Can my motor freeze while trailering?

N

newt5005

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Hav read old posts until my eyes cross and can't find one addressing trailering your boat in sub 30 degree weather to and from a fresh water lake. I recently did this and half way home I hoped my Volvo AQ170 did not freeze. the trip was a several hours each way,and at least one and one half hours were spent in temps below 20f.I dont winterize as I utilize my boat year round. This is my first trip in weather this cold, and would like to again but dont know if I need some sort of protection.
 
Bt Doctur

Bt Doctur

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Re: Can my motor freeze while trailering?

The motor may retain enough heat to prevent the freeze but the question is the time span.My question is where do you find open water?
 
M

MGallik

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Re: Can my motor freeze while trailering?

at least one and one half hours were spent in temps below 20f
Click to expand...
Thats probably not enough time for the engine to freeze hard, but I think you need a plan that doesn't rely so heavily on luck....<br /><br />Whats the temp at the end of the trip? Both ends...
 
Don S

Don S

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Re: Can my motor freeze while trailering?

You may very well have broken something, but the block is not one of them. Possibly the oil cooler or exhaust manifold or heat exchanger. If you had a warm engine, you may have survived the 1 1/2 hours, especially if you were able to drain the system after the trip.<br />You Should learn how to drain the raw water side of the cooling system after trailering the boat, that way you don't have to worry about it freezing.
 
N

newt5005

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Re: Can my motor freeze while trailering?

Will try to answer q's in order.<br /> On the West coast there are a lot of places that don't freeze over.My choise this time is Pyramid Lake Nv. It's about an hour and a half north of Reno.<br /> The temp at home was in the low 40s at departure time,but an hour or so later at the Sierra Nevada summet,probably the high20s, an hour after that, downtown Reno 17. Pyramid Lake,around 15.The temp didn't change most of the day.No more than 3 or 4 degrees.Frozen fog in Nevada and foggy and overcast w/fog in California.<br /> When I got home,back to the mid to high 40s.<br /> I should have drained the raw side of the system, but was extremly frustrated with the starter (different post)and was not thinking.
 
Don S

Don S

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Re: Can my motor freeze while trailering?

Guessing won't help. Inspect and run the engine to check it out before you put it on the water again.<br /><br />I'm checking though----<br /><br />
Crystalball1.jpg
 
N

newt5005

Seaman
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Re: Can my motor freeze while trailering?

Thank you very much for your posts.As soon as my starter gets back from the shop I plan to do exactly that.Your inputs are appreciated. Mike.
 
J

jimmythekid

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Re: Can my motor freeze while trailering?

how cold is it when driving? (wind chill factor)?
 
M

MrBill

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Re: Can my motor freeze while trailering?

Please tell us the engine and cooling system type (ie; closed or raw water cooling) Chances are you'd be fine with both, but closed cooling would atleast protect the vitals.
 
T

trog100

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Re: Can my motor freeze while trailering?

is that a self portrait Don... he he.. very prophetic and humerous at the same time which is unusual..<br /><br />nice one..<br /><br />trog100
 
mkast

mkast

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Re: Can my motor freeze while trailering?

I think wind chill is used to figure out the moisture loss in skin, it doesn't apply to metal.
 
T

trog100

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Re: Can my motor freeze while trailering?

wind chill just makes a person think its colder than what the thermometer says it is.. it might apply in this case cos whilst it wont make anything colder than what the temperature really is.. it will cool a warm engine down quicker therefore giving it longer to suffer frost damage at the lower temperatures..<br /><br />covering the engine with a blanket before setting off would help keep it warm longer..<br /><br />trog100
 
L

lakelivin

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Re: Can my motor freeze while trailering?

Sounds like draining is the best idea to avoid all risk, but in the spirit of thinking out of the box, here's a creative suggestion on the 'to the lake' trip:<br /><br />What about heating a couple of bricks, maybe wrap 'em in an old towel & put em in your engine compartment before you go. You can use em as wheel chocks when you get there. Don't know about the trip back, though...<br /><br />Edit: you know, this suggestion was half facetious, but wonder if this might work if you live in a place where it's generally warm and you only need to worry about freezing at night on the odd occasion. Wouldn't have to worry about power outages for any solution that required electricity. Wonder how long bricks or blocks would retain heat & whether they would heat up the engine compartment enough?
 
Bondo

Bondo

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Re: Can my motor freeze while trailering?

Well,..............You guys are getting Awfully Creative................... :D <br /><br />I prefer the KISS Method..................<br />It Seems to Me, It would be Much Easier,+ Much Simpler to just Open the Drains on the Raw Water,+ Drain It..... <br />Right There at the Launch..........<br />No Worries........Ever,.....As long as it's All Drained.................... :rolleyes:
 
D

Darrendude

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Re: Can my motor freeze while trailering?

How bout a 12 volt electric heater tapped off your trailer lights. Mounted near the engine.
 
Don S

Don S

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Re: Can my motor freeze while trailering?

How bout a 12 volt electric heater tapped off your trailer lights. Mounted near the engine.
Click to expand...
Your kidding right?<br />You obviously don't know much about electricity and wiring do you.
 
L

Laddies

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Re: Can my motor freeze while trailering?

it will only freeze if it's below 32 degrees, duh.
 
mkast

mkast

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Re: Can my motor freeze while trailering?

See if you can get your mother-in-law to squeeze into the engine compartment, but then you'd have to put up with her while boating. Install a single point drain system, flip one valve, the entire cooling system drains, do a web search, I can't remember the name of the company making these systems.
 
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