Winterizing with pink RV antifreeze. How good is it?

1stgenbird

Petty Officer 1st Class
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Aug 5, 2009
Messages
397
Re: Winterizing with pink RV antifreeze. How good is it?

Here is the product info from Jamestown Distributors web. And yes, not to be used as a coolant, just for winterizing/storage purposes.

Marine Antifreeze -50 F
Safe. Odorless. Tasteless. This is an excellent antifreeze for marine or RV applications. Protects to 50 degrees below zero. No mixing required. Great for use as engine storage. Propylene Glycol formula makes this pink marine / boat / rv antifreeze non-toxic.
 

2fast4u_evinrude

Petty Officer 2nd Class
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Jul 19, 2010
Messages
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Re: Winterizing with pink RV antifreeze. How good is it?

So could a person just fill the engine block with RV pink antifreeze and then just drain it and leave all the valves open during winter? I was thinking this way we pushed all the water out of the engine block and and this would reduce the chance of the antifreeze freezing up since I live in extreme winters in Canada
 

DaNinja

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Jun 11, 2008
Messages
1,407
Re: Winterizing with pink RV antifreeze. How good is it?

So could a person just fill the engine block with RV pink antifreeze and then just drain it and leave all the valves open during winter? I was thinking this way we pushed all the water out of the engine block and and this would reduce the chance of the antifreeze freezing up since I live in extreme winters in Canada

I fogged the Starcraft on the muffs,
Shut off and drained the water by pulling the plugs (overkill step),
Re-installed plugs and filled with the pink stuff through the water hoses at the thermostat,
Pulled the plugs and called it a season.
 

E_Man

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Jun 12, 2006
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Re: Winterizing with pink RV antifreeze. How good is it?

BUMP. I have the exact same question though I know the answer and I would just like the peace of mind by confirmation. On my 4.3LX Mercruiser I pulled the block drain and manifold drains on both sides as well as the hoses. I then poured approx 4L of antifreeze in the block via the water pump hose as well as the manifolds via the top hoses. Unfortunately 4L seems not to be enough since I was able to pour all the water! What I wanted to do was fill all passages and then drain...

Experts?



So could a person just fill the engine block with RV pink antifreeze and then just drain it and leave all the valves open during winter? I was thinking this way we pushed all the water out of the engine block and and this would reduce the chance of the antifreeze freezing up since I live in extreme winters in Canada
 

Subliminal

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Oct 21, 2009
Messages
555
Re: Winterizing with pink RV antifreeze. How good is it?

I had heard that there might be areas in my motor that don't drain so easily...so I pulled the plugs and used a few gallons of the pinks stuff to flush through everything...that way if I messed up, at least its no longer water in the engine. I left the plugs out, too.
 

Gary H NC

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Dec 1, 2005
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Re: Winterizing with pink RV antifreeze. How good is it?

Just wondering why fill it full of RV stuff then drain it right back out?
Sounds like a waste of money.

The pink stuff will freeze at -50 but is designed not to expand.
 

2fast4u_evinrude

Petty Officer 2nd Class
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Messages
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Re: Winterizing with pink RV antifreeze. How good is it?

Just wondering why fill it full of RV stuff then drain it right back out?
Sounds like a waste of money.

The pink stuff will freeze at -50 but is designed not to expand.

I just used it to push all the water out of the lines and the block. That way I know for sure theres no water in the engine
 

Friscoboater

Captain
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Jul 3, 2009
Messages
3,095
Re: Winterizing with pink RV antifreeze. How good is it?

I just winterized my boat with pink stuff and I will be posting a video on how it is done a little later. I do not leave it in the block. It is just good insurance.
 

CVX20SPRINT

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Sep 9, 2009
Messages
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Re: Winterizing with pink RV antifreeze. How good is it?

I just used it to push all the water out of the lines and the block. That way I know for sure theres no water in the engine

That's the ticket...just enough to push the water out.The water doesn't always all come out the drain plugs,especially the block drain plugs.The water jackets can fill up with crap up over the holes,so when you pull them out you don't see water come out so you think it is dry.If you're not going to put anti-freeze through the block at least make sure you poke something into the hole where the drains are to make sure they're not blocked off.
 

skargo

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Sep 14, 2008
Messages
4,640
Re: Winterizing with pink RV antifreeze. How good is it?

Just did mine. I have closed cooling so it is a totally different process I'd imagine.
I have a mercruiser alpha one with sort of an usual setup. It has a bravo style, engine mounted, belt driven pump, fed via a thru-hull fitting.
I use a plunger style "muff" to feed my thru-hull. There is a valve on my garden hose end, I shut it off, then use my fitting to feed my pump with 6 gallons of pink RV AF. I start it up, and run the pink through it while I fog the engine, and when the AF is almost gone I fog it until it stalls out.

I also made the bucket instead of paying for a winterizing kit.

Here she is, running to warm the oil which I changed.
149967_10150313759885652_554955651_15472404_1659605_n.jpg


Here's my bucket hooked up and ready for the pink...
150016_10150313761985652_554955651_15472413_5304996_n.jpg
 

anymanusa

Seaman
Joined
Sep 17, 2010
Messages
59
Re: Winterizing with pink RV antifreeze. How good is it?

why all this block draining going on? I filled mine with pink antifreeze in a tub for 20+ minutes, making sure the tstat opened up good, and surely the antifreeze mixed and pushed all what little water was left in the block out of it. Why would I bother with engine plugs and so forth?

I'm done winterizing, and for insurance I'm going to put a 15watt light bulb in the engine bay and forget about it. No drain plugs for me thank you.
 

Friscoboater

Captain
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Jul 3, 2009
Messages
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Re: Winterizing with pink RV antifreeze. How good is it?

I think it is all in how you were taught. I have always drained my block after flushing with antifreeze. on the bottle it says do not dilute because it changes the freezing temp. There are alot of passages in the engine that can hold water and I have always been taught that air cannot freeze and crack your block. So I have always drained my block. Just a matter of preference.
 

Subliminal

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Joined
Oct 21, 2009
Messages
555
Re: Winterizing with pink RV antifreeze. How good is it?

why all this block draining going on? I filled mine with pink antifreeze in a tub for 20+ minutes, making sure the tstat opened up good, and surely the antifreeze mixed and pushed all what little water was left in the block out of it. Why would I bother with engine plugs and so forth?

I'm done winterizing, and for insurance I'm going to put a 15watt light bulb in the engine bay and forget about it. No drain plugs for me thank you.

Let us know how you fare in the spring!
 

25thmustang

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Joined
Mar 20, 2008
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Re: Winterizing with pink RV antifreeze. How good is it?

Mine was done last night, sadly I showed up afterwards (work getting in the way and all). Pink stuff sent through the raw water side until it was coming out of the exhaust, and the regular antifreeze on the closed side was checked and topped off if need be. The motors were then fogged, and the hatches closed for now.
 

wire2

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Joined
Jun 25, 2007
Messages
1,584
Re: Winterizing with pink RV antifreeze. How good is it?

why all this block draining going on? I filled mine with pink antifreeze in a tub for 20+ minutes, making sure the tstat opened up good, and surely the antifreeze mixed and pushed all what little water was left in the block out of it. Why would I bother with engine plugs and so forth?

I'm done winterizing, and for insurance I'm going to put a 15watt light bulb in the engine bay and forget about it. No drain plugs for me thank you.
There's ~5 quarts of water in the block/heads if you don't drain it. That will mix and dilute your A/F, raising the protection temperature from -50? to considerably less.

Pink A/F is available in -100? rating, that might be the way to go if you don't want to bother with plugs?
 

wire2

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Jun 25, 2007
Messages
1,584
Re: Winterizing with pink RV antifreeze. How good is it?

Just wondering why fill it full of RV stuff then drain it right back out?
Sounds like a waste of money.

The pink stuff will freeze at -50 but is designed not to expand.
If you drain it into the bilge, then catch it with a bucket to use again next year it's not wasted. As long as it's still a deep pink, it's still good.

Although I prefer to leave it in until spring.
 

E_Man

Petty Officer 2nd Class
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Jun 12, 2006
Messages
127
Re: Winterizing with pink RV antifreeze. How good is it?

So I don't mean to repeat, but I hope I'm not in trouble here (see quote below)? I'm sure that my block and manifolds were empty prior to putting in some of this AF.

BUMP. I have the exact same question though I know the answer and I would just like the peace of mind by confirmation. On my 4.3LX Mercruiser I pulled the block drain and manifold drains on both sides as well as the hoses. I then poured approx 4L of antifreeze in the block via the water pump hose as well as the manifolds via the top hoses. Unfortunately 4L seems not to be enough since I was able to pour all the water! What I wanted to do was fill all passages and then drain...

Experts?
 

Jeepster04

Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Jan 5, 2009
Messages
481
Re: Winterizing with pink RV antifreeze. How good is it?

why all this block draining going on? I filled mine with pink antifreeze in a tub for 20+ minutes, making sure the tstat opened up good, and surely the antifreeze mixed and pushed all what little water was left in the block out of it. Why would I bother with engine plugs and so forth?

I'm done winterizing, and for insurance I'm going to put a 15watt light bulb in the engine bay and forget about it. No drain plugs for me thank you.

It takes a matter of minutes to drain a block and its FREE. I can have my boats fogged and engines and manifolds drained by the time you go to the store and buy the anti freeze.
 

bow wow rider

Seaman
Joined
Sep 15, 2010
Messages
59
Re: Winterizing with pink RV antifreeze. How good is it?

why all this block draining going on? I filled mine with pink antifreeze in a tub for 20+ minutes, making sure the tstat opened up good, and surely the antifreeze mixed and pushed all what little water was left in the block out of it. Why would I bother with engine plugs and so forth?

I'm done winterizing, and for insurance I'm going to put a 15watt light bulb in the engine bay and forget about it. No drain plugs for me thank you.

i go by the manual's winterizing section. it says to pull the plugs and let the block/manifold drain. it doesn't say anything about antifreeze. the plugs are easy to access and just require a 3/8" socket to pull. nothing difficult about it. i just find it easier than messing with the AF.
 

anymanusa

Seaman
Joined
Sep 17, 2010
Messages
59
Re: Winterizing with pink RV antifreeze. How good is it?

There's ~5 quarts of water in the block/heads if you don't drain it. That will mix and dilute your A/F, raising the protection temperature from -50? to considerably less.

Pink A/F is available in -100? rating, that might be the way to go if you don't want to bother with plugs?

that 5 quarts mixed with 6 gallons will be fine to sustain the winter with 15*F temps.
 
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