Do I have to Winterize?

[luckyinkentucky]

I have a '94 Evinrude Vindicator 200 that I mainly use for fishing trips with the occasional ski trip. I often run into a few days into December and even January that I have the opportunity to go Bass Fishing with 40 to 50 degree weather.

If I am going to be getting my boat out in the middle of winter do I have to winterize it? I assume that winterizing is only for boats that are going to be kept in storage for more than a few months.

Also, I am using Evinrude XD100 full synthetic oil in my 2 cycle oil reservoir. I have seen documentation where this oil doesn't gel up like other conventional oils do around 40 degrees. So, with this being said I should be ok ... right?

 

[thrasher]

Re: Do I have to Winterize?

You need to do something, winterizing is not for boats that are not going to be used for a while, its for ANY boat that is going to be exposed to freezing temperatures (regardless of wether it gets used a lot or a little).
It depends what you mean by winterizing, some people that just means drain all water out of the engine, others it means drain water, change oil and a host of other things.
If you don't drain the engine cooling system, any water in the engine can freeze and wreck the engine. If you are not going to drain the engine, then you need to either keep the boat in an enviroment that will not drop to freezing temperatures. If you are going to be using your boat over the winter months you just need to drain the cooling system..

Gary

 

[luckyinkentucky]

Re: Do I have to Winterize?

As for a fluid cooling system, 2 cycle engines don't have them. Also, I don't have to change my oil other than the lower unit oil that I changed last month when I installed a new impeller.

My boat doesn't hold any water anywhere when I am out of the water. The only 'winterizing' steps that you must do when storing a 2 cycle engine is to add storage fogging oil to the engine cylinders, and add fuel stabilizer and conditioner to the fuel.

With me using my engine over the winter I assume all I need to do is add a fuel conditioner/stabilizer to the fuel to inhibit condensation.

Could someone with some experience with 2 cycle engines chime in?

 

[gstanton]

Re: Do I have to Winterize?

The local marinas around here - if the weather is going to turn cold before they can get to winterizing all of them - will go to the extent of putting the boats back in the water to keep them from "bursting" anything. Would this apply to you?

 

[Tiki35]

Re: Do I have to Winterize?

Your thinking is correct. I would also remove the batteries and put them on a piece of wood in your garage connected to a trickle charger.
A lot of people also remove the prop during the winter. If you have a kicker motor, remove it from the boat and store it inside on a stand.

 

[bgbass.1]

Re: Do I have to Winterize?

just add fuel stabilizer and leave your batteries on a trickle charge in boat i live in the northeast and my batteries stay in on a charger all winter and there ok

 

[Nandy]

Re: Do I have to Winterize?

In my opinion you are only missing one step. You need to make sure your lower unit is not getting water on it! If you have water in that lower unit and it gets below freezing good chances are you will find a cracked lower unit. Other than that, I think your logic is correct.
After you have winterize your motor and you have find that your lower unit is not getting water on it, it will be up to you to make a choice of believeing that lower unit is still water free or change the oil after every trip.

 

[Silvertip]

Re: Do I have to Winterize?

Winterizing (or lay-up as it's sometimes called) is done for two reasons, both of which have been pointed out. Freezing is one, long-term storage is the other. If the engine is NEVER exposed to freezing temps and is not stored longer than a couple of months nothing is really required although addition of fuel stabilizer like Stabil or SeaFoam is suggested. An outboard (two or four stroke) does indeed have a "liquid cooling system" but it is self draining if the engine is stored vertically so no cooling system drainage is required. If the engine is exposed to freezing temps, you need to change the lower unit lub to ensure there is no water present. Long term storage (four months or more) should include fogging the engine. I suspect your storage periods are less than that. In your situation I'd treat the fuel, run the engine until the treated fuel is in the carbs, change the lower unit lub and put it to bed.

 

[mike176]

Re: Do I have to Winterize?

If your gonna use it once or twice a month in the winter all you need to do is make sure there is not water in the lower unit, thats the way i've been doin it for five years. It really does get cold here for 2 months. I just do all my service on the motor in Fed because thats the month trout fishing is closed in florida. Stabilizer is a waste of money if you ask me, 2stroke gas has a shelf life of 60 days (learned that in echo 2stroke techschool). In feb when i do my service i do run seafoam trough the motor. If you go out one time in a month just top it off when done. Your battery can be kept by just goin out twice a month and lettin the motor run for a while on the muffs. Thats how i do it but i do go out atleast twice a month year round so i guess i never really winterize, other then getting the water out of the foot for nights that we have a freeze.

 

[luckyinkentucky]

Re: Do I have to Winterize?

When I was referring to a liquid cooling system earlier, I was referring to the traditional anti-freeze cooling systems. At any rate ... I think I will just add some Evinrude 4+2 fuel conditioner to the next fill up, and check my LU oil. Like I stated earlier, there may be some days here locally that enable me to make a run to the lake for some fishing. There have been a couple of years where we had a 60 degree 'heat wave' in January.

Thanks for all of the advice and input.

 

[aspeck]

Re: Do I have to Winterize?

A recent bulletin says that because the quality of fuel has deteriorated, fuel is going stale as quickly as 2 weeks. Therefore, it is being recommended that fuel conditioner be added to EVERY tankful.

If you follow that instruction, then all that is left is the periodic checking of the lower unit grease to make sure no water is infiltrating the lower unit and contaminating the grease. And make sure your batteries stay fully charged.

My boat is garage kept, because I use it for wintertime fishing and hunting (have been known to use it as an ice breaker on occasion), but it is stored in a heated garage, so end up never "winterizing" it, but making sure there is fuel stabilizer in the tanks, lower unit grease is okay - and changed early spring and early fall, and batteries are charged.