Winterizing question - flush out water ? 9.9

[rooooney]

I have a 2000 4 stroke 9.9 Merc. I am using the manual that came with my outboard to winterize- it tells me to run stabilized gas through the motor so it reaches the carbs before I store it, - The manual says nothing about flushing water out of the motor- Is there any water I need to flush out to prevent freezing?

 

[emckelvy]

Re: Winterizing question - flush out water ? 9.9

There's no need to flush or blow the residual water out of the motor. Outboards are designed to be self-draining.

Best thing to do when you're laying-up the motor is to tilt it up and let it drain for a while, then lower it back down and store in that position. More water will probably drain out. Also make sure any 'cavity drain' holes in the gearcase are not plugged up with sand/silt/debris, so water can freely flow out of the various 'pockets' in the gearcase.

If you're going to take the motor off a boat and store it, lay it on the side specified for storage by the mfr. This is most important on a 4-stroke since oil will spill out of the sump if you lay it on the wrong side.

The majority of 2-strokes have provisions to be set down on the motor's "back".

Whether on its side or back, always make sure the powerhead is higher than the lower unit. This prevents any residual water from draining back into the exhaust side of the motor, causing corrosion problems.

HTH & give a holler if you have any other questions...........ed