Re: Update
I'll have to put a new impeller in next spring.
does that mean ya didn't drain the gear lub and replace it? if not, ya might consider doing that. checking for water intrusion and metal fragments. 'if' you have water intrusion into the gear lub. that'd mean water and lub will be in it over the winter. water in the lub would be bad. as dons and others have told me. when the lub's drained is the time to do the impeller. that way ya don't have to reuse or buy another round of gear lub when changing the impeller come spring. also, prior to reassembly, i do a pressure/vac test so i think my seals are hip for next season. figure better to find out in fall than next spring when i wanna use it...
I left the bunny ears on it with a 3/4" plug in it to hold the antifreeze in there longer.
I don't imagine it will hurt anything to leave it setting full.
i wouldn't think so either. but assuming your storing it with the drive down. all the water will run out of the drive. leaving air. air don't freeze.
i'm storing my drive inside in the basement. while i've already done the deed for impeller replacement. you can do it at your leisure over the winter. here's what i used to cover my bellhousing...
note the anti freeze in the water passage. i don't know why that occurs. i am curious too. after draining all the water out of the system, i fill w/anti freeze via the tstat for the block (i take the tstat cover off and remove the tstat) and the water inlet to the manifold for that. fill both till full. somehow the anti freeze gets over the riser and gets stopped at my cover. obviously i have a seal at the cover, though it wasn't intentional.
note the cokebottle green plexiglass.... original AristoCraft center windshield panel. poor Scott. shipped me 2 panels. both broke in transit by the ups man.... one even shipped to the wrong address. one street off to the north. it was sent to the right address too. anyways, i put one of them panels to good use. made a bellhousing cover out of it. is color coordinated to my windshield to boot.... what more could i want.....
anyways, then i service my drive at my convenience inside over the winter layup.. the bellhousing end has already been done. ie. grease and inspect coupler, inspect bellows, inspect gimble brg., alignment. which i think i may recheck in the spring. it felt a little off. i'm assuming because i had to rise my engine to remove the drain plug from the oil pan to cure a leaky oil pan plug. which 'i think' i've got cured.... i hope... was getting to be a bummer taping a new paper towel under my pan for every outing...