I think I have it winterized now. Did I forget anything?

[KD4UPL]

This is the first year wtih this boat, a 2004 Rinker Captiva 232 with a Mercruiser Mag 350 and B3. It has the 3 plug drain system with 2 blue plugs on the seawater pump and one down low that drains everything else.
I took it to a marina to have it winterized. They changed the fluids and filters and then pumped 5 gallons of pink antifreeze thru the muffs on the outdrive. Prior to doing that the mechanic leaned way in on both sides of the motor. After much reading and studying I believe what he was doing was was popping the drain hoses off the block. I'm certain he never removed any of the blue plugs.
Various posts on this forum and others had me worried that a lot of water was probably left in the system to mix with the antifreeze. So, here's what I did:
I removed all 3 blue plugs, pulled the big hose from the water pump off the T-stat housing, pulled the block drains off the fittings, and took both hoses off of the power steering cooler. This drained a lot of pink stuff out. I stuck a wire up in both block drains but no additional water came out. I then poured some of the green Starbrite -100 antifreeze into the hose between the PS cooler and the fuel cooler, the hose between the PS cooler and the seawater pump, the big hose going to the water pump, and into the T-stat housing. I used a total of 3 gallons. When pouring it in the T-stat housing it started running out the disconnected big hose from the water pump. I left that hose loose as well as the hoses on the PS cooler.
So, am I good now? Did I miss anything? Did I just redo a perfectly good winterization for nothing?
By the way, I collected some of the pink stuff that ran out of the engine in a bottle and put it in my chest freezer. 24 hours latter it is semi solid but mushy, not frozen hard.

 

[HT32BSX115]

I took it to a marina to have it winterized. They changed the fluids and filters and then pumped 5 gallons of pink antifreeze thru the muffs on the outdrive. Prior to doing that the mechanic leaned way in on both sides of the motor. After much reading and studying I believe what he was doing was was popping the drain hoses off the block. I'm certain he never removed any of the blue plugs.

You must not live where it gets very cold if your "Marina" people don't fully drain engine blocks!!

You did "right" if you (first) drained the block!

Pouring AF back into the engine certainly doesn't hurt but the main thing is that you drain the block fully FIRST before sucking or pouring AF into the engine.

ANY engine that old should have the block drained and the block plugs removed so you can poke a small wire into the holes to ensure that no rust flakes or other debris is blocking the complete draining of water in the block. If the engine is new, you can just drain single point systems. But after only a few years, the rust flakes in the water jacket can be large enough to block flow that can only be ensured if you remove block drains.

What you did was smart. You will sleep better this winter knowing that you ensured all the water was out of your block.

73/Rick

 

[thumpar]

As long as you get all the water out of the cooling system you are good. If you want AF after you can but I don't. The main thing is DRAIN first.

 

[tpenfield]

I usually have a beer after I'm done, but other than that, I think you are spot on.

Do you have a sink and associated water system?

 

[KD4UPL]

Thanks guys. I removed the portable head and the water pump for the transom shower. They are in my heated garage. That seemed the simplest for those items.
I poured in the AF thinking that if I had somehow missed any water like in the fuel cooler or something it would keep it from freezing. That's another reason I went for the -100 AF instead of the -50.

 

[achris]

...I poured in the AF thinking that if I had somehow missed any water like in the fuel cooler or something it would keep it from freezing. That's another reason I went for the -100 AF instead of the -50.

Yeah, I'm divided on AF... Part of me says, yes AF could stop any pools of water from freezing, but the another part of me thinks that adding AF will just trap any water that would freeze and give it nowhere to go, and actually lead to a crack. Then another part of me questions all of this anyway...

I'm still in the 'air don't freeze' camp.... But willing to be proved wrong (and that proof would have to be backed up pretty solidly... Not just a 'I've always done it that way and never had a problem'....)

I've witnessed, and commented on, too many acts of stupidity that have been justified with 'I've always done it this way'.... Classic is anchoring a boat from the side. :facepalm:.... They do it because they can have a few more people fishing from the leeway side of the boat. They all sit there, backs to the wind, and waves, completely oblivious. They have done it for years, and think it's totally safe.

Chris.....