First time winterizing 4.3 mercruiser, alpha one.

[QBhoy]

Literally can’t believe there is even an argument or case being given to warrant such a method. I think a line needs to be drawn and made clear the correct way to go about this. Nowhere in a manual, will you find anything suggesting anything like or close to this method. Should I have any official association or responsible position to or within the IBoats brand…I’d want to distance from the very thought of such a method, for liability reasons at worst…and for reasons of historical future reference or guidance sought.

 

[H20Rat]

Literally can’t believe there is even an argument or case being given to warrant such a method. I think a line needs to be drawn and made clear the correct way to go about this. Nowhere in a manual, will you find anything suggesting anything like or close to this method. Should I have any official association or responsible position to or within the IBoats brand…I’d want to distance from the very thought of such a method, for liability reasons at worst…and for reasons of historical future reference or guidance sought.

Was thinking the same! At least for us freshwater boaters, it takes me 3 minutes to winterize. Pull the plugs, shove a screwdriver up the bottom 2, done... Because of some screwy weather this year, I've winterized 3 times this fall alone!

 

[poconojoe]

Sounds like you made a "redneck" Camco kit.Lol

No doubt. Red neck, Rube Goldberg, Red Green all come to mind.
That Red Green guy is hilarious!

 

[poconojoe]

All I can say is.....After doing it this "bogus" way for so many years, it's downright scary to try doing it the right way! Old habits...are hard to break.

I wish I lived somewhere hot where I didn't have to deal with winterizing.

 

[Scott Danforth]

wish I lived somewhere hot where I didn't have to deal with winterizing.

2000 people a day are moving to Florida

 

[poconojoe]

2000 people a day are moving to Florida

Wow!
They're gonna run out of room down there!

I heard they are encroaching on the Everglades. Filling in the swamps. Not good.

 

[Scott Danforth]

Wow!
They're gonna run out of room down there!

I heard they are encroaching on the Everglades. Filling in the swamps. Not good.

That started in the 30s. Fort Myers and Punta Gorda are both built on swamp land

 

[tpenfield]

40+ years ago it was California where folks were moving to . . . now it is Florida.

I have family in both places.

Although . . . Cape Cod, MA is my happy place. I don't mind the winters or the winterization.

 

[zellerj]

I winterize with about 1 quart of pink stuff. I am not buying 5 gallons of stuff that later gets dumped on the ground. This is how I do it: I open and probe the block and manifold drains and am sure they are fully drained, then remove all the hoses coming off of the thermostat housing and dump the water from them. I pour a couple of ounces of pink stuff through the hoses, one at a time, and check for pink stuff coming out the drain plugs. If I see pink stuff, I know there is no water left in the engine or manifolds. Reinstall drain plugs and hoses and put her away for the winter. Takes about 10 minutes after fogging the engine.

 

[Lou C]

I would love to see a test of the presumed anti corrosion benefits of filling with AF. Have never seen one in all this time. However I have heard of small block Chevy cast iron intakes rotting out right under the stat housing. Whenever I change the stat I probe that area to make sure it’s still solid. 20+ years in salt but filled with good AF each year it still is….
Same with trailer leaf springs…you can leave em dry & exposed to air & rust like crazy in 4 years or coat with grease & spray with corrosion X like I do & have them
last almost indefinitely….
You’re keeping air & moisture away from the cast iron.
If you watch the exhaust water after your first start up in spring….drained engines often put out a lot of rusty reddish water…ones filled with AF…don’t….
Not sure if this means anything but….

 

[crazy charlie]

I would love to see a test of the presumed anti corrosion benefits of filling with AF. Have never seen one in all this time. However I have heard of small block Chevy cast iron intakes rotting out right under the stat housing. Whenever I change the stat I probe that area to make sure it’s still solid. 20+ years in salt but filled with good AF each year it still is….
Same with trailer leaf springs…you can leave em dry & exposed to air & rust like crazy in 4 years or coat with grease & spray with corrosion X like I do & have them
last almost indefinitely….
You’re keeping air & moisture away from the cast iron.
If you watch the exhaust water after your first start up in spring….drained engines often put out a lot of rusty reddish water…ones filled with AF…don’t….
Not sure if this means anything but….

Here are my 2 cents on this Lou .You and I boat in the same salty water. 30+
years with Mercruisers .Im floating from May till 1st week of Nov. I am neurotic about fresh water flushing my motors after EVERY use and I mean flushing after every time my motors run. That being said ,my manifolds and risers look more like fresh water use.Last changing of manifolds and risers ,they were spotless and corrosion/rust free internally upon removal..I put them completely drained of water in my garage for approx 4 months. At that time when I went to move the manifolds and risers ,The internals had rusted and crusted .The 8 seasons I used them....spotless. After Sitting in a dry garage for 4 months ....absolutely horrible. Thats all the experiment I need to see. I will Always winterize my motors with AF. Charlie

 

[poconojoe]

Here are my 2 cents on this Lou .You and I boat in the same salty water. 30+
years with Mercruisers .Im floating from May till 1st week of Nov. I am neurotic about fresh water flushing my motors after EVERY use and I mean flushing after every time my motors run. That being said ,my manifolds and risers look more like fresh water use.Last changing of manifolds and risers ,they were spotless and corrosion/rust free internally upon removal..I put them completely drained of water in my garage for approx 4 months. At that time when I went to move the manifolds and risers ,The internals had rusted and crusted .The 8 seasons I used them....spotless. After Sitting in a dry garage for 4 months ....absolutely horrible. Thats all the experiment I need to see. I will Always winterize my motors with AF. Charlie

Wow, that's crazy!
Air don't freeze, but causes rust!
Scary!

 

[Lou C]

Well that just verifies what I’ve suspected all along! Remember rust on cast iron is iron oxide Fe O2. It is the O2 in water + moisture that that actually causes corrosion. The ions in salt water accelerate corrosion vs fresh water. If you leave an engine block with no coating of oil in your garage the same thing can happen depending on humidity. So I guess I was doing it right all this time! I’ll remember that when I mix up my batch of Sierra no tox AF today! BTW Merc has recommended filling the sea water side of the cooling system with PG antifreeze for many years.

Also Charlie that’s our perpetually damp Long Island climate. Moss grows on north east facing roofs & fences here all the time…roof & fence cleaning is a good business here!
PS I’ve sprayed the oil pan with Corrosion X every few years & it still looks good. Original 34 year old steel pan. Boat sits on a salt water mooring every season 6 months 20 years worth…

 

[nola mike]

I would love to see a test of the presumed anti corrosion benefits of filling with AF. Have never seen one in all this time. However I have heard of small block Chevy cast iron intakes rotting out right under the stat housing. Whenever I change the stat I probe that area to make sure it’s still solid. 20+ years in salt but filled with good AF each year it still is….
Same with trailer leaf springs…you can leave em dry & exposed to air & rust like crazy in 4 years or coat with grease & spray with corrosion X like I do & have them
last almost indefinitely….
You’re keeping air & moisture away from the cast iron.
If you watch the exhaust water after your first start up in spring….drained engines often put out a lot of rusty reddish water…ones filled with AF…don’t….
Not sure if this means anything but….

It will take a lot to convince me that the corrosion that an empty, fresh water flushed block sees over the winter is anywhere close to what it sees when pumping (and then sitting) warm salt through it during the season.