Engine Winterization

[Big D]

.....As Big D said, just seeing antifreeze come out of the exhaust would not have worked out for us since we usually get well below 0. I did not want to drain the engines before adding antifreeze so I had to use quite a bit extra to get the proper temperature coverage.

If you never drain your block or exh. manifolds of raw water, then you never remove drain plugs that should be exercised periodically or you will need to remove them one day and open up a can of worms as a result. You also don't get rid of the sediment that collects in lower areas that never get pushed out during normal operation. This debris usually gets trapped at the bottom of the block and manifolds. Sand and solids of rust are the norm that often block drainage, hence the need to probe drainage areas when draining to ensure the passages are clear and all the water is drained. How do you know you're actually getting antifreeze into the block? Yes, I know there's a bypass but you're relying on everything being okay and no blockages exist. At least if you drained your block and there is a problem with the bypass, there won't be any water in the block to freeze. By draining first, you can do the engine with 5 gals or less and use the much cheaper -50 degree product.

[prowlersfish]

Any extra is help flush the engine and its cheap insurance

[Svend]

question on raw water cooled antifreeze treatment

is the reason it takes a few minutes after you see antifreeze out exhaust because the engine has a certain quantity in the engine, so it takes a while to flush that out?

where do you measure purity of engine antifreeze with that meter , at exhaust?

why does manifold rise 6 inches after manifold before going to exhaust?

thanks!

[larryeddington]

The refractometer mentioned earlier seems to be for glycol anti-freeze that said Is it okay to dump glycol AF into the water or should you be using RV type antifreeze that is either non or less toxic?

[prowlersfish]

question on raw water cooled antifreeze treatment

is the reason it takes a few minutes after you see antifreeze out exhaust because the engine has a certain quantity in the engine, so it takes a while to flush that out?

where do you measure purity of engine antifreeze with that meter , at exhaust?

why does manifold rise 6 inches after manifold before going to exhaust?

thanks!

Q) is the reason it takes a few minutes after you see antifreeze out exhaust because the engine has a certain quantity in the engine, so it takes a while to flush that out?

To push water out and fill the system best to drain first but will still hold some water .


Q) Where do you measure purity of engine antifreeze with that meter , at exhaust?
A) Yes , But if you used plenty and the color looks right coming you should be good . I never have use a meter . Key use plenty and drain it

Q) why dose manifold rise 6 inches after manifold before going to exhaust ?

A) To keep water from backing up into the engine

[The Dog House]

The refractometer mentioned earlier seems to be for glycol anti-freeze that said Is it okay to dump glycol AF into the water or should you be using RV type antifreeze that is either non or less toxic?

You should use the pink, RV type antifreeze which is non toxic (propylene glycol). Propylene glycol is actually in a lot of the foods we eat, so dumping it into the environment is not an issue (bacteria use it as a food source). Do not use the automotive antifreeze (ethylene glycol). Ethylene glycol is a poison and should not be dumped into the environment.

[prowlersfish]

The refractometer mentioned earlier seems to be for glycol anti-freeze that said Is it okay to dump glycol AF into the water or should you be using RV type antifreeze that is either non or less toxic?

You should use the pink, RV type antifreeze which is non toxic (propylene glycol). Propylene glycol is actually in a lot of the foods we eat, so dumping it into the environment is not an issue (bacteria use it as a food source). Do not use the automotive antifreeze (ethylene glycol). Ethylene glycol is a poison and should not be dumped into the environment.

This above

[Big D]

+1 on the last 3 posts. Larry, it looks to me that the meter noted above measures both types of antifreeze and battery acid. If you're going to invest in one, you might as well get one that does it all. I think there is one that does windshield stuff too but not that important IMO.

[WayWeGo]

Larry, we use propylene glycol antifreeze with that refractometer and it seems to be quite accurate. It is interesting that even when the color is a fairly dark red, the glycol content might not be as high as you imagine. In colder climates, I would not be comfortable with the -50 degree antifreeze unless I tested it. If I were not going to test it or at least drain the block prior to adding the antifreeze, I would go for the -100 degree formulation.

I also would not use the alcohol based RV antifreeze (also pink and what you can get cheaply at Walmart) in my engines as it rarely has any anti corrosion inhibitors. It is fine and possibly preferable for your house water systems.

[Svend]

what is everyones thought on batteries over the winter while boat is on the hard?
leave them in boat, or take them out?
I have 6, and they are super heavy... so if I can leave them in, great... but I don't want to ruin them...
thoughts?

[44Ydnar88]

Pulling the thermostat first is also pretty good idea, my 2 cents. Sat is my day to pull

[WayWeGo]

I leave my AGM batteries disconnected in the boat over the winter, but charge them once or twice. They probably would be OK, but I worry too much if I don't top them off.

[Big D]

what is everyones thought on batteries over the winter while boat is on the hard?
leave them in boat, or take them out?
I have 6, and they are super heavy... so if I can leave them in, great... but I don't want to ruin them...
thoughts?

Top up the electrolyte with distilled water, charge, disconnect, test, and leave them on board if they test good. If you put a good battery to bed for the winter properly, it will hold its charge until next Spring. Having said that, there are no guaranties as there are many variables dictating whether your batteries survive. If they don't make it, they were likely close to failing and better finding that out when you commission in the Spring rather than getting stuck out on the water later.

[Svend]

great ideas!

I like your thinking Big D
If they are healthy, they should be fine, and if they don't make it, time for some fresh ones!

thanks everyone...

[Svend]

I am curious about how much water a 318 uses when running your engine when boat is out of water and you use a 5 gallon pail to feed it water or anti freeze.

does it empty pain in 1 minute?
5 minutes?

I just have no idea the amount of water cooling system needs to run engine...

thanks

Svend