cooling water ice caught in time 3.0L mercury

[tank1949]

Another issue if you use incandescent light bulbs to produce heat and have a fuel leak it can cause a huge fire. Alot of auto shops are lost that way which is why everyone I have worked at will only allow led lights to be used around cars

They have heat lamps too for the applications, since it is getting harder to find 100 watt AC bulbs. We shut off gas and battery selectors to be safe. But, the light bulb method may not be the best, depending on AC reliability and constant freezing temperatures. In NW Florida where it seldom freezes, it has always worked great for me. I can also crank motors every couple of weeks to keep carburetors flushed with fresh fuel. If I lived in NY, I'd fill with AF.

 

[achris]

... I can also crank motors every couple of weeks to keep carburetors flushed with fresh fuel. If I lived in NY, I'd fill with AF.

:facepalm:

Don't fill your carburetors with AF. Terrible idea. Makes them so hard to clean out in the spring.

And closing a valve from the fuel tank doesn't preclude the tank from leaking...

In general, your advice is not relevant to most of the members here. You live in an unusually warm area, and most live north of you. So please giving bad advice on an area you have no knowledge of. Any form of heat lamp or globe in the bilge of a boat is a recipe for disaster. One way or the other...

Chris.........

 

[tank1949]

:facepalm:

Don't fill your carburetors with AF. Terrible idea. Makes them so hard to clean out in the spring.

And closing a valve from the fuel tank doesn't preclude the tank from leaking...

In general, your advice is not relevant to most of the members here. You live in an unusually warm area, and most live north of you. So please giving bad advice on an area you have no knowledge of. Any form of heat lamp or globe in the bilge of a boat is a recipe for disaster. One way or the other...

Chris.........

You obviously didn't read and jump to conclusions or maybe my writing was misconstrued. AF is for block not carb. I agree!!!! I did mentioned my location and application considerations. Winterizing a boat may require much more considerations up north than in the south. Don't assume your readers all live in cold areas or the time required to winterized. I don't! That's left to the reader to decide if it might or might not work. Before 4 stroke OBs became popular, we used lamps to heat motors for decades in the SOUTH and NONE caught fire, at least I don't remember reading about one in the NF area, where there is a lot of boating taking place. I have been power boating since 1963. We also maintained them, especially gas tanks, because most of us had IB or I/Os that required potential fire considerations! That was a real threat!!!! My 28' twin Bravo/V8 is parked in my back yard. Many boater friends have their boats parked in their yards, and crank or inspect them or fish them during winter. We are not locked down by cold weather like many northerners and we all hang lamps when needed. LOL

 

[achris]

You obviously didn't read and jump to conclusions or maybe my writing was misconstrued. AF is for block not carb. I agree!!!! I did mentioned my location and application considerations. Winterizing a boat may require much more considerations up north than in the south. Don't assume your readers all live in cold areas or the time required to winterized. I don't! That's left to the reader to decide if it might or might not work. Before 4 stroke OBs became popular, we used lamps to heat motors for decades in the SOUTH and NONE caught fire, at least I don't remember reading about one in the NF area, where there is a lot of boating taking place. I have been power boating since 1963. We also maintained them, especially gas tanks, because most of us had IB or I/Os that required potential fire considerations! That was a real threat!!!! My 28' twin Bravo/V8 is parked in my back yard. Many boater friends have their boats parked in their yards, and crank or inspect them or fish them during winter. We are not locked down by cold weather like many northerners and we all hang lamps when needed. LOL

Why do I have to keep saying this?

DON'T USE MAINS POWERED HEATERS OR GLOBES IN A BOAT BILGE! And that's regardless of where you are!

Have you no idea what 'dangerous' means? Regardless of how well you maintained your boat (and in reading all your exploits, I'd say that is 'very badly') things happen, and adding something that could potentially lead to an explosion or fire is just plain dumb.

Marine engine manufacturers and legislative regulators go to great lengths in an attempt to save people from themselves. You appears to be doing all you can to undo their good work.

Please, for the sake of younger members who may not know any different, stop posting these examples of stupidity at its finest.

Chris.......

 

[tank1949]

Why do I have to keep saying this?

DON'T USE MAINS POWERED HEATERS OR GLOBES IN A BOAT BILGE! And that's regardless of where you are!

Have you no idea what 'dangerous' means? Regardless of how well you maintained your boat (and in reading all your exploits, I'd say that is 'very badly') things happen, and adding something that could potentially lead to an explosion or fire is just plain dumb.

Marine engine manufacturers and legislative regulators go to great lengths in an attempt to save people from themselves. You appears to be doing all you can to undo their good work.

Please, for the sake of younger members who may not know any different, stop posting these examples of stupidity at its finest.

Chris.......

If boater wants to dump expensive AF onto yard or into the oceans, in between short freezing cold spells, go for it. The same legislature have gotten US 30 trillion in debt! It is not a perfect world. Give it a rest...

 

[jesse_boston]

I suppose the bilge blower is also a waste of space and energy?
The officially published winterization instructions from Mercruiser don't involve antifreeze at all. But they certainly don't involve putting a source of heat and spark in an enclosed bilge with a fuel tank. Hopefully nobody follows your advice, and hopefully you never learn the hard way.
This is why my boat insurance is so expensive...

 

[muc]

The officially published winterization instructions from Mercruiser don't involve antifreeze at all.

This statement is NOT correct. MerCruiser has recommended nontoxic antifreeze since the mid 80s and required it for about 5 years. Maybe you missed the memo?

 

[tank1949]

Another issue if you use incandescent light bulbs to produce heat and have a fuel leak it can cause a huge fire. Alot of auto shops are lost that way which is why everyone I have worked at will only allow led lights to be used around cars

I agree that there is fire potential, just like all Li-Ion battery are bombs waiting to happen. Use precaution. Personal choice... Funny that your should mention LED lights. It is getting almost impossibly to find the old stuff. I recognized that problem years ago and bought up a bunch.

In my case, my tanks are isolated, not foamed in (I learned the hard way (another industry practice from experts that caused issues)) and I have sealed bulkheads. My suggestion is not for all boat users, nor is it perfect. Boaters have to examine total expenses vs concerns/safety. Where I live, fishermen can fish almost 12 months/year and in my humble opinion filling blocks risers with AF would not be cost effective for us who would waste AF per trip. If they want to only fish during warm season, then AF is a great idea for long storage, along with draining carb gas, etc. . Northern boaters have more consistent weather. Our weather sucks and now is too hot! But, I have seen 85 degrees in February down here. I can already hear Chris complaining on his soapbox. LOL

 

[tank1949]

This statement is NOT correct. MerCruiser has recommended nontoxic antifreeze since the mid 80s and required it for about 5 years. Maybe you missed the memo?

MC make mistakes???? Naw..... LOL

 

[GSPLures]

I agree that there is fire potential, just like all Li-Ion battery are bombs waiting to happen. Use precaution. Personal choice... Funny that your should mention LED lights. It is getting almost impossibly to find the old stuff. I recognized that problem years ago and bought up a bunch.

In my case, my tanks are isolated, not foamed in (I learned the hard way (another industry practice from experts that caused issues)) and I have sealed bulkheads. My suggestion is not for all boat users, nor is it perfect. Boaters have to examine total expenses vs concerns/safety. Where I live, fishermen can fish almost 12 months/year and in my humble opinion filling blocks risers with AF would not be cost effective for us who would waste AF per trip. If they want to only fish during warm season, then AF is a great idea for long storage, along with draining carb gas, etc. . Northern boaters have more consistent weather. Our weather sucks and now is too hot! But, I have seen 85 degrees in February down here. I can already hear Chris complaining on his soapbox. LOL

The tanks are not an issue if you have a leak at the motor one drip hitting an incandescent is going to end up in disaster I have seen it happen. I was not telling you what you should do or not. I was simply stating a very real hazard that some people may not have been aware of.

 

[tank1949]

The tanks are not an issue if you have a leak at the motor one drip hitting an incandescent is going to end up in disaster I have seen it happen. I was not telling you what you should do or not. I was simply stating a very real hazard that some people may not have been aware of.

I totally agree! No offense is ever taken. I don't claim to know everything about MC. I enjoy listening and reading other options/suggestions. But, I do know what has worked for me in this hot as hell town. Mine don't leak (so far) . During off season, I use motors to run out gas in line after cutting off fuel. Otherwise, I just cut off fuel. I also have anti-syphoned devises in fuel lines. If I need to start motor I just open lines and use catsup bottle full of gas to prime carb. 60 watt bulbs are no where near carb, fuel lines or fuel pumps when I winterize, and they are only on for a couple of nights a year. I ran out of 100 watt bulbs. At one time I did place lamps directed and close to iron blocks, but just having them in bilge increases enough ambient temperatures. N Florida weather is cursed and not consistent as up north.

 

[achris]

.... Boaters have to examine total expenses vs concerns/safety. ...

Oh my god!

Never ever EVER compromise safety for cost, ever!

You sir, are a danger to yourself and everybody around you!

You appear to have done these things when Darwin wasn't watching. If I were you, I would consider myself very very lucky to still be alive.

Every comment you have made has dug you into a deeper hole. I suggest you stop digging.

Chris.