Winterizing....Updated with Pics!!

[heyttown]

Ok folks 97 searay 3.0 merc, alpha one.... While the boating season in northwest ohio is coming fast to a close for I/O.... Problem is we are still at least a month maybe even 2 before any chance of ice to form.. Hell it was just 92 two days ago, and today highs in the mid 50's ....Im leaving town here shortly for some fishing in Florida and thought about winterizing before I left, but I hate the thought on missing out on what could be another month if not more of good fishing on lake erie... My thoughts are draining the block, maybe putting a lead light under the cowl on cold nights,....If I do decide to drain the block how many and where are the drains located?

Any other ideas that would extend my fishing season?

 

[Bondo]

Re: Winterizing....

Re: Winterizing....

Ayuh,........ I keep on Fishing til the water gets Hard myself,......

Just draining All the water is just Fine,.... That's how I Winterize as well as extending my season......

Your motor will have a Block Drain, down Low on the Portside of the Block,....
And there should be a Manifold Drain just above,+ slightly Aft of the Block Drain......
You should also pull the Big Hose from the circulating waterpump,.........
If you have P/Steering,... You'll need to drain it's Cooler as well.......

 

[ziggy]

Re: Winterizing....

Re: Winterizing....

Just draining All the water is just Fine,.... That's how I Winterize as well as extending my season......

me too. i'm hoping to extend the season too. last year there was plenty of nice days with freezeing nights......i'm just gonna drain it for the extended season i hope......in the end though, i'll go for the corrosion protection......

 

[wvit1001]

Re: Winterizing....

Re: Winterizing....

All I've ever done is put in fuel stabilizer, fill the gas tank, run it for awhile, change the oil, fog the engine, and then drain the block, manifolds, and power steering cooler. It's a '95 350 and I've never had any problems. Then if a nice day comes along I just put the drain plugs back in and run it.

 

[Rusty Boater]

Re: Winterizing....

Re: Winterizing....

Should you replace the drain plugs for the winter or leave them out?

 

[Haut Medoc]

Re: Winterizing....

Re: Winterizing....

Should you replace the drain plugs for the winter or leave them out?

Doesn't matter, I'd put 'em back in so I did not forget them or misplace them....

 

[heyttown]

Re: Winterizing....

Re: Winterizing....

Ayuh,........ I keep on Fishing til the water gets Hard myself,......

Just draining All the water is just Fine,.... That's how I Winterize as well as extending my season......

Your motor will have a Block Drain, down Low on the Portside of the Block,....
And there should be a Manifold Drain just above,+ slightly Aft of the Block Drain......
You should also pull the Big Hose from the circulating waterpump,.........
If you have P/Steering,... You'll need to drain it's Cooler as well.......

Bondo, I do have power steering,looks similar to this pump linked here.My pump runs off the main pulley.

Are you saying I have to drain that resevoir?

 

[Bondo]

Re: Winterizing....

Re: Winterizing....

Naw,.....
There's a Cooler usually mounted in the In hose coming from the Outdrive.........

You're draining the Water,........ Not the Oil...............

 

[heyttown]

Re: Winterizing....

Re: Winterizing....

I will have to take a closer look, to see if I have that cooler.....
I didnt think the pump itself needed drained but this is my first winter with and I/O so its better to be stupid and safe, then the unneccessary repairs come spring time.

 

[Bondo]

Re: Winterizing....

Re: Winterizing....

Ayuh,......................

 

[Joebklyn]

Re: Winterizing....3.0 Mercruiser for New York winter

Re: Winterizing....3.0 Mercruiser for New York winter

Newbie with a 2005 Bayliner 175 Bow Rider with a 3.0 Mercruiser. I plan to winterize it like this. 1st warm up engine then using fogging oil, suffocate the engine. Change oil and filter. Open all drains and remove water from engine block, headers, coolers. Reinstall plugs. Then using a submersible pump connected to a garden hose & muffs (using a large clean plastic bin) I intend to pump -100 degree RV/Boat antifreeze thru the muffs into the engine. Any isolated pockets of water will be diluted and hopefully will not freeze and crack the engine. Then I'll change the Alpha 1 outdrive oil, remove flame arrestor cover the oriface with duct tape replace arrestor. So what do you think? Is this the correct way to do this. Any help appreciated. If I screw this up wifey will never let me hear the end of it. Thanks Joe

 

[Don S]

Re: Winterizing....3.0 Mercruiser for New York winter

Re: Winterizing....3.0 Mercruiser for New York winter

Start a new thread Joe, or your question will get lost as those that don't read all the posts miss your question.

 

[Bondo]

Re: Winterizing....3.0 Mercruiser for New York winter

Re: Winterizing....3.0 Mercruiser for New York winter

Start a new thread Joe, or your question will get lost as those that don't read all the posts miss your question.

Ayuh,..........

So what do you think? Is this the correct way to do this.

Nope.............

 

[heyttown]

Re: Winterizing....

Re: Winterizing....

Ok well I unwillingly came back from my fishing trip to florida,and decided I better get out there to drain the system. Its been dropping down to the mid to upper 30's at night and calling for snow showers in the next few days.

I found 1 blue nylon wing plug on the port side of my block,pulled it out and lots of water ran out instantly(I was kinda proud after reading many posts on here and it wasnt plugged up), I also found 1 brass bolt on the underside of the exhaust manifold,that also drained immediately but did have a little junk in it,so I cleaned out as much as I could.


I found what I think is the circ pump with the big hose, but the lower end of the hose in jammed in pretty tight with my power steering canister,and I couldnt free it up....Im afraid I may have to cut the hose to get it free! Is it necessary to get that hose off for short term storage? I will eventually when comes time to completely winterize the boat will run about 3 or 4 gallons of rv/marine antifreeze until it comes out of my exhaust,so that way I know its protected through the entire motor...With doing that I dont really want to cut that hose off? Any thoughts.

I also found what appears to be a power steering cooler(maybe 6" long or so on the starboard side) located near my transom, a real PITA to reach. In my aftermarket repair manual it shows a small bolt that I can pull to drain, but when I wrap my hand around the cooler I feel no drain bolt.Could it be that I just pull the line off of one end and let it drain that way? Im assuming I would disconnect the hose that comes from outdrive and not the line from my tstat housing???

I took some pictures just to let you guys verify what I am trying my best to describe.
The first picture is what I am assuming is the big hose described to come off of my circ pump, and the 2nd picture is what I think is my PS cooler, the hose on the side right is what comes up to the tstat housing,and one of the 2 small lines comes up to my PS container.
Thanks

 

[thrasher]

Re: Winterizing....Updated with Pics!!

Yep, that's the power steering cooler (2nd picture). I just pull the large hose (water) of either side of the cooler and let the water drain out. I have never seen a drain bolt on the steering coolers.

Gary

 

[Daddy5295]

Re: Winterizing....Updated with Pics!!

I helped a friend winterize his 3.0 merc, and we took the large hose off the water pump by the power steering. It was difficult and no water was present there. So I dont think you will gain anything by removing it.

 

[imported_TheMan]

Re: Winterizing....Updated with Pics!!

If your engine is on an incline (i.e., the boat is higher at the front end), than the water should drain down in the block anyway when the plug is pulled.. As I recall when I winterized my 3.0L I did not find any water in the circulating hose.

 

[heyttown]

Re: Winterizing....Updated with Pics!!

I helped a friend winterize his 3.0 merc, and we took the large hose off the water pump by the power steering. It was difficult and no water was present there. So I dont think you will gain anything by removing it.

Thats what I was thinking, but still have a small worry about it you know....Im wondering if there is something I can put on the inside of the hose or the neck it slides on to help ease of pulling it off next season. Maybe some vaseline or something? Any thoughts or little tricks to make getting the hoses off a little easier come this time next year?

 

[SuperNova]

Re: Winterizing....Updated with Pics!!

Yep, that's the power steering cooler (2nd picture). I just pull the large hose (water) of either side of the cooler and let the water drain out. I have never seen a drain bolt on the steering coolers.

Gary

The other option is to remove the hose up at the t-stat housing and pour a little r-v antifreeze down the hose until it comes out of the outdrive. That'll prevent any water in the cooler and your outdrive from freezing and is much easier than trying to reach the cooler to pull the hoses. And since marine/ r-v A/F is non-toxic you don't have to worry about running the boat when you want to. This is how I handle the cooler for the extended season and also when I fully winterize.
--
Stan

 

[SuperNova]

Re: Winterizing....Updated with Pics!!

Thats what I was thinking, but still have a small worry about it you know....Im wondering if there is something I can put on the inside of the hose or the neck it slides on to help ease of pulling it off next season. Maybe some vaseline or something? Any thoughts or little tricks to make getting the hoses off a little easier come this time next year?

What you actually need is the proper tool for hose removal. It's a hooked, pointy thing that slides in between the hose and whatever it's on and the you just run it around the fitting a little and it breaks the seal without damaging anything. Anything you put between the hose and fitting to make the hose easier to come off just increases your chances of the hose coming off when you don't want it to.
--
Stan