Started to winterize, ran into a problem

[McKenzie]

I have a 93 OMC Cobra, Ford 302. I drained the manifolds and block, then proceeded to fill all the hoses with anti-freeze. I ran into a problem when i tried to fill the hose that leads to the sterndrive, it wouldn't take any fluid. So i hooked the the muffs up to the outdrive, turned on the water, and nothing came out of the hose in the engine compartment. I then tried to backflush the system by hooking the garden hose to the hose in the engine compartment. I turned on the water, and only a trickle of water came out the outdrive. So, I gather theres a blockage. Whats the first place to check? I replaced the impeller this year and didnt see any buildup in the passages. The engine didn't overheat at all this season, it always stayed right at 150 degrees. Has anyone used some kind of chemical in the lines to clear restrictions?<br /><br /><br />BTW, the impeller that i replaced had all its fins/came out in one piece.

 

[Boatin Bob]

Re: Started to winterize, ran into a problem

There could be a power steering cooler and an oil cooler in that line as well, you should be able to disconnect the hose right at the back of the engine by the transom mount and bypass those 2 coolers, try pouring some antifreeze down the hose and it should trickle out through the prop.

 

[rodbolt]

Re: Started to winterize, ran into a problem

at low speeds or shut off the pump impeller will block water flow. thats why I drain everything and use the muffs to draw the AF mixture into and out of the block/risers. the cobra has some water pockets that can trap water and freeze.<br /> I used to use a 300 GPH bilge pump in a 5 gallon bucket with a short 10ft lenghth of hose and 10 ft leads with gator clipos. drain the block, hook up the pump assy, fire the motor up and fog until the mix is almost all gone and shut it down and its all done, no muss no fuss no worries. and best of all no hoses to monkey with and no worries about any traped fresh water

 

[Laddies]

Re: Started to winterize, ran into a problem

If you remove the input hose from the thermosat hsg you can simple dump the water from hose and cooler in the bilge and reconnect the hose Keep the antifreeze out of our water PLEASE

 

[Lou C]

Re: Started to winterize, ran into a problem

Every year I have run it, fogged it, drained and then backfilled with AF. I have always drained the hose from the thermo housing to the transon (raw water intake hose) and then filled with AF. Sometimes depending on the way the inpeller stops, AF will not flow out of the water intakes when you back fill. You can crank the motor just for an instant ("bump" it) so the impeller moves, and than may clear the opening. Doing it this way I have never had a problem even in NY winters, but I use the more expensive propylene glycol stuff for engine cooling systems mixed 60%glycol, 40% water.<br />BTW, rodbolt I had one of the winterizing kits that WM sells with the big tank. Tried it the first year but didn't like it, motor ran too hot while sucking up AF. So did it the manual way since then. So last summer I am looking at this tank and wondering what I can do with it, then I tried screwing a Rule areator pump into the threads, it fit perfectly, and I used it to flush my trailer brakes when there is no hose at the ramp. I wondered if this would deliver enough AF to use it to winterize the motor your way (700 gph).

 

[McKenzie]

Re: Started to winterize, ran into a problem

I think found the problem, behind the intake grates, its full of barnicles, im guessing the passages leading the the impeller are clogged with barnicles too. how can these be cleared out? I'm gonna poke at them with a thin wire for the ones i can see but what about the ones i cant get at? is there any chemical that dissolves barnicles?

 

[rodbolt]

Re: Started to winterize, ran into a problem

yep 700 GPH is more than enough to supply the AF mix. just be sure to drain the raw water from the block before running the AF mix through it.<br /> no chemical I am aware of will dissolve barnies . lucky the water tube is copper and discourages them in the internals.<br /> manual removal is about the only way.

 

[Lou C]

Re: Started to winterize, ran into a problem

BTW, thanks for the info rodbolt<br />!@#$#% barnicles are the scourge of sterndrives in salt water, enough to make me get an OB next time!<br />When you get it cleaned out (prob have to replace that plastic intake screen) before next season spray it up good with antifouling paint. The one place I always get barnies is up in the pivot housing, no matter what. My shop tells me that the antifouling paint just won't make it through a whole season, that I should pull the boat out and re-spray mid July. Next year that's what I'm doing!

 

[McKenzie]

Re: Started to winterize, ran into a problem

I think i've got it fixed, i took off the impeller housing and impeller, then chipped away at all the barnicles behind the grates with a small allen wrench, and blasted each hole with the garden hose. all the barnicles came bubbling out of the water passage behind the impeller. It flows 10x better now and I can pour anti-freeze down the thermostat feed hose now, but i can tell there are some barnicles left inside that i couldnt get at. Strange thing that the boat never overheated. Over time, this boat has had clogged exhaust manifolds, barnicles grown over the grates, barnicles behind the grates, and never overheats. I was so perplexed I tested both the gauge and sender and they suprisingly were very accurate. I love OMC. Thanks for the help!

 

[Scaaty]

Re: Started to winterize, ran into a problem

You need to run the motor more often, and you won't have a barnacle problem internally

 

[crazy charlie]

Re: Started to winterize, ran into a problem

Lou C,the reason the temp spiked when winterizing with the 5 gal kit was so the Tstat did not close.The kit is supposed to do that.Dont forget, the temp engines run at when they are fwc.If you look at it that way ,the temp that the motor spiked to was normal operating temp for a fwc,which is what your engine became for the moment when introducing the AF.As a matter of fact ,I make sure to mix my AF with hot water when winterizing with the kit to assure me of an open stat.The only problem that some people have had with the kit is when the temp did not spike and the stat closed and retained some water.Charlie