First time winterizing.. I think I forgot an important step..Cold temps expected.

BajabossJD

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Jul 10, 2011
Messages
138
Hi Guys,

After moving up from Florida to Atlanta last spring.. This is my first attempt at winterizing. I have a RWC boat and it's covered under covered storage.

I dissconnected all hoses and blew a bunch of water out of the engine. I drained all manifolds and blew the water out of the RW Pump and out the outdrive. I drained all the hoses off the thermostat and blew them out. The large hose on the Starboard side was connected to air and I blew out a gallon of water out of the thermostat. I did this for 30 minutes, getting all the water out that I could (it was warm compressed air). (The water kept surging out until I was all pushed out)

I fogged the engine. But Stabil in.. Batteries are on tender and drive is down.


Well, I forgot to unscrew the drain on the side of the block. Pretty much the most important part.

I am in Orlando until Thursday and I see that it will hit 23 degrees tonight over the wee hours of the morning (It's 50 there now and hasn't been this cold unit the forecast tonight).

It will warm back up to 50 in the AM.

When I get home, I plan on releasing the drain plug and added a magnetic block heater (we don't have brutal winters, but at $40 it seems to be a no brainer..even on a winterized block.

Whats the chances she will crack tonight? Did that procedure I did by blowing all the lines out even help?

Thanks,
Joe
 

skydiveD30571

Lieutenant Junior Grade
Joined
Feb 13, 2012
Messages
1,042
Re: First time winterizing.. I think I forgot an important step..Cold temps expected.

No the compressed air won't help much. That 7.4 holds a whole lot of water (my 5.0 holds upwards of 4+ gallons). Is there someone who can pull that plug for you? Generally if it dips into freezing temps overnight and then returns to normal temps, you will be ok. It takes awhile for the inside of an engine that's inside of an engine compartment to reach freezing temps. Having said that, I would do everything I could to get someone to pull the plug otherwise I would not sleep very well. It's one of those cases...it might freeze it might not.
 

fen-isl

Seaman
Joined
Mar 31, 2011
Messages
74
Re: First time winterizing.. I think I forgot an important step..Cold temps expected.

Man thats a tough one. While it may hit a low of 23 and there is potential for damage, It also depends if you are in the suburbs or out in the country as burbs and city dont alway hit the low forcasted as quickly.
You have let some water out which gives it a place to expand some.
As skydive said it will take some time for the cold to penatrate thru the cover and engine compartment which will act as a little bit of insulation. Just depends on if it windy and how long its below 23 degrees. I would hope you will be ok but I personaly wouldnt sleep well if it were my boat.

Good Luck
 

GA_Boater

Honorary Moderator Emeritus
Joined
May 24, 2011
Messages
49,038
Re: First time winterizing.. I think I forgot an important step..Cold temps expected.

Baja - Where in the Atlanta area is the boat? I'm in the Northwest outside the Perimeter.
 

BajabossJD

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Jul 10, 2011
Messages
138
Re: First time winterizing.. I think I forgot an important step..Cold temps expected.

Man thats a tough one. While it may hit a low of 23 and there is potential for damage, It also depends if you are in the suburbs or out in the country as burbs and city dont alway hit the low forcasted as quickly.
You have let some water out which gives it a place to expand some.
As skydive said it will take some time for the cold to penatrate thru the cover and engine compartment which will act as a little bit of insulation. Just depends on if it windy and how long its below 23 degrees. I would hope you will be ok but I personaly wouldnt sleep well if it were my boat.

Good Luck

Thanks for the input guys. I just had the motor rebuilt and didn't have a chance to even use it this summer. This will be the writing on the wall as a boat owner if she cracks. Right now it's 60 and sunny for the day. But tonight a low in the mid 20's. Crazy changing GA weather. The boat is out of the wind and surrounded by other covered boats. I will keep you update when I get back on Thursday :(

Joe
 

BajabossJD

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Jul 10, 2011
Messages
138
Re: First time winterizing.. I think I forgot an important step..Cold temps expected.

Baja - Where in the Atlanta area is the boat? I'm in the Northwest outside the Perimeter.

It's off Keith Bridge Rd in Cumming.

I feel terrible not messing with the drain plug. :(.
 

stonyloam

Vice Admiral
Joined
Mar 13, 2009
Messages
5,827
Re: First time winterizing.. I think I forgot an important step..Cold temps expected.

Generally you need two conditions to do block damage, the block must be full (or nearly so) and the water in the block must freeze solid. sounds like you got some of the water out of the block and the temps will not be below freezing for long. A few hours of mid 20's and a covered boat, chances are you will be OK, but you never know.
 

wilksCraft

Cadet
Joined
Nov 5, 2013
Messages
23
Re: First time winterizing.. I think I forgot an important step..Cold temps expected.

its not going to freeze solid from a half night of freezing temps
 

GA_Boater

Honorary Moderator Emeritus
Joined
May 24, 2011
Messages
49,038
Re: First time winterizing.. I think I forgot an important step..Cold temps expected.

I wish I was a little closer. I thought I might be able to steal some time, but unfortunately not that much. Maybe another member can help.
 

BajabossJD

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Jul 10, 2011
Messages
138
Re: First time winterizing.. I think I forgot an important step..Cold temps expected.

I wish I was a little closer. I thought I might be able to steal some time, but unfortunately not that much. Maybe another member can help.

No worries. Much appreciated.

I will keep you guys posted!

Joe
 

Fastatv

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Sep 28, 2013
Messages
258
Re: First time winterizing.. I think I forgot an important step..Cold temps expected.

I think you will be fine as you have removed allot of water. And as many have pointed out, takes many hours of freezing temps to crack a block. It may be hard to get it off your mind, but I wouldn't worry about it. Just keep us posted. Rick
 

Walt T

Lieutenant
Joined
Mar 16, 2002
Messages
1,369
Re: First time winterizing.. I think I forgot an important step..Cold temps expected.

It wont freeze this time. But get it drained.
 

bajaunderground

Lieutenant
Joined
Apr 18, 2008
Messages
1,401
Re: First time winterizing.. I think I forgot an important step..Cold temps expected.

Generally you need two conditions to do block damage, the block must be full (or nearly so) and the water in the block must freeze solid. sounds like you got some of the water out of the block and the temps will not be below freezing for long. A few hours of mid 20's and a covered boat, chances are you will be OK, but you never know.

Stony's right. Water, as long as not under pressure with no room to expand will push against the area with least resistance, to a point. If there's no pressure inside the block and some where for it to expand, again, to a point, then the likely hood of having any damage is small to none. Water follows the path of least resistance as a general rule, but ice doesn't always play according to water's rules. I would say as long as most of the water in the system has been cleared and there's some where for it to expand?! My only worse case scenario for you is because where the water is trapped the only way for it to expand is up...once it gets past slush stage, it stops using the path of least resistance and just pushes in all directions...as others have stated...hopefully the higher temps heat the internal portion above 60*F and then it stays above 32*F for the remainder of the evening, which I say is reasonable!

Good Luck and report back!

~Brett
 

BoatDrinksQ5

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Feb 11, 2012
Messages
377
Re: First time winterizing.. I think I forgot an important step..Cold temps expected.

In my opinion you will be fine - i wouldn't worry. Will take quite a while of 30-20?F weather to get something that protected below 32?. I know because even my bird bath which is near concrete porch and garage wall won't freeze more than a skin even when in the upper 20's (highs of 38).

Plus you got a lot of the water out...expansion room :)

SLEEP WELL! :)
 

bonzoscott

Senior Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Jul 26, 2008
Messages
745
Re: First time winterizing.. I think I forgot an important step..Cold temps expected.

You better book a flight - quick! Nah, agree with others. It's gotta stay below freezing for sometime to do damage. It's the 15-25 degree temps for days that does it.
 
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