Very well put Billy






(...and my favorite word in your post: October )

Just me, but since we see 10+ below at times around here, I wouldn't trust a 'fake lake' winterization. When your engine is "at temp", the thermostat only opens far enough, long enough, to allow just enough water in to maintain temp. So, Unless you have your fake lake of antifreeze in a rolling boil on top of a coleman stove, your thermostat may not allow enough antifreeze in to completely replace the water in the block, the rest will just end up on the ground thru the risers.

I was at Home Depot yesterday . . . They had the RV anti-freeze all lined up at the entrance. I bought a case - 6 gallons - next weekend I'm bringing the boat home for winter.

FR-

I *suppose* I should take the thermostat out just to be sure I get good circulation thru the block. I just hate to break a good gasket seal.

Of course, this is after I run my compression test ritual.

PH, you didn't understand my post, you don't have to take the hose off the raw water pump. Just at the thermostat housing. All hoses lead to there. Think of it as the Rome of your cooling system! The hose leaves your raw water pump, runs around the back of the motor, through some coolers (maybe only one) and attaches directly to the thermostat housing. Okay, maybe on your VP it doesn't go all the way around the back of your motor, but I'll bet it does. Either way, it HAS TO attach to your thermostat housing, cause it is the only source of water for your engine/manifolds. It's a soft flexible hose at that point. Remove it, and either blow air back through it, and that will blow all the water in the coolers and the raw water pump out the water pickups in the drive. Or, dump antifreeze down that hose, until it runs green out the water pickups in the drive.

LL, you got my little joke, thanks. Of course October is actually only 3 days away! But I will not winterize until the end of October, maybe November. Even though it's only supposed to be 60 degrees for a high starting on Wednesday here, I'm going boating next weekend, too!

Here's what I've been doing for the past 7 years regarding antifreeze:

What you need:
Rubbermaid container about 24" x 24" and 6-8" deep
Cheap bilge pump
Muffs for running engine on hose
Antifreeze - I use 6 gallons

What I do:
Pull the T-Stat and pull all the drain plugs to drain the block.
Replace the drain plugs
Replace the T-Stat housing (without the T-Stat)

Put the container under the drive and fill it with the antifreeze
Hook the bilge up to the muffs and put it down in the antifreeze
Power up the bilge pump (you can connect it to the boat battery)
When the antifreeze pumps up to the muffs fire up the engine
For the first 30 seconds or so nothing will come out the exhaust - the engine is empty.
When the antifreeze starts coming out the exhaust shut it down.
Your Done.
Now put the T-Stat in a place that you will remember to replace it in the spring. Come spring, fire it up on the muffs with the hose for a minute or two to flush the antifreeze, then replace the T-Stat. This way, when you crack open the T-Stat housing you don't spill the antfreeze all over the bilge.

I'm only left with about a gallon of antifreeze to dispose of and the whole process takes about 20 mins.
It's cheap, the container only costs about $7 and the pump at West Marine was $25. After using the same pump and container for 7 years my annual cost for these is $4.50 / year. And that doesn't factor in doing my buddies boat a few times too.

Sea water pump . . . let's talk about that. . .

In my travels with the seawater pump, it holds water fairly well i.e. it does not let water pass thru it unless it is turning - unlike the recirculating pump (I believe).

So, unless you pull the hose off of the seawater pump outlet, it will contain water (or antifreeze) throughout its length, which is about 4-5 feet and includes the oil cooler. Since I am too lazy to stand on my head and reach down to disconnect the hose at the sea water pump, I figure the antifreeze will do its job.

Perhaps the sea water pump will drain down a bit after a few days, but who knows. In all the threads that discuss draining versus 'antifreezing', not much is talked about the seawater pump or the oil cooler, yet this hose could contain a significant amount of 'freezable' water unless it is treated or drained.

Maybe I should disconnect the hoses at the sea water pump as well. Did I mention the sea water strainer? Probably got to drain that as well.

Keith, your way is virtually the same as per my Volvo 290 instruction manual, with the exception that Volvo made it much easier by putting the seawater pump on the front of the engine. (Just pull the hose from drive intake and drop it into a bucket of antifreeze) This, and the "fake-a-lake" method is GREAT, but you MUST drain everything first and remove the thermostat and replace its cap. This method insures you get antifreeze thru EVERYTHING, including any oil coolers you may have.

I have 3 engines to winterize, but all of them are the 4-bangers with no coolers to worry about. I simply drain the block & riser, replace the drain plugs, pull the stat and pour in antifreeze.

For what it's worth, as Billy explains, as long as you drain the block, risers and oil cooler(s) there is simply no need for anti-freeze. And this winter, I believe that's all I'm going to do...

Tpenfield, the Merc seawater pumps SHOULD hold water fairly well, but I've tried filling the water inlet hoses in both houseboat engines from the engine side, but the hoses wouldn't fill, the antifreeze just found its way out. Maybe they're designed to bleed out out on purpose (makes sense), but I don't know for sure...

Tpenfield, reread my posts, okay? The seawater pump issue is addressed in them, twice.
I will admit that I go one extra step in regards to the sea water pump on my Bravo. Since I remove my drive for storage, I place the end of my shopvac hose on the inlet hole in the gimbal, and I suck out the remaining antifreeze that I dumped down the line at the thermostat housing. That way, the line to the seawater pump and from the seawater pump is completely dry.

I drop my boat off at a Mercruiser dealer and write a check for $200. One less thing off my plate . . .

Went to marinemax a few weeks ago and they had this posted. I understand that when you buy a boat is priced allot like a Cadillac that you need to expect higher service cost, but Winterization is the same on any boat and look at the cost for this. It would not take much to hit $2k by the time you are all through. My biggest question is why bother with winter. The water never freezes on the lakes and we only get a few real cold nights and days warm up. Personally I do the my own service because its just to expensive to pay some one else. Unless of course I don't want to boat during the winter and just give theses guys there Christmas bonus. I don't think so!!



Engines - Winterization
4-Cylinder Stern Drive Inboard (Gas) Winterize $129.99
4-Cylinder Twin Stern Drive Inboard (Gas) Winterize $259.99
6-Cylinder Stern Drive Inboard (Gas) Winterize $154.99
6-Cylinder Twin Stern Drive Inboard (Gas) Winterize $309.99
8-Cylinder Stern Drive Inboard (Gas) Winterize $169.99
8-Cylinder Twin Stern Drive Inboard (Gas) Winterize $339.99
Engines - Maintenance Services - A Service
(Prices start from and do not include Winterization)
4-Cylinder Stern Drive Inboard (Gas) A-Service $497.00
4-Cylinder Twin Stern Drive Inboard (Gas) A-Service $994.00
6-Cylinder Stern Drive Inboard (Gas) A-Service $500.00
6-Cylinder Twin Stern Drive Inboard (Gas) A-Service $934.00
8-Cylinder Stern Drive Inboard (Gas) A-Service $502.00
8-Cylinder Twin Stern Drive Inboard (Gas) A-Service $1,015.00
Engines - Maintenance Services - B Service
(Prices start from and do not include Winterization)
4-Cylinder Stern Drive Inboard (Gas) B-Service $776.00
4-Cylinder Twin Stern Drive Inboard (Gas) B-Service $1,552.00
6-Cylinder Stern Drive Inboard (Gas) B-Service $809.00
6-Cylinder Twin Stern Drive Inboard (Gas) B-Service $1,883.00
8-Cylinder Stern Drive Inboard (Gas) B-Service $831.00
8-Cylinder Twin Stern Drive Inboard (Gas) B-Service $1,803.00
Engines - Maintenance Services - Oil Change
(Prices start from and do not include Winterization)
4-Cylinder Stern Drive Inboard (Gas) Oil Change $151.00
4-Cylinder Twin Stern Drive Inboard (Gas) Oil Change $300.00
6-Cylinder Stern Drive Inboard (Gas) Oil Change $159.00
6-Cylinder Twin Stern Drive Inboard (Gas) Oil Change $277.00
8-Cylinder Stern Drive Inboard (Gas) Oil Change $161.00
8-Cylinder Twin Stern Drive Inboard (Gas) Oil Change $281.00
Engines - Winterization
Diesel Winterize $359.99
Single Outboard Winterize $129.99
Twin Outboard Winterize $259.99
Generator - Winterization
Gas Generator Winterize $119.99
Diesel Generator Winterize $139.99
Generator - Maintenance Services - A Service
(Prices start from and do not include Winterization)
Gas Generator A-Service $231.00
Diesel Generator A-Service $246.00
Generator - Maintenance Services - B Service
(Prices start from and do not include Winterization)
Gas Generator B-Service $446.00
Diesel Generator B-Service $504.00
Generator - Maintenance Services - C Service
(Prices start from and do not include Winterization)
Gas Generator C-Service $512.00
Diesel Generator C-Service $569.00
Generator - Maintenance Services - Oil Change
(Prices start from and do not include Winterization)
Gas Generator Oil Change $183.00
Diesel Generator Oil Change $199.00
Additional Systems
Cold Water System $59.99
Cold/Hot Water System $119.99
Shower Sump $44.99
Additional Shower Sump $12.99
Additional Units
Head Winterize $75.99
Additional Head $12.99
Additional Units
Ice Maker $59.99
Washer and Dryer $75.99
Washdown Pump $44.99
Livewell $44.99
Additional Livewell $12.99
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A/C System $75.99
Additional A/C Systems $12.99
Additional Units
Shrinkwrap
Shrinkwrap Under 24 FT $12.50
Length in Feet
Shrinkwrap 24 - 35 FT $14.50
Length in Feet
Shrinkwrap 36 - 51 FT $16.50
Length in Feet
Shrinkwrap 52 - 71 FT $18.50
Length in Feet
Shrinkwrap Pontoon Boat FT $14.50
Length in Feet
Shrinkwrap Access Door $50.00
Storage
Storage Call for availability $0.00

Uh,

Unless you pull the hoses off the VP raw water pump not enough A/F will get there to prevent freezing. The housing will swell and the pump will have to be replaced.

You don't want to ask how I know.....

The kit I have linked to allows you to put the Fake-a-Lakes on and run the motor on the garden hose. After the motor gets up to temp you switch to valves and run 5 gallons of A/F into the muffs.

This makes sure the t-stat is open. A 5.7 Ltr block hold just a bit more than 2 gallons.

Then you don't know what hoses are which. Sorry.

This is the best way I can come up with. Tried the gravity feed system one time but I felt it wasn't getting enough "juice" to the pump. Regarding the pump on the Merc v/s the VP, I just changed my impeller and was cursing Merc the whole time.

One hose comes from the lower unit and crosses from port to starboard above the bell housing. There is an oil intercooler located in this hose above where the bell housing is.

It connects to the lower fitting of the raw water pump. Just above where this first hose hooks up a second hose hooks up. It is just a bit smaller in diameter than the first one. It is the raw water discharge hose. I'm not sure where the second hose ends up. But it parallels the first hose back aways. At some point it pumps water into the block. From the block the water works it way up to the automotive style water pump. The first pump is a rubber vane style and VP calls it the "sea water pump" yet my boat has never been in the sea. I call this pump "Gunga Din" as it delivers water to the motor.

The second pump is a metal vane centrifugal pump that VP calls the Circulation Pump. In the book it is called the "Circulation Pump and Thermostat. I call this pump "Carly Simon", cause it's so vane.

The pump that did not get enough A/F was "Gunga Din".

It was a better pump than I.