Logo
FULL SITE MENU

Winterization Technique FWC

knuckle47

knuckle47

Advanced Contributor
On our 1992 454's the exha

On our 1992 454's the exhaust elbows have a 1" hose on top that feeds seawater to the exhaust for overboard discharge thru the mufflers. In an attempt to try and avoid unnecessary spillage HERE IS A PLAN:
Place extensions on those two hoses so they can reach a 5 gallon bucket with -60 system winterizer. Also in this bucket is the hose from the seacock main cooling water intake.
Start the engine and re-cirulate the solution until it returns thru the elbow hoses then spray fogging oil thru the carb until she conks out.

Any thoughts?
 
"Ayuh,....

Or,........
You

"Ayuh,....

Or,........
You can just Drain the Raw water side of the equation,+ call it a day....

After all,....
Air just Doesn't Freeze......"
 
"Hey Bondo, Nice to read you.

"Hey Bondo, Nice to read you...I haven't see your frog in a while ! I always assume I would have a puddling somewhere and that would give me a hard time !!!


AL"
 
"G'day...from the Great Wh

"G'day...from the Great White North !!

Personally with twin 350's I pull the drain plugs on both sides of each block as well as the elbow drains at each exhaust manifold. Drain all the water out and wet/dry vac any excess.

When drained, I put all the plugs back in.I have a coupling at the raw water sea cocks that allows me to attach a garden hose to it, a short 6 foot piece. That hose goes into a 60/40 mixture of anti-freeze. Run engine and when the antifreeze comes out the exhaust...turn it all off.

The reason I don't just drain and leave is that I have been advised that it is best to keep all gaskets wet. Been doing it "my way" for 15 years...and no problems.

Hook a fresh water hose in the spring and run until no antifreeze comes out the exhaust.

Different Strokes..."
 
"[b]"...I haven't see

""...I haven't see your frog in a while !"

Ayuh,...
I'm still around Al,...
Mostly checkin',+ not posting....

Winterizing is a Major Debate, about anytime 2 Boaters are standing in the same room...
And,...
I understand that you guys who play in the Salt have different Issues....
Those who Are,...
Should probably use Dk Powick's method of flushing in antifreeze...

That said,...
Up here on the Sweetwater Seas,...

Pull the plugs,+ drain it...
40 years is not unheard of as a lifetime for manifolds,+ risers... I know, I've got'em in service that look New...

Freezing,+ Splitting is the #1 cause for replacement up here....
Matter of fact,... It's about the Only reason for replacement...

I've been doing it Dry, All my life,.. It's the Norm around here...
A few tablespoons of water will turn to ice,+ do No damage,.. If it doesn't evaporate 1st...
A Quart can possibly do abit of damage, depending on Where it's laying...

If you're a mechanic enough to call yourself a Mechanic,....
You will Know that you've drained every single drop of freezeable freshwater from your Whole Boat....
Right,..??

Ayuh,... Air, just Doesn't Freeze.....
wink.gif
"
 
"Lock two boaters in a room to

"Lock two boaters in a room to discuss winterization techniques, and they'll come out with three opinions!

Jeff"
 
"[b]"Lock two boaters in a

""Lock two boaters in a room to discuss winterization techniques, and they'll come out with three opinions!"

Ayuh,... Or a Fist Fight will break out..

"So the real answer is .. Move to South Florida !"

I thought about it,...
But Ice Fishing season is just too short down there....
snow.gif
"
 
"[b]"""But Ice Fis

""""But Ice Fishing season is so short down there"""

Not really....they do have ice rinks down there
lol.gif
"
 
"Al,

Just realise that when

"Al,

Just realise that when you bypass the flow going out throught the exhaust, the exhaust hoses can heat up. They also rely on the water flow for cooling.

It may be fine for short runs, but keep an eye on it. I have a tought time getting my engines to conk out w/ fogging fluid. They sputter and run rough, but rarely stall out.

While I do fog it while running antifreeze through, after I shut them down, I load the carbs uo w/ fogging fluid once again and pull the coil wire and turn it over for a few seconds."
 
"Good Point Mark,

Dry too l

"Good Point Mark,

Dry too long would be a problem.
these engines took about 30 seconds to start sputtering so we sprayed two cans at 1 time !"
 
"Al:

here's two more ce

"Al:

here's two more cents for your cup......

I use a 5 gallon buck with a hose barb on the bottom, 1.25" to match the raw water inlet hose feeding the strainer. Close seacock and remove hose. Connect this to the hose from the bucket with coupler - short piece of 1" PVC pipe - no fuss.

Hang bucket with rope and then add 4 gallons (per engine) of the pink stuff, usually -50, straight from the jug. Start engine until bucket is empty. shut off engine. Here's where it is different.

Now remove belt from raw water pump. Grab fogging oil and restart engine. Run at fast idle and fog with two spray cans. When heavy smog is visible exiting the exhaust, either shut off key or manually close choke plate to stop engine. repeat for other side.

To be blunt, I'm a cheapskate (inherited, I believe) and can't justify the time spent trying to get those 1" hoses free, especially after a full year of use. There is only added benefit to having the pink stuff in the exhaust plumbing. If you 'recycled' it, every time you'd use it, you'd dilute the pink stuff. My limited experience says you can't check its concentration the same way you can EGW (auto stuff) so why add to the risk factors you are trying to eliminate?

mark"
 
"Just curious..........some of

"Just curious..........some of you refer to your engine anti-freeze as that "pink stuff". Are you referring to RV plumbing anti freeze??
The "pink stuff" up here in the Great White North is not recommended for engines as there are no rust inhibitors in RV plumbing anti-freeze....infact some brands say "for use in plastic pipes only"

From what I understand there may be some "pink" brands that do have rust inhibitors but I have not seen any locally. There is now a "green" engine anti-freeze that is enviro friendly but it costs about the same as regular engine antifreeze and is not supposed to be ratio mixed.

If anyone knows of a "pink" anti-freeze with rust inhibitors that is as cheap as regular RV anti freeze please post the brand name cause like most boaters....I want the most for the least!!!
lol.gif
"
 
"DK:

yes, regular RV pink s

"DK:

yes, regular RV pink stuff. In the old days, we used to use the no-name green stuff because we could get it cheap; cheaper than the RV stuff. Not too long after we got the boat, the yards in the region banned anyone from winterizing with it - only the pink stuff was permitted. Never added any rust inhibitor to the winterization batch as I don't have it contacting any cast iron. On our rig, it only has the hoses, the coolers and HX (Brass) and the stainless elbows.

fwiw, the boat shop where I learned about this stuff only ever used the RV stuff and found, via the factory reps, that The exhaust elbows lasted much longer if kept 'wet' than dry. when I asked a chemist, he confirmed the theory. the rationale went something like the air provides much more oxygen (oxidizing agent) than the pink stuff and without the oxidizer, there wouldn't be any rust. This is consistent with what Jeff suggested earlier in another thread this week.

finally, if you really feel the inhibitor is essential, I see no reason you couldn't get a can of the white stuff they sell in the auto parts stores and just add it in with the pink stuff. Last can I bought would do a 20 qt system and it was under $2, out the door."
 
"Thank you for your response..

"Thank you for your response....I will certainly look around for next year. The "green" stuff I have seen is bio-degradeable so it can be used here but is about the same price as a jug of regular antifreeze but as I said before, you can't dilute it so reg anti-freeze with water is better...... as far as cost goes."
 
"Never knew winterizing was so

"Never knew winterizing was so fashionable...Pink, Green, White, Purple

PS: Mark, Fortunately having done the rebuilds so recently, the hoses did come right off as did the elbows when I had the wrong gaskets on the water adapters. On the other hand, I have had parts so difficult to remove after 25+ years, even though they came out, I was really thinking about cutting, torching or smashing !"
 
good that the hoses were coope

good that the hoses were cooperative.

were did the purple come in .... the 'smashing' activity? I hope not as that is really painful in this kind of cold.
 
Good thought but the purple is

Good thought but the purple is -60 pink is -50 and the greenish is -100. AND it gets GREENER $$$ as the temps go down !

Your thoughts remind me of 'black and blue'
 
Back
Top