Table of Contents
Winterizing Your Outboard Motor Drain the crankcase oil (Four-stroke motors) Install a new oil filter (Four-stroke motors) Filling the crankcase with new oil (Four-stroke motors) Changing the lower unit gear oil. Stabilizing the fuel. Flushing the outboard with antifreeze. Fogging the cylinders.
How do you winterize a boat step by step?
How To Winterize Your Boat Step 1: Replace engine oil. Step 2: Flush and drain cooling water. Step 3: Stabilize fuel. Step 4: Protect internal engine components. Step 5: Replace gear oil. Step 6: Grease and lubricate. Step 7: Remove valuables. Step 8: Clean and wax.
Do you need to winterize an outboard motor?
Like inboards and sterndrives, outboard engines are also subject to potential damage from freezing and from being laid up in disuse for months at a time. So outboards demand winterizing too.
How do you winterize a boat motor with antifreeze?
Remove the raw water intake hose from the seacock (this is sometimes difficult, as hose clamps and hoses may be mechanically frozen in place) and insert the end into the antifreeze in the bucket. Start the engine and run at idle until antifreeze discharges from the exhaust outlet for 30 seconds or more.
Do you leave antifreeze in boat engine?
Note: Sam likes to leave the engine block flushed but empty for the winter. However, some marine engine manufacturers recommend filling the entire engine with RV antifreeze. Always follow your engine manufacturer’s advice.
Should I winterize my boat myself?
For the handy, self-sufficient boat owner, taking care of winterizing yourself is a great way to save money. Ironically, DIY can potentially even save you some time. Winterizing a boat can be done in less than an hour in many cases, less time than you’d spend just driving the vessel to and from the marina or shop.
At what temperature should I winterize my boat?
As soon as the weather gets below 32 degrees, water begins to freeze, with water with impurities or saltwater in it starting to freeze at 28 degrees. In most cases, the water will not freeze solid (leading to cracked engine blocks) until the temperatures stay below 32 for several days and nights.
What happens if boat is not winterized?
If You Don’t Winterize Your Boat, Here’s What Happens: Water freezes and expands and can damage anything it’s trapped inside. Water may seep into unprotected spaces to do this. Acidic and corrosive wastes, salt and corrosion buildup can damage delicate parts in engines. Fuels break down or grow dirty.
Should I leave my outboard motor up or down?
You want to leave the engine in the totally trimmed down position. This will allow all of the water to leak out of the engine, midsection, and lower unit. Making sure that there is not any water in the Lower Unit that could rust gears or freeze and destroy the gear case by flushing the engine with fresh water.
How do you winterize a boat motor without starting it?
Two things need to happen: Oil Change and Anti-Freeze the Raw Water side of your motor. Oil Change works best if you can run the motor for 5 minutes or so and let it warm up. Helps make it flow easier and resuspends the particulates for easier drain/suck out.
Can you use RV antifreeze in a boat engine?
RV antifreeze and marine antifreeze are chemically the same. For most parts of winterizing your boat, RV antifreeze can absolutely do the job for a boat.
How do you de winterize an inboard boat motor?
How to De-winterize Your Boat Take the Tarp Off. Before you do anything, you need to get the tarp or covering off your boat. Check the Engine. Refill the Cooling System. Check Water Pumps and Thermostats. Check Cables and Hoses. Check Your Battery. Clean the Distributor. Check the Fuel System.
Do you have to winterize a 2 stroke outboard motor?
Regardless of the season, you should winterize your outboard anytime it isn’t going to be used for more than a month.
What does boat winterization include?
At its most basic, winterizing means draining any water aboard or replacing it with enough of the right kind of antifreeze to protect against the lowest temperatures your boat might experience. Winterizing most boats takes from an hour to a day.
Can you winterize a boat without antifreeze?
You should use antifreeze to winterize your boat if you have an inboard engine or any systems with pipes or that carry water. You should also consider using it in your bilge. For outboard motors, you don’t have to use antifreeze. If you have a simple boat with few systems, you shouldn’t need it.
How long can a boat sit without being winterized?
The rule of thumb we use is 2-3 days of consectutive freezing temperatures, day and night, and you are in trouble unless you winterized. For example, the past 2 nights here have hit freezing though the daytime temp is 50+ degrees so no worries. Yes, the boat being in the water does help, a lot.
Is fogging a boat motor necessary?
Fogging a boat engine is an essential part of the winterizing process. If you’re putting your boat into long-term storage, fogging the outboard motor is vital. You’ll spray it into the carburetors and spark plugs (carefully) so that the oil can coat every part of the motor.
How cold is too cold for outboard motor?
How cold does it have to get to crack a boat engine block? Temperatures of 25 degrees Fahrenheit (-3 degrees Celsius) can result in a boat engine block cracking if left unprotected.
At what temperature will an engine block crack?
How Cold Does It Have To Get To Crack An Engine Block? freezing water without adding any additives like alcohol or antifreeze, and, if it is in an engine block, eventually cracking something, 32 degrees is all it takes.
Can you leave a boat in the water during winter?
A boat can be left in the water during the winter or year-round if you take necessary precautions to tackle the challenges of a boat being in the waters for long periods. However, you need to keep in mind that there is always a risk correlated with storing the boat in the water than dry storing.
