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Winterizing your engine and drive.
Winterizing your boats engine and drive is a lot of work. Not doing it or doing it improperly WILL be very expensive to fix , and that is also a lot of work.
Plan on giving yourself the full day to winterize your boat, and don't wait till the last minute to do the job. As difficult as winterizing can be on some boats, doing it when it's 35? outside, snowing or raining, windy and in the dark is not something you want to do.
Read and think about everything you are about to do before you start, and plan for it. Tools, parts, helpers, (oh yea) even if just to hand you stuff and talk with you. Make a checklist if it'll help.
All set? Here we go.
Before you start the engine, add fuel stabilizer to the fuel tank. If possible, put in the stabilizer on the last trip of the season and top off the fuel tank before you get to your driveway or where the boat will be stored. This will allow the stabilizer to mix completely in the tank.
You do have your Service manuals for the engine and drive handy, don't you?
Factory Service manuals for many engines are located here in the following links:
Mercruiser and Mercury manuals: https://publications.brunswick.com/
Volvo Penta Manuals: https://www.volvopenta.com/en-us/your-engine/manuals-and-handbooks/
OMC, Johnson, Evinrude Manuals: https://outboardbooks.com/
Ilmor engine manuals. https://www.ilmor.com/resources/warranties-manuals
Indmar manuals. https://info.indmar.com.au/servicemanuals.php
PCM Manuals https://pcmengines.com/owners/
These sites will have manuals available for the past 15 years or so. If you need a manual for an older motor and drive. Contact the manufacturer or see the local dealer.
If you do not have a manual handy, you are looking for trouble.
Do not rely on Hanes, Chilton, Seloc or other non-factory manuals. They often have missing or incorrect information
A few things you will need to have:
Get all your parts together BEFORE you start. Filters, gaskets, o-rings, seals, etc.
Note: (Gaskets, o-rings, and seals are not reusable, they may look like it, but they are a one time use item. )
Look at your factory service manual beforehand and know what types of grease, oils, lubes, gear lube, sealers, fogging oil, etc. you are going to need and have them on hand and ready.
Have the tools needed to do the job. Including filter wrenches, alignment bars etc.
Plenty of rags and oil absorbent pads
1. For greenwater boats. With or without a heat exchanger. Start by hooking up a corrosion inhibitor to the muffs inline with the water, an example would be the Salt-Away mixing unit. This will do several things. Warm and mix the oil for changing, and flush the cooling system if you have been running in salt or brackish water.
2. After running, change oil, filter.
3. Change fuel filter/s, be sure to check the contents of the filter. If there is around a 1/4 of the contents water, you should drain the water out of the tank. (That won't be covered here)
4. If you have a heat exchanger, check the antifreeze level and be sure it's in the proper temperature range. -35 degrees is a normal 50/50 mix of antifreeze and water. Pure antifreeze is good for -86F (-65C)
5. Remove the Outdrive.
5a (Mercruiser, OMC, and Volvo DP-S and SX)
Check ALL the bellows. if any of them look weather cracked or seem excessively stiff or weak, replace them. A leaky u-joint bellows ruins gimbal bearings and u-joints and drives if allowed to keep leaking.
On Mercruiser, OMC, and Volvo DP-S and SX style drives check the engine alignment (If you are going to do your own work, you MUST have an alignment bar)
5b. For those with the Volvo 270 through 290 style drives. Remove the upper gear box and check the bellows and u-joints. The bellows are not as strong as the Merc and OMC bellows so replace them every couple of years just to be safe. If they go bad, you must pull the engine to change the intermediate bearings in the bell housing. Be sure you don't loose the shims between the upper gear box and the intermediate housing.
6. Check the gimbal bearing. Does it turn smooth? if not replace it. Check the u-joints do they feel smooth also? Any catches indicates they are worn and should be replaced. If ok, grease the zirks or pull the plugs (if equipped) and lube them. In short, if its grease-able, then grease it.
7. Was there any gear lube in the bellows when you removed the drive? If so, the input shaft seal is leaking and should be fixed before reinstalling the drive.
8. Drain the gear lube from the drive and refill per manufacturers specs. ALWAYS use new gaskets and o-rings on drain, fill, and vent plugs and dipstick fittings and plugs, along with new gaskets and seals for mounting the drive back on the boat. Don't forget to remove the gear lube monitor (if equipped) and clean it. The gear lube will form sludge in the bottom after a couple of years. Clean it yearly and you won't have a problem.
NOTE: For those with Mercruiser Alpha drives. If you are planning on changing the impeller, now is the time to do it. Since you must remove the lower unit to get to the pump, no reason to put in new gear lube till it's done.
9. Remove the prop and check for any fishing line around the prop shaft (very common problem, even for those that don't fish), clean and grease the shaft with a good quality marine waterproof grease prior to reinstalling the prop. Any kind of grease is better than none at all. And if you remove your prop yearly, you should never have a problem with the type grease you use.
(DO NOT use Neverseize) it may be great for cars, trucks, tractors etc. but in the boating business we call it "Everseize".
If you notice nicks, dings or bends in the prop blades, now would be an ideal time to send the prop out to a prop shop for repairs.
10. Reinstall the drive per the manual. (new gaskets and seals, right)
11. Check the batteries, is the acid level where it should be? Are they fully charged? A low charged battery can freeze and crack and make a very big mess.
Terminal ends clean and greased.
12. Start the engine, make sure the oil filter doesn't leak, fuel filter doesn't leak and the drive still shifts and run it till it warms up. All ok, GOOD. Now it's time to make it safe for cold weather.
13. Fogging.
13a. Carbureted Engines. Bring the rpm up to around 1500 rpm and start squirting fogging oil into the carb till the rpms drop and you are getting a lot of smoke out the exhaust. Then shut off the engine. If the engine diesels, restart it fog some more, make sure the idle is very low and shut it off again. You don't want water backed up into the cylinders from running backwards.
13b. Fuel Injected Engines. Read the service manual. Mix up a 2-stroke oil mix per the service manual. Disconnect the fuel tank and connect the engine to the remote tank with the oil/fuel mix. Run the motor for the length of time described in the factory service manual.
14. Disconnect the water and muffs and allow the water to drain out of the drive. Now get your manual and remove every drain plug on your engine, manifolds, coolers, heat exchangers, water pumps, and anything else that could have RAW water in it. DO NOT drain the anti-freeze side of a closed cooling system. Look at the book and make sure you have them all removed. Look around, missing one could cost you an engine block. Get a small screwdriver, a 4” deck screw, a pick, or a piece of welding wire and probe inside every hole you remove a plug from. Make sure there is nothing blocking the water from getting out. Be sure the engine is also as level as possible so as much water as possible is drained out. Some of the coolers for oil and power steering can be drained by removing a hose easier than removing the plugs.
Put all the plugs back in and hoses back on.
Optional: If you are one of those that must use antifreeze instead of just draining, for whatever reason, you can fill the block and manifolds with an appropriate for your area rated engine storage antifreeze through the hoses to the manifolds and coolers and removing the thermostat and pouring antifreeze into the engine block. This is the method in the factory service manuals.
Many of the RV type antifreeze do not have corrosion inhibitors in them because they are meant to be used in the domestic water system. RV antifreeze will turn solid at 0F. RV antifreeze is “burst rated” not its freeze point meaning that at full strength, the pipes in your RV shouldn’t burst until that temp. RV antifreeze will freeze solid.
Use only Antifreeze suitable for winterizing engines. If winter low temperatures in your area go below 0˚F, you should be using the -60˚F and if below -10˚F you should use the -100˚F
15. Spray your favorite corrosion blocker on everything (except fiberglass).including the battery terminals. Turn the steering so most of the rod is extended, make sure it's clean and spray it with a light oil, turn it back and forth a few times spraying in between so it's well lubed.
16. Store the boat with the bow up and the drive down. If the drive is up the exhaust part of the drive behind the prop can fill with water, freeze and crack.......Not Good!
It's also a lot easier on the u-joint bellows to have it in the down position which extends the drive bellows service life.
17. Shut off (Better yet, disconnect) the batteries. Tag the cables and wires so you know where to put them back in the spring (trust me on tagging them). If you have a high-quality maintenance charger. Keep the batteries on the charger.
Winterizing your boats engine and drive is a lot of work. Not doing it or doing it improperly WILL be very expensive to fix , and that is also a lot of work.
Plan on giving yourself the full day to winterize your boat, and don't wait till the last minute to do the job. As difficult as winterizing can be on some boats, doing it when it's 35? outside, snowing or raining, windy and in the dark is not something you want to do.
Read and think about everything you are about to do before you start, and plan for it. Tools, parts, helpers, (oh yea) even if just to hand you stuff and talk with you. Make a checklist if it'll help.
All set? Here we go.
Before you start the engine, add fuel stabilizer to the fuel tank. If possible, put in the stabilizer on the last trip of the season and top off the fuel tank before you get to your driveway or where the boat will be stored. This will allow the stabilizer to mix completely in the tank.
You do have your Service manuals for the engine and drive handy, don't you?
Factory Service manuals for many engines are located here in the following links:
Mercruiser and Mercury manuals: https://publications.brunswick.com/
Volvo Penta Manuals: https://www.volvopenta.com/en-us/your-engine/manuals-and-handbooks/
OMC, Johnson, Evinrude Manuals: https://outboardbooks.com/
Ilmor engine manuals. https://www.ilmor.com/resources/warranties-manuals
Indmar manuals. https://info.indmar.com.au/servicemanuals.php
PCM Manuals https://pcmengines.com/owners/
These sites will have manuals available for the past 15 years or so. If you need a manual for an older motor and drive. Contact the manufacturer or see the local dealer.
If you do not have a manual handy, you are looking for trouble.
Do not rely on Hanes, Chilton, Seloc or other non-factory manuals. They often have missing or incorrect information
A few things you will need to have:
Get all your parts together BEFORE you start. Filters, gaskets, o-rings, seals, etc.
Note: (Gaskets, o-rings, and seals are not reusable, they may look like it, but they are a one time use item. )
Look at your factory service manual beforehand and know what types of grease, oils, lubes, gear lube, sealers, fogging oil, etc. you are going to need and have them on hand and ready.
Have the tools needed to do the job. Including filter wrenches, alignment bars etc.
Plenty of rags and oil absorbent pads
1. For greenwater boats. With or without a heat exchanger. Start by hooking up a corrosion inhibitor to the muffs inline with the water, an example would be the Salt-Away mixing unit. This will do several things. Warm and mix the oil for changing, and flush the cooling system if you have been running in salt or brackish water.
2. After running, change oil, filter.
3. Change fuel filter/s, be sure to check the contents of the filter. If there is around a 1/4 of the contents water, you should drain the water out of the tank. (That won't be covered here)
4. If you have a heat exchanger, check the antifreeze level and be sure it's in the proper temperature range. -35 degrees is a normal 50/50 mix of antifreeze and water. Pure antifreeze is good for -86F (-65C)
5. Remove the Outdrive.
5a (Mercruiser, OMC, and Volvo DP-S and SX)
Check ALL the bellows. if any of them look weather cracked or seem excessively stiff or weak, replace them. A leaky u-joint bellows ruins gimbal bearings and u-joints and drives if allowed to keep leaking.
On Mercruiser, OMC, and Volvo DP-S and SX style drives check the engine alignment (If you are going to do your own work, you MUST have an alignment bar)
5b. For those with the Volvo 270 through 290 style drives. Remove the upper gear box and check the bellows and u-joints. The bellows are not as strong as the Merc and OMC bellows so replace them every couple of years just to be safe. If they go bad, you must pull the engine to change the intermediate bearings in the bell housing. Be sure you don't loose the shims between the upper gear box and the intermediate housing.
6. Check the gimbal bearing. Does it turn smooth? if not replace it. Check the u-joints do they feel smooth also? Any catches indicates they are worn and should be replaced. If ok, grease the zirks or pull the plugs (if equipped) and lube them. In short, if its grease-able, then grease it.
7. Was there any gear lube in the bellows when you removed the drive? If so, the input shaft seal is leaking and should be fixed before reinstalling the drive.
8. Drain the gear lube from the drive and refill per manufacturers specs. ALWAYS use new gaskets and o-rings on drain, fill, and vent plugs and dipstick fittings and plugs, along with new gaskets and seals for mounting the drive back on the boat. Don't forget to remove the gear lube monitor (if equipped) and clean it. The gear lube will form sludge in the bottom after a couple of years. Clean it yearly and you won't have a problem.
NOTE: For those with Mercruiser Alpha drives. If you are planning on changing the impeller, now is the time to do it. Since you must remove the lower unit to get to the pump, no reason to put in new gear lube till it's done.
9. Remove the prop and check for any fishing line around the prop shaft (very common problem, even for those that don't fish), clean and grease the shaft with a good quality marine waterproof grease prior to reinstalling the prop. Any kind of grease is better than none at all. And if you remove your prop yearly, you should never have a problem with the type grease you use.
(DO NOT use Neverseize) it may be great for cars, trucks, tractors etc. but in the boating business we call it "Everseize".
If you notice nicks, dings or bends in the prop blades, now would be an ideal time to send the prop out to a prop shop for repairs.
10. Reinstall the drive per the manual. (new gaskets and seals, right)
11. Check the batteries, is the acid level where it should be? Are they fully charged? A low charged battery can freeze and crack and make a very big mess.
Terminal ends clean and greased.
12. Start the engine, make sure the oil filter doesn't leak, fuel filter doesn't leak and the drive still shifts and run it till it warms up. All ok, GOOD. Now it's time to make it safe for cold weather.
13. Fogging.
13a. Carbureted Engines. Bring the rpm up to around 1500 rpm and start squirting fogging oil into the carb till the rpms drop and you are getting a lot of smoke out the exhaust. Then shut off the engine. If the engine diesels, restart it fog some more, make sure the idle is very low and shut it off again. You don't want water backed up into the cylinders from running backwards.
13b. Fuel Injected Engines. Read the service manual. Mix up a 2-stroke oil mix per the service manual. Disconnect the fuel tank and connect the engine to the remote tank with the oil/fuel mix. Run the motor for the length of time described in the factory service manual.
14. Disconnect the water and muffs and allow the water to drain out of the drive. Now get your manual and remove every drain plug on your engine, manifolds, coolers, heat exchangers, water pumps, and anything else that could have RAW water in it. DO NOT drain the anti-freeze side of a closed cooling system. Look at the book and make sure you have them all removed. Look around, missing one could cost you an engine block. Get a small screwdriver, a 4” deck screw, a pick, or a piece of welding wire and probe inside every hole you remove a plug from. Make sure there is nothing blocking the water from getting out. Be sure the engine is also as level as possible so as much water as possible is drained out. Some of the coolers for oil and power steering can be drained by removing a hose easier than removing the plugs.
Put all the plugs back in and hoses back on.
Optional: If you are one of those that must use antifreeze instead of just draining, for whatever reason, you can fill the block and manifolds with an appropriate for your area rated engine storage antifreeze through the hoses to the manifolds and coolers and removing the thermostat and pouring antifreeze into the engine block. This is the method in the factory service manuals.
Many of the RV type antifreeze do not have corrosion inhibitors in them because they are meant to be used in the domestic water system. RV antifreeze will turn solid at 0F. RV antifreeze is “burst rated” not its freeze point meaning that at full strength, the pipes in your RV shouldn’t burst until that temp. RV antifreeze will freeze solid.
Use only Antifreeze suitable for winterizing engines. If winter low temperatures in your area go below 0˚F, you should be using the -60˚F and if below -10˚F you should use the -100˚F
15. Spray your favorite corrosion blocker on everything (except fiberglass).including the battery terminals. Turn the steering so most of the rod is extended, make sure it's clean and spray it with a light oil, turn it back and forth a few times spraying in between so it's well lubed.
16. Store the boat with the bow up and the drive down. If the drive is up the exhaust part of the drive behind the prop can fill with water, freeze and crack.......Not Good!
It's also a lot easier on the u-joint bellows to have it in the down position which extends the drive bellows service life.
17. Shut off (Better yet, disconnect) the batteries. Tag the cables and wires so you know where to put them back in the spring (trust me on tagging them). If you have a high-quality maintenance charger. Keep the batteries on the charger.