Outboard Winterizing

[Geo2008]

HI

I posted here before that I would like to know what I should do to winterize my boat. I was redirected to a very lengthy post that goes into extreme detail.

Actually, I am just looking for the minimum steps so that the boat & motor does not get damaged.

A Mercury 125, in NC winters, inside a non heated garage.

I have minimum time to dedicate to this task so I am just looking for the basics.

Anyone got a simple 1,2,3... steps to winterizing my rig?

Geo

 

[Beefer]

Re: Outboard Winterizing

Ummm... Move to Florida!

Honestly, don't know. I live in Florida, and don't plan on not boating this winter.

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Outboard Winterizing

if in heated garage, run add seafoam to your fuel, run on muffs for about 10 minutes, shut off, disconnect fuel line. now tilt motor all the way up, then tilt it all the way down. should be good in a heated garage, as long as it stays heated, and no power failure. fully charge the battery, then charge monthly.

 

[Gary H NC]

Re: Outboard Winterizing

Mine sets outside here in NC.
I run Stabil in the fuel,fog the motor,park it motor down and take the battery in the house.Charge it once a month...Thats it.

 

[Geo2008]

Re: Outboard Winterizing

Mine sets outside here in NC.
I run Stabil in the fuel,fog the motor,park it motor down and take the battery in the house.Charge it once a month...Thats it.

What does "fog the motor" mean?

 

[Geo2008]

Re: Outboard Winterizing

if in heated garage, run add seafoam to your fuel, run on muffs for about 10 minutes, shut off, disconnect fuel line. now tilt motor all the way up, then tilt it all the way down. should be good in a heated garage, as long as it stays heated, and no power failure. fully charge the battery, then charge monthly.

It is a non-heated garage, the temps get down in the teens sometimes during the winter.

 

[Geo2008]

Re: Outboard Winterizing

Ummm... Move to Florida!

Honestly, don't know. I live in Florida, and don't plan on not boating this winter.

First you're pickin then your bragging...I see how it is!

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Outboard Winterizing

fogging i using a product called fogging oil. marine store will have it. it adds addition lubricant to the internals of the motor for storage. do as Gary said, you should be fine. besure to change the lower oil, and store with the motor down.

By the way i'm a Florida Native. i did not know what winterizing was until i was 50 y/o.

 

[Woodnaut]

Re: Outboard Winterizing

For us southern boys "winterizing" means you put on a pair of long johns before you leave the house and don't forget to throw a pair of gloves and a heavy coat in the bow before you shove off. But that's just on the cold days.

 

[twostroke87]

Re: Outboard Winterizing

If its going to be that cold at night, make sure your engine is fully warmed up when you fog it out, go buy a can of marine CRC fogging fluid, marine crc 6-56, and mercury fuel stabilizer. It should cost you under 20 bucks and you'll be doing the job right.

Add the stabilizer to your fuel, then start and warm up your engine

After its warmed up, rev the engine and hold at 2500, and spray the fogging fluid down the carbs. Let it smoke a bit and if it doesn't choke itself out, shut it off yourself.

Trim it up once, spray 6-56 on trim pump and cylinders, trim it down and coat your entire block in 6-56 and replace the hood.

You should change your gear lube but if you really don't feel like it, atleast crack the bottom screw and check for pure water (if its that bad) or milky oil, if it is you need to change it.

There is a big controversy over the battery thing, some like to trickle charge others don't.

Spoken directly from master techs and the people who sell the batteries.

"If your battery is fully charged (check) and you store your battery for the winter and you don't trickle charge it or monthly charge it it should be fine and still be fully charged next spring. If it is not fully charged (like it dropped 1-2 volts) charge it and it'll be fine, if the charge has dropped to near nothing, then your battery was bad anyway, buy a new one. Even if you had trickle charged it over the winter it probably still would have gone bad."

Now from personal experience, at work we store peoples batterys out back in a non heated shed, in the spring, all of the batteries are fine, out of the couple hundred batteries out there, usually only 5-10 end up being bad in the spring.

 

[Beefer]

Re: Outboard Winterizing

First you're pickin then your bragging...I see how it is!

Yeah, sorry. I was in a wise***** mood yesterday. :redface:

 

[Geo2008]

Re: Outboard Winterizing

fogging i using a product called fogging oil. marine store will have it. it adds addition lubricant to the internals of the motor for storage. do as Gary said, you should be fine. besure to change the lower oil, and store with the motor down.

By the way i'm a Florida Native. i did not know what winterizing was until i was 50 y/o.

How do I change the oil in the lower unit? Is is as simple as removing a drain plug, drain oil, replacing the plug, removing another higher up plug and filling with oil?

Never had an outboard before this year so any help is greatly appreciated!

Geo

 

[109jb]

Re: Outboard Winterizing

How do I change the oil in the lower unit? Is is as simple as removing a drain plug, drain oil, replacing the plug, removing another higher up plug and filling with oil?

Never had an outboard before this year so any help is greatly appreciated!

Geo

To drain, just remove the two plugs and let it drain out.

To fill, you need a fill pump that you can get at boating supply or even my local wal-mart has the pump you need. Then you screw the hose onto the lower hole you drained with and pump oil in until it comes out the top hole with the motor lowered. Do a quick switch of hose for plug and you are done.

 

[Geo2008]

Re: Outboard Winterizing

So if I put the Stabil in the gas, what do I do next season, will it run just fine with Stabil in the gasoline or is there another step I need to take to get it running right?

There may be some pretty days during the winter where I want to get the boat out so can I just crank it and run or is there a step that I am missing here?

Geo

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Outboard Winterizing

stabil is a stabilize for the gas so it does not breakdown over time. crank her up and go fishing. i prefer to ad seafoam along with stabil, for long term storage.