chaparral442
Petty Officer 2nd Class
- Joined
- Mar 25, 2007
- Messages
- 153
I boat through the winter in South Louisiana- at least once a month or run the engine on muffs - we rarely dip below 32 degrees -- will the following procedure suffice?
your thoughts please
"partially fill a big plastic box with a water/antifreeze mix (check for the proper mix ratio for the predicted low temps where you are) and run it through the water intake using a muff. I place the box under the lower unit so it catches the outflow; put the muff over the intakes with a hose attached and put the other end of the hose in the box. The first time is a bit costly if you want to fill the box enough to cover the inlets with the mix, but if you use a muff then the depth does not matter as long as there is enough to keep the flow going. This year I am going to use an out-drive muff with a hose attached to both sides instead of just one for better flow through. I let the engine run for about 15-20 minutes and then spray a fogger into the carburetor until the engine quits or starts to sputter. Afterward I put a small sub-pump in the box to pump out the mix for re-use. I was able to get a few big empty water bottles) and I keep them I keep them behind the house and I add a fresh gallon of antifreeze or two each year. The first time was a bit tricky but over time I have gotten it down to a fairly quick and easy process. Actually do two boats this way as a friend of mine brings his boat over every year to winterize. I have never had a problem in the eight years of doing this. Yeah it sounds complicated but it really isn?t and for the cost of having a dealer do it just goes against my budget. By the way some folks go the extra mile by pulling the plugs and spraying the fogger in each port. anyway the point is yes use antifreeze. Even if your area doesn?t get below freezing it will reduce the chance of rust in your engine.
your thoughts please
"partially fill a big plastic box with a water/antifreeze mix (check for the proper mix ratio for the predicted low temps where you are) and run it through the water intake using a muff. I place the box under the lower unit so it catches the outflow; put the muff over the intakes with a hose attached and put the other end of the hose in the box. The first time is a bit costly if you want to fill the box enough to cover the inlets with the mix, but if you use a muff then the depth does not matter as long as there is enough to keep the flow going. This year I am going to use an out-drive muff with a hose attached to both sides instead of just one for better flow through. I let the engine run for about 15-20 minutes and then spray a fogger into the carburetor until the engine quits or starts to sputter. Afterward I put a small sub-pump in the box to pump out the mix for re-use. I was able to get a few big empty water bottles) and I keep them I keep them behind the house and I add a fresh gallon of antifreeze or two each year. The first time was a bit tricky but over time I have gotten it down to a fairly quick and easy process. Actually do two boats this way as a friend of mine brings his boat over every year to winterize. I have never had a problem in the eight years of doing this. Yeah it sounds complicated but it really isn?t and for the cost of having a dealer do it just goes against my budget. By the way some folks go the extra mile by pulling the plugs and spraying the fogger in each port. anyway the point is yes use antifreeze. Even if your area doesn?t get below freezing it will reduce the chance of rust in your engine.
