Alternative winterizing

A loved engine is a happy one! I do an abbreviated version of what your buddy is suggesting. I winterize w/o antifreeze and pull mine out for a warm-up 2-3 times over the winter. Sometimes we get a few days of nutty weather and go for a ride.

I think the point is that you're warming it up and circulating oil. The big ad on tv for auto oil is about dry start-ups, and they mean overnight; so you're preventing a super dry start I guess. It can't hurt gaskets either I'd guess.

Will the exhaust water be a problem/mess?

My idea for alternative winterizing would be to ship it to Aruba & go hang out with KO.

SNobsessed wrote: My idea for alternative winterizing would be to ship it to Aruba & go hang out with KO.

probably that's the best way no need to worry about anything freezing and cracking

SNobsessed wrote: My idea for alternative winterizing would be to ship it to Aruba & go hang out with KO.

Haha, that's not a bad idea
If shipping was cheap, I'd send her along with Chantal and I to FL... Spend the winter at JBear's...
Guess I'll go get a new lottery ticket.

Brktracer wrote: Based on my experience with gas getting stale, Sta-Bil is a good idea!

Matt and Pete,
As I run on LPG, no need for stabilizing that kind of fuel... At least one problem I won't have to tackle

Kristof:

Don't know what I was thinking! I knew you run LPG!

Mark:
It gets down in the teens sometimes at night in winter. Usually only down in the 20s and 30s. Extremely rare to see any ice on the lake even around the edges. It was about 83 deg today!

Our problem here right now is the drought. We can't get rain. I even tried washing my truck and it didn't work! Currently the lake is about 17 feet low and going down at about 1 ft/week. I heard this is the lowest it's been since it was filled in the mid 60's. Considering there are submerged trees in various places I'm a little scared to run my boat, much less ski! I haven't been on a ski in over a month now. I'm just too concerned about the water level and what's just below the surface!

Last year I was still skiing in November with no wet suit.

Matt

We were hoping some of the rain would come here but most of the storms missed us. One came through but it was moving so fast it was gone in <24 hours. It rained enough for the lake to come up about 1 ft and hold for a few weeks. Then right back down!

So many storms and flooding in Texas and other areas and we're running out of water! Crazy!

Matt

Kristof: Florida is always open for you guys...no need to spend money shipping your boat...2 boats avalible here at all times!

john

stopped in amazement yesterady while riding my bicycle to watch the locals having a winterizing party, 4 boats on the street waiting for thier turn.
These guy's made a 2x4 frame and lined it with plastic sheeting with a kiddie pool underneath that. it was an all day process it seemed. I stood back and watched, they had 5 or 6 cases of antifreeze and im sure the same amount of beer to match.... I keep my trap shut because these guy's have a tendency to call you any hour of the day or night and want to talk about boats and want them repaired while they wait. I just finished up a trans from my neihborhood, I even offered to pull the boat to my shop, through another guy, he insisted the local dealer do the repair, well somehow i wound up with his trans, the dealer nailed him for 1300, the guy is snakey and he is a shopper, looking for the best possible deal.
he found out I did the trans through the grapevine and I ran into him yesterday and I went out my way to tell him I would of did the job in my driveway for $500.00, obviously i was rattling his chain. I thought it was pretty funny

it was worth taking a picture Pete, i wish i would have, these guy's trip over dollars to pick up nickels, recently they are draining our lake for the new damn and out in the distance you could see 4 wheeler wheels sticking up in the air and the "rescue crew" went out to pull it from the lake, big dollar 4 wheeler with the key still in it, we figured the guy was on the ice and broke thru, no body though, maybe insurance job?
Pete you know about metals, from being submerged alot of the metal parts broke right off easily such as the brake arm and other metal parts, it was strange, any explanation?

A lot of folks around here are into the sucking antifreeze from a bucket method. Two things that worry me....What if the thermostat is closed and the antifreeze doesnt get into the engine? Second, the antifreeze that stays in the strainer ruins the plastic. If I am in the boat removing impellers, loosening belts etc, how long does it take to remove a few plugs and do it right??

[QUOTE=emccallum] A lot of folks around here are into the sucking antifreeze from a bucket method. QUOTE]

These people must be afraid of wrenches!!

Threaded plugs are scary!

what a way to waste money, they dont need 5 cases...hahaha

8122pbrainard wrote: I've commented before that I'd really like to know who and where someone decided this was the way to winterize. 5 or 6 cases for 5 boats! Sucking from buckets or Flush Pros! Kiddie pool collection! Hopefully a refractometer for checking the freeze level (for RV). I have a feeling someone saw a large marina set up with a purge/circulating system and thought this was the way it was supposed to be done. Never mind what the manual says!! Quicker? Maybe - After you've building the contraption! Safer? Not with out draining!! Expensive? Yes - More antifreeze! (got to get the exhaust tubing protected!!!

ac505 wrote: I have used the "suck from the bucket" method for the last few years with no probs, in my view I am ensuring that every part of the cooling system is suitably protected - I am personally not as confident this can be achieved with the "disconnect and pour antifreeze method". I run the engine up to temp with a hose feed, then immediately switch over to a bucket of antifreeze - I've got a diverter valve for this so the swap over is immediate hence no time for the thermostat to close down. I always crack open the drain plugs a little to ensure the antifreeze has circulated. I'm always open to learning so if this method is wrong or problematic, I'd love to understand why.

AC,
I'll restate the major concern. Without draining the block, there is no way of knowing that you have the proper freeze protection in all parts of the engine. Some of the water from the RWP is diverted to the exhaust through the manifolds. The engine only takes what it needs to keep the proper temp. With regular antifreeze, and say there's a gallon of water in the block, there is no way of knowing you have gotten a gallon of antifreeze into it and properly mixed. With RV antifreeze, it must be used full strength and can't be diluted. Even if you used a hydrometer or a refractometer from a sample you still won't know the mix strength throughout the entire engine block.

Draining and pouring in a known strength is really the safest way plus, you don't need to worry if the T stat is open or closed. The antifreeze will flow backwards into the block through the circulating pump.

after many, many boats in the hundreds over the years??? I drain the block and manifolds and because I Buy cheaply RV anti freeze, i suck or pour 2 gallons into each engine without the thermostat open, normally in the thermostat housing is a small passage that goes right into the manifolds. I will warm the engine if the customer wants an oil change. as im pouring the last half gallon of AF in I'll fog the engine.
If the engine wont start I'll remove the big waterpumpm hose and fill.
when you drain the block you are removing a full cavity of water and if it did freeze the water has no where to go, simply draining the block is sufficient. over the years on my own boats i never added antifreeze, simply drained the block and left the plugs out until spring and then re-installed