Working During Winter

[Boatbuyingloser]

Hey guys I had an idea form in my head about working on the boat during the winter. My boat has a multitude of problems that ill be asking more about in later posts, but I had an idea for running the motor and not having to re-winterize every time I fix something and need to test it.
Would filling a large trash can with 50/50 coolant/water, and keeping the lower unit submerged while running, keep the block safe from freezing after I raise the lower unit and remove the coolant? I'm planning on draining and refilling the block with coolant at first just to be sure ALL the water is out before doing my redneck winterizing.
I'm in Tennessee so we rarely see subzero temps, although we are expecting a pretty brutal winter this year. Not sure if anybody else has done this or has a reason as to why it wouldn't work. Thanks!

 

[nola mike]

Hey guys I had an idea form in my head about working on the boat during the winter. My boat has a multitude of problems that ill be asking more about in later posts, but I had an idea for running the motor and not having to re-winterize every time I fix something and need to test it.
Would filling a large trash can with 50/50 coolant/water, and keeping the lower unit submerged while running, keep the block safe from freezing after I raise the lower unit and remove the coolant? I'm planning on draining and refilling the block with coolant at first just to be sure ALL the water is out before doing my redneck winterizing.
I'm in Tennessee so we rarely see subzero temps, although we are expecting a pretty brutal winter this year. Not sure if anybody else has done this or has a reason as to why it wouldn't work. Thanks!

Wouldn't work (maybe, there's been heated discussion about this over the years) because impeller (maybe) wouldn't pull water from the trash can. It would be interesting to submerge it and pull the supply hose to the engine and see if you're getting flow. Otherwise on what af you're using, 50/50 might not be strong enough

 

[Scott06]

Hey guys I had an idea form in my head about working on the boat during the winter. My boat has a multitude of problems that ill be asking more about in later posts, but I had an idea for running the motor and not having to re-winterize every time I fix something and need to test it.
Would filling a large trash can with 50/50 coolant/water, and keeping the lower unit submerged while running, keep the block safe from freezing after I raise the lower unit and remove the coolant? I'm planning on draining and refilling the block with coolant at first just to be sure ALL the water is out before doing my redneck winterizing.
I'm in Tennessee so we rarely see subzero temps, although we are expecting a pretty brutal winter this year. Not sure if anybody else has done this or has a reason as to why it wouldn't work. Thanks!

Why not just pull the drain plugs after every time you use it? In mine this takes 10 min...

You could do a tub if it were big enough and you had the refractometer to check and top up AF strength.

Would need a huge tub I think the marinas that winterize this way use a couple 100 gallons of PG and top it off

 

[Bondo]

Would filling a large trash can with 50/50 coolant/water, and keeping the lower unit submerged while running, keep the block safe from freezing after I raise the lower unit and remove the coolant?

Nope,..... An outdrive won't fit in a trashcan,..... Even if you use a big tote, the water won't be high enough to flood the impeller housing,.....

What motor, 'n which drive,..??

I just drain mine,.... 4 plugs, 'n pull the big hose off the circulating water pump, 'n either end of the P/S cooler,.....
Done,.....

 

[flashback]

Depends on what you're testing. If the system is drained you could set 30 gallons of mix on your swim platform and feed the drive from the bucket with muffs but you'd be very limited for time and RPM..

 

[Scott Danforth]

Unless the tub is big enough to get the whole drive submerged...... It won't work

Hint, to get the drive submerged, you need to have the boat floating.

Best bet.

Pull the drive
Hook up hose to thermostat housing
Drain when you're done