Antifreeze circulation through engine

[poconojoe]

I guess I am in the minority however I have used Camco kit for the past 30 years and never an issue.Now ...I have my own way of doing it to be absolutely certain the stat is open but hear me out.I have twin 5.0 XL with alphas.rwc.My antifreeze gets stored in my boiler room 48 hours before winterizing.(my boiler room is very warm) Antifreeze is now warm.When I am combining the AF with water for the 50/50 mix I add warm to hot tap water.The 5 gal Camco tank is now toasty warm.This will assure that the Tstat stays open when switching over from cold hose water to warm AF tank.I run each motor on muffs/hose water until operating temp is reached,then I let it continue to run for another 10 minutes to assure the entire motor is warmed up before switching over to the AF tank.The engine temp will usually climb when the Af is introduced into the drive.Wifey watches the AF tank and yells to me when it gets to 1 gallon to go as I stand ready armed with a can of fogging oil in one hand and MMO in the other hand,Thats when I begin fogging through the carb and stall it out with a dose of MMO while fogging.Im am confident now but when I first started winterizing this way I would open petcocks and manifold plugs for a second or two after winterizing just to make sure AF came out.I have done this approx 60 times with zero issues.You can also just pull the stat when winterizing and bypass the whole warm AF deal .I really like my way.Charlie

OK, you got me...What is MMO?
That's an interesting method using warmed up antifreeze.

 

[Kubaat3lover]

Marvel Mistery Oil

 

[crazy charlie]

How cold does it get? It obviously works for you, but there is a couple gallons of water that you need to displace first, and even then you are still mixing/diluting your antifreeze down. -40 isn't unusual for my winters, so mixing with any remaining water will be a problem.

I am on Long Island in NY so we dont typically see low winter temps get below 10 degrees.The Camco kit is 5 gallons so it is extremely unlikely that there is any water anywhere in the system.It certainly works for me and I hedge on the 50/50mix and make it a little more potent than that to play it safe.Charlie

 

[crazy charlie]

OK, you got me...What is MMO?
That's an interesting method using warmed up antifreeze.

Marvel mystery oil ....it is purchased by the drum by local boatyards for winterizing.The warm AF is a safe way to make sure the Stat stays open.The other way is to remove the stat.Charlie

 

[poconojoe]

Marvel Mistery Oil

Oh!
I haven't seen a can of that in probably 40 years!
It probably doesn't come in cans anymore either!

 

[poconojoe]

Marvel mystery oil ....it is purchased by the drum by local boatyards for winterizing.The warm AF is a safe way to make sure the Stat stays open.The other way is to remove the stat.Charlie

I use a homemade bucket with a (garden hose) wye valve on its hose to switch over from the hose to the pink stuff. I sit the bucket on my swim platform.

Once I changed the thermostat immediately after running the pink stuff through.
I could see there was plenty of pink stuff sitting in the intake manifold, so, obviously I had it hot enough to open the stat.

 

[Scott Danforth]

I guess I am in the minority however I have used Camco kit for the past 30 years and never an issue........twin 5.0 XL with alphas.rwc.

You have been lucky

 

[poconojoe]

And as I think I mentioned, after running the RV antifreeze through, I pull all 5 drain plugs, and leave them out until Spring.
The AF is just extra insurance for me, just in case there's water trapped somewhere.

 

[achris]

I use a homemade bucket with a (garden hose) wye valve on its hose to switch over from the hose to the pink stuff. I sit the bucket on my swim platform.

Quickest way to a cracked block come spring!

And as I think I mentioned, after running the RV antifreeze through, I pull all 5 drain plugs, and leave them out until Spring.
The AF is just extra insurance for me, just in case there's water trapped somewhere.

Ah, so it's not the antifreeze that has been saving your bacon, it's that you have been draining the block (and hopefully the engine water pump). Why not save a ton of work and money, and just drain the block? Putting AF in then draining it isn't doing a damn thing (except making the AF manufacturers richer)... Even if there was water 'trapped' somewhere, it's got room to expand (since it's not pushing up against any other water)... Nothing's going to break if you don't use the AF...

Chris.......

Chris......

 

[poconojoe]

Quickest way to a cracked block come spring!

Ah, so it's not the antifreeze that has been saving your bacon, it's that you have been draining the block (and hopefully the engine water pump). Why not save a ton of work and money, and just drain the block? Putting AF in then draining it isn't doing a damn thing (except making the AF manufacturers richer)... Even if there was water 'trapped' somewhere, it's got room to expand (since it's not pushing up against any other water)... Nothing's going to break if you don't use the AF...

Chris.......

Chris......

Thanks Chris. I have the utmost respect for your knowledge. You are one of the experts on the top of my list.
Your videos and knowledge have helped me so much.
But, I can't get myself to only drain it. Running antifreeze through it before draining helps me sleep through the winter!
It may be a waste of money, but for a few extra bucks, I can sleep easy!
I'm scared to step onto that ledge!

 

[tonyjh63]

Quickest way to a cracked block come spring!

Ah, so it's not the antifreeze that has been saving your bacon, it's that you have been draining the block (and hopefully the engine water pump). Why not save a ton of work and money, and just drain the block? Putting AF in then draining it isn't doing a damn thing (except making the AF manufacturers richer)... Even if there was water 'trapped' somewhere, it's got room to expand (since it's not pushing up against any other water)... Nothing's going to break if you don't use the AF...

Chris.......

Chris......

What about the anti-corrosive properties of AF? Would it not help if I started running AF through first, then pull the drain plugs and leave them out. I've been considering doing this...
Thanks!

 

[poconojoe]

What about the anti-corrosive properties of AF? Would it not help if I started running AF through first, then pull the drain plugs and leave them out. I've been considering doing this...
Thanks!

I'm not sure if RV non-toxic AF has the anti corrosion properties of the toxic automotive stuff. Hopefully someone can confirm that.

 

[Lou C]

1) freezing water ONLY causes damage when it can't expand, so if there is a little water left there will be no harm done.
2) If you read Mercruiser's shop manual they say to:
a)drain to prevent freeze damage
b)back fill with AF to reduce corrosion

if you drain the AF out, after doing step b you are defeating the purpose.
I have always done it this way, manual drain, and leave the AF in, I use the better AF (-50 and -60 get solidified a few degrees above zero) because in a cast iron engine you want no solidifying. So I use -100 or I mix up a batch of Sierra No Tox PG antifreeze. So far after 20+ years of use in all salt water I have been able to avoid rusted through intake manifolds or engine blocks. So maybe that tells us somthing. Now if you're in all freshwater, honestly draining alone is really enough. I mean if you're not having to change exhaust manifolds and elbows like we do after 7 or so seasons, then you're not experiencing much corrosion. I do what I do because of my local conditions.

 

[Lou C]

PS
west marine -100 has corrosion inhibitors
Sierra PG antifreeze is good enough to use as a coolant. Probably the best of all, for corrosion protection. It is not easy to find though.

 

[Lou C]

I guess I am in the minority however I have used Camco kit for the past 30 years and never an issue.Now ...I have my own way of doing it to be absolutely certain the stat is open but hear me out.I have twin 5.0 XL with alphas.rwc.My antifreeze gets stored in my boiler room 48 hours before winterizing.(my boiler room is very warm) Antifreeze is now warm.When I am combining the AF with water for the 50/50 mix I add warm to hot tap water.The 5 gal Camco tank is now toasty warm.This will assure that the Tstat stays open when switching over from cold hose water to warm AF tank.I run each motor on muffs/hose water until operating temp is reached,then I let it continue to run for another 10 minutes to assure the entire motor is warmed up before switching over to the AF tank.The engine temp will usually climb when the Af is introduced into the drive.Wifey watches the AF tank and yells to me when it gets to 1 gallon to go as I stand ready armed with a can of fogging oil in one hand and MMO in the other hand,Thats when I begin fogging through the carb and stall it out with a dose of MMO while fogging.Im am confident now but when I first started winterizing this way I would open petcocks and manifold plugs for a second or two after winterizing just to make sure AF came out.I have done this approx 60 times with zero issues.You can also just pull the stat when winterizing and bypass the whole warm AF deal .I really like my way.Charlie

PS I tried that way the first year I winterized and then thought to check the strength of the AF in the block, drained some into a paper cup and it looked like rusty water, did not seen to have any AF in it....so if you do this method it would be interesting to take a sample from one of the block drains and put it in a freezer at zero *F and see what happens. So I just drained it and back filled with AF and have been doing that ever since.
Otherwise we are guessing at the level of antifreeze. When you drain and back fill you are not guessing. One other year I filled it with af, then in spring I ran it up to temp and did a tune up. Checked the block drains and AF was still in there. So the thermostat did not open long enough and far enough in both cases to do a full exchange.
When I repower this boat with a new or reman engine I for sure will have closed cooling and then I can use the winterizing tank, but I will use a pump to pressurize the flow to make it easier on the impeller.
Closed cooling and remote oil filter mount are musts for I/O engine set ups because both make the worst of the maintenance less of a chore. And your engine will last longer in salt and the boat will be easier to sell to a knowledgable buyer.

 

[Drcoffee]

This will be the first year I winterize my own boat. Always paid a boat shop to do it. It looks like the Splash RV AF -50 at Menards has corrosion protection. I was planning to drain and leave it empty but decided to refill with AF -75 to slow internal rusting. Not so much for the block but gaskets and other internal components. As for wasting money, 3 gallons is roughly $12.

rather than running the motor with AF hoping the t-stat opens, isnt it easier to back fill with AF thru the water circulating pump? I used the large hose on the water pump to poor in the AF. The level will rise to exit the upper hose port. When I installed my new t-stat, I drilled a 1/8” hole in the t-stat flange so air can be purged. Works great and no risk of an air pocket causing an overheat Situation.

 

[Scott Danforth]

This will be the first year I winterize my own boat. Always paid a boat shop to do it. It looks like the Splash RV AF -50 at Menards has corrosion protection. I was planning to drain and leave it empty but decided to refill with AF -75 to slow internal rusting. Not so much for the block but gaskets and other internal components. As for wasting money, 3 gallons is roughly $12.

rather than running the motor with AF hoping the t-stat opens, isnt it easier to back fill with AF thru the water circulating pump? I used the large hose on the water pump to poor in the AF. The level will rise to exit the upper hose port. When I installed my new t-stat, I drilled a 1/8” hole in the t-stat flange so air can be purged. Works great and no risk of an air pocket causing an overheat Situation.

the manual (written by the experts) says drain the block and manifolds and hoses

then if you desire (optional) to add AF, you pour it in the hoses thru the thermostat housing with a funnel

the key is to fully drain

 

[Kubaat3lover]

What if i ran boat without drain plugs for approx 5 mins in manifold ?
I was focused what I’ve found in my rubber hose , it was a little bit crunchy when squeezed, I always drain via drain plug

 

[Bondo]

What if i ran boat without drain plugs for approx 5 mins in manifold ?
I was focused what I’ve found in my rubber hose , it was a little bit crunchy when squeezed, I always drain via drain plug

Ayuh,..... There's a good chance of burnin' up the rubber parts downstream in the exhaust system doin' that,.....

If you poke the drain holes, you should be good,....

 

[Kubaat3lover]

I just forgot to screw the blue plug in after cleaning this junk in hose , boat ran No more than 5 mins @ idle