Running antifreeze through I/O engine ?

[MATTT]

Hello, Every one.I have an 18ft with a v-6 I/O engine. I have done every thing else myself, but I need a lot of info on how to drain out water from engine block and run antifreeze through my engine so that it would not crack during the cold season. Please show me in detail what I need to do.Thank you so much for all the info.Mattt

[DJ]

There are petcocks on your engine to drain the water out. Look on the block below the exhaust manifolds.Running anti freeze through it assures you that you have protected everything. It's messy, but does a great job.Just mix some up 50/50 and stick the drive into a container filled with it.

[MATTT]

djohns19,Mix 50/50. Do you mean the regular anti- freeze or the pink rv/boat anti-freeze ? Also, lower the out drive into a big container fill with anti freeze and start the engine. Did I get that right ? Do I have to open up the thermostat and dump in some anti freeze in there also ?Thanks again for the infoMattt.

[DJ]

Mattt,The pink stuff is OK. The difference is that the pink stuff is more environmentally freindly. It's OK to let the pink down the sewer system.You don't have to remove the stat. Running your engine will suffice. Even if the stat is closed, there is enough bypass.I realize finding a container big enough to dunk your drive in is a major issue. There are kits available that wrap around your drive to accomplish the same thing.You might want to check out Boat US or West Marine.

[SS MAYFLOAT]

I find that way a bit expensive to do. Every year I open the petcocks on the side of the engine block to drain, then under the exhaust manifolds there is usually 1/4" pipe plugs that I take out to drain the water in them. After the water is done draining, I close the petcock, put the plugs back in and then remove the uppermost hose going to the thermostat. I pour in antifreeze until the gurggling is done and its filled to the top. Put the hose back on, then I take the hoses off the exhaust manifolds and fill them with anti freeze. It takes almost 2 gallons for a 4 cylinder, and in my 8 cylinder it took 3 gallons. And if you have a raw water pump, you want to make sure that it is drained and then filled. I personnally don't like the outdrive in a drum method. It takes alot of antifreeze plus with the engine running, the exhaust in the drum tends to spray antifreeze everywhere. I have taken the spark plugs out (which I do to put in a mixture of WD and gear lube for the winter) and then used the starter to turn the motor over until I see the antifreeze running out of the prop hub. But I have found that this is undue stress on the starter motor. That is why I do a direct drain a fill routine. I never have lost an engine yet using this method. Did loose a lower unit on a mercruiser once because I didn't lower the outdrive. Prop hub filled with water, froze, and broke. Well thats my opinion but I would suggest that you would be mechannically inclined and have common sense on how the cooling system operates in order to cover all those areas that are prone to freezing. Good Luck.

[MATTT]

Thanks djohns19, Thanks SS MAYFLOAT.I'll keep the information in my to do file for next year. I didn't think that it would be hard to do, but I was worry because a dealer marine mechanic told me that I might do it wrong and crack the engine block. I was wondering, what would the dealer do differently when they winterize their customers boat ? Do they do the same way that most of us are doing it ? Thank you again for all the information.Mattt.Mattt.

[wippb]

To winterize an I/O up here my buddies take a small water pump, the type used in RV's and put a hose from the inlet of the water pump into a bucket of premixed antifreeze. The outlet of the pump is attached to a set of earmuffs on the water intake of the outdrive. This saves trying to find a container big enough to lower the outdrive into. Start up the engine and the water pump and run it until the anti freeze comes out the exhaust port. At the same time disconnect the gas line and just before the engine stalls spray fogging oil into the carb. Anyone at our trailer park who does their own winterizing does it this way and I've never heard of anyone having any problems with cracked blocks. Just my $0.02 worth

[Mike M2]

Wippers idea is close to what i do. I usually winterize a dozen or so boats a year and here's what i do. I get a 5 gallon bucket, fill it with pink stuff. Warm the motor to open the stat. I raise the bucket above the outdrive, usually a foot or so. I take a hose and a set of tight fitting muffs(sometimes i ducttape them on) and start a siphon in the hose. Start the motor at idle, wait till pink runs out the exhaust. Then i drain the petcocks. The bucket is nice, i can Throw the hose and muffs in it, put the lid on and off to the next boat.

[ODDD1]

Djohns stated the most important part of all of this...'open petcocks and drain the block'....without doing this, there is no gaurantee that it wont freeze...and a gaurantee in this case is an important thing...last spring I put a pair of NEW small blocks in a 2000 bayliner because of the DIY procedure [stated above] that cracked both blocks open...an expensive lesson...and I got to winterize it this year!