How cold does it have to get before you winterize?

I live in South Louisiana

How cold before you need to winterize your I/O?

It rarely gets below 35 degrees and if it dips below freezing it is only for a couple of hours

Re: How cold does it have to get before you winterize?

You are probably OK since the mass of the block will take some time to cool off. However, if it dips below freezing for too long, you will have a problem.

Make no mistake, you are taking a chance with this strategy. If you keep the boat in the water, the risk is much less since water takes more time to cool off. Why not put a small heater in the boat? I use a 40watt heating pad under the oil pan, to keep the block warm, on those frosty nights.

Re: How cold does it have to get before you winterize?

you still need to change the outdrive oil, before a freeze or close freeze. a light bulb in the dog house will take care of the block. down to around 30*.

Re: How cold does it have to get before you winterize?

I have a 2008 Yamaha 70HP 2 stroke. It had it's 20 hr service a few months ago so now the engine has about 30 hrs on it. I live in Jacksonville, FL. My boat is stored in my garage which is attached to the house. I have found that even in freezing temperatures outside, the garage does not reach freezing (I guess because of the insulation). I plan on trying to use the boat a couple times during the holidays providing it does not get too cold (brrrrrrrrrrr!). Do I need to do any winterizing or maintenance or is it ok to keep going until the next service?

Thanks,
KWB

Re: How cold does it have to get before you winterize?

Perhaps I have tempted fate.

I have never done any winterizing on an outboard boat when I was below the Mason-Dixon line. Of course, I usually fished year-round. I did always check the gearcase for water and change the oil in the Fall. I think if I had an inboard or an I/O I would have been sure the block was drained.

When I lived outside Chicago and in MN I fished 'til ice-up, then drained the carbs and changed the gearcase oil. That's all.

If I had tempted fate, fate never bit me.

Re: How cold does it have to get before you winterize?

KWB - just do the regular gear oil change, if that is good there is nothing to freeze.

Re: How cold does it have to get before you winterize?

I do it just before the garden hose freezes up.

Re: How cold does it have to get before you winterize?

I changed my gear oil mid summer and the boat either is in the water or I run the engine at least monthly during south Louisiana months.

please explain why the gear oil needs to be changed again

Re: How cold does it have to get before you winterize?

If one of the seals on the lower unit has started to leak and let water in, the water will freeze and crack the gearcase.

Re: How cold does it have to get before you winterize?

The gear oil should be changed in the fall to assure it does not have any water in it. Water will freeze and crack the gearcase.

Re: How cold does it have to get before you winterize?

442 - If you are not putting the boat to bed for the winter AND you are confident that the seals are in good condition, then there is no need to change the gear lube again. Unless you put alot of hours on the boat every year, then once a year is good. For most people the best time to do it is on the fall as part of the winterization procedure. This way if there is water contamination, you can get it out before it sits all winter, and it can be repaired during the off season rather than in the spring when you wnat to use the boat.

Once a year is once a year no matter how you slice it, and for year round boaters in warmer climates, it doesn't matter what time of year you change the gear oil, so long as it gets done.

Re: How cold does it have to get before you winterize?

chaparral442 said:

I live in South Louisiana

How cold before you need to winterize your I/O?

It rarely gets below 35 degrees and if it dips below freezing it is only for a couple of hours

Click to expand...

YOU ARE TAKING A $4 THOUSAND DOLLAR GAMBLE

JB said:

I would have been sure the block was drained.

Click to expand...

draining the block is a fast way....(less than 10 mins) of insurung that your motor will survive.......if you have a v6 or 8....there is 2 plugs under the manifold....they must come out...and there is also a drain on the block....it must be opened......if you have poswe steering......the cooler must be drained.

if you do that....there is never ever any worry

Re: How cold does it have to get before you winterize?

Agree that draining is cheap insurrance. There aer 2 drains on chevy v6 and v8's - one on each side.

Also, leave the drive in the full down position so it drains too.

Re: How cold does it have to get before you winterize?

what about the following procedure - your thoughts please

" But what I do is partially fill a big plastic box with a water/antifreeze mix (check for the proper mix ratio for the predicted low temps where you are) and run it through the water intake using a muff. I place the box under the lower unit so it catches the outflow; put the muff over the intakes with a hose attached and put the other end of the hose in the box. The first time is a bit costly if you want to fill the box enough to cover the inlets with the mix, but if you use a muff then the depth does not matter as long as there is enough to keep the flow going. This year I am going to use an out-drive muff with a hose attached to both sides instead of just one for better flow through. I let the engine run for about 15-20 minutes and then spray a fogger into the carburetor until the engine quits or starts to sputter. Afterward I put a small sub-pump in the box to pump out the mix for re-use. I was able to get a few big empty water bottles) and I keep them I keep them behind the house and I add a fresh gallon of antifreeze or two each year. The first time was a bit tricky but over time I have gotten it down to a fairly quick and easy process. Actually do two boats this way as a friend of mine brings his boat over every year to winterize. I have never had a problem in the eight years of doing this. Yeah it sounds complicated but it really isn?t and for the cost of having a dealer do it just goes against my budget. By the way some folks go the extra mile by pulling the plugs and spraying the fogger in each port. anyway the point is yes use antifreeze. Even if your area doesn?t get below freezing it will reduce the chance of rust in your engine."

Re: How cold does it have to get before you winterize?

this really should have been a I/O question. this is what our resident expert says. and he is always 99.9% right.

http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=178695