Winterizing a Volvo 3.0

[corvettedude]

Hey everyone I just finished winterizing my boat today, and something odd happened. I drained my block and manifold then I let in run for about 30 minutes on the muffs and everything was fine thermostat was opening at 180 like always, no problems. So then I shut down the hose and switched to antifreeze. I have one of those 5 gallon jugs with the connections to use a water hose to get it to temp then swap to antifreeze. Anyways when I swapped to antifreeze everything was going good until I had about half a gallon of antifreeze left and I noticed its suddenly quit picking up the stuff then I glanced at my dash and my temp was 200!!! So I just shut it down, then tried again about 5 minutes later and it quickly went to 200 again. I was unable to get it to pick up that last 1/2 gallon. Any input on what my have happened? Big air bubble from when I shut down water until I turned on antifreeze? I did actually walk back and turned off water at the tap not just flipped the switch on the jug. Thermostat? Impeller? both were changed spring of 2015. As far as not getting enough antifreeze into the block i'm not really concerned about because I drain it all back out anyways and fill block with a corrosion resistant antifreeze so it won't rust, but I really don't wanna spend the next 5 months worrying about what happened. Also I think I will check out my impellor one evening this week to see if that could be it. Any input would be appreciated so I don't worry all winter.

 

[Walt T]

Drain the block and manifold again. Pull hose off circ pump to drain it. Then if you want to fill the engine with antifreeze which I never do, then fill it through the thermostat housing. Your impeller is apparently no good anymore. Pull the lower hose to the water pump and drain it. Then wait til spring to replace impeller. I never recommend adding antifreeze the way you did it. In fact I just don't bother with antifreeze. Just drain and forget. I know some folks swear by it and whatever floats ya boat.

 

[corvettedude]

So you think its the impeller? I know how to drain and refill I am just concerned about why it suddenly stopped picking up water when it was fine the entire 30 minutes before.

 

[Walt T]

Who knows why the caged impeller sings? I've had impellers fail on the hose many many times.

 

[Scott Danforth]

Hey everyone I just finished winterizing my boat today, and something odd happened. I drained my block and manifold then I let in run for about 30 minutes on the muffs and everything was fine thermostat was opening at 180 like always, no problems. So then I shut down the hose and switched to antifreeze. I have one of those 5 gallon jugs with the connections to use a water hose to get it to temp then swap to antifreeze. Anyways when I swapped to antifreeze everything was going good until I had about half a gallon of antifreeze left and I noticed its suddenly quit picking up the stuff then I glanced at my dash and my temp was 200!!! So I just shut it down, then tried again about 5 minutes later and it quickly went to 200 again. I was unable to get it to pick up that last 1/2 gallon. Any input on what my have happened? Big air bubble from when I shut down water until I turned on antifreeze? I did actually walk back and turned off water at the tap not just flipped the switch on the jug. Thermostat? Impeller? both were changed spring of 2015. As far as not getting enough antifreeze into the block i'm not really concerned about because I drain it all back out anyways and fill block with a corrosion resistant antifreeze so it won't rust, but I really don't wanna spend the next 5 months worrying about what happened. Also I think I will check out my impellor one evening this week to see if that could be it. Any input would be appreciated so I don't worry all winter.

so you drained the water, then let it run on muffs? that is as smart as standing on a tree branch your cutting off with a chain saw.

using a contraption to suck up AF like you did does nothing. your T-stat slammed shut and the system simply pushed the AF out the exhaust and onto the ground. none got into the block and heads.

your method of switching over also toasted your impeller


here is how you winterize

change oil and filter
run motor to make sure no leaks
pull plugs on block, poke and prod the holes
pull plugs on manifold, poke and prod the holes
pull large hose from circulating pump and drain
pull hose from transom to raw water pump and drain

you are now winterized

if adding AF makes you warm and fuzzy, put the hoses back on and the plugs back in, use a funnel to pour AF into the t-stat housing

 

[Walt T]

I second Scott's motion. Too late now though, impeller is shot. Drain it and leave it. Impeller in spring.

 

[corvettedude]

so you drained the water, then let it run on muffs? that is as smart as standing on a tree branch your cutting off with a chain saw.

using a contraption to suck up AF like you did does nothing. your T-stat slammed shut and the system simply pushed the AF out the exhaust and onto the ground. none got into the block and heads.

your method of switching over also toasted your impeller


here is how you winterize

change oil and filter
run motor to make sure no leaks
pull plugs on block, poke and prod the holes
pull plugs on manifold, poke and prod the holes
pull large hose from circulating pump and drain
pull hose from transom to raw water pump and drain

you are now winterized

if adding AF makes you warm and fuzzy, put the hoses back on and the plugs back in, use a funnel to pour AF into the t-stat housing

I basically do exactly what you said except for a oil change I do that in the spring along with gear lude change, I drain a little gear lube to make sure its not milky but that's it, but I always drain first and let it run of muffs didn't realize that was that big of an issue then switch to the antifreeze so when I drain the block I see the pink liquid come out, its a mental thing I guess. I don't want that cheap pink **** sitting in there all winter so drain in refill with the good stuff so it won't rust. Yea I know its kinda a waste of money but the pink stuff is 3 dollars a gallon the blue good stuff is 10, takes me about 70 all together for AF if one can't spare 70 dollars I really don't see how one could afford to own a boat. Also I really dont' see the drain and run on muffs issue since your gonna run it dry a few seconds in the spring on your first start up but whatever. Anyways thanks for the replies the consensus seems to be a impeller which I kinda thought since it quit sucking. Its worked flawlessly for 4 years I was just curious as to why I had a problem this year.

 

[Scott Danforth]

If you dont do engine oil or gear oil until spring, you run the risk of water contaminated oil in the drive freezing and busting your drive and the acids in the oil from the combustion process taking out your bearings

 

[corvettedude]

If you dont do engine oil or gear oil until spring, you run the risk of water contaminated oil in the drive freezing and busting your drive and the acids in the oil from the combustion process taking out your bearings

I said I check the gear oil to make sure it isn't milky so it isn't going to freeze and I really don't want fresh oil just sitting there all winter long.

 

[Scott Danforth]

Gear oil doesnt care if it gets cold.

However used engine oil, a bit of condensation, and you have acid eating the bearings out of the motor and causing corrosion

 

[dohcdelsol93]

After assisting friends/family with dropping mercury i/o foot over rhe years to do an impeller i was relieved with the ease of repair on my raw water pump on the aq211. I popped it off, took it to work and rebuilt it on my lunch break. I will keep it inside the shop until spring. I did do a light coat of grease to ease the first start and not eat my impeller before water hits her. I know some debate this but it's too light of a coat to clog anything, similar to a coat of grease on a cooking sheet. Just enough.

i usually put off impellers to every other year on my sailboat. With this set up i will do it each spring. A quick google search gave a great YouTube video how to.

 

[corvettedude]

After assisting friends/family with dropping mercury i/o foot over rhe years to do an impeller i was relieved with the ease of repair on my raw water pump on the aq211. I popped it off, took it to work and rebuilt it on my lunch break. I will keep it inside the shop until spring. I did do a light coat of grease to ease the first start and not eat my impeller before water hits her. I know some debate this but it's too light of a coat to clog anything, similar to a coat of grease on a cooking sheet. Just enough.

i usually put off impellers to every other year on my sailboat. With this set up i will do it each spring. A quick google search gave a great YouTube video how to.

Thanks man, but I have already put on in here before 4 years ago when I bought because I didn't no if it had been changed, and I've helped friends with mercruisers before and your right I love these impellers just hanging out on front of the engine.

 

[corvettedude]

Gear oil doesnt care if it gets cold.

However used engine oil, a bit of condensation, and you have acid eating the bearings out of the motor and causing corrosion

thanks makes since about the motor oil I may start doing that just always liked that fresh oil in the spring. but I seriously hae no clue what your saying about the gear oil. First you said to change it so it won't have water then you said gear oil don't care about cold.

 

[Scott Danforth]

your the one that said you dont like to change it until spring. I dont like to take a chance and always change gear oil. I always change all the fluids and filter that need changing in the fall so the boat is good to go in the spring. change it now, gear oil wont care if it gets cold, however if there is any moisture or contaminants in the gear oil from your running all summer, it will bite you come spring.

 

[corvettedude]

just wanted to throw out a quick update. Been tinkering with the boat today and got the old impellor out and new one in. The old one looked fine to me but the new one is defiantly stiffer, but anyways hope to change the oil and gear lube this week and fire it up within a week or so, so I;'ll be able to let anyone who could use this info know if the new impellor fixed my issue. I am fairly confident it will since I had no overheating problems last summer and no problems when I started winterizing. Just about half way through it suddenly quit sucking antifreeze and started getting a little warm, not hot I shut her down when she got about 205 she normal stays at 180. This may be pointless info to some but I always like to post follow ups just in case it helps someone I hate when people start a thread then fix their problem and don't post the outcome to helps others. PS can a bad impellor look completely fine my original bad impellor a few years ago had chunks missing from it this one is still completely intact?