Winterize My 2009 Tahoe Q5i 4.3 V6

[DVANECK]

Hello Everyone, new to Boating, I'm going to need to do a winterzation on my q5i, and I bought 4 gallons of the pink antifreeze with a pump and bucket, I live in show low az, and we usually don't get down to zero but in the 20 years I've been her I did once see -12, is pumping the antifreeze in through the muffs going to be good enough or do I need to remove all the drain plugs on the motor b4 I store it. Any help appreciated
Don

 

[DVANECK]

Also I plan on storing this boat in my garage, which should help keep it a little warmer

 

[havoc_squad]

You have to pull the drain plugs and pull the hoses that are required to drain all water out and poke where necessary to make sure no blockages are present on the drains. Then re-install them.

Only after that can you hook up one of those gravity fed RV/marine antifreeze kits to the muffs, no water mix only straight RV/marine water safe anti-freeze.

Lots of cracked engine blocks because someone just used one of those winterizing tanks without first draining all water out first.

 

[Pmt133]

I usually fog the engine, drain the block/manifolds then fill via the thermostat housing with antifreeze as I don't trust that the thermostat will actually open on a raw water cooled system should I just run it through the muffs... On a closed cooling system, running on the muffs is probably fine though I'd still drain anything that had a port to do so on the raw water side...

Leaving drained or filled after is owner discretion. I leave mine filled but air doesn't freeze....

 

[alldodge]

Depends what cooling system you have and if it's 7 point, 3 point or single point drain. In any case drain all the water from the block, exhaust, fuel cooler, raw water pump if Bravo drive and front large hose. Once that's done your winterized.

You can now pump AF with muffs if you wish or pour it in thru hoses

 

[Scott Danforth]

is pumping the antifreeze in through the muffs going to be good enough

NO

you need to drain everything first.

Read this. https://forums.iboats.com/threads/winterizing-inboard-and-i-o.770207/

 

[DVANECK]

Thank you , will do

 

[DVANECK]

Also it's a Alpha 1 drive