Posts Tagged ‘boat winterizing’

With the passing of the recent Labor Day holiday, many of us are faced with the ominous task of preparing our boats to be laid up for the winter. Winter can be harsh on a boat, and if you want to get out on the water next spring without any unwelcome surprises, it’s important to store it properly.

• HERE’S HOW YOU CAN WINTERIZE YOUR BOAT ENGINE

Fill the fuel tank with fresh non-ethanol gasoline. Add a sufficient amount of gasoline stabilizer which is specified for marine engines and then run the engine sufficiently to bring it up to normal operating temperature while allowing the treated/stabilized fuel to circulate through fuel system.

• LUBRICATION

Change oil and oil filter. Lubricate all items like Throttle and Shift Cables, Steering, Coupler, U-Joints, Transom, Gimbal, Propeller Shaft, etc.

• MARINE COOLING SYSTEMS

Flush the cooling system. Refer to each manufacturers specific flushing procedure as indicated in the owners manual. Drain seawater section of cooling system, as specified in the owners manual.

• FLAME ARRESTOR

Clean flame arrestor and vent hoses.

• GENERAL ITEMS

Service the batteries as required by the manufacturer of the battery. Wash/Clean the outside of engine and allow to dry. Repaint any areas where bare metal is exposed, and allow to dry. Completely cover/spray the engine with some type of corrosion inhibitor or wipe down with SAE 20W engine oil or spray with WD-40.

• STERNDRIVE AND TRANSOM

Inspect U-joint bellows for cracks or weathering.
Check the bellow hose clamps to ensure they are tight.
Check engine alignment.
Change sterndrive unit oil.
Make sure the Sterndrive is in the DOWN position. This is required not only for draining of the unit but also to ensure that the bellows do not take a set which can lead to pre-mature failure when returned to service.
Use a piece of wire to check that water drain holes in sterndrive unit are open and allowing drainage.
Clean sterndrive exterior surfaces and repaint any bare metal surfaces.
Cover the entire sterndrive with some type of corrosion inhibitor.

Read More about Winterization of Mercruiser Inboard & Sterndrive Engines

Read More about Winterization of Yamaha 4-stroke Outboards

COMMON PRODUCTS WHEN WINTERIZING YOUR BOAT

MARINE FUEL SYSTEMS SHOP NOW FLAME ARRESTOR SHOP NOW

COOLING SYSTEM SHOP NOW STRENDRIVE & TANSOM SHOP NOW

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TOPIC: Boat/Motor Winterization

QUESTION: I used to own a boat equipped with a Mercury Outboard Motor which made winterization very simple. However I recently purchased a Sea Ray boat that is equipped with a MerCruiser Inboard/Outboard and Alpha Gen 2 Sterndrive. I’m looking to winterize my boat this year for the first time.  Is there a kit available that includes all of the items needed to do this winterization.   

RESPONSE: Below are the parts you need to build our Antifreeze Tank and Pump System. If you have a basic knowledge of 12volt wiring and how to install a simple switch into a circuit you can purchase the components and assemble it yourself.  It is not that difficult to assemble and all of the major components can be purchased from our website.

PARTS LIST:
Tank & Hose- http://tinyurl.com/pph57fb

750 GPH PUMP- http://tinyurl.com/n9mur3n -the pump threads right into the threaded tank cap – cut the excess off after installed

Toggle Switch- http://tinyurl.com/pbcyfdc

Battery Clips- http://tinyurl.com/olalnkz

Fuse Holder- http://tinyurl.com/oha2qrv

5amp ATO/ATC Fuse- http://tinyurl.com/nkcx6pj

Electrical Butt Connectors- http://tinyurl.com/p4y28yx

(2) 16-14 gauge wires [red & black] – Length is determined by if you’re using the battery in the boat [longer] or an auxiliary battery on the ground [shorter] – Obtain Locally

Auxiliary battery or use battery in the boat – Obtain Locally

Do you have a Mercruiser 4.3L MPI Engine? Have you winterized it yet? This video will walk you through the steps necessary to prevent freeze damage from ruining your next boating season. Mercruiser varies from other marine manufacturers in that they offer several different draining systems on their engines. As with all boat models the basic requirements of winterization stay the same since you are preparing the boat and engine for over the winter storage. However with Freeze Protection there are a couple of basic steps you need to be familiar with. This video will walk you through these steps.

Another year and another Spring arrives while welcoming in the onset of #Ethanol induced problems not only for anyone engaged in a Marine service related business, but also for every single boat owner. The particular instance we experienced this week is such a good example of the detrimental effect of ethanol on Inboard Marine Engines and Marine Outboard Motors that we decided to create a post with the hope that someone will read this and take the necessary precautions.

Customer Complaint:
I followed the normal steps of having my boat winterized, and making sure my fuel tank was completely full with treated fuel. I put the boat in the water this year and the engine fired up on the first crank. I then back the boat off the trailer and proceeded to pick up my family at the dock when the engine started to stumble until it finally died and would not restart. I then had to be pulled on to the trailer. I then proceed to pull the spark plugs and found water on the plugs. I therefore changed out the plugs but the engine still would not start.  At this point I suspected the boat had been improperly winterized so I decided to bring the boat back to Performance Product Technologies for inspection.

Inspection & Analysis:
Boat – 2013 Tracker PB22DLX w/ Less than 20 Hours
Motor: Mercury Marine 90ELPT 4 Stroke Outboard
Upon our inspection we verified that the engine was properly winterized last fall per Mercury Marine Service Manuals.  We then attempted to start and run the engine however the engine would not start. After verifying that the customer had in fact purchased the correct spark plugs when he changed them out we continued attempting to start the engine. With no success in our continued engine starting attempts we decided to take a fuel sample from the engines fuel rails. Upon inspection we immediately noticed that the fuel was extremely “cloudy” in appearance. Upon further testing of the fuel sample for water we determined the sample taken directly from the engine to be made up of 90% water.

Resolution:
Due to the fact that the ethanol blended fuel in the engine and boat’s fuel tank were seriously contaminated with water we  began preparing to pump the 30 gallons of contaminated fuel completely out of the boat’s fuel tank, as well as completely purging it from the engine. In these cases we manually pump the boat’s fuel tank into a fuel reclamation container and then use the fuel pump located on the engine to pump the bad fuel out of the engine fuel system. We then removed the new spark plugs the customer had recently installed, and we replaced these with new spark plugs.

At this point we then began attempting to start the engine again and it would in fact now start and run, but not on all cylinders. We then shut the engine back off and reinspected the spark plugs to which we found the new ones to have traces of water. We then installed a push button starter switch to turn the engine over manually with the spark plugs removed. The purpose of this was to blow out any remaining water still left in the cylinders. We then installed yet another set of new spark plugs and restarted the engine. This time the engine started and stumbled for about 5-10 seconds before finally smoothing out. From this point forward the engine ran perfectly while being supplied fuel from our shop tank with known good fuel. At this point the engine fuel supply was reconnected to the boat fuel tank that had been drained and refilled with known good fuel.

Performance Product Technologies winterization process includes the following steps;

1. Introduce Fuel System Treatment and Stabilizer into the boat’s fuel tank according to how much fuel is in the tank.
2. Start the engine and let run up to operating temperature to make sure the treated fuels makes its way up to the engine fuel rails.
3. Remove the pencils coils and spark plugs followed by spraying approximately 1 Fluid Ounce of Storage Seal Rust Inhibitor into each spark plug hole.
4. Crank the engine using a remote starter switch through one start cycle and reinstall the spark plugs and pencil coils.
5. Drain and refill the gear case with fresh gear lube
6. Change the engines oil and filter if needed
7. Disconnect the battery and prepare it for winter storage

**The winterization steps were completed properly in 2013 per the Mercury Service Manual. HOWEVER, after the customer picked the boat up he filled the boats gas tank up with Ethanol fuel and then parked the boat until this spring. Ethanol is an alcohol which draws moisture from the air. This water fuel mixture can then cause a formation of acid during storage which will damage the fuel system. This customer’s issues were caused from the Ethanol fuel that was put in the boats fuel tank prior to parking the boat for 5-6 months winter months.

Purchasing the cheaper Ethanol fuel ended up costing this customer over $750.

Tips for De-Winterizing Boat Engines

As the temperatures rise, boat owners are beginning to take their boats out from their winter storage. Before you get out on the water, make sure you have fully de-winterized your boat’s engine. This will ensure your boat is running safely and efficiently when the season begins. Performance Product Technologies provides everything boat owners need for de-winterization on our website.

Change Oil and Oil Filter

First change the oil and oil filter. Ideally, this should be part of the winterization process, but if you forgot it’s ok to do it at the start of the boating season. Oil changes are important in preventing corrosion and wear from built-up water, acid, and other byproducts in the engine. This buildup can cause power loss, poor fuel economy, and engine failure.

Find Star Brite heavy duty motor oil on our website for as low as $6.47. This oil exceeds OEM requirements and provides long engine life, but will not wear away at engines or void warranties.

Replace the oil filter at the time of your oil change. We carry a variety of Fram oil filters for outboard motors with auxiliary tanks. These filters extend engine life, eliminate clogging, and clean fuel in Crusader, Mercruiser, OMC, and Volvo models.

Replace Antifreeze with Coolant

At the beginning of winter you hopefully filled the cooling system with antifreeze. Now it’s time to drain out all the antifreeze and replace it with a 50/50 water and coolant solution to prevent overheating in hot weather. Check our website for coolants like Shell Rotella Extended Life Coolant (ELC) starting at just $18.85.

Replace Battery

Battery replacement is an important aspect of de-winterization. If you stored your disengaged battery for the winter you can now put it back in its place and continue using it. However, experts recommend that you get a new battery every two years. You may want to replace batteries every year or even six months if you boat frequently. This can help prevent electrical problems in your boat. Buy your replacement batteries, battery boxes, cables, terminals and switches from Performance Product Technologies.

For safety, use a 50/50 water and baking soda solution to neutralize any acid spills that may occur as your work. Be sure to conduct a thorough engine test, inspecting the integrity of fuel lines, spark plugs, and starter cords, and replace any parts beyond their useful life. Feel free to follow printed or online guides (such as this one) but keep your owner’s manual nearby and never deviate from it.

Question: Can you explain what the purpose is for Mercruiser’s Water Distribution Housing most of the Marine Engines are being equipped with today?

When popping the engine hatch and looking at the front of a typical Marine Engine today, one can’t help but notice the abundance of cooling system hoses the engines are equipped with these days. On the surface it seems much like just about everything in our lives where things just continue to get more and more complicated while finally reaching a point that the typical do-it-yourself garage mechanic can no longer service his own products.  In the case of Mercruiser’s Water Distribution Housing while the feature does add complexity in one aspect it does simplify things in another.

Even as far back as the early 1980’s Mercruiser had the desire to develop a Marine Engine equipped with an automatic draining cooling system. The Mercruiser 3.7L 470 Marine Engine, while not equipped with an automatic draining cooling system did in fact have many of the features that lead to the systems in place today. While an automatic draining system sounds fairly doable on the surface the typical issues of cost, liability, etc always stood in the way from allowing them to accomplish this feature. The main concern with an automatic draining cooling system was the liability that arises from any resulting freeze damage. The existing approach puts the responsibility of th owner to visually verify if complete draining is occurring from each drain location. If any question arises as to whether or not complete draining is occurring the owner is to use a small screw driver or piece of wire to clear out any obstructions to the drain. With an automatic system this responsibility then falls back on the manufacturer however even if the drain valve itself operates correctly the issues still remained that the drain hole could be obstructed by debris, etc. Therefore in the late 1990’s and early 2000’s Mercruiser set out to develop a better cooling system with regards to ease of draining. While these latest systems are not completely automatic they do in fact allow draining without the common challenges of standing on your head while removing block drain plugs, manifold hoses, etc. Mercruiser offers several different Drain System options including the multi-point drain, the single point drain, as well as the air actuated single point drain…READ MORE

Select this link to read more about other related drain system patents…..READ MORE