Winterizing engine without antifreeze tank

midnightrider1818

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Aug 17, 2009
Messages
190
Ok mates it's that time of the year again. I know after I drain and probe the drain cocks on my motor I'm winterized but I like to put a little rv marine antifreeze in also. I have one of those tanks you fill up with antifreeze and suck it through. I wanna take the hoses off this year though and pour it down the hoses. Not sure which hoses though. The ones on the manifolds or the one going to the water pump on motor. Do I need to pull thermostat. Oooooo yeah it's a 1989 mercruiser 5.0lx. 305. Raw water cooled
 

Lou C

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Nov 10, 2002
Messages
13,023
After you drain and poke all the holes (1 on each side of the block 1 for each manifold plus any p/s or any other coolers that need to be drained)... re-connect the bottom end of the big hose that connects the thermostat housing with the front circulation pump (you should have disconnected the bottom end of this to drain). Now disconnect the top end at the thermostat housing and start filling it with no tox AF till it comes out the thermostat housing neck. Reconnect hose engine is filled no need to remove thermostat. For the exhaust manifolds after draining and poking replace the plugs and disconnect t the water feed hoses at the thermostat housing and fill each manifold till it runs out the exhaust. Then reconnect those hoses. Finally put the drive down and disconnect the raw water hose from the transom mount at the thermostat housing. Point it down to drain then hold it up and put a funnel in it; fill it with AF till it runs out the drive water intakes. PS I use either -100 or a 50/50 mix of Sierra no tox AF. Both stay liquid to the lowest temps we ever get (zero to a bit below), the -50 and -60 get hard at higher temps then that. The Sierra is cheaper than the -100 by about 5 bucks per gallon.
 

QBhoy

Fleet Admiral
Joined
Mar 10, 2016
Messages
8,348
As above...but if you keep pouring AF in thin hoses off t stat to manifolds...AF will eventually run out the drive anyway. Jobs a good ‘un
 

Lou C

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Nov 10, 2002
Messages
13,023
That's why you MUST use no tox polypropylene glycol antifreeze. Not only will it run out the exhaust housing when you winterize it, when you start it in the spring it will for sure dump all of the AF out the exhaust when you run it on the water hose.
 
Top