Winterizing advice for (39)89 bayliner 2152 with Mercruiser 5.0lx-gctid828994

[bbesser1]

I live in Minnesota and will be winterizing our boat this week to get ready for the cold. I have been given lots of advice but am planning on winterizing the boat by:

1. Adding fuel stabilizer to gas tank

2. Running the motor for 5 minutes to get it up to temp. (ear muffs on with garden hose running)

3. Attaching a water pump to garden hose and the muffs, filling a 5 gallon bucket with -100 degree anti-freeze, (blue colored propylene glycol) and running the boat until I see blue anti-freeze only coming out of the engine. I will be collecting the excess in a kiddie pool.

My questions are as follows:

- Am I done once the antifreeze is in the engine or do I need to take off the hoses and drain plugs letting the anti-freeze out?

- Should I take out the thermostat until the spring?

- Any other steps I am missing or should be doing?

Your advice would be much appreciated. Our service tech cancelled on us and it's supposed to get cold in 3 days so I'd like to try it myself.

[Nauti_Mike]

If you are uncertain how to do it it can be an expensive gamble. I would follow the merc manual.

That said it is recommended to change the engine oil now.

I prefer to flush with water, drain it out then run to fill with antifreeze. Engine must be fully warmed up because if the t-stat is not open the engine will not get antifreeze in it. This is where draining will protect you. If you are unsure and cannot get a professional drain the engine as air doesn't freeze. For added measure pull the hoses from the t-stat housing and fill each with antifreeze.

[88fourwinns]

"bbesser1" post=828994 wrote:
I live in Minnesota and will be winterizing our boat this week to get ready for the cold. I have been given lots of advice but am planning on winterizing the boat by:

1. Adding fuel stabilizer to gas tank

2. Running the motor for 5 minutes to get it up to temp. (ear muffs on with garden hose running)

3. Attaching a water pump to garden hose and the muffs, filling a 5 gallon bucket with -100 degree anti-freeze, (blue colored propylene glycol) and running the boat until I see blue anti-freeze only coming out of the engine. I will be collecting the excess in a kiddie pool.

My questions are as follows:

- Am I done once the antifreeze is in the engine or do I need to take off the hoses and drain plugs letting the anti-freeze out?

- Should I take out the thermostat until the spring?

- Any other steps I am missing or should be doing?

Your advice would be much appreciated. Our service tech cancelled on us and it's supposed to get cold in 3 days so I'd like to try it myself.

[color]red wrote:
That will not guarantee a good result! If the stat does not open you will have a cracked block in the spring, unless you either drained the block first, or removed the thermostat.

[/color]

The only sure way is to learn how to open all the drains; poke the holes to make sure they drain and disconnect the hoses needed to complete the draining process.

If you want to add antifreeze to reduce corrosion damage, then add it after manually draining. It is advised by Mercruiser in their manuals, but some think it is unnecessary.

[Warba_Warrior]

I winterized my sons Volvo Penta 225 and his 275 outdrive as well as my Volvo Penta 260 and 280 outdrive last week. I did the same thing to both. Added Stabil to fuel tank. Started up and ran on muffs for about 20 minutes. Shut off and drained engine oil with siphon pump. Put in new oil and filter. Started up and ran another 15 minutes. Sprayed carb and linkages with carb cleaner. Shut off and removed drain plugs from manifolds and block. (4 plugs on each boat) Rermoved front cover from water pump. Also removed the water pump (impeller) Unhooked all of the hoses and blew them out. Drained oil in outdrive. Pumped in new oil until full. (Approx 3 quarts in each) I will be covering them up this weekend.

I did not run any anti freeze into either as I am confident I got them drained sufficiently. I am not saying that this will work for you or even promising it will work for mine. I will check back in spring and let you know if all is well.

[2850Bounty]

For all members who may think that this method (be it in Kit form or in Home Made form) is going to be safe and/or satisfactory........ please read my write-up from October 2012.

I don't care if you use a kit, or if you create your own antifreeze introduction system........ you must know exactly how the Raw Water Cooling systems works regarding the thermostat, coolant by-pass, etc!

This is a link to the Amazon site whereby the Camco 65501 Do It Yourself Boat Winterizer kit is being reviewed.

This kit functions in a similar way to many of the Home-Made antifreeze introducing systems that some people use for their Raw Water Cooled marine engines.

https://www.amazon.com/review/R3BD7X6QC3KCFR/ref=cm_cr_pr_viewpnt

As our Doug says........ and many times I might add...... "Just plain ole AIR will not freeze expand and damage our expensive cast iron components"....... never has...... and never will!

Stop listening to the risky and dangerous advice...... and just drain all areas of any water that is subject to freezing and expansion!

[Chief_Alen]

Totally agree !

Air don't freeze !

Don't forget the power steering cooler !

Leave the drive fully down, bow up bilge plug removed.