winterization

[bj25430]

I know there are probably tons of questions on this stuff. I am pretty handy with doing work on stuff, but as I read this manual on winterizing the engine, some of the explanations don’t add up. I have an 06 Air Nautique Team Edition 211.
First i want to make sure i have the Water flow in my head right, :mrgreen:
1. Water intake through the hull to the water strainer
2. Strainer to the bottom of the raw water pump. Transmission cooler about midway to the raw water pump.
and this is where things change
3. From Raw water pump to the V-Drive- Anyone step in at this point and correct me.
4. Vdrive back to the engine through the Thermostat housing.
5. Thermostat housing through a red medal piece that bends down to the circulating pump. This is where i see a drain plug as in the picture in the PCM engine manual Fiqure 13-2 Pg 59
Things make sense till i hit Item 8 pg 60 in the PCM engine manual - "Remove the large circulating pump hose from the thermostat housing" If i pour water down that hose, as i track that hose its coming from the vdrive. If my water flow is correct in my pea brain, then it goes to the vdrive back to the raw water pump outlet and back to the strainer, never hitting the block. If i am thinking right i would need to attach a hose to the thermostat housing then pour the anti freeze into the thermostat housing toward the circulating pump in order to fill the block. The 2 hoses on the circulating pump are maybe 2 inches long at best, no way would I ever get those off to put anti freeze through them. The only way for me to pour water towards the circulating pump that I can see is to remove the hose that comes from the vdrive from the thermostat housing, attach another hose, put a funnel into that hose and pour the anti freeze in, through the thermostat housing to the circulating pump.
I along with everyone else want to make sure its done right, so I don’t worry through the winter time, and no way am I paying some guy $300 to winterize the boat. I just need a little bit of clarification and I’ll be jamming. I know I can run anti freeze through the engine with it running, but do I need to make sure its up to running temp for the thermostat to be open? Thanks for helping out with my few questions and dealin with my pea brain on this. I just bought the boat and want to do this right.

[WakeSlayer]

RE: winterization

Lots of guys will chime in. There are a bunch of opinions. Some use perkoflushes, some make their own adapters, some just drain, some do too much unnecessary stuff. I live in MN and we see -30* at least, every winter.
The way I do it and have done it for 15 years is:

After changing the oil, stabilizing the fuel, and any other maintenance you deem necessary:

Drain the block, exhaust manifolds, and heater if applicable. Pull the hose off the output side of the strainer, and attach a short hose to that. Stick it in a bucket with 3-5 gallons of -80* RV antifreeze. Start the boat and run til bucket has been empty for about 5 seconds. Shut it off. Turn your battery selector switch off.

Put her up and find something else to do for a few months.

[WakeSlayer]

RE: winterization

PS: It is depressing to have to start thinking about this already....

[bj25430]

it is sad to see the season comin to an end forsure,

Another question, do u make sure the engine is warm and the thermostat is open? I am thinking along the same lines, just drain water at the specified spots, crank her up and run 5 gallons of anti freeze.

Do u take the raw water impeller out? Without knowing when that was last done i may just do that at the start of next season?

[WakeSlayer]

I do not feel that I need to warm the motor up since I drain everything first. There is no water to freeze in the first place.
There is also a drain at the bottom of your raw water pump.

If you don't know when it was changed, it is a good idea to change the impeller out. I do not change it every year as others do, but I always keep a spare handy.

If you have a heater, make sure you blow low PSI compressed air through the top hose, or just both directions, to get all the water out. Heater cores freeze and crack really easy if all the water isn't gone.

[CHassmann]

Way too early to think about winterizing yet.

[bj25430]

Talked with the Nautique shop here, and they said to drain the block, manafolds, run 5 gallons of RV anti freeze through it with the engine running, and fog the engine while it was running as it got close to the end of the 5 gallons and put the boat away. Of coarse change the oil, and stable the fuel, and drain the strainer. He said the anti freeze will take care of the v-drive and the transmission cooler. seems pretty simple. I have put cam and grove couplings on the inlet side of the raw water, just out of the strainer. That way i can just unclamp them, hook my 1 in male Cam quick connect to the inlet side, drop that spa hose into the 5 gallon bucket of either water or anti freeze, or if i am going to run long into a new 32 gallon trash can filled to the top with water and the hose running into it. Can run all day long on that one. Has worked great so far, and the cam quick connect on the hose makes life so much easier. Yellow_Flash_Colorz:

[WakeSlayer]

Like you said, pretty simple. You have it all figured out right there.
No reason to overcomplicate it with a bunch of unnecessary steps. Even fogging is debated step. And good luck doing that in the time it takes to pull 5 galllons into the motor.

[Red57Bird]

The correct fogging technique is up for debate as well. My preference is to pull all the plugs and spray fogging oil in each cylinder (unless it is a carbed motor). I ruined an IAC sensor on my previous boat from fogging through the throttle body and I don't think a fuel injected unit derives any benefit from fogging oil. The main purpose of fogging oil it to coat the cylinder walls to prevent rust from forming and to provide some lubrication on initial startup during summerization.

[WakeSlayer]

Doing the cylinders makes sense. TB or EFI, no way.