how much antifreese when winterizing?

just gone through mine, only seemed to use about half a gallon on a 5.7 omc.. doesn't seem to be enough, thought it should have been more

Re: how much antifreese when winterizing?

What hoses did you pour it down? - manifold hoses? water pump hoses? down the thermostat housing to fill the block?....

Re: how much antifreese when winterizing?

I pilled all the hoses off the thermostat housing, 4 in total, and slowly poured untill it ran green


2 to the manifold, I underneath to the back of the engine and I big on to the water pump.

I also took the hose off the manifold and poured in the housing

Re: how much antifreese when winterizing?

Bandit, My 4.3L V6 took a couple of gallons to fill the block, plus a gallon or so to fill the manifolds. I would dump a bit of AF until the green came out the drain, replace the plug(s) and fill it up. Dont forget to dump some down teh raw water intake.

In the spring I would drain the block and mannys and capture the AF for reuse next winter.

Re: how much antifreese when winterizing?

i just did a 4.3 on monday and i used 3 gallons. that's filling the whole block untill it comes out the tstat hole and both manifolds.....
BTW i hope your not using regular automotive antifreeze (you said it was green!!!!) that stuff is toxic.... and although its ok for closed cooling.... you really want the NONTOX stuff, that way you can fire it up on the muffs or just dump it in the water in the spring and not worry about killing all the fish or the neighborhood dogs.

Re: how much antifreese when winterizing?

I just did my 88 4.3 on Sunday, it took close to 4 gallons of -100 to do the engine, manifolds and raw water intake line. Go back and remove the drains, and poke a small screwdriver or a coat hanger wire in the drains, I bet you will be suprised at what comes out. I poke all the drains, and pull off the big hose at the front ciculating pump, and finally disconnect the raw water intake hose and point it down in the bilge, that also drains the power steering cooler that is really hard to get at. Then I replace the big hose at the circ pump on the bottom connection, fill till a little comes out the drains, put some triple guard grease on the drain plugs and replace em, then fill till it comes out the thermo housing. Same with manifolds, fill till it spills out the exhaust (why you MUST use no tox AF!) finally I fill the raw water intake hose till it runs out the water intakes on the drive.

Re: how much antifreese when winterizing?

did that last year, I thought you guys just flush through the hose which is what I did yesterday, with the plugs open. Makes sense now, gonna do her again with the drains closed. d'uh

it was about 3 gallons last year