With the warmer weather coming on I was wondering if anyone has any advice on when it is safe to dewinterize my boat and if anyone has any tips on making the smooth transition. I have a 140 horse volvo penta I/O.
jed
[signature]
Jed,
I have a volvo penta 225hp i/o on my galaxy.I usually wait until the lows at night stay around 40's or the high 30's (38-39)..I now have a 3 car garage so I am breaking the boat out early this spring because I keep it in there until it warms up during the night.You just need to watch the weather patterns and watch for a cold snap which we get at least 1-2 more times before May this time of year.By the first or middle of april you should be ok if your storing your boat outside.Just keep an eye on the overnight temps..Thats what I do.I would also change all of your gas filters,and change your oil also make sure your battery is fully charged and the water level is up (where its supposed to be). Check your plugs and belts,also I like to add a gas treatment to my boat the first few fill ups to help clean out the winter guck..its called SEA FOAM..great stuff!!!You can put it in anything and works great!!! Good Luck!
]
[signature]
Good advice by UFG31. A few other things. You should change your impeller about every 3 years and at the beginning of the season is the best time. Before you go the first time start the boat at home to make sure the impeller is sucking water (from the hose with the rabbit ears). A bad impeller can ruin a trip and overheat a motor real quick.
I always add a fuel additive like UFG said, I use HEAT brand. Good luck!
[signature]
Sounds good I was planning on using a fuel treatment already. Good to hear I was thinking on the right track. I will proably start cleaning things up and changing fluids. I changed the impeller last fall when I bought the boat so I know the impeller is good and I always keep an exra one on hand. I was planning on running the boat at home because I ran antifreeze through the boat to winterize it and I don't want to dump whatever is left in the engine out into the lake. I am sure there is not much, but better safe than sorry. Thanks again for the advice,
jed
[signature]