Running a stern drive thru the winter ?

My boat is a stern drive and I live in middle Tennessee. During the winter we often have plenty of days in the mid 40's but dropping down to below freezing at night. I am planning on continuing to use my boat thruout the winter and see if I can't chase down some smallmouth and striper.
Of course the biggest thing is keeping water from freezing in my engine and outdrive.
It's actually pretty easy to winterize - there are 2 screw in plugs per side of the engine, one on the block and one in the exhaust manifold and you just unscrew those to let the water out of the engine.
On the outdrive, an OMC (1988), I will have to do some research, but I think you pretty much just lower it all of the way and let the water drain out on it's own.
I am a poor fisherman and can't really afford to have a cracked block or manifold nor crack my lower unit.

So I have been thinking what I need to do after every trip to insure I get all of the water out if it may drop down to freezing that night.
On the engine - I was thinking maybe after I remove the 4 drain plugs, blowing compressed air through each drain hole ? Not sure tho if I wouldn't just be blowing the water back into the engine ?

On the outdrive - is there a way i can blow compressed air through it to insure all of the water is out ?
Unfortunately, right now it will not be stored under a roof, just under a cover.
I was contemplating getting 1" foam insulation and making a "box" that I could enclose the outdrive in and have a light bulb inside in case all of the water did not drain out, hopefully keeping it from freezing ?
For the engine, it is already enclosed of course so I could just maybe stick a light bulb or 2 in the engine compartment.
Any thoughts or ideas on what i need to do ? Will be my 1st winter with the boat and I would sure hate to mess it up by forgetting something
Thanks for any info.

Re: Running a stern drive thru the winter ?

I wouldn't bother blowing air into it. Pull the plugs. Chase them a nail or something small and pointed to make sure there isnt scale blocking the water from draining. Thats an important step! My portside engine drain was blocked this year. If it has a power steering oil cooler, you'll want to pull the hose on that as well. As long as its all the way trimmed down the drive will take care of itself. The way my driveway is canted I am not able to go 100% down, so I pour RV antifreeze into the hub for safety.

Re: Running a stern drive thru the winter ?

This is probably a pain with an 800 but, you might consider pulling your drive and sticking it in the garage/shed/whatever. Then on those few freeze days we have down here (I'm in Middle Tennessee too) just make sure you start her up for a minute or so. I've always stored mine in an insulated garage, so I keep mine a little closer to water ready.

Re: Running a stern drive thru the winter ?

Since you're not putting it in storage for the season, you don't really need to perform all the 'winterizing' steps after every time you use it. Your main concern is to keep it from freezing.

Keeping the engine as level as possible, drain the block & manifolds using the (4) petcocks. There are three 1/2" stainless steel drain plugs in the upper case of the outdrive. Use a wide slotted screwdriver to remove them and drain all water with the outdrive lowered. Use a nail or small screwdriver to make sure the drain openings aren't blocked by crud. Store the outdrive lowered as well so water won't freeze & crack the prop housing. Also loosten the hose clamps and drain any water from the hoses leading to & from the water pump and power steering cooler (if equipped). Remember to remove the bildge plug when parked to keep ice from accumulating in the bildge.

Re: Running a stern drive thru the winter ?

Bridar - thanks for the info, it is seriously appreciated. I have not been thru the service manual yet since putting it all back together (I pulled the engine and outdrive when I got it in January) so did not know about pulling the 3 plugs on the outdrive. I hate to let it sit if we have our normal 40 degree + days as I am trying to learn the lake better, plus there is decent smallmouth and striper action in the winter (and walleye) but my biggest fear is water freezing and cracking the outdrive - I was pretty sure I could handle the engine okay, tho I did forget about the hoses but probably would have remembered when I was pulling the drain plugs.

Curious - I have a few gallons of marine antifreeze I bought when I 1st got the boat. Was wondering - even tho all of the water should be drained out, would it be doubly safe to pour some antifreeze into the hoses so it makes it's way to the block ? I really don;t have a need for the antifreeze besides that.
Chances are I will only be using the boat if we are going to have a few days in succession that are above freezing during the day as I don't want to be pulling the plugs etc every other day, so the antifreeze should last me for a while if it would help pouring some in the engine.
Any way to pour some in the outdrive ?
The engine I can repair (except the manifolds do cost a fortune) but if the outdrive goes, being an OMC I would have to probably end up having to switch it to a Alpha drive and it could get pricey.
I got a steal on the boat because it leaked really bad and the previous owner thought it needed a new transom (he did not tell me this, but I figured it out 1st time I took the boat out. Took nme about 10 minutes on the water to figure out why he sold it so cheap.
I pulled the engine and outdrive, never having worked on a boat before, thinking it might have been the bellows etc, but all of that stuff was new - which meant the p.o. replaced those, it still leaked real bad so sold it to me - without telling me it leaked like a sieve.
Joke was on him tho, turned out it was just around the drain plug. Had the original drain tube in it and it only went half way thru the hull. Where it ended was just wood - they didn't seal it or anything. So after a few decades (1988 boat), what was not covered by the drain tube started to rot out and that is where the water was pouring into the boat. I got real lucky tho and there was zero damage anywhere else on the transom, just maybe an inch and a half around the lower portion of the plug hole. I just cleaned out the rotted wood and filled the area with fiberglass as there is zero stress there. Worked like a charm.
Now that I do know the boat does not leak and it runs great (4.3l OMC), this winter or next year I plan on restoring the whole boat - now I am just enjoying using the heck out of it.
Oh - I paid $1,000.00 for it - a 1988 Dynasty 190 Fish and Ski. Runs great and no longer leaks. If the outdrive gets cracked tho, would cost as much to repair that as I paid for the whole boat

Re: Running a stern drive thru the winter ?

Chances are I will only be using the boat if we are going to have a few days in succession that are above freezing during the day as I don't want to be pulling the plugs etc every other day, so the antifreeze should last me for a while if it would help pouring some in the engine.
Any way to pour some in the outdrive ?

Click to expand...

Ayuh,.... You should get in the habit of poppin' the drain plugs, every time the hull hits the wagon...
Then there's No doubt, it's Safe for freezin' weather,...
'n ya won't be killin' yer lake with pollutants...

If ya know yer motor/ drive, just pullin' the plugs, 'n a hose end or 2 is All it takes,...
Gravity does the rest...

I pulled the engine and outdrive, never having worked on a boat before,

Click to expand...

When ya put it back together, did ya align the motor to the gimbel bearing,..??

If not, ya should, as it'll destroy the Coupler in short order if it's very much Off...

Re: Running a stern drive thru the winter ?

Bond-o said:

Ayuh,.... You should get in the habit of poppin' the drain plugs, every time the hull hits the wagon...

Click to expand...

Yup,

I run my 140 Mercruiser through the winter in Vegas. The temps go down low enough to crack a block or manifold, though not all that often. Sitting in the driveway I'll drain the block and pull the water pump hose when it's getting cold. After running it in the winter I pull the boat out of the water, but leave it on the inclined ramp, pull the boat plug, pull the block/manifold drains and pull the water pump hose. Drive the rig up to the parking lot, drop the drive and let the rest of the water drain, replace the drain plugs and water pump hose, then stow everything for the trip home.

I close up the cooling system after draining it as I forgot to once... Fired up the engine and lots of water pumped into the bilge and all over the engine with the waterpump hose loose. Got to test out my bilge pumps that day

Re: Running a stern drive thru the winter ?

I concur with Bond-o. I live in Canada and in Sept or Oct when I'm not sure if its my last trip on the lake for the season, I simply open the drain plugs as soon as the boat is on the trailer. I do this for 2 reasons.
1) If I forget to drain it later or if we have an early frost, my outdrive will not sustain freeze damage,
2) By opening the drain plugs before I'm back home, all the rocking back & forth on the drive home will help drain the system more thoroughly.

I never bother with antifreeze, since I thoroughly drain everything. Some "flush" their cooling system with antifreeze, but they're better off draining it all anyway, since the antifreeze may not displace 100% of the trapped water, plus a dilute solution may still freeze if it gets cold enough.

I wouldn't worry too much about the outdrive freezing. There are fewer places for water to remain trapped. Most of the water will already run out on it's own before you even remove the 3 drain plugs. Just be sure to poke around in the holes with a wire to check for mud or debris stopping the water from draining.