Question about drain plugs for winterizing

[diggerdan17]

Recently purchased a 1998 1850 ss bayliner capri with the 190 HP 4.3L v-6.

I have gone through the search feature on the forum and it sounds like I have 2 plugs for engine block and 2 plugs for the manifolds. I located each of these and pulled them, only a couple drops came out so I assume it was drained properly for winter storage. The boat has power steering and I read on here that there is a 5th plug to drain for the power steering cooler? The only lines I see attached to the power steering pump are oil lines. Where is this 5th plug that I need to drain??? I checked underneath the power steering pump and it has no drain plugs. This engine is raw water cooled from the lake.

engine serial # 0L011173

drive serial # QL127614

Transom serial # QL205893

 

[bspeth]

Re: Question about drain plugs for winterizing

there is a cooler in line with the cooling system.follow your cooling system and you should find it.Just pull the aft hose to drain it may or may not have a plug.

 

[diggerdan17]

Re: Question about drain plugs for winterizing

I found a black cylindrical piece near the back of the engine with a water line going in one end and out the other. It also had an oil line going in. Is that the cooler for power steering?

 

[wrench 3]

Re: Question about drain plugs for winterizing

I found a black cylindrical piece near the back of the engine with a water line going in one end and out the other. It also had an oil line going in. Is that the cooler for power steering?

That sounds like it. It's in the larger water line heading for the thermostat housing.

 

[Fun Times]

Re: Question about drain plugs for winterizing

Since your not sure of most of the history of the boat.....when your back inside the boat removing the last blue drain plug, you will want to double check that the plugs you removed are drained properly by sticking a small Phillips screwdriver or similar into each hole ensuring there is nothing blocking the water from coming out. Typically you may find debris in each hole such as sand, etc. preventing the water from coming out.

Your last plug should be found near the bottom of the big hose between the thermostat housing and the water circulation pump. See item 24.
http://www.mercruiserparts.com/Show...r=2694&bnbr=150&bdesc=Standard+Cooling+System

 

[diggerdan17]

Re: Question about drain plugs for winterizing

Thanks guys! I removed the hose from the power steering cooler and stuck a screw driver in all the plug holes to ensure water was drained completely.

My hose from T-stat housing to water pump does not have the elbow with the blue plastic drain plug, that's why I was having trouble finding it.... I just removed the hose from the water pump and it was already drained of water. Now I can unplug the heater I was using to keep the engine warm $$.

Only 2 more months before the ice melts and I'll be cruising at the lake.....going to be a long 2 months

 

[Fun Times]

Re: Question about drain plugs for winterizing

I found a black cylindrical piece near the back of the engine with a water line going in one end and out the other. It also had an oil line going in. Is that the cooler for power steering?

My hose from T-stat housing to water pump does not have the elbow with the blue plastic drain plug, that's why I was having trouble finding it....

Interesting it's not there, the serial number suggests it should be. That happens though.

This next parts diagram sounds more like your cooling system design from your description. http://www.mercruiserparts.com/Show...r=1937&bnbr=130&bdesc=STANDARD+COOLING+SYSTEM

So knowing this, your right, there will only be 4 plugs and not 5.

 

[Lou C]

Re: Question about drain plugs for winterizing

I am real concerned that you did not properly drain this engine....a couple of drops means that the drains were CLOGGED....that engine hold at least 2.5 GALLONS of water and the manifolds hold about 1-2 qts each. Go back to the boat and:
1) loosen the clamp on the lower end of the big hose from the thermostat housing to the front water pump, pull the hose off on the bottom end. Water should gush out
2) remove both engine drains and push a long thin screwdriver in each one and more water should come out.
3) do the same with the manifold drains.
4) for the PS cooler, I have removed that plug but its hell to get to and you might drop it in the bilge ruining your day. What I do is disconnect the hose that goes from the cooler to the thermo housing. Then I point it down in the bilge to drain out as much water as I can. Next I take a funnel, put it in the hose and fill it with -100 marine antifreeze and that pushes out water that may be left in the cooler, hose in the transom and lower drive. Been doing it that way for years and no freeze ups.

Hurry up and drain that engine the right way. You always poke all drain holes, if drops come out that's NOT GOOD.....

 

[diggerdan17]

Re: Question about drain plugs for winterizing

I am real concerned that you did not properly drain this engine....a couple of drops means that the drains were CLOGGED....that engine hold at least 2.5 GALLONS of water and the manifolds hold about 1-2 qts each. Go back to the boat and:
1) loosen the clamp on the lower end of the big hose from the thermostat housing to the front water pump, pull the hose off on the bottom end. Water should gush out
2) remove both engine drains and push a long thin screwdriver in each one and more water should come out.
3) do the same with the manifold drains.
4) for the PS cooler, I have removed that plug but its hell to get to and you might drop it in the bilge ruining your day. What I do is disconnect the hose that goes from the cooler to the thermo housing. Then I point it down in the bilge to drain out as much water as I can. Next I take a funnel, put it in the hose and fill it with -100 marine antifreeze and that pushes out water that may be left in the cooler, hose in the transom and lower drive. Been doing it that way for years and no freeze ups.

Hurry up and drain that engine the right way. You always poke all drain holes, if drops come out that's NOT GOOD.....

I did that yesterday Lou, took 4 plugs out and poked around with my screwdriver, got all water out. Disconnected big hose from pump to t stat housing, and I couldn't get the hose off the ps cooler, it's way back and hard to get. I took the cooler hose off at t stat housing and pored antifreeze in there till it was running out the leg. Should be good I figure. I bought the boat at a marina 6 hour drive from my home and had instructed them after my lake test to winterized it again. When I got home I didn't trust that they actually did it properly so I put a heater in engine bay and started to learn where all my plugs and hoses were. It's still dipping down to -10 here at night.

 

[Lou C]

Re: Question about drain plugs for winterizing

Good work, glad you checked. After you've done it a few times you can drain it in all of about 15 min.

 

[wrench 3]

Re: Question about drain plugs for winterizing

Interesting it's not there, the serial number suggests it should be. That happens though.

This next parts diagram sounds more like your cooling system design from your description. http://www.mercruiserparts.com/Show...r=1937&bnbr=130&bdesc=STANDARD+COOLING+SYSTEM

So knowing this, your right, there will only be 4 plugs and not 5.

The hose in the first list was a superseded number. Probably the original didn't have the plug.

 

[Fun Times]

Re: Question about drain plugs for winterizing

The hose in the first list was a superseded number. Probably the original didn't have the plug.

Thanks wrench 3, I didn't see that. Here's what the old number looks like. It's just a plain old hose. http://www.nauticalspareparts.com/939-thickbox/hose-circulating-pump.jpg