winterization of 85 hp force

hey guys

i was just wondering what i all need to do to my 85 hp force motor (1988 17' Bayliner boat) to get it winterized....i have it in a storage unit so it will be out of the elements this winter (unit isnt heated)

thanks
travis h

Re: winterization of 85 hp force

Lots of stuff on here to pick from if you search, but what i do with the same motor - I also store my boat outside under cover, no heater, and it can get cold up here in the NW.
run the motor till its warm with muffs
run carb cleaner (seafoam etc) to get rid of as much gunk as you can
make sure to run all that cleaner out
I do a two part, I run the motor, pull the gas line to drain all the fluid out of the lines, and kill the water when the motor starts to run out of gas. I am trying to flush all the water out of the motor and all the gas out of the lines at the same time. Just don't run the motor without water for too long.
pull the lower end and drain
While the lower end is off i will re-grease the impeller so its not all cracked and nasty come summer.
while doing other things I usually let the lower end drain overnight so it's nice and dry
replace the lower end and put nice new fresh oil in there.
i pull the thermostat or the little screw at the top and run some anti-freeze down the hole until it drips out the bottom.
a little grease here and there, control arms, shift linkage
wrap the top of the motor in a black garbage bag to keep it nice and clean
pull the plug (nothing worse then a boat full of water when the carport leaks)
put the battery on the tender
I pull all the cuddy cushions and place a box of baking soda in the cuddy
Cover the boat best I can with tarp and plastic.

Start making the list of things to do next summer on the boat.

Re: winterization of 85 hp force

There are basic necessities and reasons for winterizing outboards. And I found the following to be the minimum:
1. Drain and change LU gear oil. This is a dual purpose. To detect if there is any leak in the unit by the changed color of the oil and insuring there is not water in the system that can rust or freeze damaging seals.
2. Drain all the cooling water out. The cooling system is pretty much an open system which is gravity drained. But to make sure it is all drain, open the vent plug from the top after the last engine run.
3. Grease all grease fittings to push old grease. Nothing is worse than having water in the grease and freezing the king post or other moving joints.
4. After the last engine run, remove the plugs, shoot straight seafoam or fuel-oil mix into each cylinder and rotate the flywheel by hand to distribute it into the cylinder walls. Replaced the plugs.
5. If you have left over fuel, treat it with stabilizer. In fact, you want to do this before the last run so the left over fuel in the carbs is treated with stabilizer.
If you haven't done yet, you need to renew the grease on the prop shaft. Remove prop and apply new grease to the shaft.