshwater in the system and replace drain plugs." between steps 6 and 7. I had an experience once where the anti-freeze didn't get to everywhere it needed to be to replace the water and the result was more work to do in the spring than anyone wants. --- Jer

jpclear, i was gonna add that in there but i figured it should be ok the way i listed it......I shall add it in there as **NOTE**

Great info!!!

I`d change the oil inbetween step 6 and 7, (so when you fire it up for the last time the bearings are going to sit all winter with fresh oil). Drain all the water from block and manifolds then add antifreeze. My last step is to drain the antifreeze from the manifolds. Sometimes the stock Merc riser gaskets weep over the winter and leak down into the center cyls. :eek:

Wally,

Great step by step...just one comment.

Some systems have water systems that feed the exhaust manifold off the thermostat housing. If so some antifreeze will go directly to the exhaust almost instantly.

I always drain my block or remove the thermostat to be as yousaid "100% sure"

What is winter?

I'd steer clear of the "Heet" or moisture absorber. Alcohol (the main ingredient) will harden rubber hoses, needle seats, and powervalve diaphragms (as well as any rubber parts in an injected system).

Go with the Sta-Bil, fill the tanks to the top. When you pull her out in the spring, drain the water separator after letting it run 10 minutes on initial startup. You'll also want to clean or change the plugs after that startup cause they will have oily residue on them from the fog.

You also left out drive lube. Change drive lube on winter button-up to make sure there is no water left in the drive to rust the bearings.

does putting 2-cycle thru a new fuel-filter cause problems. I did it with a new one last year - 1st EFI I have owned

I would also suggest some mothballs in a container and some rat poison in a container left out on the floor of the boat in case any rodents decide it might be a good place to spend the winter. I have known several that did not do this and ended up repairing upholstery that became part of a nest.

Any comments(about the winterizing), deletions or additions for those of us in Texas? I'm from Chicago so understand that winter starts...last week.

Just curious as to steps taken in a more subtle climate.

thanx.

Wash and wax hull. Its nicer to see a clean boat when you unwrap it :)

OK guys....#19,24,25 have been added or amended. great list coming out of this! keep the suggestions coming! :D

WildThing-You should be just fine following this list for your 496H.O. For the most part a motor is a motor no matter what you have.....the main thing is to make sure you dont have any straight water left anyplace for it to freeze and do damage to anything. :)

Shooter-not sure what you are asking...if its about having 2cy oil in the filter during winterization its not a big deal because as i have writen you put a new filter on right after you are done with it. Check out #11 :)

mcollinston-heat has been removed from the list.......though i think with the size of most tanks on a boat (100gal+) one or two bottles in the mix wouldnt affect much if at all and would get any moisture out of the system.

In regards to mothballs inside the boat I would not recommend it because that smell stays with the boat for quite some time.....a trick I learned and have been using for the past 10 years or so is to use Bounce dryer sheets inside the boat to fend off rodents. I'm not sure what's in them but apparently they don't like dryer sheets. I buy a big box of them and have the sheets spread out all over the carpet in the cuddy and cockpit areas as well as the bilge and storage areas. Smells much better than mothballs.

Packn....good point...a nice clean fresh waxed boat is much better to see in the spring when unwrapping.

OK the mothballs have been 86'd :D

What about the sea water pump.
Replace impeller

Good suggestion! And has been added/updated :D

I think that's when we need to wear long sleeve T-shirts in the boat instead short sleeve shirts.....:D :D :D

Hi,

What I was asking is removgin the old fuel filter and then putting the 2-cyle in and using the filter into the next season. Did it this year without incident. Ist this wrong?

I doubt that anything bad would happen to the engine......only thing i would have problems with i think is that the plugs would have to work harder if not keep fouling out on ya till all the 2cyle oil gets worked through the system......why bother with an old filter when they are only like $5/6 for a new one and its just piece of mind knowing its new. :)

Karl and myself will be going through this list MAYBE this Thurday but more likely next thursday winterizing his 38' powerquest w/twin 500efi's. While we do this i will take step by step pics and see just how good we have it down....and if we need to add any thing else. I will post pics for all to see here as well :)

Wally...this thread is/was a great idea for all of those (like myself) who like to work on their own equipment. I know I've been through this several times but it helps to have a list and know what parts/supplies I will need before I get started......of course piece of mind is worth A LOT when we have to think of how long the winter is while we are paying for our hunks of fiberglass! :)

Great thread!

Great thread Wally!

Does anybody go so far as to back off the rocker arms to release spring pressure for the dreaded winter lay-up.

Paul

Paul...i dont think you would have to worry about doing that unless you had some tight spring pressure to worry about. Like in a high lift cam...probably closer to .600 for example

Wally, I agree about the rocker arms. I have heard of some guys doing this just for a couple week lay-up

Winterizing for me will not happen for a few weeks. I Just got my boat back and want to log some time. Get out the stocking caps!!

Between steps 6 and 7 I like to drain the block first. By draining the block and exhaust etc. before pulling the anti freeze in you get a higher concentration of anti freeze in areas that don't circulate well.

Warm up
Drain
Button back up
Suck up the AF mix while fogging
Drain

BadDog, i added a note between steps 7 & 8 about draining the block :cool: :D

Would there be any benefit to leaving the block full of antifreeze instead of draining it? This would probably assume that you are using the automotive antifreeze. Seems like the anit-corrosion additives would help to protect the water passages in the engine, instead of allowing them to be exposed to air. I would still advise draining the risers/manifolds to limit the chances of anything weeping into the cylinders.

Any thoughts on this?

What!!!! Karl buys a house in Ft Lauderdale and is not bringing that bad boy down? The first nice day down here he's calling Wally, hehe
Key West Poker Run Nov 17-24th!

Troutly, do you pull the thermostat housing to fill up the block with antifreeze??

Just some updates......I jsut did a little bit of surfing on the web and read afew different lists and took some stuff they had we didnt:
I added to #16,29,31
and #22,23,25,26,and 30 are new! :D

i think we have it down 100% now. :cool: any other suggestions? :D

Shouldn't #17 come before #16? How are you going to operate the power trim with the batteries removed? Sorry - just being picky! :D

Sure as hell someone out there will do the list verbatum and get caught by this! :crazy: I write user manuals for software as part of my job, and you would not believe how precise you need to be for that.

Great list, BTW...

hehe....good catch Budman! :D someone would have got it sooner or later! :)

Step 32
 

Upon completion............Crack open a beer and give your girl a goodbye kiss and a pat on the ass and tell her you'll be thinkin about her all winter:D :D :D

This will be the first year I do the winterizing myself so I have a couple stupid questions. How do you suck the anti-freeze into the engine? What kind of anti-freeze do you use?

Bam Bam.......theres a few different ways you can get anti-freeze into the engine depending on what setup you have.
Lets say you have a Bravo drive or any drive for that matter that takes cooling water in through the drive. You can get your self a 5 gallong bucket, go to the hardware store and get a fitting to install into the bottom side of the bucket so you can attach a garden hose to it. You can buy a 6' length of garden hose fro the hardware stor and there you have a greatway to hook up to the earmuffs that fit on the drive. All you would have to do is fill it with your anti-freeze mix and put the bucket on a ladder or step stool higher then the drive is so gravity will feed the drive at the same time it sucks the mixture in.
If you have a thru-hull water intake then you can unhook the hose from the pickup. Or hopefully teh boat has some sea-strainers that you can pop the top off and fill right there. :D

As for the kind of anti-freeze to use? Again that depends on how you will be springerizing(?) the boat next year. If you plan on starting the boat and you can recover the antifreeze then you can use the green automotive stuff. JUST DONT USE THAT STUFF IN TEH FRESH WATER SYSTEM OR ANYWHERE ELSE THAT MAY BE USED IN CONTACT WITH PEOPLE!
Best way is to get the bio-degradable stuff .....west marine and boatUS sell the stuff and come spring you can just dump the boat in the lake and not worry about contaminating anything. :)

Thank you Wally, that is some great information!!!