Winterizing a 2020 4.3L duoprop

[Tafflad]

I have Volvo I/O. it is a 2020. 4.3L 280-C-N duoprop

Need to think about winterizing, had my process for Mercruisers, but this is the first time I have had a Volvo
This has the closed circuit cooling so this side needs no draining or anti-freeze. The Raw water side will be drained down fully using the drain lever.
Anybody experienced in winterising steps, is that enough, do I need to run anti-freeze around raw water side and then drain down?

I will lower drive fully, remove the battery, remove the serpentine belt, and stabilizer to fuel and fill the tank.
I see reference here to a Volvo laying up guide, but the link to it does not work, tried contacting VP … just get the standard answer to contact my dealer.

 

[Lou C]

You really should be able to get a workshop manual. It does not explain how to winterize in the owners manual?
In any case you need to get all the raw water out of the raw water side. Heat exchanger, impeller housing, coolers for p/s and fuel and hoses. If I had it in front of me I might be able to figure it out but missing just one thing can really cost you.

 

[Tafflad]

I appreciate that I don't want to get it wrong ... hoping someone here will know.
I don't have workshop manual, owners manul just says drain down.

 

[mt2006]

I went through this last year for the first time....pretty much you do the normal extended lay-up steps related to fluids, battery, gas, etc., but when it comes to draining the raw water you just use the Volvo ez-drain to drain the heat exchanger. One thing to note, the manual says something like 2 gallons will come out of the drain but I didn't get more than a gallon at the very most. I keep the boat in a heated garage so I was not too concerned.

The drain can be used while the boat is in the water and my guess is a lot of the 2 gallons gravity drains out when the boat is lifted out of the water. Of course....it could be that there is an issue with my boat!

 

[tpenfield]

On the closed cooling side, it is good to test the coolant to see that it is of sufficient strength (antifreeze) to prevent freezing for the winter low temperatures in your area.

 

[louc]

Also, it matters if your exhaust is raw water cooled or not. If its closed cooled, the exhaust manifolds will have AF in them and don't have to be drained, but the exhaust elbows are usually raw water cooled. I have seen pix of the cat converter system on late model Volvos and they seem to have an elbow that is on the closed system with raw water injected at the very end. If you have a non-cat system raw water cooled they need to be drained too. What's sold in the UK may be slightly different than what's sold in the USA.

 

[Tafflad]

OK have now managed to get soft-copy of owners manual .... it is pretty similar ... flush then drain the raw water side - no requirement for anti-freeze or any dismantling of pipes.
Running to be from flush port on Transom shield (no mention of use of muffs)
Interestingly I found also the process for winterizing the fuel system ... stabilizer in fuel tank (normal) but all need to run fuel & stabilizer mix PLUS 50:1 2 stroke oil through the system by runningengine from auxillary tank for 15 minutes. No requirement for fogging oil (assume 2-stroke is doing this)

 

[louc]

Sounds like a pretty straightforward job. Closed cooling is the single biggest improvement you can make with any inboard boat followed by a remote oil filter.

 

[saaristo]

The engine I have is a lot older 4.3GXi but the principles are still the same (I guess?). Mine has also closed cooling so I just drained the exhaust manifolds and raw water side (water intake and exchanger) and that's it. A small tip - the coolant I'm running has a rating of -25 deg celsius. But I know that on rare occasions it has dropped down to even minus 30....35 for few days every 5 years or so. So I poured a small amount of the same coolant into plastic bottle and placed it on the swim platform - so whenever I want I can check if the coolant is still liquid or cristals start to form if it gets really cold then I just place a small light bulb or oil radiator for couple of days into the engine room (you don't need to get it warm, but if you hold it above -25 is all you need).
However - the fogging part of winterizing is really confusing for me - some web pages suggest you don't "fog" fuel injected engine at all - it will cause more harm than good. Others say you make a 50/1 coctail with oil and stabilizer and it's even said so in manuals. My manual (2008) does not mention a word regarding fogging. Should I do it? If so - the mixture should be ran through filter and low/high pump, correct? So I should disconnect the line between water separator and filter?

 

[Tafflad]

Only get to about -2C where I live.
The Volvo manual specifies using the 2 stroke mix method ... so will follow that. It is simple requirement, put some stabilizer in fuel (as per correct mix) then add 2 stroke oil to it at 50:1 mix . Disconnect fuel line to fuel pump and connect up a tank of this 'winterizing mix. Run the engine for 15 mins at 1500 rpm on this mix.
Water supply connected to transom shield connector.

 

[Lou C]

The 2 stroke mix is pretty standard for EFI engines and has been recommended for a long time. After you’ve done it a few times you have your own routine for winterizing and it goes faster. I do the engine one weekend and then pull the drive the following weekend and check the bellows, gimble u joints etc. Change gear oil and look for any sign of water. If so get it resealed over the winter.
In the spring I reinstall the drive and make sure the shift system is working right etc.

 

[Tafflad]

Never removed a drive off my boat, but I will do the 2-stroke piece

 

[Lou C]

I didn't at first either but when I realized I could do it myself first I built a stand with casters then a few years later I bought an outdrive jack that makes it easy. If you boat in brackish/salt water its a necessary part of maintenance to avoid problems. I've been able to make the same drive that came on my boat (which was 14 years old then!) last this long by regular maintenance. So if you start out with the winterizining, you eventually can move up to more jobs, its not hard really to R+R a drive. The stand makes it easy.
Here's a few pix, it looks bad but that's mooring in salt water.

 

[Tafflad]

Just never had need of this ... I boat 100% in salt water, my last boat had for 7 years .... never removed the drive to winterize. Boat is new and under warranty any way.

 

[Lou C]

well...that can eventually cost you...big time...and its all in Volvos & Merc's maintenance schedule.
if you never remove it, and the bellows gets a small leak...it will rust up the gimble bearing and u joints, and then...it may NOT come off...that time...you were lucky....I'd say in freshwater you can maybe go every other year but here in the salt pond, I would not...

 

[Tafflad]

Maybe I did not make it clear ..... I personally am not going to remove drives & bellows, this is all new & under warranty. It will have all required service items as each is due by a Volvo dealer. nothing due yet, other than winterizing, and the Volvo manaulk does not require drive removed fro this

 

[Lou C]

Yes its not part of winterizing per se but I'd be surprised if its not in another part of the maintenance manual. Don't they specify replacing the bellows? I'd be shocked if they don't. Every 5 seasons normal maintenance. I know older Volvo manuals did say to remove the drive at the end of each season. If its not done regularly it can get very expensive and you really can't tell if there's a leak in the bellows, by just looking at the outside the drive has to come off.

 

[muc]

My recommendation is to go to Volvo Penta's website and down load a copy of the Service Protocol for your engine. Also ask your dealer for a copy of Service Bulletin 05-2-2 titled Storage Marine Engines, this will list Volvo's latest requirement for the use of anti-freeze during Laying up.

Did you get an Extended Protection Service Plan? If so you will want to check on what services you are allowed to do during the first year. Depending on the laws in your country, it is possible to void your warranty.

If you would like to know my reasons for why you should use anti-freeze during lay up, just ask and I'll be happy to explain.

 

[Tafflad]

I have now downloded the service protocol .... I also have teh service manual there is no requirement for antifreeze, as this is alreday included inside the closed cooling.
The requirement is to add stabilzer to tank, run engine to make sure its in lines.
Remove fuel pipe to pump and connect auxilary tank feeding in stabilzed fuel with 50:1 2-stroke. for 15min at 1500 rpm.
Then switch off and drain down raw water side by operating drain level ...... definiteley no requirement to add antireeeze to this side of heat exchnager.

Removing drive, inspecting bellows etc. ....agree these come in at specific service intervals, not a requirerent for winterizing.

It all seems very simple - probably due to closed coooling system which has all necessry ant-freeze.

 

[mt2006]

I went as far last year as ordering the service manual....which strangely shipped immediately from Europe but I was not billed for it for several months. Anyhow, there is nothing enlightening in it that isn't already mentioned in this thread. I believe the bulletin muc refers to talks about flushing the raw water cooled parts with antifreeze and then draining that out. If I recall, the bulletin actually says to use normal engine coolant.....not the pink stuff. If my recollection is correct, I highly doubt any dealer would do this.....