Who didn't winterize??

briangcc

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Jul 10, 2012
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Jackson and Birmingham will both spend more than 80 hours below freezing between Friday and Monday. Houston could sit below freezing for 46 hours between Thursday and Saturday.


Might want to see about your winterization steps if you don't typically see temps below freezing...
 

Lou C

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Nov 10, 2002
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Just go out and drain it....better than a light bulb in the bilge if the power goes out. Remember a GM V6 holds about 2.5-3 gallons of water, the V8s a bit more, 3.5-4, each manifold about a half gallon depending on design. Drain it & poke those holes. Be sure to disconnect the big J hose between the stat housing and front water pump. Also disconnect your raw water intake hose at the stat housing and point it down in the bilge, to drain, if you can fill it with no tox AF till it runs out the outdrive water intakes. That will push water out of the PS cooler or fuel cooler if you have one. 20 min at most to save your expensive investment.
 
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rallyart

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Jun 7, 2008
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I drain the water from my system and then take the boat on its trailer for a short ride to slosh out any water still in the lines, heaters, and block. But, being in Canada that's an annual thing. It does not take long, however.
I have never used antifreeze,

If you're on the water remember that the water will be warmer than the air so you just need to keep the air around the engine above freezing.
 

tpenfield

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Supposed to be 56˚F and rain here. :unsure:

Then go to 12˚F over night. Maybe some ice skating this weekend.
 

briangcc

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I'm in NY so winterization is in my vocabulary. Some of our members are in southern climates who may need a reminder though :)
 

racerone

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And there are still those who say.-----" I have always had an outboard , I did not realize that sterndrives needed to be drained "
 

crazy charlie

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Jackson and Birmingham will both spend more than 80 hours below freezing between Friday and Monday. Houston could sit below freezing for 46 hours between Thursday and Saturday.


Might want to see about your winterization steps if you don't typically see temps below freezing...
Drain it AND light bulb it(not led). Dipstick heater???? Though I dont think they come long enough for a marine engine.But worth a try for $30 Charlie
 

aspeck

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May 29, 2003
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Boat is sitting in a heated garage ... still hunting season ... small game, muzzleloader, and archery ... more boating to do before the 200 ft deep lake freezes over, can't winterize yet! SNowing like crazy right now ... supposed to turn to rain before 50 mile an hour winds and drop in temp to 2 degrees. High of 11 on Saturday, I believe. Grateful for a mostly underground garage that is easy to heat!
 

Scott Danforth

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It's going to be below freezing for more than 20 hours in half of Florida.......
 

cptbill

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Oct 6, 2012
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Suppose the get into the 30's Sat. & sun. but being right on the gulf it always stays a little warmer then it does inland in the winter cold snaps
 

QBhoy

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Mar 10, 2016
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And there are still those who say.-----" I have always had an outboard , I did not realize that sterndrives needed to be drained "
Worse than that heard here is “it will be fine…I have heaters plugged into the marina shore power”…
Problem is that so does everyone else. That caused the power to trip a few years ago…can imagine the horrors that followed.
We just had nearly 2 weeks of sustained minus conditions. About -7/8 oC overnight and barely or not getting above freezing during the day…there has been damage noted already…there will be so much more noted when these guys next try to go sailing. Silly buggers.
 

Lou C

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Nov 10, 2002
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This also happened last year? or was it 2 years ago?
I think 2 years ago the great Texas freeze up
We northerners are used to it Ted!
It seems that in the Northeast winter takes a while to get started but once it does, it hits with a vengeance usually after the holidays, not before or even worse, during!
 

QBhoy

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I think 2 years ago the great Texas freeze up
We northerners are used to it Ted!
It seems that in the Northeast winter takes a while to get started but once it does, it hits with a vengeance usually after the holidays, not before or even worse, during!
Been a strange one here in Scotland. We’ve had fairly mild winters and when it does come, only been a few days of any cold that might concern. That’s been usually about end of January and into march for about the last 10 years or more. This year for the first time in a long time…we’ve had serious freezing in December. Can’t quite remember when the last time that happened was.
 
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