Why winterize your boat engine??

[Shortfin]

I was wonder about winterizing your engine. I fish from late February to mid December and during that time it regularly freezes over night. Yet I still can start my engine the next weekend. <br /><br />Is it worth my time and money to winterize it for the two months I don’t use it. <br /><br />I know allot other people fish real early and late in the season and must have a solution to this. I doubt people winterize it after every use during the cold season.<br /><br />Are there things I should do to my boat since it might be sitting for a few days in my driveway while the nights dip below freezing???<br /><br />Any info would be great.<br /><br />Thanks<br /><br />Aron

 

[dmessy]

Re: Why winterize your boat engine??

2 months idle won't hurt anything if you use some sort of fuel stablizer and store your engine in the upright (verticle) position to assure you have drained all the water out. Might want to protect your battieries by bringing them inside and trickle charging them.

 

[Brew]

Re: Why winterize your boat engine??

I assume that sometime during the 10 months of operation you change the lower unit lube as a regular course of maintenance.<br /><br />If not, any water that seeped into the lower unit will freeze and expand during the chilly months and cause significant damage. Generally, the lower unit lube is changed just prior to winter storage for this exact reason.<br /><br />Good luck!

 

[Missouri]

Re: Why winterize your boat engine??

A few things that I would recommend: (1) store it with full gas tank to avoid moisture condensing in the tank (2) if you take the batteries out, don't let them sit on your concrete garage floor. Don't remember the exact chemistry, but it saps them and (3) if you're putting in the driveway and don't think you have the time to change the lower unit and it's going to get cold fast, at least open the bottom plug on your lower unit and check it. You don't need to drain it (unless there's water in it), but if there is any water in it, it will be at the bottom and the lube will be milky instead of dark. Can't stress this enough, when a lower unit freezes and bursts the housing, it's a very expensive fix.

 

[Missouri]

Re: Why winterize your boat engine??

After I posted above, I thought of #4. Many used to recommend disconnecting the fuel line and running it out of gas to avoid oil building up in the carbs. A Mercury mechanic told me that was an absolute "no" ---remember, no gas, no oil. That's why a lot of guys end up having to rebuild their engines.

 

[mattttt25]

Re: Why winterize your boat engine??

shortfin- after spending lots of time on this site, doing lots of reading, and talking with friends, i've figured out that the term "winterizing" is relative. what you do and when you do it all depends on your situation. most people incorporate annual maintenance practices with their "winterization" process, sometimes confusing the rest of us. if your boat will sit for extended time and it will freeze, then there are certain things you can do, but again, its all in your situation. good luck-