winterizing steps? i/o

[bkidder]

i was wondering if anyone could point me in the right direction to find a manual for my boat. or at least online winterizing instructions. it cost me an arm and leg this year and i want to do it myself next year...i just want to be certain to not miss anything. i have an omc sterndrive i/o motor. its a 3.8 liter v6. also, for my trolling motor- i have a mercury 8 horse. (1999) any info will be appreciated. thanks, bkidder
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[BigBuck3333]

been doing mine for years never had a problem. unhook fuel line run carb out of gas. open pet cocks and drain block,pull hoses dump antifreeze i prefer car not rv,down allhoses put your lips over hose and blow[] antifreze will come out of the out drive , hook all hoses back up and your ready to go next year. had 4 diffrent boats and aint froze one yet. allso some gas addditive in main tank is a good idea.
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[GEEZER]

Be mighty sure that you get both block drains opened. Any "V" engine will have two of them, one on each side. They will be on the sides below the exhaust manifolds. If ya don't do that right, you'll turn the engine into a big anchor. I've never had trouble draining the outdrive by just tilting it up & down a few times until no water drains out of it. I also pull the flame arrestors off my carburetors, shut the gas off, run the engine until it sputters then "fog" it by spraying WD40 down the carb throats until it dies. If you have the gas tank full, it'll lessen condensation in the fuel tank & it's a good idea to add the recommended amount of STA BIL gas stabilizer.
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[Ewetah]

On the outboards such as your merc kicker motor it is easy as well. Just use plenty of fuel stabilizer in the fuel tank and I prefer to keep my carbs full of fuel. Use a fogging oil and either spray into the carb when it is running (make certain you have earmuffs and a garden hose attached or have the lower unit in the water) until you get a nice white smoke or the motor kills. You can also pull out the plugs and spray fogging oil directly into the cylinders while you slowly turn the motor over by hand.

My 150 Johnson has a fitting on the carbs that allows me to hook up the fogging oil directly using a short hose that some types of fogging oil have on them. I do this the last time I use the boat when I have it on the trailer and the lower unit is still in the water.

You also want to remove the prop and lube the output shaft with marine grease and remove any fishing line that may be around the shaft. It is also a good time to lube any other grease zerks on the outboard as well.

It is very important to change the gearcase oil at this time as well whether you have an outboard or inboard. I do mine at least 2 time during the year. There is a a drain/fill plug and fill level indicator plug on the gercase that you remove to do the job.

iboats.com has a forum section that has some good info on winterizing as well as other marine related mechanical topics. It is a great resource! Here are the links from thier site: [url "http://www.brownsmarina.com/tech-winter-outboard.html"]http://www.brownsmarina.com/tech-winter-outboard.html[/url]

[url "http://www.boatsafe.com/nauticalknowhow/winterupdate.htm"]http://www.boatsafe.com/nauticalknowhow/winterupdate.htm[/url]

All of these procedures can be done by anyone with some basic tools and a minimal amount of mechanical know how. The money you save on labor at the dealer can then be used for more fishing tackle!
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[N.E.T.O.]

All of the above, but specifically to that Cobra (I had one...) there are screws on the outdrive (more like plugs, one on each side if I recall) that must be removed/then engine cranked (without starting) for a couple of RPM's, then screws replaced. This to remove water from impeller housing. If you don't, you run the risk of cracking the impeller housing, and on that outdrive (don't ask me how I know) it ends up being a repair that costs over $1000, mostly in parts!!!! (Wasn't my fault...was "already" winterized improperly when I acquired it...damage already done...)

You should get yourself a manual. I let mine go with the boat when I sold it, but it details those screws very well in the manual in the winterization section!!!

Doing it yourself always saves money, unless you skip a step!!!! I don't know of any other peculiarities on that outdrive.

Randy
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[bkidder]

thanks a lot for all of the tips guys. neto- where do you think i would get a manual?
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[bassrods]

One more thing when you store your boat out side be sure to leave the out drive down so water from storms won't freeze in there...
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[danzilla]

I know its more expensive to use but if its possable use no-tox antifreeze. every spring I hear of somone just taking their boat out and getting a ticket for dumping the antifreeze from their winterized boat into a marina.
the citiation for this is HUGE also just hooking up an hose and dumping it in your driveway is a hefty fine also.
The state can fine up to $30,000 for illegally dumping antifreeze into any marina and they do enforce this by taking water samples around you at the marina. plus there is a new tecnique that has them able to detect it as soon as your boat enters the water.
DZ
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