winterizing your nautique

What all do you do to winterize your nautique. I get so many different stories of what to do and what not to do. I live in Ohio and i have to protect it from freezing.

Mk - Nice to have another female member - We will help you sort thru the myths.

The most important step to winterizing is to drain the water jackets & hoses so you don't have to replace the engine next year. Even if you do nothing else, this step alone will avoid serious damage. If you have a standard direct drive PCM engine, then there are 5 threaded plugs to remove, plus the oil cooler hose & water strainer.

After these points are drained, adding antifreeze (either RV type or 50/50 ethylene gycol car type)is done by pouring into the thermostat input hose. Some guys like to run the engine & use the pump to draw the antifreeze in, but that is not needed.

Adding oil to the cylinders & gas stabilzer to the fuel are also recommended, but not crucial.

This is all detailed with photos in the owners manuals found in the reference section.

Let us know if you get stuck; don't wait until the night of a big freeze to get started!

Was planning on leaving mine in a heated shop so not to have to mess with it and still be able to use it from time to time thru the winter, but would I have to doing anything different having a inter-cooler?

The 5th plug is on the U-tube next to the raw water pump. There is no drain on the circulating pump. The oil cooler is a cylinder looking thing on the rear port side of the engine. It has two hoses going to the tranny. The easiest way to drain the oil cooler is to unhook the lower hose.

thanks trbenj, that picture thread is great, those engines look great too, thanks again you guys are great

87ccsn2001 wrote: ok I just winterized my 2001 today, drained both manifolds, both plugs in block, raw water pump, took bottom hose of of trans cooler, took bottom hose off raw water pump, drained the strainer, I poured 2 gallons of antifreeze into the t stat housing hose, I pulled both block plugs loose to see if a/f would run out, it did, I did that just for peice of mind that I did it right, this is my first time winterizing a nautique, I also pulled both plugs out of each manifold, neither plug had a/f come out, do I need to pull the water hose that go to each manifold and pour some a/f into each manifold, I just dont anything to freeze and crack thats going to be a problem, also do I need to drain the a/f out in the spring, or can I just run it, thanks again for all the help

I always get about 3 gallons or so before I hear the A/F trickle past the risers, so Im not surprised to hear that 2 gallons didnt fill your manifolds. Just add more in through the same RWP outlet hose and it will continue to fill everything if you want.

Whether you can just blow the A/F out in the spring or whether you have to drain it depends on the type of A/F you used... I buy the biodegradable just so that its one less thing keeping me from the water come springtime!

Mine has a heater. Pull hoses or use air to blow through hoses..??

OK. Got everything figured out. I guess it was just getting in there and looking at all the routing of everything.My heater hoses--one is tee-ed into the hose after the oil cooler with a flush hookup on it - the other is hooked to the 'u' at the rwp. My shower is on starboard drain plug for the hot and the cold is tee-ed into the lake pickup hose.I just took the 2 hoses loose at the connections all near the engine and air-blowed the heater core out. Same with the shower,air blow.Went the extra step,flushed the manifolds because a little rust came out of the rear plugs and air blowed those too.Haven't done the speedos yet,still reading up on those.Our weather men are calling for a colder and wetter winter for us but still don't think I'm going with the A/F this year.Did the the A/F thing in the 66 last year but that was just   for the coating inside I guess.Haven't done anything but drain it since 1970 anyways.I've always taken 2 furniture pads and wrapped the engine every year though. Those things are a dime a dozen around High Point during the Furniture Market!Been itching to go back out to the lake though.Hasn't been to cold yet here.

Brant,
You need to read more of the threads on winterizing and listen to the consensus that the suck through without draining is a dangerous practice. So far you've been lucky. If you have already winterized, I suggest you drain and save as much AF as you can. If you use RV, I'd boost the protection level by adding some -50F to it and refill the block. If you use regular automotive AF, then you can check the protection level with a hydrometer.

I guess I've been lucky for 12 years because that is how long I've been doing it. I use Prestone and mix 50/50. Now granted, the boat has either been in a barn (doors open), or in my garage (unheated/uninsulated), so it isn't sitting outside in the direct cold, but I have never had any problems from doing it that way.

Brant,
Since you use regular AF, I feel it's what has saved you for the 12 years. Because it's meant to be diluted even if you get a pocket that's not 50/50 (more water) it won't freeze hard but rather just slush up.

The suck through without draining gets big time dangerous with RV AF.

I still suggest you drain first and check out the recommended pour in method as per the engine manual.

mkoppel; I am wondering too...where in Ohio? I can think of a couple of helpful guys (especially if you're cute).....Randy in Ohio and eric in brunstucky.

john

I love these winterizing threads.

Chris; Over 20 years of owning Nautiques (6) up in Northeast Ohio. Helped my brother and buddies before I owned my own. So I did my time winterizing....but I sure do enjoy my method now....just like you said....turn off the key and cover her up! In fact did just that Saturday after footing with backfoot.

john

I have read through a number of these threads and I want to make sure I winterize my 1985 SN 2001 correctly as this is my first attempt. The pictures and suggestions for draining in this thread were great. This is where I get confused, I want to put antifreeze by pouring it in one of the hoses, but I am not sure which hose I should be filling. Which hose should I add the antifreeze in and how do I know it is full? I drained the system and tried adding antifreeze without running/heating up the engine -not sure if I need to remove the thermostat....

I added three gallons by filling one hose, but my son noticed AF coming out the back end so I am guessing I filled the wrong hose.

Thanks
Rookie Tom

Ok... I just did my 99 GT-40SN Friday...

1)I filled gas tank up and added Sta-bil (twice normal amount)

2)I ran engine off hose till up to temp. Then emptied water jackets etc... then I put 4 gallons of antifreeze in bucket (2 at at time) and ran through engine by taking the raw water intake hose and sticking in bucket.

3)I then pulled my spark plugs out and sprayed each cyl with sta-bil fog oil... bumped engine twice (with distributor unhooked) waited 15 mins and sprayed each again.

4)I changed my oil and tranny fluid just a couple weeks ago so I didn't do that (I know... I screwed up ) but I doubt I put more than 4 hours on it with new fluids.

5)I pulled my battery to charge store, cleaned boat good and threw a dust cover on her.

6) I do plan to bust out the buffer at some point, when I am depressed!


For your 84 SN, instead of pulling your plugs, you can just pour/spray fog oil directly into your carborator while you are sucking antifreeze start when you have maybe 1/2 bucket left and it is already coming out exhaust... your engine will just "sufficate" and die out while doing. Have done this to 83 MC since new... never an issue 1,200 hours later...

When "un-winterizing" just hook hose back up to water intake... hit the carb with a shot of starting ethier one full pump on the throtle and turn key... (preferably in driveway sat morning at 7am couple blasts of the fog horn thick smoke burning out of the block at 2,500RPM yelling - KIDS THE SKI SEASON HAS BEGUN!