First time winterizing OMC Cobra 4.3 L I/O

[hslobo]

Im winterizing this engine for the first time and want to make sure I cover everything right. Can anyone tell me the location and number of drain plugs I need to pull? Also Im reading that I need to drain the power steering cooler and dont want to miss it. I have a SELOC manual but it covers too many engine models, and is scant on these details. here is my checklist ...... did I miss anything????

1) Run engine with muffs and water and stall it out using fogging oil in the carb.

2) spray fogging oil where spark plugs are installed to lube the cylinders.

3) Drain exhaust manifolds and block (THIS MY MAIN QUESTION)

4) Drain power steering cooler.

5) Pour full strength anti freeze into water hose (Which hose should I pour it into, there are 3 on the top of the engine)

6) Run anti freeze through bilge pumps.


any help would be greatly appreciated so I dont have a major mess on my hands next spring

Thanks in advance!

 

[Bondo]

Im winterizing this engine for the first time and want to make sure I cover everything right. Can anyone tell me the location and number of drain plugs I need to pull? Also Im reading that I need to drain the power steering cooler and dont want to miss it. I have a SELOC manual but it covers too many engine models, and is scant on these details. here is my checklist ...... did I miss anything????

1) Run engine with muffs and water and stall it out using fogging oil in the carb.

2) spray fogging oil where spark plugs are installed to lube the cylinders.

3) Drain exhaust manifolds and block (THIS MY MAIN QUESTION)

4) Drain power steering cooler.

5) Pour full strength anti freeze into water hose (Which hose should I pour it into, there are 3 on the top of the engine)

6) Run anti freeze through bilge pumps.


any help would be greatly appreciated so I dont have a major mess on my hands next spring

Thanks in advance!

Ayuh,.... Welcome Aboard,..... I skip #s 1, 2, 5, 'n 6,.....

For the drains, there's 1 each side of the block, midway, down low, just above the oil pan,....
There's a manifold drain just above that, up-side-down on each manifold, if not, pull the hose off the bottom,...
For the P/S cooler, follow the raw water hose, it's there somewhere, probably under, or aft of the motor,...
Also,.... Pull the Big hose off the circulatin' water pump, it'll hide 'bout a quart,...

Air don't freeze, 'n bilge pumps are self-drainin',.....

 

[mungy]

Hi hslobo what year is your omc cobra

 

[hslobo]

1995

 

[jbetzelb]

I only do steps 3 and 4 also. Mine is a 1989. Fogging through the carb is really a 2 cycle thing. Lubes the internal engine on a 2 cycle. Gums up the plugs on a 4 cycle.

 

[Lou C]

If you store the boat outside in a damp climate where the temps vary a lot, you can get condensation and rust inside the engine, I'd still fog it. After a damp day if I open the cover and look at the engine the whole thing is wet from condensation, even though the winter cover does not leak. Exhaust and intake valve stems can rust over the winter....
A 1995 Cobra has an engine mounted impeller like a Volvo. Make sure to remove both hoses on the impeller housing (mark them first to not mix them up when re-connecting) so the housing drains. The older (pre '94) Cobras have the impeller in the upper gear housing so they are different.

When disconnecting the raw water intake hose that goes from the transom to the impeller housing, point it down in the bilge to drain it. There is a power steering cooler in line with this hose, but it is mounted on the rear of the engine, kind of behind the starboard side exhaust hoses. The drain on them is very hard to reach. I just point this hose down, and then put a funnel in it. Then I fill it with -100 marine antifreeze to push out any water, till I see the AF come out the drive water intakes. You can do yours the same way. I drained the hose this way one year and checked it by removing the drain plug, and then realized I didn't have to keep removing this nearly impossible to reach plug.

the later Cobras may have rubber caps on the exhaust manifolds instead of the brass plugs on the old ones.

Lastly the original Cobras had 3 plugs in the pivot housing that you were supposed to remove, that sometimes hold water. I am not sure if the newer models have them, its worth taking a look to see if that is the case, don't want a cracked pivot housing.

http://www.crowleymarine.com/johnson-evinrude/parts/53908.cfm

Part #77 is the pivot housing drain plug in this diagram.....so its looks like there is only 1 on the later ones, but my old one has 2 on the starboard side and 1 on the port side....