De-winterized (if only for a short time)

[NFA]

I have a '99 150 Optimax, runs flawlessly, no problems (knock on wood).

Anyways, it's been in storage since November and I need to make a cabin run in the near future.

Would it be okay to take the boat out of "winterization" mode and run it for a day or two, and then park it until the spring/summer season? Would this do any damage, anything I need / or should consider?

For winterizing I just fill up the tank, put a stabilizer in it, and leave the leg all the way down to allow excess water to drain.

Have any of you done this before, any experiences, good / bad?

Cool, appreciate any input you may have, thanks!



Scott

 

[BigB9000]

Re: De-winterized (if only for a short time)

I don't see a problem using your engine. Its made to run.

Others should chime in

 

[NFA]

Re: De-winterized (if only for a short time)

Ya, I hear ya BigB, and think the same way. But I just want to know if maybe there's something I'm overlooking, or should consider. It probably couldn't hurt it and would actually be good for the battery, to give it a solid charge. But I'm also thinking of when it sits again, or whatever.

Hopefully others will throw in their two cents / sense...hahaha.




SSS

 

[arsenalpsu]

Re: De-winterized (if only for a short time)

As long as there's fuel stabilizer in what's in your tank now it should be fine. Then top her off and add more stabilizer when you're done. It will be good for the battery, i keep my battery on a float charger all winter-helps it last longer. When you're done you could always spray some fogger oil in your carbs & cylinders, i do that every winter to keep everything "wet" .......

 

[j_martin]

Re: De-winterized (if only for a short time)

Ya, I hear ya BigB, and think the same way. But I just want to know if maybe there's something I'm overlooking, or should consider. It probably couldn't hurt it and would actually be good for the battery, to give it a solid charge. But I'm also thinking of when it sits again, or whatever.

Hopefully others will throw in their two cents / sense...hahaha. SSS

You haven't really winterized it, just stabilized the fuel. It would be good for it to run it.

Around here, we spray enough fogging oil in em to wreck plugs when we restart em in the spring. Also, it gets so cold that frost and condensation gets all over everything, so we try to protect that by spraying down the outside of the power head with WD40.

De-winterizing is a cult religious ceremony where we smoke up the neighborhood burning off the fogging oil, clean it all up. Do a compression test, put in fresh plugs, pull the lower and put in a water pump, and walk around the boat admiring it at least 7 times.

Then we launch it and beat the snot out of it for all 3 months of summer.

hope it helps
John

 

[NFA]

Re: De-winterized (if only for a short time)

Sounds like some great advice. Looks like I'm going for a boat trip!

Hahaha, thanks a lot guys, I'll keep this all in mind.

 

[NFA]

Re: De-winterized (if only for a short time)

If I decide to take the boat out this weekend, would I be okay with the plugs I have in right now, or should I swap them out?

I was going to swap them out at the beginning of the new season (couple of months), but could do it when I go for a rip?

Just curious, thanks.

 

[jay32827]

Re: De-winterized (if only for a short time)

I would fire it up in the driveway with muffs first to make sure you dont have a bad plug. If you don't, then run it. If you have a bad plug for whatever reason change it.

 

[twostroke87]

Re: De-winterized (if only for a short time)

Uh, yea keyword here is OPTIMAX

That means its a DFI or "Direct Fuel Injection" Which means that the fuel is forced into the cylinder on compression and completely bypasses the crankshaft. A traditional 2 stroke has both oil AND FUEL in the crankshaft area, and optimax does not.

The main flaw with this is, fogging fluid is a thick oil, and it is specifically designed to be broken down by fuel, except you don't have any fuel in your crankcase so when you spray fogging fluid into your intake, it goes into your crankshaft and STAYS THERE! This is very bad for the crank, and will result in damage eventually.

NEVER FOG AN OPTIMAX VIA INTAKE

If you have done this NEVER DO IT AGAIN

If you would like to winterize your optimax properly yourself, buy a small portable tank, mix a heavy mix of 2 stroke and mercury "smoke" Plug it into your engine and run it till it almost dies, this way the fogging fluid only goes where the fuel goes.

Sorry to be so blunt guys but you will destroy you engines. Thought you should know.

 

[NFA]

Re: De-winterized (if only for a short time)

Hey Twostroke, thanks for the update. I've heard mixed reviews on using de-fogging and whatnot, and have chosen not to do anything in regards to that. I will change the plugs as that is seasonal maintenance.

Can you clarify on what you mean in regards to the small tank and how to do that? I got some of it, but would appreciate further insight.

In your opinion, am I know running it for a day on the current set-up, ignoring swapping the plugs...until the season starts up?

Thanks everyone.

 

[twostroke87]

Re: De-winterized (if only for a short time)

There are a couple of ways to winterize an optimax, some are helpful, some are not harmful but aren't great. As for your plugs, always leave the old ones in through the winter until you run it again in the spring, after you run it and get all the excess oil/stabil/fog outta the system change the plugs and your good.

One way is to put stabil in your gas tank, run the engine for 10 minutes to make sure its through, and then just leave it trimmed now and let it drain, spary crc all over the engine under the hood and leave it for the winter.

Another way is to get a small aux tank, maybe like a 5 gallon. Mix like a 50:1 tw-3 marine grade oil into it, along with an appropriate amount of stabil, and also the bottled verson of fogging fluid, merc sells it as (smoke). Mix that also into the tank. Then hook it directly to your engine, (after you have warmed it up on regular fuel) and run then engine at idle until it starts to smoke heavily and start to sputter, hit the throttle a couple times to really smoke it out. Then crc the engine block and electronics, and put it away for the winter. (make sure to reconnect your boats fuel tank)
The benefit of doing it this way is that you know the fog/oil/stabil is only going where the fuel goes inside the optimax.

The last way is what mercury actually recommends, but is unlikely for the do it yourselfer to be able to do unless he knows someone that works in a merc dealer. That is to hook up the computer, disconnect the fuel pump, and run the oil pump count to a high level, like for a 150hp an 800-1000 count oil pump would be enough, then just reconnect everything and fire it up, itll smoke like hell give it a couple revs and your done crc the block.

Hope all this helps, I recommend the second way over anything else. Just keep in mind that the intake on an optimax only has AIR and OIL, so the need to fog via intake is unnecassary and harmful. (you'll end up needing a whole new crank eventually)

Treat your engine well and it will treat you well!

 

[NFA]

Re: De-winterized (if only for a short time)

Great advice TT. I'll keep the plugs in until I'm ready to bust it out in the spring. I may even have a lead on a ride up now, so may not even be taking the boat out after all. But nonetheless, all this information is good to know. I'll be printing this one out and leaving it in the boat much as I've done in the past.

I will look into that "Smoke" stuff and probably go that route for next winter.

Would it still be okay to spray the entire engine with that other stuff you mention, the CRC stuff? What does that stand for anyways?

What kind of engine are you running TT?

 

[twostroke87]

Re: De-winterized (if only for a short time)

CRC is a brand like zep or wd 40, it basically is wd 40 except it is marine grade so it has a much higher flash point (like wd will ignite at say 190degrees, where as crc won't till 250, but thats just an example don't qoute that lol)

Spraying the crc on your engine when u winterize will drive water out, help prevent corrosion etc, its not bad for your electronics either. I Use it all season like once or twice a week makes everything nice and lubricated, and in the future when u gotta take something apart it comes apart easier.

 

[two0four]

Re: De-winterized (if only for a short time)

mercury does not say anything about priming the oil pump for winterization. take plugs and a put a few ounces of tcw3 in each hole and spin it manually for a few rotations.

 

[twostroke87]

Re: De-winterized (if only for a short time)

First off mercs not going to suggest that to you because you can't do it without a computer to hook into the engine, which in order to have you have to be a mercury dealer. That is why i said you need to know someone at a dealership that can "borrow it" and hook it into your engine.

Mercury isn't going to suggest that to the average DIY guy cause technically the merc computer isn't ever supposed to be used outside normal dealership operations IE you would have to send your boat to the merc dealer to get this done, or like I said, know someone who works at a leniant merc dealership that won't notice its gone overnight

BTW yea doin what you said with the plugs n oil works too, but doin it through a pump prime is way faster and less hassle. Only took a couple minutes and it was clean no mess done.