winterize my jet boat?

[stashtrey]

How, or what do I do? Run the engine until all the water is out?

[MikeF]

What kind of engine and pump?

[IMPATIENT 1]

How, or what do I do? Run the engine until all the water is out?
does it get that cold in cali? if it does it needs some coolant in the motor.i put in 1 gallon into my bbf.it gets @10 below here sometimes.

[stashtrey]

It's a 460 w/ Berk jet.
I live in Sacramento. It might get to 30 but not much colder than that and that's only at night.
How would I get coolant into the engine?
I know... I'm a totaly newb.

[IMPATIENT 1]

It's a 460 w/ Berk jet.
I live in Sacramento. It might get to 30 but not much colder than that and that's only at night.
How would I get coolant into the engine?
I know... I'm a totaly newb.
yep, get some coolant into the block.i take off my water inlet hose,block off the header hoses,outlet hoses,then use the inlet hose to pour in the coolant.i use the "bio safe" coolant so not to hurt the fishies.then take it down the road alittle to give the coolant a chance to mix up well with the left over water in the block.

[IMPATIENT 1]

yep, get some coolant into the block.i take off my water inlet hose,block off the header hoses,outlet hoses,then use the inlet hose to pour in the coolant.i use the "bio safe" coolant so not to hurt the fishies.then take it down the road alittle to give the coolant a chance to mix up well with the left over water in the block.
forgot to say i also run bbf with a berk pump.

[YeLLowBoaT]

I personally have never winterised a boat in SAC... then again I use it year round and drain the motor after every trip....

[stashtrey]

where is the inlet hose located?
Now I'm worried. I don't think it has been below 30 but once or twice so far this year.
Couldn't I just run the motor and blow out all the water? If there isn't any water in the block it can't feeze and crack... can it?

[taylormanss]

we don't need no stinkin' anti freeze !!!!!!!!!

[IMPATIENT 1]

where is the inlet hose located?
Now I'm worried. I don't think it has been below 30 but once or twice so far this year.
Couldn't I just run the motor and blow out all the water? If there isn't any water in the block it can't feeze and crack... can it?
you can't get all the water outta the block unless it has a block drain or something like that.i had freeze plugs in the bilge after last winter.did a complete rebuild to to satisfy the little voice in my head that kept sayin "its cracked,pull it down and check".then the little voice went into the more hp mode.then inlet hose is connected to the pump and goes to the frt. water plate on the timing cover.

[THE BOSTON SIDEWINDER]

Here In Boston Is't Been Ice Nipple For A Month! The Way I've Always Done It(and The Other 300 Boats A Year At Our Marina):
6 Gallons Of -50 Non Tox Anti-freeze(the Pink Stuff From Any Rv Store) Into The Engine Block/exhaust/cooling Hoses. C.r.c 656 Or Wd-40 Sprayed All Over The Outside Of The Engine. Get A Pint Of Marvel Mystery Oil Start Your Engine, Warm It Up A Little And Put About 4 To 5 Ounces Of The Mystery Oil Right Down The Carb. Just When It Starts To Really Smoke Shut The Engine Off Quick!(to Keep The Oil In The Cylinders 'til Spring).( If You Have New Merc E.f.i. See Your Dealer Don't Use Marvel!) When You Re-commission The Boat In The Spring Don't Worry About The Non-tox But When You Start It Up For The First Time Your Neighbor Might Run Over To You With A Fire Extinguisher Because For About 5 Minutes That Boat Won't Even Be Seen There Will Be So Much Smoke! Works Every Time And You Maybe Spent $25 Bucks.
I've Found That If You Have A Few Days Of Around Freezing Or Below There Is A Danger Of It Freezing. We Had One Last Week That Was Lucky Because The Engine Only Blew Out 2 Freeze Plugs, But I Have Seen Them Where You Could Fit Your Small Finger Into The Block Crack! Winter Is A Crazy Thing You Hear Stories Of Freezing Temperatures Were They Have'nt Heard Of Anything Like That For Decades. Just My $.02 Worth. Merry Christmas To All!...bill.

[nitro557]

youll have two 1/4 pipe plugs on the sides of the block,one on each side ,mid blockish down by the oil pan rail,remove those use a nail or small srewdrive to clean out debri and get the water flowing out ,also pull off the hoses to your exh manifold-logs ,and drain those
next pull off one of the hoses at the thermostat houseing and start pouring in rv antifreeze,did you put the side plugs back in and reconnect the hoses sorry,fire the motor up and fog it ,your done
in your climate drianing will be enough

[Jeanyus]

Normally I just pull the 2 pipe plugs on the side of the engine block. This year I'm not going to bother doing it, haven't you heard about global warming?

[speed freak]

Like nitro said, pull the plugs out on each side of the block. Although there may be petcocks already installed on the block, if thats the case, open em up and make sure water comes out. If nothing comes out you will have to pull the petcock out and remove the blockage so it will drain. If there are just plugs in it they may be tuff to get out! Unhook the feed line from the pump to the engine at the lowest point so that water will drain, and also at the headers. Forget about antifreeze. You won't need it where your at! :cool:

[MikeF]

On your pump there are 2 pipe plugs. Remove both, put gear oil in some type of bottle that you can press fit into one of the holes and push the new oil into the bowl until clean oil start spilling out of the opposite one. There is usually some water in there (from pump pressure) and gets mixed w/the oil that is supposed to be in there. There is a seal there but it still seems to get in there. I do that before all outings to make sure I got oil in there. :)

[1975sleekcraft]

pull the two motor plugs(just under or around your freeze plugs)
pull the lower aft hoses of both logs
i also pull the plugs out of the logs
shoot fogging oil directly into th carb(till it smokes)
your done! at this point there is no reason to put antifreeze in!
my boat made it through two -10 F winters no problem! yakima wa.

[1978 Rogers]

Anti freeze is good if its gets cold down there. I keep a 100watt light bulb under the block to help put off a little heat the keep the temp consistent under the cover. That helps cut down on condesation. The bad news is if the bulb goes like it did on me a couple days ago when it was cold, your soft plugs will pop out. NOT A PRETTY SIGHT TO SEE. I'd say definate on the anti freeze. Even the the RV water line stuff works good.

[BigDoug]

I've put a heater blanket (for bed) on the engine to keep it warm at night but it takes many nights of below freezing temps to do any damage, one or two nights at 30 deg. won't hurt it but i turned the blanket on for my peace of mind anyways, cheap insurance. :)

[h2oboy]

I pull the inlet hose and conect a hose from a pump and pump antifreeze into the block until it comes out the back. Do not forget to close off the headers before turning on the pump. A little wd-40 in the spark plug holes and you should be good... Turn it over a few times, no gas to turn the crank... never had any problems.... Works for me

[IMPATIENT 1]

pull the two motor plugs(just under or around your freeze plugs)
pull the lower aft hoses of both logs
i also pull the plugs out of the logs
shoot fogging oil directly into th carb(till it smokes)
your done! at this point there is no reason to put antifreeze in!
my boat made it through two -10 F winters no problem! yakima wa.
WHAT ABOUT MANAGING RUST IN THE BLOCK OVER THE WINTER?WITHOUT ANTIFREEZE, THE WATER JACKETS WILL FORM RUST AND WEAKEN CYLINDER WALLS.IF YA DON'T REMOVE ALL THE WATER FROM EXHAUST LOGS THEY'LL CRACK.I DIDN'T DO THIS LAST YR.I PULLED BLOCK PLUGS AND THOUGHT I HAD ALL THE WATER OUT TILL I SEEN THE FREEZE PLUGS SETTING IN THE BILGE.I WENT BACK TO WHAT I KNEW WORKED FOR ME.

[bilgewiper]

I personally have never winterised a boat in SAC... then again I use it year round and drain the motor after every trip....
I guess you didn't live in Sacamento or own a boat in the winter of '91. I didn't winterize either. I lost a engine along with almost every other boater in the Sacramento valley. Mother nature will throw a surpise everyonce in a while. But, since you drain after every trip you should be ok.

[SmokinLowriderSS]

Already been to -6 this winter in Kansas, and my motor is 27 years old in it, here is how dad & I have always done it:
Buy 3 gal of (these days) RV type Propolene Glycol anti-freeze, Wall mart carries pallets of the stuff, pink.
Open the block drains, clean out if needed to let water drain. Close them
I have log manifolds (the last year tho, they are worn out), pull the feed hose from the pump to the manifold, connect a 2' long hose there, pour in a gallon, excess runs into the block. Do the other side same.
Put the supply hoses back on the manifolds, remove an outlet hose from the t-stat cover (I have a Chevy). hook up the 2' hose to the t-stat outlet, pour remaining anti-freeze into the block till it runs out the drive.
The block is now about half full, as full as it ever is with water on the trailer, and freeze-proof to -50
I rebuilt the 454 last winter to properly begin an upgrade program (cam & manifold, headers this year, head porting next (budgets)), found no evidence of any need to fog the cylinders to prevent rusting in the cylinders, 27 years of never being fogged, stored indoors about 5 or 6 years, outdoor under canvas the rest of the time. I will not fog, as I do not see the need, I will not tell you there is no need so do as per your own discression, but I have not seen the value.