Johnson Outboard - Weather

[shade788]

Hello everyone,<br /><br />I just started my Johnson 1981 60HP outboard. The temperature outside has been above 50 degrees even at night. <br /><br />I had RV antifreeze in the system before I started it for the first time this season.<br /><br />Now I find out that tonight it will be 33 F. The rest of the week says it will be be 47 F or above. This crazy May weather <br /><br />Should I go over and put the RV antifreeze back in the water system? <br /><br />Will one night of 33 degree weather hurt any of the seals? <br /><br />The engine was drained of all of the water when I pulled it from the lake, but I know there is some still in there. I don't want it to crystalize and blow any of the seals.<br /><br />Any information would be greatly appreicated.<br /><br />Thanks in advance!<br /><br />Shade

 

[o/b tech]

Re: Johnson Outboard - Weather

If you keep the motor in the vertical position, then no damage should occur . You do not need to put antifreeze in the motor. In my part of the world it gets down to -40 celsius, in the winter time. We do not use antifreeze in the outboards, with no catastophic results. The only time you need the added protection is with stern drives or any motor that is not self draining.

 

[moderator1]

Re: Johnson Outboard - Weather

Moving to outboard, non-repair..

 

[shade788]

Re: Johnson Outboard - Weather

Thanks for the quick response.<br /><br />Sorry that I put this in the wrong section of the forum.<br /><br /><br />Shade

 

[dajohnson53]

Re: Johnson Outboard - Weather

Shade - I also live in a place that gets extremely cold and we never do anything special to our outboards - just run stabilized fuel through the carbs, change lower unit oil (to make sure no moisture's in there), fog them and make sure they are stored in a vertical position. When vertical, all water drains out of the cooling system. I grew up in the upper midwest so this routine wasn't unknown to me, but it did seem odd at first that nothing - other than draining via vertical position - needed to be done to the cooling system. But it's the truth. Good luck