When to put your boat in the water?

[Xxx]

47 minutes ago, TileMan Dan said:

That's what I'm going to go back to doing.

 

I've been boating for 30 some years and never put anything in. Drain everything as good as I could and then gave her the old blow out never had a issue, till I started with this idea. I'm done!!! With pink, blue, red, green

[fisherdude]

4 hours ago, Dusty said:

I use Seneca lake water as is never freezes


Sent from my iPhone using Lake Ontario United

LOL

[Xxx]

Here ya go crusader I doubt you'll be tickled pick once you see this!! PAPhere's what I think of RV antifreeze, air don't freeze, that's the methood I went back to, the old way, kinda like spring water never freezes either old Pa. Dutch saying.

[rolmops]

I usually winterize my 3 liter I/O in November,but the water will be drained out of the block and the hoses are disconnected before the first frost in September. Air does not freeze or crack engine blocks. On the other hand, I will go fishing in January if the weather allows. All I have to do is screw in a few plugs and reconnect some hoses. Then, when I put the boat back on the trailer I just drain the system again before I hit the road. It only takes a minute or 2.

[Xxx]

I have a 18ft Larson with a 3.0 4cyl, same deal as, only 1 motor that I know of that's easier that would be the old style 2 stroke O/B, just tilt'er down. LOL

[fisherdude]

21 hours ago, pap said:

I have a 18ft Larson with a 3.0 4cyl, same deal as, only 1 motor that I know of that's easier that would be the old style 2 stroke O/B, just tilt'er down. LOL

3.7 L ( 470 ) 1 plug in heat exchanger 

[L&M]

8 minutes ago, fisherdude said:

3.7 L ( 470 ) 1 plug in heat exchanger 

 

Don't forget the voltage regulator & any water that might be trapped in the elbow

[fisherdude]

 
Don't forget the voltage regulator & any water that might be trapped in the elbow [emoji6]

Voltage regulator has been removed from my motor has an alternator now. As water being trapped in the bellows I lower the lower unit to its lowest position and I turn the motor over a few times that's all I've ever done how else can you get water out of the elbows

Sent from my XT1609 using Lake Ontario United mobile app

[chinook35]

On ‎2‎/‎24‎/‎2017 at 7:45 PM, stoneam2006 said:

 

 

I have the 3.0 mercruiser motor is there somewhere I can look to get reliable info on winterizing it. I'd like to be able to get out in April but can not afford to lose my block.

Sent from my SM-N920V using Tapatalk
 

 

Drain plugs on the 3.0 are on the port side . One in the side of the engine block , one on the bottom of the manifold .Use a stiff piece of wire to probe both drain holes . Sand and scale can clog the openings . You will think all the water has drained ,when there is still some trapped . For the record , I don't use RV or any other anti freeze . Just drain it and leave it .

[jimski2]

I laid up tug boats for the winter. We pumped oil into the sea chest and shut off valve to prevent ice bursting the pipes. Then the “do gooders” came along and could not do it any more. The fix was to install an air fitting to the line and bubble air into the pipes to remove the water and it worked. You could leave the boat in the water all winter long. Also a deicing pump under the boat would pump bottom water to the surface “39 degrees” around the boat and keep the boat from freezing in place.


Sent from my iPhone using Lake Ontario United

[Tim Bromund]

I’ve been using the purple -60 stuff for many years, never a problem, and I live down in ski country.


Sent from my iPhone using Lake Ontario United

[rolmops]

6 hours ago, Tim Bromund said:

I’ve been using the purple -60 stuff for many years, never a problem, and I live down in ski country.


Sent from my iPhone using Lake Ontario United

I've never heard of this purple -60 stuff. But it would nice to have something like that to pour into the block in order to prevent any water left behind after draining from freezing.Is there a brand name or do you use straight methanol (CH3OH)?

Edited October 29, 2017 by rolmops

[Xxx]

Ok guys, here's my findings on RV anti freeze, the pink juice sold by west marine or a boat shop is used for potable water traps and lines, there is X amount of glycol, will freeze at 7-10 degreesF. Now the purple is used still into the potable water lines, but it does say engine antifreeze and is designed to prevent scaling in the manifolds, and will freeze at 30-45 degreesF. And last is the green which will protect your block & manifolds to 60+ degrees belowF. They say the only 2 antifreeze that says engine antifreeze right on the jug are the purple & green, at $11.00 a gallon for the green and a buck or two less for the purple, not that bad to protect you from several grand come  spring. If you buy the pink antifreeze from Walmart, tractor supply ect. you are buying a way lesser of a grade antifreeze (pink) which is exactly what I did and those pics I posted with the screwdriver sticking in a cup was just put outside my house overnight at 15 degreesF  go on west marine website there is a video that basically says the same as I only with more in details with the amounts of the glycols. Very informative!!! I'm sticking with my Ingersoll-Rand compresser and -1000 degree below zero, clear oxygenLOL

[Fishnut]

I used the green stuff good to -50. I ran my motor on the ears for 15 minuets until the temperature was in the normal range. Then I shut the hose off and opened the other valve to let the green stuff flow, once it started pumping all green out of the water pump and exhaust I shut the motor down. I disconnected all my pumps and fed them with the pink stuff until they pumped straight pink from the bulge ports. I hope this is good enough???
I also vacuumed my head and added a half gallon of pink stuff to it.
Is there anything else I should be concerned about??


Sent from my iPhone using Lake Ontario United

[jimski2]

The green stuff you use in your automobile is a deadly poison. Draining it on the ground will expose your dog to lick it up because it is sweet, think about the danger when using it,

[Fishnut]

4 hours ago, jimski2 said:

The green stuff you use in your automobile is a deadly poison. Draining it on the ground will expose your dog to lick it up because it is sweet, think about the danger when using it,

I catch my excess in a big plastic shipping container I cut off to fit under the back of my boat.  I have too many animals to let it run onto the ground.

[Tim Bromund]

On 10/29/2017 at 7:07 PM, rolmops said:

I've never heard of this purple -60 stuff. But it would nice to have something like that to pour into the block in order to prevent any water left behind after draining from freezing.Is there a brand name or do you use straight methanol (CH3OH)?

 

https://www.westmarine.com/buy/west-marine---60-f-engine-water-system-antifreeze-gal--3556610?recordNum=2

 

[rolmops]

Thank you Tim. I'll go get some.

[Xxx]

This anti freeze is very deceiving the bottle reads -60* but then reads should be used in regions that are in the 14-17 degree area for a low?? It does say it will burst copper at -60* F I did a test with a piece of 1 inch piece of copper with the pink juice and the ends capped and soldered on and a smaller cylinder off a 50cc which I could use 4 pieces of all thread and the head bolted on with a gasket used. I cut the two sleeves off that fit into The crankcase so we could use a steel plate to the bottom and used a gasket out of gasket material then bolted everything together and stuck everything in the freezer at the same time. The next day the copper looked deformed but no pink juice. We then inspected the cylinder and it split open in two area just enough to make a stalagmites sticking out the sides like my block. My block where it split wasn’t very thick maybe 3/16” to a 1/4 very brittle cast metal. 

[Tim Bromund]

I’ve seen -30 at my house with the boat engine winterized with the -60 purple stuff and never had any issues.


Sent from my iPhone using Lake Ontario United

[Xxx]

Well Tim whatever your doing stay with it!!!