winterizing questions

N

Nan-C

New member
The RV antifreeze I am using suggests bypassing the hot water heater. What is the reasoning? Should I simply drain it and not put in antifreeze?
I'll run antifreeze through the rest of the fresh water system for sure, but what about the other pumps -- just pump dry or a little antifreeze somehow????

The Honda 150 is my first outboard since my dad's Evinrude 50 around 1959, I think. Boy did we think that was powerful. Anyway, my question concerns a local marina that uses muffs and a 5 gallon bucket to draw antifreeze through outboard engines for winterizing. This seems like overkill beyond even my OCD tendencies. What does the collective brain think?

Thanks for the information.

Greg
 
Quote: "The RV antifreeze I am using suggests bypassing the hot water heater. What is the reasoning? Should I simply drain it and not put in antifreeze?


If you don't "bypass the water heater" you'll first have to fill it with antifreeze and then drain it. The bypass kits are cheap and very easy to install as long as you can get to the inlet and outlet hoses.

I'll let others address the other questions.

Charlie
 
In addition, for my twin Honda 45's on the prior boat, I had it out of the water for the winter and just flushed with fresh water, fogged it (it was carbureated, you don't want to fog an EFI engine), put some oil into the plug holes, cranked the engine briefly to distribute the oil and put the plugs back in hand tight. The water drains out so there's not much danger of freezing (others correct me if I'm wrong but in 5+ seasons, I never had a problem).

As far as the other pumps are concerned, just displace as much water from the body of the pump as you can with antifreeze. Don't forget the head/holding tank. Antifreeze is cheap (the RV kind).

Charlie
 
Well, here's some 'seat of the pants' thoughts on winterizing these boats...

I think the best insurance is to run RV/Marine antifreeze thru the water system, which is best done using a bypass like my motorhome, BUT... I used my boat new up in Puget Sound over Christmas and, due to unexpected delays, it did not get shipped to Oklahoma until the next March.

Fortunately, I had run all the water out of the system, drained the water tank and loosened the pump inlet/outlet to drain water out of there and the hoses, and the boat suffered no noticable freeze damage even though in single digit temperatures.

I think you can run antifreeze thru all the cold water plumbing by putting 2-3 gallons of RV antifreeze in the tank and running the COLD WATER TAPS ONLY. It will probably only take less than a gallon for the cold lines. My plans are to then turn on the hot water and see if the remaining antifreeze will come out of the hot water tank without it's being full. My guess is not. I have noticed that when you are running low on water in the supply tank, the hot water quits running before the cold water quits running. I think that is because the hot water tank is above the main supply tank. I'll let you know how it works out here in a week or so.

Assuming the hot water tank was drained before installing antifreeze, you should be OK unless some water is in a hot water hose loop. Leaving the tap open (pump off) is supposed to prevent bursting pipes to some degree, or you could drain the two hot water feed lines. The shower sump will fill with antifreeze from the cold water line draining into the shower basin as long as you do that last. As large as the hot water tank is, I'm pretty certain freeze damage on an emptied tank is impossible.

I use the head in winter by flushing with a gallon of RV antifreeze.


Note that the sea water deck washdown pump should be drained inlet/outlet and LEAVE THE SEACOCK OPEN, since that allows warmer sea water to keep it from freezing. If you shut off a seacock, there will still be water in the pipes, and the part in your boat will freeze if the seacock is closed.

John
 
Greg,

In my Motoryacht (pre 16 C-Dory days) I have found it best to bypass the hot water heater since you would need to fill the heater with antifreeze first before any antifreeze would flow into the hot water lines on the output side of the heater. Second, in the spring when you de-winterize it will take you several fresh water flushes of the hot water heater and lines to get all the antifreeze out. Much easier to disconnect the hot water lines from the heater, drain the heater, connect the hot water lines together with a bypass connector (not sure of your configuration but you will probably need to make something up) and pump antifreeze through the lines.

As for the antifreeze for the outboard, Honda on the 50HP recommends only the you flush with fresh water, I like the bucket approach not the muffs. I have also found that some water does remain in the lower unit (water pump I guess) unless you tilt the motor up and down a few times. I leave the motor in the down position once all the water is drained.

I would like to hear other opinions on the benefits of using antifreeze in an outboard.

Dick
 
Thanks again, Charlie. I guess winterizing the boat after the boating season that did not happen for us is the project for the day -- a welcome change from the routine that stole our first season with the C-Dory. Bought it from the Outboard Motor Shop In Oakland, CA, at the end of March. Took delivery at the end of June in NV to avoid CA sales tax, so no San Francisco Bay boating that trip. One day on Tahoe on the way to Iowa. Then straight into a remodel of my mother-in-law's house to get it ready for sale. 55 miles from us. Usually seven days a week. One overnight with the boat on our local lake early in July before we figured out the house is a blackhole that demanded all of our time. We now hope to finish by the first of the year and do the Keys in February. Sounds like I'm feeling sorry for myself, doesn't it?

Greg
 
I have never heard of anyone in this neck of the woods using anti-freeze to winterize an outboard, nor of having any trouble for not having used it. And we hit -30 to -40F most winters.
Al
 
MOOSE":wzfko7y1 said:
I have never heard of anyone in this neck of the woods using anti-freeze to winterize an outboard, nor of having any trouble for not having used it. And we hit -30 to -40F most winters.
Al
Click to expand...

After five Utah winters with not winterizing the Honda on my old boat I agree. I asked about it the first year and it was explained to me that all the water drains out of the outboard when it is turned off (assuming it is out of the water.)

Warren
 
I'm sure you guys ae right about not needing to drain an outboard engine, just want to add that one ought to be sure to tilt the lower leg down, rather than leave it up, as popular legend (at least) says trapped water in a tilted leg can freeze and split the lower case.

For that reason, we leave the leg tilted down and in the non-freezing water here on Shasta Lake.

Joe.
 
Well, what do the guys in Alaska say we should do if we leave our boat in the water? It seems leaving the leg down in the water could lead to more damage than leaving it tipped up to me.

Anybody know the best thing to do?

John
 
This site is a little like the few times I have actually hired others instead of doing work on the house, etc., myself. You go away for the day, and when you return work has been done and progress made. I did not get to work on the boat today, but it will need to be done this week or next, and I will apply all the great information that I very much appreciate.

Charlie, thanks for the sympathy. You can be sure we will get in the water as soon as possible. And the plan is that once the fun starts, it will not stop.

Greg
 
Hi Greg, I'm in way up in northern Wisconsin and have never pumped antifreeze through my Honda 75. Never a problem. I do pump it from the water tank, through my water pump. I don't have a water heater in the boat, but I've had one in every RV we've ever owned. Every one of those companies recommended not to pump anti-freeze through the water heater because it will damage the anode in the heater. It's usually a simple matter to bypass the heater. Good luck.
Kent
 
:bat :bat
Well, here's some 'seat of the pants' thoughts on winterizing these boats...
I think the best insurance is to run RV/Marine antifreeze thru the water system, which is best done using a bypass like my motorhome, BUT...
Click to expand...

Dr. John / others,

What winterizing is necessary if you plan to leave the boat in the water? I'm in Northern Idaho here, so temps sometimes do get down into the single digits, but Lake Pend Oreille doesn't freeze. We plan on using the boat about once a month throughout the winter. I have two of the small air circulators running in the cabin, but a power failure at the marina wouldn't be unheard of. Will the boat being in the water allow me to leave water (with or without anti-freeze) in the fresh water system? What about the raw water washdown system? Do I need to keep Sta-bil in the tanks, or is keeping them reasonably topped off sufficient? Should I leave the camper back up to provide a little more cold weather protection for things like the start batteries and washdown system? What do you folks that live in area's that have an actual winter like Alaska do? Aaaah, I'm so confused. :? I’ve read a lot of the threads on this subject but most refer to areas with milder temps. I should also add that the boat is in a shed (enclosed except for one wall).

Steve
 
This is a great review for the wrapup of the season.

My merc 135 manual address the tilt question by recommending that the motor be left in the down position. The reason was that water could collect in the prop hub and freeze there; else other than fogging the carbs, nothing more was needed.

Since I had the rig stored and covered on a trailer, I lowered the OB when stored [ at home]. When I traveled, I positioned the motor in the 'trailer' position[up] - it had an additional brace to support the motor.

BTW... HAPPY HALLOWEEN.... ALL HALLOW's EVE
 
In the winter we leave the motor down in the (usually) warmer than air water. There are lots of boats with outboards berthed year round in S.E. Alaska with nothing special done to them. Make sure the zincs are good.
 
In the winter we leave the motor down in the (usually) warmer than air water. There are lots of boats with outboards berthed year round in S.E. Alaska with nothing special done to them. Make sure the zincs are good.
Click to expand...
:bat Leave the motors down, in contact with the water - that makes sense. Do you drain the fresh water system?

Steve
 
Doc,

Thanks so much for the information! I was just worried that right at the surface the water could freeze, but I guess it works like the thru-hull situation.

Thanks again,
John
 
doc":1955a6q9 said:
In the winter we leave the motor down in the (usually) warmer than air water. There are lots of boats with outboards berthed year round in S.E. Alaska with nothing special done to them. Make sure the zincs are good.
Click to expand...

Does "nothing special" mean no fresh water flush?

Thanks,
Warren
 
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