WINTERIZING

[larglo]

Hi all,

I am going to winterize my boat this year, instead of relying on just
the bilge heater. It was to hard on my nerves thinking about a power failure all winter.

I have a Chysler 318 engine and was hoping you all could advise me about how many gallons of anti freeze to buy for getting the job done.

I was going to empty the water storage and the holding tank in the head, and leave them that way. The water holding tank is in the bilge and will place the heater in there just to keep it at 40 deg's.

Thanks,

Larry[/i][/url]

[TC]

Larry, a 50/50 mix of anti/water and you'll probably find around 12 liters (up here) or close to 12 of your quarts should do it. I have 350 Chevys in my boat but 318's are not that much smaller coolant wise. If you have never drained a marine cooling system you should try to find a manual to give you the locations of all the plugs. In mine there are 7. Two low on the block just above the oil pan, two in the lower exhaust manifolds, two in upper manifolds, and one in the belt driven water pump. Yours will be similar to a degree, but get the info or help from someone in the know. Whatever a manual costs, it's worth its weight in gold. With the water tank I just pump it empty, pump RV anti thru the lines, drain the hot water heater, then pour about a gallon of anti in the tank.

[prowlersfish]

Don 't use reg. antifreeze (illegal to pump over board )on a raw water cooled engine or the raw water side of a fresh water cooled engine . Use the Pink RV antifreeze for the raw water system on the engine (or compete engine if raw water cooled ) Drain the engine . close the sea cock pull of the hose and put it on a bucket of the pink stuff (3 gals min more is OK ) start it up till the bucket is empty put the hose back on and your done. in the spring time open up the sea cock and your ready .

[captainmaniac]

I have the marina deal with my engines, a/c, and generator. They have a rig that is essentially a big 40 or 50 gallon drum containing the water/antifreeze mix with a hose off the bottom that goes to a big suction-cup looking thingy that they run to my intake. They then clamp a 4" or so hose around my exhaust and the other end of it feeds into the barrel. Fire up, let it circulate until everything is hot and the exhaust water is full of antifreeze.

Fresh water system gets drained, then I blow the lines out and disconnect the hose at the water tank. I also rigged up a valve system to drain the hot water tank (making sure to turn the hot water breaker off first!!!). There is still a bit of water left in the tanks when all is done, but not enough to cause freezing damage. I don't use plumbing antifreeze anymore as it leaves a 'taste' in the system that takes a long time to get rid of in the spring.

For the holding tank, after the head and tank are emptied I run plumbing antifreeze through it to 'flush' all the water out, then have the tank pumped again. Any residue left behind is 95% antifreeze.

[aweimer]

Key thing is to ensure the engine is hot to open the thermostat. Or you can just remove it for the winter. Personally i let the marina do my three engines so its on their dime if they freeze. They use the -100 stuff. They connect a hose to the intake and run it at 1500rpm until the thermostat opens up to ensure the engine is 100% anti-freeze.

Neighbors at the dock does his own. The thermostat is on the top of the engine typically, he pulls it then just puts the intake hose in a 5 gallon bucket and runs about 3 gallons of anti-freeze -100 into his at the hoist. He has 454's in his.

But yes, if your doing it yourself, either have to run it when its HOT or remove the thermostat to ensure the lower end of the block is all anti-freeze.

[hmc]

If ya drain the block before ya add the colant no need to remove the stat

[k9th]

I have the marina do it all. At my age and with my physical limitations I don't get around that well in cramped spaces and it is much easier to have them do it and be responsible if something gets missed.

[larglo]

Thanks for all the info, it will help out a lot.

Larry

[mickeydd]

Hey Larry, I'm up here on the east coast of Canada, no place colder. I can tell you what I do with my two 318's. Its really a piece of cake.

I flush out my holding tank and after disconnect your sea valve to the tank. Put a bucket so the line can draw from it. Pour the pink plumbing anit-freeze. This way it goes into/through your toilet/flush system. I fill my holding tank about half ways.

My engines-- I fog the engines until they stall. When she gets to hard ground. I take out the block drain plug. Let all the water drain out. Where the thermo meets ( I Mean all the hoses). Disconnect them and pour about 8 liters in each engine.

I 've dont this for the pass four years, no problem. I hope this helps.

Mickey