Fix & Winterize or Wait till Spring???

[Dollbuggy]

Just bought my first Big Lake boat. A beautiful '87 Starcraft Islander with a Merc I/O. Guy I bought it from didn't winterize it though. Should I take it to the repair shop during the winter to have them see what it needs and then winterize it? Or should I let it sit untill the spring and have them look at it then, and skip the winterizing part? I'm new to the forums and would love any input you guys might have.
THANKS!

 

[scbackpacker]

Re: Fix & Winterize or Wait till Spring???

Did the previous owner drain the water from the block? If you don't do anything else make sure that there is no water in the engine. I know down here in SC we've several nights down in the mid to upper 20s which is low enough to crack an engine block. Lower the out drive all the way down so water can't accumulate in the foot and freeze.

 

[Bob_VT]

Re: Fix & Winterize or Wait till Spring???

Welcome to iboats!!

There are a BUNCH of Starcraft fans here!! http://forums.iboats.com/Starcraft_Boats

I would have it checked ASAP and winterized.

That is a beautiful boat and if it was in my posession I would be having all checked and winterized NOW. If you let it go.... you could destroy the engine!

The secret is to be as ready as possible for next season, have the wheel bearings re-packed and checked too.

If you are good with a wrench and comfortable following instructions take a peek at the I/O section and you can winterize it yourself.

 

[lprizman]

Re: Fix & Winterize or Wait till Spring???

welcome aboard and congrats on the new rig!
I would go thru it and winterize it, as others will think.

 

[piper_chuck]

Re: Fix & Winterize or Wait till Spring???

Do what you can to protect the engine.

If you're going to have a shop do work, the dead of winter is probably a good time to do so. You can't use the boat anyway, and when warm weather starts coming around everyone is thinking boats and the shops will be busier.

 

[ziggy]

Re: Fix & Winterize or Wait till Spring???

if it was outside at below freezing temps with water in the block, your likely sol already though. get her to the shop. if the worst has occurred, you'll have the winter to R&R the engine out and be ready for next summer....
if someone did drain the water out, maybe they did some winterizing too.... to me, the major thing now is to be sure the waters out of it. though like i said, it'll likely be academic if there's water there.
if she's not cracked, i'd go ahead and winterize it. at least go through the motions since a lot of pm can be covered during winterization making her water ready next spring..

great lookin boat too man.... she looks like a real keeper. saw me one of them up at my local dealers last fall. man, them are some sweet boats..... congrats..

 

[Gary H NC]

Re: Fix & Winterize or Wait till Spring???

Welcome to the forums!

I agree with the other guys. Go ahead and take it to the shop.
You may have got lucky and dodged the bullet.It is better to know now than wait until spring.
The shops get booked up fast in the spring and it may take several weeks for them to even look at it.

Very nice looking rig! It is a shame the seller did not winterize it!

If it were mine i would go ahead and pull the block and manifold drains until i got it to the shop.

 

[RotaryRacer]

Re: Fix & Winterize or Wait till Spring???

We have had temps in the teens to single digits already here in West Michigan. If the block wasn't drained it is probably already cracked.

 

[smokeonthewater]

Re: Fix & Winterize or Wait till Spring???

me personally I'd get in there and drain water and put a heater on the engine to melt any ice in it.... I''d probably also run it on a hose.... If you get water in the oil or leaking out of the block (cracked) I'd start shopping craigslist for an engine... there are some deals to be had in the winter..... If you have less mech ability and or more money take it to a shop ASAP.... one less night in the cold COULD save you thousands

 

[Dollbuggy]

Re: Fix & Winterize or Wait till Spring???

You guys are great! Thanks for all the help and compliments. I'll take her into the shop next week and keep you posted on how things go. Thanks again. IBoats member for life!

 

[ezmobee]

Re: Fix & Winterize or Wait till Spring???

Great boat and welcome to the Starcraft club! There are a ton of us on this forum. As Bob said, definitely check out the Starcraft section and also the restoration section as there are a lot of SC projects going on there.

 

[RotaryRacer]

Re: Fix & Winterize or Wait till Spring???

If you can, get the block and exhaust drain plugs out now. If there is still water in there that hasn't frozen you may save yourself considerably. It could just be a matter of locating and loosening a couple of plugs and you may save the motor.

You didn't mention what size engine you have. So you will need to know that before we can help you locate the drain plugs.

 

[smokeonthewater]

Re: Fix & Winterize or Wait till Spring???

fyi I just brought a boat home frome philly last weekend... Got home at 9 am completely exhausted from the 1500 mile round trip but put a heater in the engine compartment before going to bed.... the next day I drained the manifolds, risers and heat exchangers which were frozen before..... this one had a closed cooling system so it had antifreeze in the engine water jackets but it had been sunk so the cylinders crankcase intake and carb were full of water.... I have now pulled the engines and gotten them running.... they are not cracked and are ok..... yours may be ok too but every minute counts. If you find that it is cracked you can drag your feet but until then act fast

 

[pmillar]

Re: Fix & Winterize or Wait till Spring???

In the event you aren't going to drain it before going to the dealer at least cram it into the garage in the meantime if it's attached to the house. That's usually good for a few degrees warmer than outside temps.

And sweet boat, btw. With a very nice trailer to boot.

 

[redone4x4]

Re: Fix & Winterize or Wait till Spring???

I was busy with work and just winterized my boat yesterday. Disconnected the cooling hoses and filled the manifolds/engine passages with coolant. I like you, was going to just wait since its already winter but it was really bugging me and I just wanted the peace of mind. Better late than never I guess, and next year I will do it waaay earlier in the season. Definitely get it done the first day you get a chance.

 

[Maclin]

Re: Fix & Winterize or Wait till Spring???

Redone, I hope you DRAINED the block and manifold(s) properly first before you took the hoses off and poured in the antifreeze mix. If not better start over, unless it does not get below 32 degress where your boat is stored.

 

[Ocean Airbrush]

Re: Fix & Winterize or Wait till Spring???

You need to take it to the mechanic have it check and winterized now. If you wait until spring, any mechanic worth your money will have a 2-3 week wait time while EVERYONE is bringing their boats up to par for the season. How will you feel sitting out the first weeks of the season waiting for your turn in line.

 

[redone4x4]

Re: Fix & Winterize or Wait till Spring???

Redone, I hope you DRAINED the block and manifold(s) properly first before you took the hoses off and poured in the antifreeze mix. If not better start over, unless it does not get below 32 degress where your boat is stored.

well, ive been workin 7 days a week and just poured antifreeze in until the clear water was gone and antifreeze was coming out of the lower unit and other hose passages. theres no excuse, but i just flat out havent had time to touch the poor boat since i parked it last in September. I poured about 2 gallons of coolant in it.

 

[Dollbuggy]

Re: Fix & Winterize or Wait till Spring???

I took everyone's advise and brought the ol? girl into the repair shop (Van's in Grand Rapids, MI).
I dodged a bullet! The motor had blown a water plug, and had a small crack on the outside of the water jacket but nothing in the motor itself. They had nothing but time to look at it and test it given the season. Result: no water in the oil, and a simple patch on the water crack. I AM JUICED! This has inspired me to replace the carpet and re-upholster the interior of the boat to get her looking the way she deserves. Here is a "before pic" and I'll keep you posted on progress. Does anyone know where I can get a replacement door for the cuddy?
Thanks Again to everyone for you input. Love me some Iboats!
CD

 

[Bondo]

Re: Fix & Winterize or Wait till Spring???

Does anyone know where I can get a replacement door for the cuddy?

Ayuh,... I took mine off,+ replaced it with a snap-on vinyl curtain...
The Door was always in the way,+ swings Too wide, creating wasted space...

I think my 1974 original aluminum combination door is around here,... Somewhere...