Drain plugs: Leave them in during the winter or take them out?

[Subliminal]

Just wondering what you guys like to do.

 

[Jeepster04]

Re: Drain plugs: Leave them in during the winter or take them out?

It doesnt matter either way but, I leave them out over winter and leave the hoses unhooked. Put them in a plastic baggie and put them in the glove box.

 

[We're Here]

Re: Drain plugs: Leave them in during the winter or take them out?

I suppose if you are prone to loosing things, leave them in. Otherwise I don't see a reason.

 

[ziggy]

Re: Drain plugs: Leave them in during the winter or take them out?

i leave them in over the winter...

reason i do this is because i think that perhaps the screw threads in the manifold or block could rust over the winter thus possibly causing issues with getting the plug to thread in and stay put over time (as the female screw threads slowly rust away)...

if yer winterizing w/anti freeze. ya have no choice but to leave them in..

 

[paultjohnson]

Re: Drain plugs: Leave them in during the winter or take them out?

It doesnt matter either way but, I leave them out over winter and leave the hoses unhooked. Put them in a plastic baggie and put them in the glove box.

Ditto ... Im thinkn if you leave everything open, any resiual moisture could dry out thru evaporation and drainage. I sometimes wonder if there is any water thats slowley makeing its way down to the low points, after the initial draining is complete. . Maybe there are some tiny passages that are holding water in an [airlock] ? Same thing as flipping a bottle of ketchup upside down. no ketchup comes out until the airlock breaks by stickn' a knike in it or something. Also, if you had a pickle bucket full of water, then you dump it out. Set the bucket down and an hour later all the residual moisture settles on the bottom. I imagine the same thing could happen in an engine. Arent those little puddles gonna promote rust in an engine ? I wanna leave all the moisture escape routes open. It gives me piece of mind... JMHO

 

[Eric 3.7LX Alpha 1]

Re: Drain plugs: Leave them in during the winter or take them out?

I put the plugs back in. Like Ziggy mentioned above I always worried about the female threads having some rust buildup an making it difficult to reinstall. Didn't wanna deal with chasing the threads with a tap.

The manual states to reinstall the plugs as well, but I do see your reason maybe some more water will find it's way down and want to drain out and now it is trapped with the plugs in.

I haven't had any problems as of yet puttin em back in, and it's been about 8-years now.

 

[Howard Sterndrive]

Re: Drain plugs: Leave them in during the winter or take them out?

I leave one in, put another in the junk drawer in the kitchen, put the third one in my toolbox, and throw the remaining one overboard.

At least that seemed to be the case this spring when I went to reinstall them.

 

[paultjohnson]

Re: Drain plugs: Leave them in during the winter or take them out?

I put the plugs back in. Like Ziggy mentioned above I always worried about the female threads having some rust buildup an making it difficult to reinstall. Didn't wanna deal with chasing the threads with a tap.

The manual states to reinstall the plugs as well, but I do see your reason maybe some more water will find it's way down and want to drain out and now it is trapped with the plugs in.

I haven't had any problems as of yet puttin em back in, and it's been about 8-years now.

How bout if you were too... pull plugs out, let water drain, grease up the plugs, thread em in, take em out. Threads are now greased. I suppose you could load up a Q-tip with grease for that matter, stick it in a give it a twist...

 

[PiratePast40]

Re: Drain plugs: Leave them in during the winter or take them out?

It doesnt matter either way but, I leave them out over winter and leave the hoses unhooked. Put them in a plastic baggie and put them in the glove box.

Same here. Since mine has the raw water pump easily accessible on the front of the engine, I put the new impeller and gasket in the baggie as well.

 

[07FourWinns]

Re: Drain plugs: Leave them in during the winter or take them out?

Our boat has brass plugs so rust isnt an issue. Part of the brass plug stays in the block while the center of the plug comes out, which is also brass.

Only plug that has a chance of rusting is the intake manifold and it should be dry so thats not an issue either.

 

[Eric 3.7LX Alpha 1]

Re: Drain plugs: Leave them in during the winter or take them out?

I leave one in, put another in the junk drawer in the kitchen, put the third one in my toolbox, and throw the remaining one overboard.

At least that seemed to be the case this spring when I went to reinstall them.

crap

u mean u had an extra plug

 

[Eric 3.7LX Alpha 1]

Re: Drain plugs: Leave them in during the winter or take them out?

Our boat has brass plugs so rust isnt an issue. Part of the brass plug stays in the block while the center of the plug comes out, which is also brass.

Only plug that has a chance of rusting is the intake manifold and it should be dry so thats not an issue either.

That would make sense if you had a bushing in the block/manifold. Could be brass and then you wouldn't have bare cast female threads to rust. The "male thread" plugs on mine are all brass as well.

Pic below of a brass bushing:

 

[07FourWinns]

Re: Drain plugs: Leave them in during the winter or take them out?

^^ Yup, thats exactly what our block has.

 

[ziggy]

Re: Drain plugs: Leave them in during the winter or take them out?

to me, that item looks like the repair to female screw threads that've rusted away and ya needed to go the next size up. for all practical purpose. you are leaving the plug in. the part that treads into the cast iron (rustable) block anyways.

 

[paultjohnson]

Re: Drain plugs: Leave them in during the winter or take them out?

to me, that item looks like the repair to female screw threads that've rusted away and ya needed to go the next size up. for all practical purpose. you are leaving the plug in. the part that treads into the cast iron (rustable) block anyways.

My boat came stock with those ... They have been in there since day one... Brass on brass I leave the plugs out in the winter and have never had a corrosion issue. In the spring I just screw em right back in, no probs...

 

[Eric 3.7LX Alpha 1]

Re: Drain plugs: Leave them in during the winter or take them out?

to me, that item looks like the repair to female screw threads that've rusted away and ya needed to go the next size up. for all practical purpose. you are leaving the plug in. the part that treads into the cast iron (rustable) block anyways.

^^^ that's usually what they are used for. When you have a bad thread and have to go one size larger, drill and retap, then the bushing gets you back to the same size. nothing wrong with it, though, does a nice repair.

My boat came stock with those ... They have been in there since day one... Brass on brass I leave the plugs out in the winter and have never had a corrosion issue. In the spring I just screw em right back in, no probs...

Well someone figured that brass won't rust, maybe factory. Nice!

 

[ziggy]

Re: Drain plugs: Leave them in during the winter or take them out?

My boat came stock with those

so it did. http://www.mercruiserparts.com/Show...19&bnbr=160&bdesc=CYLINDER+BLOCK+AND+CAMSHAFT see item 2.

perhaps the manufactures have learned something over the years. like people leave the plugs out. the cast iron female screw threads rust away causing issues with the plug not sealing or stripping out whats left of the screw threads due to rust. the new style plug cures that because the outer part of the plug that mates to the block is never removed.

on my '75, that is not a stock item. mine looks like this. http://www.mercruiserparts.com/Show...=80&bdesc=CYLINDER+BLOCK,+PISTON+AND+BEARINGS item 6.

i will agree. if i had one of them new style plugs, i may think and do differently. but my brass plug screws directly into the block. leave it out and it'd be succeptable to rust. the female screw thread part.

for what i have. i'm not changing my ways.

 

[Lou C]

Re: Drain plugs: Leave them in during the winter or take them out?

I fill with AF in winter so its a moot point, but I also put marine grease on the threads to be on the safe side....

 

[Joshua Nichols]

Re: Drain plugs: Leave them in during the winter or take them out?

I reinstall.. Thought about leaving them out.. With my luck I would lose em...
I only drain for the chance we get that freaky cold snap down here.. Most other people I know use the light in the doghouse trick.. My luck, light would burn out , I forget to turn it on, or burns my tub to the ground with my house..

 

[stonyloam]

Re: Drain plugs: Leave them in during the winter or take them out?

The Mercruiser "book" says for a 470: after draining, put hose back on and the plug back in.