Winterize i/o - run leg in rain barrel of rv coolant

[sprintst]

Here's my plan and a bit of history.

My boat has been winterized for the last however many years with rv coolant in the system by the small shop that does the work. Over here in the oil driven economy with fogging, change engine oil, change stern drive oil, etc it around 400.

My plan is to accomplish the same thing at a fraction of the cost with any luck. I'm looking at running on the muffs to warm everything up and shut her down. Drain the manifold of any water, lower the leg into a cut rain barrel filled with rv coolant. Run the engine until it comes up to temperature, fog till she dies, change engine oil and stern drive oil, etc. Raise the leg, drain rv coolant back into jugs and and ready till next year.

I've stowed the boat both ways so far, one with rv coolant and the other just air. I know that air doesn't freeze but didn't like the rust that came out after running after the air storage as iron/air is not usually a good mix. My thought is that everything will be well up to temperature so any water in any nook or cranny will be driven out and rv coolant will take it's place.

Many schools of thought on the subject. I have looked and have seen people do the winterize with adapters full of jug fed rv coolant and wondered how they know for sure the thermostat was open when they switched over. I've also seen too many posts of cracked blocks and manifolds from not clearing the drain with a piece of wire so there was water still in there and people do nothing at all and hope for the best with a light bulb under the block.

Am I crazy for my overkill method, I can give anyone a run for the money on that one, or is it sound but a bit overboard.

 

[Howard Sterndrive]

Re: Winterize i/o - run leg in rain barrel of rv coolant

Here's a novel idea- drain the water. Air doesn't freeze. cost = $0

marina where I used to work stored approx. 300 boats each winter by that method - never lost any engines or manifolds.

 

[HT32BSX115]

Re: Winterize i/o - run leg in rain barrel of rv coolant

The above way of "winterizing" had cracked many a block!!

If you have closed cooling it works very well since all the anti-freeze in whatever concentration you start with flushes through the system immediately.

With "open" cooling, unless you completely drain the block FIRST you never really know if the engine gets a high enough concentration of AF.

The t-stat never fully opens because you cannot fully load the engine long enough to to get it hot enough to FULLY open the stat..

The only sure way to know the concentration of the AF in the block is sufficient is to drain it first.


If you drain it first, there's not much point in doing the AF thing......

 

[Another retired guy]

Re: Winterize i/o - run leg in rain barrel of rv coolant

The marina that winterizes my boat first drains it, and then runs antifreeze through it. They have seen examples where just draining hasn't been good enough. It doesn't cost much to flush it with antifreeze. I know it can get pretty cold in Alberta so I don't think it's overkill at all. Hmmmm, let's think - $20 for antifreeze or $2,000 for a new engine??

 

[Bob_VT]

Re: Winterize i/o - run leg in rain barrel of rv coolant

Here's a novel idea- drain the water. Air doesn't freeze. cost = $0

marina where I used to work stored approx. 300 boats each winter by that method - never lost any engines or manifolds.

Absolutely spot on. Drain the block and the all the water and leave it. If you sincerely feel obligated to run RV anti freeze through the block ....go ahead but I would still drain that too.

Consider this - RV antifreeze is NOT guaranteed to not freeze and it is alleged that if it does freeze - it will not expand. Well consider the amount of "product recalls" we see. If you get the "bad" batch of antifreeze - who do you turn to? I would trust air over anything in the block.

 

[Bondo]

Re: Winterize i/o - run leg in rain barrel of rv coolant

The marina that winterizes my boat first drains it, and then runs antifreeze through it. They have seen examples where just draining hasn't been good enough. It doesn't cost much to flush it with antifreeze. I know it can get pretty cold in Alberta so I don't think it's overkill at all. Hmmmm, let's think - $20 for antifreeze or $2,000 for a new engine??

Ayuh,... What "They've" seen is incomplete drainin' of the block, 'n manifolds, by someone who didn't understand the meanin' of drainin' ALL of the water out of it,...

When the drain plugs are removed, 'n the holes prodded with a screw or nail, the Big hose is pulled from the circulatin' pump, 'n any oil coolers are drained,...
There's Not gonna be any Freeze damage, 'cause Air just Don't Freeze,...

Skip any step of either process, 'n Failure is the usual result,..

'n, unless yer boatin' in the Brine,... The difference in the amount of rust is completely a Non-issue,...
Most of the crud ya see is normal rust, 'n loads of debris from the in-comin' raw water,...
If you Are boatin' in the Brine,...
The possible benefit of antifreeze is still very debatable,...

'n for the Op,... Findin' a rain barrel Big enough, 'n Deep enough is more of a chore than ya think,....
1/2 of a 55 gallon drum, Ain't big enough...
Cut cross-wise, it ain't big enough, 'n cut length-wise, it ain't deep enough,...

 

[HT32BSX115]

Re: Winterize i/o - run leg in rain barrel of rv coolant

They have seen examples where just draining hasn't been good enough.

That sounds somewhat backwards....................... The above is an example of "not good enough DRAINING"

It's usually due to insufficient draining and very poor attention to detail.

I would either get a different marina or do it myself. Once you have drained all the water........there's nothing left to freeze.

 

[agallant80]

Re: Winterize i/o - run leg in rain barrel of rv coolant

Whats wrong with this? I have used it for years and have never had an issue.

Do-It-Yourself Winterizing Flush Kit - Star Brite 035001 - iboats

 

[jkust]

Re: Winterize i/o - run leg in rain barrel of rv coolant

Agreed that antifreeze is not needed. Here in MN, the place that has always winterized my I/O suddenly last year also included the step of using antifreeze. I don't know why they would bother but it was in the standard winterization package for 2012.

 

[HT32BSX115]

Re: Winterize i/o - run leg in rain barrel of rv coolant

Whats wrong with this? I have used it for years and have never had an issue.

Do-It-Yourself Winterizing Flush Kit - Star Brite 035001 - iboats

It's fine as long as you completely drain the block FIRST.

If you don't, you're "rolling the dice", because you never know if the concentration is adequate (in the block)

If you drain the block FIRST, then the "full-strength" fluid is what enters the block. \

BUT, if the block was drained to begin with, there's nothing in there to freeze (and you saved $54+shipping)!

 

[Bondo]

Re: Winterize i/o - run leg in rain barrel of rv coolant

Agreed that antifreeze is not needed. Here in MN, the place that has always winterized my I/O suddenly last year also included the step of using antifreeze. I don't know why they would bother but it was in the standard winterization package for 2012.

Ayuh,.... Usin' antifreeze is just Marketin' by the antifreeze makers, 'n the marinas can Charge more, for more steps,...

 

[PS94]

Re: Winterize i/o - run leg in rain barrel of rv coolant

The shops here in Ab, for the most part are incompetent. They will quickly drain what they feel like, and get it out so they can get to working on Sleds, as it's now sled season. If your block cracks, oh well, here's your cost of winterization back.

I usually drain my engine with the drains (manifolds,block) etc...then get some used anti-cat i keep around, and fill block and hoses from my thermostat/hoses.
in the spring, i run it on muffs, with the leg/exhaust ports in a large rubbermaid container, catch the kitty killer in it, and dispose of it at the local oil recyclers. gets to -45 here, and i haven't hurt anything yet..

 

[sprintst]

Re: Winterize i/o - run leg in rain barrel of rv coolant

Doing yourself always guarantees that nothing got missed. I just wanted to make sure that I'm taking chance out of the equation that a shop apprentice didn't forget something and to save a few bucks.

This was still in the idea stage. My next hurdle after feedback was to look to see what container would be deep enough to hold the leg in -100 coolant...which might be easier said then done. The other part was to see who used the diy kits.

Ayuh,... What "They've" seen is incomplete drainin' of the block, 'n manifolds, by someone who didn't understand the meanin' of drainin' ALL of the water out of it,...

When the drain plugs are removed, 'n the holes prodded with a screw or nail, the Big hose is pulled from the circulatin' pump, 'n any oil coolers are drained,...
There's Not gonna be any Freeze damage, 'cause Air just Don't Freeze,...

Skip any step of either process, 'n Failure is the usual result,..

'n, unless yer boatin' in the Brine,... The difference in the amount of rust is completely a Non-issue,...
Most of the crud ya see is normal rust, 'n loads of debris from the in-comin' raw water,...
If you Are boatin' in the Brine,...
The possible benefit of antifreeze is still very debatable,...

'n for the Op,... Findin' a rain barrel Big enough, 'n Deep enough is more of a chore than ya think,....
1/2 of a 55 gallon drum, Ain't big enough...
Cut cross-wise, it ain't big enough, 'n cut length-wise, it ain't deep enough,...

 

[PS94]

Re: Winterize i/o - run leg in rain barrel of rv coolant

Canadian tire sells them big Rubbermaid (Rubbermaid Roughtote Storage Containers Consumer Reviews | Rubbermaid Roughtote Storage Containers - Keeping Those Critters Out! | Epinions.com) containers, it's enough to cover the ports on the leg, but you'll probably need a filthy amount of antifreeze, and have someone pouring some in as you run it...

 

[WIMUSKY]

Re: Winterize i/o - run leg in rain barrel of rv coolant

Absolutely spot on. Drain the block and the all the water and leave it. If you sincerely feel obligated to run RV anti freeze through the block ....go ahead but I would still drain that too.

Consider this - RV antifreeze is NOT guaranteed to not freeze and it is alleged that if it does freeze - it will not expand. Well consider the amount of "product recalls" we see. If you get the "bad" batch of antifreeze - who do you turn to? I would trust air over anything in the block.

That's exactly what I always did. Overkill, probably. Needed or not, I wanted to be safe than sorry. As someone mentioned, AF is cheap..... I just left the plugs out and poured antifreeze thru the hoses and made sure I heard it run out..... I didn't run it with antifreeze.....

 

[sprintst]

Re: Winterize i/o - run leg in rain barrel of rv coolant

That was my thinking to begin with. Did I get it all? Better to fill any voids with antifreeze so I know I displaced any water if there was any.

Not sure if it's the conventional vs synthetic oil debate but I know my engine turns over faster in -40 and the last engine I pulled apart looked new after the body rusted out from under it.

I'll be draining any water as the first step and may lean toward the overkill as I always do. To me it's like not knowing for sure I didn't lock the front door. I may actually sleep better with the huge dog, alarm system and Rem 870...heaven help anyone who's dumb enough to come through the unlocked front door in the middle of the night.

That's exactly what I always did. Overkill, probably. Needed or not, I wanted to be safe than sorry. As someone mentioned, AF is cheap..... I just left the plugs out and poured antifreeze thru the hoses and made sure I heard it run out..... I didn't run it with antifreeze.....

 

[Lou C]

Re: Winterize i/o - run leg in rain barrel of rv coolant

As was said above.....proper draining (engine level, probe all drain holes) is all you need for freeze protection. If you want to add AF to reduce corrosion, the best way is to manually drain, then back fill with-100 through the hoses. No risk that way. And I do not see any rust when I start mine up in the spring...salt water boat...