willow
Regular Contributor
Twin 350 crusaders...circa 1992
RAW water cooled
Blocks and manifolds drained every year and filled with the "pink-stuff"
Although my engine room has a fair amount of room, the two outside block drains as well as the two outside manifold drains can be a real patience testing venture to get out and replace once the engines etc have drained. The problem, at my age , is straddling the V drives and reaching toward the front of each engine with the outboard sides of the engine being in close proximity to the aluminum fuel tanks. It is very difficult and really tests my patience when attempting to remove the questionable plugs.
I have come up with a plan and am requesting any "pro" or "no " opinions.
I would like to replace all 8 drains with brass nipples which would have a brass ball cock at the end. To me the ball cock is the answer, for convenience and the fact that one can still get a piece of wire through an open ball cock if there "appears" to be any "gunk" in the block or ball cock mechanism.
PS..after purchasing the boat I did the same thing with the oil pan drains and hooked them up to small oil evacuation pumps...sure makes draining oil easy.
Thoughts ???
RAW water cooled
Blocks and manifolds drained every year and filled with the "pink-stuff"
Although my engine room has a fair amount of room, the two outside block drains as well as the two outside manifold drains can be a real patience testing venture to get out and replace once the engines etc have drained. The problem, at my age , is straddling the V drives and reaching toward the front of each engine with the outboard sides of the engine being in close proximity to the aluminum fuel tanks. It is very difficult and really tests my patience when attempting to remove the questionable plugs.
I have come up with a plan and am requesting any "pro" or "no " opinions.
I would like to replace all 8 drains with brass nipples which would have a brass ball cock at the end. To me the ball cock is the answer, for convenience and the fact that one can still get a piece of wire through an open ball cock if there "appears" to be any "gunk" in the block or ball cock mechanism.
PS..after purchasing the boat I did the same thing with the oil pan drains and hooked them up to small oil evacuation pumps...sure makes draining oil easy.
Thoughts ???