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Disconnect raw water hose from engine or seacock to winterize?

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nightstalker

Regular Contributor
Very tight quarters trying to get at hose that connects to the raw water seacocks when winterizing twin 1990 Crusader (FWC) 454's. Any problem disconnecting the hose from the engine to run the "pink stuff" through the engine using a similar size hose in a bucket of "pink stuff"? Also, do you open your seacocks once your vessel is on the hard?
Nightstalker
 
A wise man once said;
"All winterizing procedures look great in October, Novemer, December, January, etc....... and it's not until re-commissioning in the spring time, that we really find out how well the process was done!"

Just plain air won't freeze expand and ruin your expensive cast iron parts.
A partially diluted, and/or incorrectly used anti-freeze mixture, without fully draining again afterwards, cost people cast iron parts each spring.

Pull all of the low point drains, probe them with a wire or ???, to remove rust scale, and remove all low point hoses, and sleep well at night. :)

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Last edited:
nightstalker said:
Very tight quarters trying to get at hose that connects to the raw water seacocks when winterizing twin 1990 Crusader (FWC) 454's. Any problem disconnecting the hose from the engine to run the "pink stuff" through the engine using a similar size hose in a bucket of "pink stuff"? Also, do you open your seacocks once your vessel is on the hard?
Nightstalker
Click to expand...
Those wire reinforced hoses are tough to remove from either end. I installed an 1 1/4 X 1 1/4 X 3/4 tee at the seacock. I have a length of 3/4 hose with a 3/4 nipple in the end that just goes into the tee. I fill a 5 gallon pail with with pink stuff,close the seacock, start up and suck it dry. Replace the 3/4 pipe plug in the tee (with safety tie-wrap) and open the seacock. Ready to go in the spring. I'm fresh water cooled, live dangerously and have never drained anything else. However,pulling the drain plugs is safer. Been doing it this way since 1984. The only thing I changed was going from green to pink, it tastes better.
 
rfdlou said:
..............
1... I fill a 5 gallon pail with with pink stuff, close the seacock, start up and suck it dry. Replace the 3/4 pipe plug in the tee (with safety tie-wrap) and open the seacock. Ready to go in the spring.

2... I'm fresh water cooled, live dangerously and have never drained anything else. However, pulling the drain plugs is safer. Been doing it this way since 1984.
Click to expand...

1... With a closed cooling system, whereby the exhaust ONLY is sea water cooled, this works fairly well.
It's the guys that are using this method for a Raw Water cooled engine, that get themselves into trouble.
They are not considering the sea water path, the sea water that is by-passing the actual engine demands, the dilution created, and the T-Stat's involvement in this.


2... I presume that you're leaving your E/G mixture in the block, heads and H/E......., and that you are then draining the exhaust mans/risers, correct????
 
Not sure what's being diiscussed, but many people pull the raw water intake hose off, stick it in a bucket of Pink Stuff, and suck that through 'til it comes out the exhaust.

I use a variation of that technique in that my strainers have a removal top cover--just pout in 4 gallons as the motor runs. Piece of cake. Oh, and I always drain the block ane exhaust system first (RWC).

Jeff

1985 Marinete 32 Sedan w/ twin Chyrsler 360s
 
Thanks for the help. I'm going to do both. I'll drain everything at the low points, run a brush through the holes to make sure she's clear and then run the pink stuff through them. Never drained them before, but I figure it can't hurt.
Nightstalker
fastjeff said:
Not sure what's being diiscussed, but many people pull the raw water intake hose off, stick it in a bucket of Pink Stuff, and suck that through 'til it comes out the exhaust.

I use a variation of that technique in that my strainers have a removal top cover--just pout in 4 gallons as the motor runs. Piece of cake. Oh, and I always drain the block ane exhaust system first (RWC).

Jeff

1985 Marinete 32 Sedan w/ twin Chyrsler 360s
Click to expand...
 
fastjeff said:
1.... Not sure what's being diiscussed, but many people pull the raw water intake hose off, stick it in a bucket of Pink Stuff, and suck that through 'til it comes out the exhaust.

2.... I use a variation of that technique in that my strainers have a removal top cover--just pout in 4 gallons as the motor runs. Piece of cake. Oh, and I always drain the block ane exhaust system first (RWC).
Click to expand...

1.... And this is exactly where they create an issue for themselves, IMO, that is.
Some are not considering;
  • time required for the stat to open, and until the stat opens, the block/heads will contain mostly residual sea water.
  • that most all sea water (pink stuff in this case) is by-passing actual engine demands via the T-stat's role in this.
  • the remaining residual water may dilute the incoming antifreeze mixture.


2.... Bingo....... Now we're talking.
Begin with a fully drained engine, and you will have no dilution conerns, nor with the by-pass affect us in the same way.
Some will go an extra measure, remove the T-stat, and will pour the antifreeze into the engine through the T-Stat opening.


.
 
RicardoMarine said:
1... With a closed cooling system, whereby the exhaust ONLY is sea water cooled, this works fairly well.
It's the guys that are using this method for a Raw Water cooled engine, that get themselves into trouble.
They are not considering the sea water path, the sea water that is by-passing the actual engine demands, the dilution created, and the T-Stat's involvement in this.


2... I presume that you're leaving your E/G mixture in the block, heads and H/E......., and that you are then draining the exhaust mans/risers, correct????[/QUOTE

Correct."Full" FWC including the manifolds. However,I don't drain. I trust in pink.
Click to expand...
 
rfdlou said:
Correct. "Full" FWC including the manifolds. However, I don't drain. I trust in pink.
Click to expand...
If your system is a "Full" system, the sea water pump, the sea water side of your H/E, and your risers would be the only components that would see sea water... correct?

In that case, pulling the antifreeze in through your sea water pump should work, but if it were me, I'd still drain again afterwards.

The premise is that we also gain corrosion protection from the antifreeze, but in actuality, we only THINK we are getting substantial protection. Any lay-up corrosion will be miniscule compared to what occurs throughout the season....., IMO that is.

If it's been working for you, then that's excellent......, and I wouldn't change your procedure!

Also, it's generally the new boat owners who end up having freeze damage issues when they try to save money by becoming a DIY'r.


.
 
Rick:

I used to pull (and replace) the t-stat before doing this every year (RWC system). Since then I've discovered that, like any engine with a t-stat, there's a by-pass circuit around the t-stat to prevent stagnation (ie: non-coolant flow). Also, since the block is empty to begin with, the only liguid going into it is the Pink Stuff! Voila; it works the same without all the hassle.

Jeff
 
fastjeff said:
Rick:
I used to pull (and replace) the t-stat before doing this every year (RWC system). Since then I've discovered that, like any engine with a t-stat, there's a by-pass circuit around the t-stat to prevent stagnation (ie: non-coolant flow). Also, since the block is empty to begin with, the only liguid going into it is the Pink Stuff! Voila; it works the same without all the hassle.
Jeff
Click to expand...
Yes, I agree with you, and is why I posted Bingo....... Now we're talking. Begin with a fully drained engine, and you will have no dilution conerns, nor will the by-pass affect us in the same way.


Jeff, the point that I was making earlier typically pertains to people with RW Cooling. They will bring the antifreeze in via the sea water pump, and when they see antifreeze exit the exhaust, they believe that it has equally gone through the block and cylinder heads and they are done!
They are not understanding that the T-stat holds coolant back, nor that most all sea water is by-passing actual engine cooling demands..... nor that most of this antifreeze goes right on out the exhaust, of which gives them a False-Positive.


Here's just one video that shows the method that gets these RWC'd guys into trouble.
Even while he has warmed the engine up prior, he's not considering that the cool antifreeze must still reach operating temperature before it will escape past the thermostat. Instead, he sees the antifreeze coming from the exhaust, and he assumes that it has equally entered and exited the block/heads. If you understand the path, you know that this does not occur.... at least not with the protection that some think that it provides.
Drain this again afterwards, and play it safe!


These devices are misunderstood, and get people into trouble when used for winterizing w/ antifreeze.



9-456DP4.jpg


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Do as you do by draining first........, and you can't go wrong as long as your mixture does not become diluted in the process!


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I figured that you figured that I had figured out what you figured..or words to that effect.

The bottom line is that draining the block and exhaust system is VERY important! You would not believe the rusty crap that comes out. No way anyone would want THAT stuff to stay in there.

Jeff
 
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