Winterizing Force Outboard After Being Shrink Wrapped

OhSnap

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So I am faced with a bit of a challenge. I need to winterize my 1994 Force 40 hp outboard motor, but the entire boat and motor were shrink wrapped (long story). I was able to drain the lower unit fluid, now all I have to do is get the antifreeze through the engine. The good news is that the shrink wrap has a door so I can gain access to the inside and motor, and I believe I can still remove the engine cover. I was hoping I could remove a hose and somehow get the antifreeze pushed through the system manually. Does anyone have any recommendations on this and is this method an effective way to winterize?
 

alldodge

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There is no need to pump antifreeze into an outboard, it just drains back out
 

OhSnap

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There is no need to pump antifreeze into an outboard, it just drains back out
Thank you... I used to believe that also until I had an outboard crack. It was an older Mercury engine. I pulled off the head cover and saw the bulge and the crack. I was able to JB Weld it and so far its been holding up for 7 years. Since then I have always put anti-freeze into outboards. Do you think that was just a freak occurrence?
 

alldodge

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I'm not an outboard expert, but I also have never heard someone having to AF one, nor even anything online saying to do it. For water to break things, it has to be contained enough to there is not enough room to expand. Not seeing what happened to your old one, I'm unable to say

Hope an OB guy comes along
 

OhSnap

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I'm not an outboard expert, but I also have never heard someone having to AF one, nor even anything online saying to do it. For water to break things, it has to be contained enough to there is not enough room to expand. Not seeing what happened to your old one, I'm unable to say

Hope an OB guy comes along
Right! Thats why I was baffled until I took the head cover off. There was a small chamber shaped kind of like a triangle between the top of the cylinder wall and the outside of the engine. Maybe the gasket leaked water into that compartment where it shouldn't have been... it was a mystery!
 

Scott Danforth

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never ever heard of anyone putting AF in an outboard, much less a 2-stroke outboard

to winterize a 2-stroke, change lower gear oil, fire it up on muffs and fog it until its dead.
 

GA_Boater

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If the motor is tilted, not vertical, and the prop is not covered, cover it. Rain and melted snow can collect in the through prop exhaust. If it freezes, the lower unit case can be broken or cracked.
 

OhSnap

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Thanks for the info! That is how I used to do it until that outboard engine cracked. Guess that was a fluke, must have been more going on with the engine or something... Looks like I will stop using AF again. Makes my life easier, and its cheaper. :)
 

alldodge

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Your motor, your decision
The site your on makes money from sell things
 
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