winterizing boat questions..........

guys,

...this is my first winter with my boat ('90 bayliner capri i/o), my questions are:

1)do i need to have my boat winterized by a boat dealer (shop, marina, etc) or can i do it myself? im fairly mechanical natured but dont have a clue when it comes to this boat, and i have no owner's manual.

2) how much is it to have a shop winterize a boat typically?

David, Do it yourself....The main thing that you'll want to get done is make sure all the water is drained out of Your engine block manifolds and risers. To do this look at Your engine block for a bolt or petcock on each side of the block. If it's a four cylinder it may only be on one side ? Open the petcock or take the bolt out and let all the water drain out.There will also be a bolt on the exhaust manifolds and risers that You will do the same thing. If it gets really cold in Your area You might want to run antifreeze into the block.There is a attachment you can buy that hooks up to Your out drive to do this. It hooks up to the lower unit and You can pour the anti freeze in while the engine runs. Don't ever run the boat without water or antifreeze flowing through it. There is a rubber impeller in your lower unit (water pump) and it will burn up if you run the boat with out water or in this case antifreeze. As a side note you should replace the impeller at the start of every season.

You can also buy gas stabilizer to add to Your fuel tank. Add the stabilizer and top off Your tank. If you don't top off your tank it is possible to get condensation in your fuel tank and that's not a good thing. You should also buy a can of engine fog. I have never used this because I use My boat in the winter so I'm not positive on how you do it but I think that you start the boat and spray it into the carb while the boat is running. I'm not sure how you would do it on a FI engine. When You fog the engine it coats the cylinders with a oil to prevent rust. If you fog it make sure you do it before draining the block or you will have to repeat that step.

In spring or when you start to use the boat again is a good time to change all fluids and impeller and water separator if you have one.If you don't have a water separator have one installed.

Good luck.

PS. if you use your boat early in the season and there is a risk of a hard freeze make sure you drain the water out of the block again so it won't crack.

Did mine yesterday. Do in the following order.
1) Stabilize fuel
2)Change oil
3) Fog the engine down (Just spray fogger in through the carb or the injectors. You have to take off the flame arrestor and make sure you are VERY careful with the washers. I dropped one in the carb and had to dig it out of one of the spark plug holes with a magnet. It was a total pain and if you dont catch it right away, you have to tear the engine apart. Anyway, spray fogger in the carb until the engine dies on its own. Then put it back together.
4) Drain all the water and get RV anti-freeze. Its pink and comes in gallon bottles for like $2 each. You prob need 2. I don't remeber too well cause I haven't had an I/O in a few years, but I think there are hoses that are by the pullys that you take off from the top and pour in the anti-freeze. Then put the boat back together.
5) Disconnect your batter

Then you're done.

Don't take it to a dealer, it will take you an hour tops to do this yourself. Good luck, let us know if you have any specific questions.

Good suggestions on the oil, fuels and fogging.

Sorry, Mark. I have to disagree with you on the antifreeze.

I don't know how cold it gets in NJ, David (I KNOW St. Paul is cold, Mark) but here in Colorado, it gets well below zero in the winter. I had a 4.3L V6 in my first boat, I used RV antifreeze one winter and it gelled, expanded and blew the head gaskets out.

I have tested the most recent formulations (purple and pink) of RV antifreeze this year in my freezer (about zero Farenheit). I put a couple of ounces (undiluted) of each in old Arrowhead bottles and put it in the freezer. The RV AF froze solid after just one hour. Try it for yourself, it only takes an hour and 2 bucks.

Ask the boat mechanics what THEY use, if they use antifreeze at all. Most of them just drain the block and call it good.

You can use auto-grade antifreez, for protection to sub-zero temps if you are careful, but only if the boat is out of the water, and stays there for the winter.

Be careful with it, and contain spills. It will kill or maim animals that drink it. It tastes sweet to them.

DON"T use the boat in the spring until you have drained the block and flushed the engine. Again, contain spills.

Good luck.
YMMV.


(Message edited by spoon on October 17, 2004)

Here is
http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=10001&langId=-1&catalogId=10001&productId=45454

what you'll need if you go the route suggested by Walt. It attaches to your engine flusher.





(Message edited by spoon on October 17, 2004)

My uncle is a mechainc and thats what he says to use and what we always use. I'll give it a try in the freezer. I might be going back up to the lake soon to change it out then. Learn something new everyday...

I did see some RV stuff (green) at West Marine for $10 per gallon. They claim it is good to 100 below.

guys-thanks a million. i will try and do it myself then. if i have any questions i will post them with some pics.

thanks again.

david bogart

The directions on my can of fog say to spray it down the intake throat until the engine dies and then pull each plug and spray it inside each cylinder. Is that overkill, do I really need to pull the plugs?

(Message edited by hot4sun on October 18, 2004)

Big Dave,

I always spray a shot into each cylinder and crank the engine a turn, to protect the piston rings and cylinder walls. Remember to run some carburator cleaner through, when you start your engine in the spring to clean the fogging oil out.