Lou C
Supreme Mariner
- Joined
- Nov 10, 2002
- Messages
- 13,414
Re: really cold in South Carolina
If you have an I/O with raw water cooling...you have to be ready to do this when it gets below freezing no way around it....that's why Merc came out with the single point drain to make it easier (here I would not trust it because of salt water use and rust flakes)...either get used to draining it...put closed cooling on it if you still can....or next time buy an outboard...plenty of fishermen run OBs here throughout the winter because they are made to self drain...once I pull out the wood panels in the engine compartment of my OMC I can have it drained in less than 10 min....but if I ever repowered this boat it's getting closed cooling for sure then it's just the heat exchanger...raw water intake hose and manifolds...
and the only time it makes sense to use AF is if you are storing it for months like we do up north if you want to cut down on corrosion....no need if you can use it most of the year...
my personal opinion is that any inboard should be closed cooled....no worrys about freezing...longer engine life because of more constant temp...and better performance and fuel economy because the engine runs at the temp it was designed to....
If you have an I/O with raw water cooling...you have to be ready to do this when it gets below freezing no way around it....that's why Merc came out with the single point drain to make it easier (here I would not trust it because of salt water use and rust flakes)...either get used to draining it...put closed cooling on it if you still can....or next time buy an outboard...plenty of fishermen run OBs here throughout the winter because they are made to self drain...once I pull out the wood panels in the engine compartment of my OMC I can have it drained in less than 10 min....but if I ever repowered this boat it's getting closed cooling for sure then it's just the heat exchanger...raw water intake hose and manifolds...
and the only time it makes sense to use AF is if you are storing it for months like we do up north if you want to cut down on corrosion....no need if you can use it most of the year...
my personal opinion is that any inboard should be closed cooled....no worrys about freezing...longer engine life because of more constant temp...and better performance and fuel economy because the engine runs at the temp it was designed to....
