4.3 mpi single point draining and witerization help please

[lucky 007]

hi this is my first time winterising a boat, mercruiser 4.3 mpi, it has single point drain system..... I Realy need help on making sure it is drained and then winterising.... filling with anti freeze etc. I have opened the drain **** and the water comes out also there are two quick connection type fittings both sides of the lower engine i have disconected them is there anything else for this type of system?

Thanks in advance

 

[Don S]

Re: 4.3 mpi single point draining and witerization help please

I would never trust that system. You need to remove the hoses from the manifolds, the block, and anyplace else they are connected and rod out the openings to make sure they aren't plugged.
You have to drain the block and manifolds before putting antifreeze in..

 

[CobiaXL]

Re: 4.3 mpi single point draining and witerization help please

Why would anyone waste money on anti-freeze?Anti-Air works great and is much cheaper....

 

[lucky 007]

Re: 4.3 mpi single point draining and witerization help please

thanks for the quick response. Is there some kind o manual with diagrams that would help me with this?

 

[wire2]

Re: 4.3 mpi single point draining and witerization help please

Why would anyone waste money on anti-freeze?Anti-Air works great and is much cheaper....

Some of us don't consider it a waste. Just draining the water creates a humidity chamber for ~8 months and we prefer to not have excessive rust clogging coolant passages in the heads, block, water pump, manifolds.

But we've been down this road many times, let's just say "to each his own".

 

[Alpheus]

Re: 4.3 mpi single point draining and witerization help please

What year is your boat?

 

[Don S]

Re: 4.3 mpi single point draining and witerization help please

Need serial number for your engine, plus if it's raw water cooled or not. what drive, and what type of raw water pump you have. Merc doesn't tell everything with a Sn, but year is only the year of your boat, not your engine.

 

[lucky 007]

Re: 4.3 mpi single point draining and witerization help please

engine serial OWO15137 DRIVE IS APHA ONE GEN 2 it does not have a closed water system it sucks up from the leg and comes out the exaust i think. Thanks for the help much apreciated... oh boat is 1995

 

[Alpheus]

Re: 4.3 mpi single point draining and witerization help please

Here is a link to the service manuals you need for your outdrive and engine...

Alpha One Gen II Manual

Engine Manual

 

[lucky 007]

Re: 4.3 mpi single point draining and witerization help please

i cant seem to find any reference to single point drain system in that manual

 

[Bondo]

Re: 4.3 mpi single point draining and witerization help please

i cant seem to find any reference to single point drain system in that manual

I would never trust that system. You need to remove the hoses from the manifolds, the block, and anyplace else they are connected and rod out the openings to make sure they aren't plugged.

Ayuh,.... Take all the single point drain system off, 'n give it the float test at the nearest Dumpster....
Then your motor will look like the 1s in the manual......

 

[Alpheus]

Re: 4.3 mpi single point draining and witerization help please

Google "Mercruiser single point drain" There are plenty of horror stories on how they dont work...

 

[lucky 007]

Re: 4.3 mpi single point draining and witerization help please

well i have emptied as much as i can from single drain point. Filled from the pipe that goes to thermostat housing with anti-freeze untill it comes out of thermostat. I am also going to put a 45 watt green house tube heater in the engine compartment, and leave it on all the time... hope it will be safe from the cold weather here in the uk...

 

[Lou C]

Re: 4.3 mpi single point draining and witerization help please

The issue with those systems is that if rust from the inside of the engine clogs the drain openings, then whichever drain is clogged will not drain, and you can have a freeze up in that part of the engine. I have a old raw water cooled I/O in salt water and when I winterize, I usually have to rod out at least 2 of the 4 drains to get all the water out. I always rod out ALL of em, but sometimes nothing comes out when I remove the petcocks....For sure it would never work in raw water cooled I/Os in salt. Fresh water I don't know about, but I'd be concerned that everything completely drained.

 

[Alpheus]

Re: 4.3 mpi single point draining and witerization help please

hope it will be safe from the cold weather here in the uk...

Thats no way to winterize your boat. That is a major investment you have there and instead of saying "I hope" You should be saying "I know" it will be 100% safe this winter, because I personally visually inspected and made sure that every drain was open and 100% of the water is out of my block.

You have been told by more than one person on here to get rid of that system but you didn't, so you go on "hoping" all winter. I wont be giving mine a second thought. Good luck...

 

[lucky 007]

Re: 4.3 mpi single point draining and witerization help please

i cannot just throw away the system, it has many pipes connected to it. and i dont know what they all are. There are 2 quick connection hoses down low on the engine below the spark plugs im assiming these are from the block drain. I have un pluged them and roded them out, other pipe conections have big elbow type fittings and im not sure how they come out of the engine... im 100 percent sure that having the heater in the builge under the engine will stop it from freezing. Does this sound right? here is a picture of the engine.

http://blystone.com/Mercury Pages/MerCruiser/gas_stern/4.3MPI-Stern.pdf

Is there a specific manual that would show all the waterways of this engine?

 

[wallerus]

Re: 4.3 mpi single point draining and witerization help please

1st. I have replaced many engines for customers that were 100% sure their heater or light bulb in the engine compartment would keep it from freezing.

2nd. The system you have only works marginally at best IF you flush and drain the engine EVERY time you use it. I have replaced 4 of these for customers that thought the engine was drained enough for winter.

3rd. I don't know what the fine is in England, but here in the states it can be a 10k fine if you get caught dumping or discharging regular automotive style antifreeze into the water. Use the Marine/RV pink antifreeze. You can buy it pre mixed or mix it yourself. There are a number of places that sell kits for winterization of your engine and drive. Yes the drive can freeze also if not protected.

If you go to Westmarine.com and seach for 'antifreeze' or 'winterize' you will see a kit that costs $50. They work very well. I have used them many times with complete success.

 

[Bondo]

Re: 4.3 mpi single point draining and witerization help please

i cannot just throw away the system,

Ayuh,... Good Luck then,...

other pipe conections have big elbow type fittings and im not sure how they come out of the engine...

Those are the exhaust manifolds,.... They Unscrew from the manifold....

Even if ya gotta buy some new plumbin',... I wouldn't take those Odds.....