Flush with Anifreeze or Drain for winterizing -- 1996 Mercruiser 3.0L

[jjstolte2000]

This summer I purchased a 1996 Bayliner 1954 Sport and Ski. The remarkable thing is that it only had 22 hours. It had never been used and was in storage for years. After general maintenance including replacing plugs, wires, distributor cap, impeller, filter and stern drive fluid the boat rides like a champ. Now I'm getting ready for winterizing. I'm new at boating so this is probably a stupid question. Which should I do: 1) Purchase one of those flushing tanks and run five gallons of Antifreeze thought the stern drive intakes or 2) find the drain plugs and hoses on the motor and drain the water from the motor? If given the choice, I'd rather do #1. If I do #2, do I need to add antifreeze to the motor after draining? Your help would be greatly appreciated!!

 

[alldodge]

2) find the drain plugs and hoses on the motor and drain the water from the motor?

Do this one, antifreeze is not needed if all water is gone (Bondo says air don't freeze)

Make sure to poke something into the hole of the drain plug to make sure it empty's everything.

Don't forget the circulating water pump hose

 

[GA_Boater]

Welcome aboard.

Do #2 first , then do #1. But doing #2 first means you don't need to do #1 at all.

 

[jjstolte2000]

Thanks! Should I blow it out with compressed air after draining?

 

[Scott Danforth]

If you just do #1, your block will crack. If you just do #2, your winterized like the manual states

 

[Alumarine]

No need to blow it out.
There will not be enough left over water to break anything if it freezes.

 

[jjstolte2000]

I'm going to show my complete ingnorance. With #2, what do I need to do with the stern drive? I assume it just drains out, true?

 

[shaw520]

put stern drive in lowered position,..it is self draining,... although safe practice is drain lower unit oil and replace as to be sure no water is in lower case,... that can crack it

 

[shaw520]

...my lower units come off, get drained and put in heated garage for some fresh paint,.. I do this at the end of every season

 

[savetexomabeaches]

Should have two plugs on the port side, one for the block, one under the exhaust. Remove those, poke a small stiff wire an inch or two in the holes to make sure they are free and clear. Unhook the water pump hoses, etc. Lower the lower unit, self drains. -- The end

 

[s.hadley81]

With the outdrive keep it down so rain water can't get in around the prop hub or shaft and sit in there and freeze and crack something. Like Shaw I take my drive off almost every year for the winter to clean it up, change the oil and put a water pump in it. If I don't pull my drive I at least pull the prop to see if I have any fishing line or crap wrapped behind it and I change the oil to make sure there is any water in it.

 

[Mule Laker]

Which should I do: 1) Purchase one of those flushing tanks and run five gallons of Antifreeze thought the stern drive intakes or 2) find the drain plugs and hoses on the motor and drain the water from the motor? If given the choice, I'd rather do #1. If I do #2, do I need to add antifreeze to the motor after draining? Your help would be greatly appreciated!!

I have the 3.0 also.

I drained the blue water hoses and then removed them to check for crud. Then changed engine oil and lower unit oil. That's really all I've done. I blew some water through the drain hoses but no more than a few drips came out.

I was wondering too if it will harm anything to store the lower unit in the up position. I have to drop it at the storage facility and then they will have to jockey it around and of course the boat won't have any battery in it.

 

[bruceb58]

I was wondering too if it will harm anything to store the lower unit in the up position. I have to drop it at the storage facility and then they will have to jockey it around and of course the boat won't have any battery in it.

You should cover your prop so no water gets into the exhaust cavity.

 

[brian4321]

What's funny to me is, most of my boating friends winterize by running antifreeze through the muffs , but I just pull the plugs and hoses to drain it....so if we get a warm day late in the year , I'll take my boat out cuz it only takes a few minutes to drain it, but they won't cuz it's a hassle to "winterize" it again

 

[R055]

What's funny to me is, most of my boating friends winterize by running antifreeze through the muffs , but I just pull the plugs and hoses to drain it....so if we get a warm day late in the year , I'll take my boat out cuz it only takes a few minutes to drain it, but they won't cuz it's a hassle to "winterize" it again

Your friends also got a bigger chance of cracking their blocks than you.

 

[savetexomabeaches]

I was wondering too if it will harm anything to store the lower unit in the up position. I have to drop it at the storage facility and then they will have to jockey it around and of course the boat won't have any battery in it.

I'd never leave it full up. It is best to have it down, so the bellows doesn't stay bent up.. If anything, remove the drive and store it for the winter.

 

[achris]

I'd never leave it full up. It is best to have it down, so the bellows doesn't stay bent up.. If anything, remove the drive and store it for the winter.

^^^ This :clap2:..... Owners manual states quite clearly that drive should be stored in the DOWN position to stop the bellows getting a 'set' and cracking.

I would also pull the drive and service the water pump. That has the added bonus of draining any water trapped above the impeller. (Yes, water can be trapped above the impeller)....

Chris......

 

[shaw520]

That has the added bonus of draining any water trapped above the impeller. (Yes, water can be trapped above the impeller)....

Chris......

Yes,.. I see this when I remove the drives,.. There alway a bit a trapped water in the line above the impeller.

 

[Lou C]

I think it helps to disconnect your raw water intske hose & with the outdrive down; fill it with -100 marine antifreeze till it runs out the water intakes on the out drive. This will push out water in that hose and in the impeller housing.
I've done it this way for 15 years with my OMC Cobra and never had a cracked impeller housing due to trapped water.