Freeze Damage

[golfer]

Re: Freeze Damage

rickyp52...I do it like this...I run the boat about 10 minutes, then shut off and change oil and filter. Then I run an additional 5 minutes while the hose is on outdrives, my helper then takes off the hose, and replaces with funnel and anti-freeze. Waits until about 10 seconds after the water is shut off from the outdrives, then pours in anti-freeze. As helper pours I fog the carb intake with Gold Eagle and stall it when the anti-freeze is gone from the tube feeding the outdrives. Never had a problem, and here in Michigan it gets down to 5 - 10 degrees quite often, except this year we have no freekin snow!!! Or I would be out on my other love, snowmobile

 

[rickyp52]

Re: Freeze Damage

Well...I think I got good news today. I removed the petcock and stuck a small screwdriver into the hole, moved it around....and out came about 1-2 quarts of liquid....but to my surprise it was not pink....which leads me to this question....does rv antifreeze lose it's color over time? I dont think there is any way that what came out was water...it's been so cold...and the little bit of water that is in the bilge was frozen solid. What do you experts think...am I home free now?

 

[boatingfool]

Re: Freeze Damage

Good to hear!!<br /><br />I'm not sure on if pink antifreeze looses its color or not but if fluid came out of the drain plug when you puctured it with a screwdriver and there was frozen water in the bildge you should be fine.<br /><br />Once that pink antifreeze mixes with water and the rusty surfaces in the water passeges who knows what colors it will turn.<br /><br />Well I'm sure someone does.<br /> But I never used the stuff.<br /><br />BTW,<br />What was the color of the stuff that came out??

 

[gslpro]

Re: Freeze Damage

OK....I have a question. I've read all of this thread, and I wonder about one thing, after this many years in boating. I am baffled by the thermostat being open or shut. I guess I have never thought about it before, but if it is shut, what happens to the water being pulled in by the impeller? If you start a cold engine, with the muffs being fed by antifreeze, where does it go, if not through the engine? Does it somehow by-pass the engine block itself, and go from intake to thermostat, then turned somehow towards the exhaust port, without ever going through the engine block?<br />Ohhhhh...I am now confused again, and I was finally thinking I had this life stuff finally figured out.<br />At least I will be boatin' while I am laughin'<br />-Gary

 

[rickyp52]

Re: Freeze Damage

Boatingfool...what came out was clear. <br /><br />gslpro...until the engine reaches operating temperature, the stat stays closed and the coolant (usually water) bypasses the block and manifolds and is exhausted. Once the engine reaches operating temp, the stat lpens allowing water to enter.

 

[gslpro]

Re: Freeze Damage

Okay, so using the exhaust system to watch the pink stuff come out is absolutely useless unless you know that the thermostat is already open?<br />I know my engine was quite warm when I did mine, but I guess I never thought of it before. I thikn that solves an old mystery of what happened to my old volvo motor. Sucked five gallons directly into the waterpump mounted on the engine one year when winter came out of nowhere on me. I wasn't prepared, and it was freezing out there. Sucked in the five gallons, took out the bateries, and called it a year. Spring came, and I picked up three freeze plugs off the bottom of my bilge. What was kewl about the Volvo AQ series was they so freakin' heavy duty, that I put in three new plugs, cranked her over, and she ran fine for several more seasons before I finally sold her. <br />I made the mistake of selling her within the family tree, so guess who got the call when the new owners asked me if they should do any sort of winterizing....the day of Thanksgiving. I took the boat back to my place, jumped in, while it was around 25 degrees out, and turned the crank with a ratchet while listening to icicles break inside the engine. I worked on her for a few hours, and had her running wonderfully again without too much problem. Checked compressions, plugs for fouling afterwards, etc...everything was fine. Ran beautifully still, even after being frozen solid for a week or two.<br />I hope my Merc. survives half as well.<br />-Gary

 

[Redsfilthy]

Re: Freeze Damage

I have always used RV antifreeze except I remove certain hoses and pour it in full strength. I first drain the water. Is the boat stored in a building? It would have to get below freezing and stay that way for a few days for it to bust something.Thats with even no heat in the building.To warm it up drop a heat lamp in the hatch. Just make sure its not touching anything combustible. Have you checked the outdrive? Aluminum will bust faster than cast iron.