question about winterizing

[papachaz]

I was having a boating discussion with a friend of mine who has a 17' aluminum tracker type boat with an 85 Johnson outboard. We were discussing the cold weather, and I mentioned having fogged my engine. He said to winterize his, he just stuck his gas line down into a can of seafoam, started it up and let it run until it quit. I was dumbfounded, asked him what it was going to cost to get it rebuilt since he'd most likely locked it up. He said since seafoam was a cylinder lubricant, it didn't hurt it, plus he'd sprayed deep creep in the spark plug holes, not sure if before or after........

I asked him if he'd tried to turn it over since then, I suspect he locked it up, but there is the chance I suppose it died as soon as it ran out of gas.

what do y'all think? I'll try to remember to post back this spring when he gets it out for the first time.

 

[Will Bark]

Re: question about winterizing

Doubt he locked it up but I hope he drained the water out of it and checked his lower unit gear case for any water in it.

 

[papachaz]

Re: question about winterizing

I bet he'll have a bugger of a time getting it started though....not sure I'd want to let pure seafoam sit in my engine all winter

I let him borrow my oil pump, so pretty sure he did that. He even returned it, LOL



speaking of that, when I drained my lower unit, I had pure water come out, then the oil, it wasn't mixed up and it wasn't much. struck me as odd that it wasn't mixed. I haven't done anything else to mine since, I guess I need to pull the prop and check the seals

 

[racerone]

Re: question about winterizing

There should be no water in a lower unit.-------The water seperates out of the oil and sits at the bottom, comes out first.------You need to pull the lower unit apart.--Inspect parts and reseal.

 

[eavega]

Re: question about winterizing

speaking of that, when I drained my lower unit, I had pure water come out, then the oil, it wasn't mixed up and it wasn't much. struck me as odd that it wasn't mixed. I haven't done anything else to mine since, I guess I need to pull the prop and check the seals

Working as designed. The water will separate out of the oil if you let it sit long enough. Oil will float to the top, water to the bottom, thats why it will drain water first. Find the leak in your LU. I had a little water in my LU once. turned out it was the oil fill screw gasket that had failed. Replaced it, all was well.

Rgds

Eric

 

[Fleetwin]

Re: question about winterizing

Most L/U leaks are from the fill/drain plug seals. Nobody (maybe-few) replace them when they crack open those plugs.

Replace them-cheap.

 

[papachaz]

Re: question about winterizing

i replaced both the seals on the oil change screws when I put in the new water pump impeller last summer. I'm going to have to take it down and find the leak. should be a good project for the next couple months since deer season is out now. thanks guys!

 

[racerone]

Re: question about winterizing

Pressure testing finds the leak before you start work.------Pressure testing afterwards check the new parts and the work done.------I normally check at 5 psi and let it sit overnight

 

[boobie]

Re: question about winterizing

Papa, if you're going to leave the motor sit for any time before working on the lower unit, fill the gear case back up with oil. You can even use ATF, but get some oil in it.

 

[papachaz]

Re: question about winterizing

thanks all! yes boobie, I did fill it back up. oils cheap compared to a new lower unit. any special tools I need to pressure test it? wonder if I can connect my oil pump hose to my compressor, although without a gauge on it wouldn't be much help. the old "spray soapy water" on it might work to see where it's leaking from?

 

[out 2 launch]

Re: question about winterizing

Pressure testing finds the leak before you start work.------Pressure testing afterwards check the new parts and the work done.------I normally check at 5 psi and let it sit overnight

Have you ever had the pressure test pass but the vacuum test fail?

 

[Starcraft5834]

Re: question about winterizing

never heard of running sea foam only until engine stops......I had an outboard 50hp.. my winterization consisited of changing drive oil, make sure it was verticle (water ran out), and ran the engine then pulled the gas, it stalled out,, fogged the plugs,, that's it......

 

[boobie]

Re: question about winterizing

Yes, I've had the pressure test pass and the vacuum fail due to some seal designs or were installed wrong. That's why I always do both.

 

[papachaz]

Re: question about winterizing

Hey all, bringing this back up to answer my question and any one else with an enquiring mind. He did not lock up his engine, it turns freely, but as I suspected, he's having a hard time getting it to start. I told him he needs to drain all that seafoam out of the carb, pump it back full of fresh gas to get it to start. He thinks he can just turn it over enough to get all the seafoam out...........


SMH.......and LOL at him. bet he won't do it that way next year. Anyway, for any who wanted to know, there it is, he didn't lock it up

 

[tazrig]

Re: question about winterizing

Winterize yours the right way and when you're out on the water he'll still be in his driveway wondering why it won't start.