How To Winterize Your Boat – Step Two Video The Engine And Lower Unit

The aim of this next video

is to achieve peace of mind that your engines and lower units are safely prepared for Winter. The main issue to over come is freezing fluids left in the lines and chambers. This video takes us through how to accomplish this stage in the how to winterize your boat series.

Points to remember

• Using a fuel stabilizer in your tanks, stops air turning to condensation over Winter.  Water in the tanks leads to poor fuel problems in Spring.

• An alternative to fuel stabilizer is fuel water absorber.  If you have not added fuel stabilizer, then, in the Spring use the fuel water absorber.

• It's best to add the fuel stabilizer to minimize  the build of deposits in the lines over the Winter period. The deposits will accumulate and lead to burst lines or blockage over time.

The engine block

Use a non toxic anti freeze to drive the water out of the engine. Not only does the anti freeze drive out any condensation, but also inhibits corrosion. Using the highest concentration available, in other words the -75 degrees Fahrenheit over -50 Fahrenheit is safer and -100 Fahrenheit safer still.

This is because the anti freeze may become diluted by the water inside the engine block. Watching the video will clarify this valuable point.

Kit you will need for flushing the inboard engine of water

• A winterizing kit

• five gallons non toxic anti freeze

• Motor flusher

• Garden hose

The sequence is covered in the video, here is the outline for you:

• hook up the motor flusher to the garden hose. Then attach it to the raw water intake. Start the engine and allow it to reach normal operating temperature.

• This sequence prepares the engine, lines, carburetors and injectors for the anti freeze. Turn off the engine. Remove the flame resistor from the carburetor, then start the engine. Now open the tap on the anti freeze container, which is attached to the garden hose.

Fogging the carburetor

• The engine will begin to fill with anti freeze, towards the end of the process remove the spark plugs and start fogging the carburetor with a fine mist of marine spray oil.  polymers in the oil stop the combustion chambers from corroding. Using oil and fuel stabilizers means your combustion chambers are given twice the protection!

Learn more about protecting your engine here

Now for the outboard engine sequence

As you know, very similar to the inboard sequence, but:

• Take the raw water intake nozzle from the seacock and put in a bucket full of anti freeze - non toxic as recommended by West Marine.

• When the bucket is almost empty the anti freeze will have reached the carburetors and injectors. Now is the time to fog. Removing the spark pugs and fogging the combustion chambers for double protection in combination with using fuel stabilizer.

Changing the oil

You can use either a manual pump or an automatic. Changing the oil now, means you won't have bits of gunk coming out of solution and depositing in your lines over the Winter.

• After warming the engine, connect the pump tubing to the dip stick and pump the old oil out. If it is milky in color then you have just saved yourself a messy task in the Spring.! Oil left over Winter comes out of suspension and the milky white color indicates a build up of corrosive acids in the oil.

Cleaning the lower unit of your outboard or sterndrive

• Find the manufacturers recommended lower unit fluid, so the fluid and lower unit are working in harmony.

• Remove the vent plug from the top of the unit, also the drain plug at the bottom.  Attach the fluid bottle to the vent plug.  Start the pump, wait until the fluid runs out of the drain plug, or the dip stick indicates full.

• Replace the vent plug first then the drain plug. If the fluid that has run through is milky in color, have the unit serviced as this indicates wear within the lower unit.

The shop and the next video in the series

Having watched the video and understood the products required, make your selection below:
When you are ready go to the next video in the series.

Related posts

How to winterize your boat video one

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