Starting an inboard on dry land (NOT INBOARD/OUTBOARD aka I/O)

[Patriot]

I'm new to the inboard thing and found this on another forum.

The last post in this message says to run a garden hose in the strainer. Is that a good way to do it? 

Also can I winterize the engine by dumping antifreeze into the strainer?

 

http://forums.iboats.com/forum/engine-repair-and-maintenance/mercruiser-i-o-inboard-engines-outdrives/414486-starting-inboard-on-land

 

Edited March 19, 2015 by Patriot

[Patriot]

Anyhow, I bought one of these

 

Edited March 19, 2015 by Patriot

[steelie21]

I had something that went on the end of a garden hose that looked like a toilet plunger with an adjustable telescopic handle. You would prop it up tight against the strainer and turn the water on. Worked like a charm. I sold the boat but still have it. $10.00 if you want it. I live in Rochester.

[Great Lakes Lure Maker]

I have a tool for doing that. We call it "ear muffs", but I don't know the real name. It covers both water intakes, and slips on and stay's on. Hooks to a garden hose like the one in the picture. If your gonna antifreeze it, use polypropylene glycol, that is meant for whatever metal may be used on the motor. I say this because if it has aluminum on it you will need a special type that can be purchased at an HVAC supply house. 5 gallons is about 50 bucks. An inline pump, that can be purchased at Tractor Supply will pump the antifreeze into the block. Once it flows out the propeller, your done. (motor running)The antifreeze is sugar based and good to -50 F (possible more but if it's important to you I have some empty buckets at home I can check) and its also biodegradable and safe for human's and pets.  

[G-Daddy]

Just above the seacock on my Sportcraft there was a fitting that you plugged a garden hose into.  I ran a short hose to a 5 gallon bucket and used that for suction with the bravo water pump on the engine intake and filled the bucket from another hose.  That worked well until I repowered and the new engine has a fitting right on the engine where you plug in a garden hose direct.

[JakeyBaby]

Mine has a valve that when open it pulls from the bottom of the boat and when closed there is a hose to connect another hose for winterizing/running the boat while out of the water.

[baitrigger]

The ear muffs are all i have used. They work fine. One thing,we found the hard way, your lower unit(impeller) may act fine in the driveway. Hose sends water at pressure that isnt there in the water. Its all pump when you are in the water. That set us back 12 hours one spring. It does let you run the motor.

[motoman]

remove clamp from main intake water line big black hose , insert garden hose inside of the intake hose , best too have help ! fire motor an as soon as it about too start turn the garden hose on motor should be taking water and run in you driveway for as long as you need it too.

[W.W.IV.]

The ear muffs are all i have used. They work fine. One thing,we found the hard way, your lower unit(impeller) may act fine in the driveway. Hose sends water at pressure that isnt there in the water. Its all pump when you are in the water. That set us back 12 hours one spring. It does let you run the motor.

You can't use earmuffs on a inboard.I think someone is mixing up inboards with IOs, .

[Great Lakes Lure Maker]

You can't use earmuffs on a inboard.I think someone is mixing up inboards with IOs, .

 

I for one did. As I was reading other post's I was thinking it sounded like they were talking about an inboard. I had one once and it had a hose adapter for flushing.  Ooops, 

[Patriot]

The ear muffs are all i have used. They work fine. One thing,we found the hard way, your lower unit(impeller) may act fine in the driveway. Hose sends water at pressure that isnt there in the water. Its all pump when you are in the water. That set us back 12 hours one spring. It does let you run the motor.

I'm asking about an inboard not I/O

[baitrigger]

I wasnt very clear. All ive used is muffs. I/o. My point was that the boat will not duplicate real world conditions in the driveway.

[Great Lakes Lure Maker]

I should have worn my glasses, but I hate to put them on. I was also at the dealership getting our jeep fixed and they broke something I was a little upset about as I was reading this post. Disregard my ear muff suggestion, inboards have much different ways to be run on shore. Motoman and others were spot on with regards to inboards. I can say that if you plan to winterize with antifreeze, Just be careful what type you choose. Sorry for the confusion and not reading the post carefully. 

[Patriot]

So I received that plunger looking thing in the mail and its going to work fine for starting and winterizing, if I choose to do it myself

[lrg355]

The toilet plunger thing works well with a garden hose for running out of water.  For winterizing, I put a small sump pump in a 5 gal bucket with RV anti freeze  and pump it into the water intake with the plunger device.  (called fake a lake).  My block is closed cooling with a heat exchanger so the RV antifreeze goes thru all non closed cooling components and out the exhaust  Pink out the exhaust and you are good  Also use it to pump rv antifreeze into all other water intakes such as washdown, etc.  Never had a problem

[RYE]

Actually you do not need a pump, use gravity. I connected a short section of male end garden hose to the fake a lake. Ran the hose up over the transom to where I stood near the engine. Place a large funnel in open end of hose and dump 5 gals. of the pink through the funnel making sure you have a good stream of pink liquid exhausting through engine. Additionally, I would have spark arrestor off and can of foggit near by. When last of antifreeze was poured into funnel I would spray foggit into throat of carb until engine stalled. Done  Winterized for many years in this manner with no issues in spring. Make sure your engine is warmed up with water connection first. If you have a lot of water pressure do not turn hose on full, monitor your temp. gauge. It's really not an involved job once you have everything you need.

[Patriot]

This is some A+ information you guys are giving.

Thanks a bunch and if anyone has more suggestions, bring it on!

[lakebound88]

Do your motors have heat exchangers?

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Lake Ontario United mobile app

[Patriot]

Mine are fresh water cooled

[lrg355]

I have a heat exchanger. Block is closed cooling with auto type anti freeze in it. I also have a garden hose fitting on the starboard exhaust manifold which can be used to cool the engine in an emergency by hooking up your washdown pump if you loose your engine cooling on the water. I would not recommend winterizing with that fitting since you would close the seacock valve at the water intake and trap untreated water between the seacock and the the fitting being used. In fact, when I bought the boat (used) the seller said he winterized it by putting RV antifreeze into the hose fitting on the manifold. That was my first inboard at the time and I found cracks and leaking on the seacock valve body and the strainer body on the water intake. They were certainly from freezing of trapped water.

If you are winterizing by putting the antifreeze in with the fake a lake, make sure the strainer (polycarbonate bowl) is filled with the pink liquid thoroughly or you will be buying a new one in the spring.

[dvdegeorge]

remove clamp from main intake water line big black hose , insert garden hose inside of the intake hose , best too have help ! fire motor an as soon as it about too start turn the garden hose on motor should be taking water and run in you driveway for as long as you need it too.

+1 thats how I do it also