New motor! Stressing about freezing!

[Druff1]

Well, I have about 10 hours on my new motor. I have it winterized. Drained all the water and then added -50 RV anitfreeze. Now that it's cold enough to freeze outside, i'm stressing about it still freezing up! I went out and opened up the drains today, just to see if the af was coming out. Now I'm thinking about draining out all the fluid!

Should I be worried?

 

[ErieRon]

Re: New motor! Stressing about freezing!

Yes. If it were me, I'd sleep on the boat tonight just in case...

Just kidding...did you winterize it correctly...as in...per the manual, or the winterization sticky?

 

[Druff1]

Re: New motor! Stressing about freezing!

Yes, i followed the manual and read the sticky.

 

[ErieRon]

Re: New motor! Stressing about freezing!

Well, why are you so worried then ?

 

[Druff1]

Re: New motor! Stressing about freezing!

Second guessing myself! :redface:

 

[ErieRon]

Re: New motor! Stressing about freezing!

OK...I understand. Look, review the written procedure and make a check list. Go through it in your mind, one item at a time, and if you did it thoroughly and properly you'll be fine. If there is anything, and I mean ANYTHING that you think you missed, go out and address it now.

If you go through your check list, and determine that you have done everything by the book, make yourself a martini and watch the Florida/Alabama game...and relax...

 

[ziggy]

Re: New motor! Stressing about freezing!

Yes. If it were me, I'd sleep on the boat tonight just in case...

that's funny er....

in all seriousness though. i understand how ya feel druff1. i feel the same way every year's end. did i do it all? did i do it right? ya never know till next spring. however er's list is a very good idea. i made one up. been modifying it for a year or three. i'm up to 40 items. i check them off as i do them. while i'm confident i did it right. there's always that little bit of doubt..... i have no idea how to overcome it other than to say to myself, i know i did it right and move on to the next idea... nothing i can do to change the outcome anyways. the freeze has already happened here in nebraska....

 

[mcleaves]

Re: New motor! Stressing about freezing!

I am the king of worrying about this stuff. I hear ya.

Why leave fluid in the block and worry at all? Open those drains and let it all out. No worries if you do that. The AF will just give you added protection vs just draining water (which is all you need to do).

But there is ALWAYS a chance the AF didn't get everywhere it should. PS cooler, oil cooler, VST etc. As has been said a million times, air doesn't freeze.

 

[Don S]

Re: New motor! Stressing about freezing!

Until you understand how your cooling system works, where the drain points are, how they drain what they drain and why they drain where they do, along with what it takes to break engine parts with freezing water, you will always worry.
Once you fully understand it all, you'll spend 15 minutes or so draining it, know it's drained, and sleep soundly at nights with no worry.

 

[Philster]

Re: New motor! Stressing about freezing!

I worry. Boat owners who worry are usually the ones who double checked everything and gave it all extra thought. I don't want to be the guy who isn't worried, with no cover on his boat and no clue that he should have winterized it already.

He's at home destined to be on Craig's List next year explaining how is boat is a great winter project for someone, and that he wants 9500 for a 15 year-old 17' boat with a cracked block (and rotten core/stringers, except he doesn't mention that part).

 

[Druff1]

Re: New motor! Stressing about freezing!

The hole "air doesn't freeze" keeps making me think about draining the af out.

 

[mcleaves]

Re: New motor! Stressing about freezing!

The hole "air doesn't freeze" keeps making me think about draining the af out.

Things can only be better.. open the plugs and sleep well. I disconnect all my cooling hoses too. Takes 20 minutes..

 

[Alpheus]

Re: New motor! Stressing about freezing!

Put a 60 watt bulb in your engine bay or install a block heater if your THAT worried...

 

[Simoniz]

Re: New motor! Stressing about freezing!

Put a 60 watt bulb in your engine bay or install a block heater if your THAT worried...

Ahbutwhatif...the bulb blows?

Seriously, if you drain the water, refill with antifreeze then either drain it again (will flush out any pockets of water) or not (any pockets of water remaining will be enriched by antifreeze and wont freeze), you'll be fine.

 

[ErieRon]

Re: New motor! Stressing about freezing!

The hole "air doesn't freeze" keeps making me think about draining the af out.

Druff, I'm from that school of thought. Read Don S's post (and others)...I never understood why people fill them with AF. Just seems like overkill & one more thing to mess up and worry about.

Truth is, I've never seen an empty 2 liter Coke bottle freeze and crack...

 

[a70eliminator]

Re: New motor! Stressing about freezing!

We're well into the deep freeze where I live and I have no worries at all, I drained the water out, never messed with glycol in all my years of boating.

 

[Don S]

Re: New motor! Stressing about freezing!

if you drain the water, refill with antifreeze then either drain it again (will flush out any pockets of water) or not (any pockets of water remaining will be enriched by antifreeze and wont freeze

That is a perfect example of not understanding how things get freeze damage.
Yes, there is small pockets of water laying in the block or the manifolds, and yes, it will freeze but there WILL NOT be any damage. Because those remaining pockets are no longer enclosed and that little bit of ice has enough room to expand without damaging anything. Especially 1/4" thick cast iron.
Look at ice cube trays for example. They are just thin plastic yet they don't break when we make ice cubes. Ever wonder why? Because there is room ABOVE the tray for the water to expand as it freezes (The ice cubes do get taller ya know).

 

[a70eliminator]

Re: New motor! Stressing about freezing!

Yep Yep, but on the same note if you drained only half your block just because the there is somewhere for the ice to expand doesn't mean it won't crack the casing if it freezes fast enough because there are pockets and passages below the waterline that can't grow,
I believe Don's expalnation (under perfect circumstaces ) like ice tray with an open top.

 

[Don S]

Re: New motor! Stressing about freezing!

I didn't mean to 1/2 or 3/4 drain things, I was referring to the water pockets left when drained "BY THE BOOK" , you know, Level engine, clean the drain with a wire, and let all the water out. Jeeeeezzzzzz

 

[a70eliminator]

Re: New motor! Stressing about freezing!

I didn't mean to 1/2 or 3/4 drain things, I was referring to the water pockets left when drained "BY THE BOOK" , you know, Level engine, clean the drain with a wire, and let all the water out. Jeeeeezzzzzz

Sorry to be critical, I was just having a Bill Nye the Science guy moment lol
Just go out and drain the drain the block if it worries you, I would.