First Startup after Winter Storage

[scubatrooper]

As I type this looking out my window it's snowing and they are saying by tomorrow we could have anywhere between 9 an 21 inches of snow (Omaha, NE)! So why am I thinking about starting my boat?<br /><br />I stopped by my dealership yesterday to say hi and ask them if there was anything special I needed to do the first time I started my engine after winter storage. I was told to simply reconnect the battery (it has been on a trickle charger all winter), start her up and let her warm up. After the first run in the water I should bring her in and have the plugs changed since the fogging oil will probably have coated and foiled the plugs.<br /><br />All that seems pretty simple but I wanted to check with all the pros here and ask, what is the proper way to get your engine ready for the boating season after a winterization has been performed and after long term storage for the winter? <br /><br />My engine, a Mercury 4.3 liter V-6 (carbed) was properly winterized by the dealership prior to being taken in for indoor storage. The dealership gave me the battery to store and charge, changed the engine oil and filter, changed the gear oil, fogged the engine as well as flushed the engine.<br /><br />What do you all suggest for the first start and use of this engine? I don't want to damage the engine by acident and I want to take care of it the best I can.<br /><br />Thank you all in advance for your excellent advice and recommendations. This is my second year of owning a boat but my first time having to prepare a boat after winter storage and I didn't want to mess anything up.<br /><br />Regards,<br /><br />Steve

 

[Lou C]

Re: First Startup after Winter Storage

Well for one thing I always wait until we know there will be no more freezing temps, here in NY that is usually mid April, and if I do run it, I am prepared to drain it right away if the temps will get close to freezing even for 1 night. Other than that, just check all the fluid levels before starting, including the drive oil level, and after starting carefully monitor the water temp and oil press levels on gauges, and go back and make sure the new oil filter does not leak. If you have a water seperating filter, that should have also been changed, make sure that does not leak either. Be prepared for big clouds of smoke as the fogging oil burns off.<br />If you are running it on the hose with the muffs, use the expensive Tempo ones with the dual inlets and make sure you have good water pressure to the muffs. Make sure no one in the house runs the wash while you run the engine on the water hose in the driveway, it can drop the pressure enough to overheat the motor.

 

[Don S]

Re: First Startup after Winter Storage

Along with what Lou mentioned, after you run the engine to burn the fogging oil off, it's time for a full tuneup. While it may sound like it running right, the plugs have been soaking in fogging oil all winter and it will lower your fuel economy.<br />New cap, rotor, and sparkplugs, a compression test check the timing and advance timing, adjust carb mixture and set the idle speed. Shift to foreward and reverse with the engine running, turn the steering lock to lock and check all the boats other systems, auto bilge pump, blowers, lights, horns, etc.<br />Regarding your battery, I don't like trickle chargers left on all winter. No need for it at all. Usually they are unregulated and can overcharge a battery after it's fully charged which is worse than just sitting there. Best thing to do is charge it up the day before you are going to use it. If it needs it. A good battery shouldn't loose it's charge over the winter. If it does and it was unhooked, then it needed replaced anyway.

 

[Doug Durako]

Re: First Startup after Winter Storage

Scub---I like to start mine on the muffs in the driveway and let her get up to temp. Let's me hear everything out of the water and flushes the pink antifreeze out. I can check oil pressure (oil was fresh when I put her away), thermostat function, impeller and water flow, drive gear oil (also fresh) and battery levels without getting stuck on the ramp or in the lake.<br /><br />Then I fill up with fresh gas, throw in a can of heat, and hit the water for a day. I make it a point to burn all the old gas on the first day out.

 

[crazy charlie]

Re: First Startup after Winter Storage

I guess I am too much of a fanatic but what I do is after changing the oil in the fall ,I leave it 1 quart short.In the spring,a few days to a week before start up I add 1/2 quart of oil per valve cover and spray a bit of foging oil into the carb.I bump the ignition two or three times and come back another day to start it up.Just want to be sure there are no dry areas before it running.

 

[scubatrooper]

Re: First Startup after Winter Storage

This is all great advice guys! Thank you all for your recommendaations. Like I said, I'm a newby after my first winter storage and I don't want to trash my engine and miss out on all the fun this summer.<br /><br />Thanks for the tips and I hope you all have a great and safe upcoming boating season.<br /><br />Regards,<br /><br />Steve