Winterizing Antifreeze Question

[pdxCC]

I put my baby down to bed this weekend and used the pink RV antifreeze (I didn't dilute it). I started her up and ran her off a bucket till she heated up. Then I drained the block/manifolds/u-pipe/oil cooler/strainer. Then I sucked 2-gallons of AF into the motor. When re-drained the block/manifolds they ran pink with the antifreeze. This was all done with the motor reading 130 degrees on the thermostat at the dash.

This is a 93 Ski Nautique with a heater that I am winterizing seperately.

My question is whether the 2-gallons was enough given that the drains ran pink with the AF?

Thoughts please?

[WakeSlayer]

Yes, you are good. I leave mine full til Spring.

[DanielC]

It does not get that cold in Portland Oregon. You should be fine. Do not leave any antifreeze in the cup for the raw water strainer. Rinse it out, and empty it again.

Did you get antifreeze into the heater, and shower, if equipped with them?

You also need to make sure you have gotten the water out of the speedometer hoses.

[mhaaland]

It does not get that cold in Portland Oregon. You should be fine. Do not leave any antifreeze in the cup for the raw water strainer. Rinse it out, and empty it again.

Did you get antifreeze into the heater, and shower, if equipped with them?

You also need to make sure you have gotten the water out of the speedometer hoses.

I missed the part about emptying the cup for the raw water strainer, what happens if antifreeze is left in the cup?

[WakeSlayer]

Nothing, but you may as well leave it empty.

[DanielC]

Some of the chemicals in antifreeze may attack or weaken the plastic in the cup.
To be safe, drain it.

[Red57Bird]

Yep - over time, the pink AF will craze and crack the plastic bowl.

[djbartholomew]

I put 4 gallon of rv anti in my 196, thats $12 worth and that not much money compared to a new block, but I do live in central Il.

[TRST]

Do you all drain the block first or can you just run until themostat opens and then add antifreeze to the system via bucket method?

[WakeSlayer]

ALWAYS drain first. RV cannot be diluted. It only works full strength, unlike the green stuff that needs to be diluted to have the optimum protection.

[ponycar]

I winterized my 196 today but I only drained the plug near the t-stat and the transmission one, forgetting to pull the plugs on the manifolds. My question is that if I drained these two plugs and then sucked up 5 gal. of rv antifreeze do you think there might be any chance the fluid did not make it all the way through the system? Prior to draining I had run the boat in the water on the trailer to warm it up to drain the oil (temp guage went to 160'ish), but I'm curious concerned the t-stat might not have opened and/or I might not be completly protected (all antifreeze was sucked up and none came out the exhaust). Any thoughts? Also, how much antifreeze is normal to suck up (I've seen post saying they sucked up 2-4 gal., but I'm doing 5 and probably would have held 6 easy the way it was going in). Thanks for any tips/answers.

[WakeSlayer]

You didn't drain the block? Or exhaust? and then used RV?

First, I would finish reading whatever information or instructions that you clearly half read. Drain everything, and then re-add the AF.

You may get away with that on TX, but in MN you would pay a dear price for that move....

[CradGen2]

I pay a person to winterize my Nautique. Not much invested to be on the hook in the spring.

However I did winterize my flightcraft this weekend. We used 4 gallons of pink stuff after draining the block etc.... First we brought the boat up to temp to open the tstat. I had pink stuff coming out the back of the boat.

Better safe then sorry... IMHO

[jmo]

On my GT40 V-drive with a heater I pull AF out of a bucket until it's coming out the exhaust (engine already warm) which takes about 5 gallons - might only need 4 gallons but I do 5 to be safe. If your not sure it made it into the block, just loosen the drain plug a bit to the point where it leaks, if it's pink, your good. If in fact the block is empty you can disconnect the hose going from the block to the exhaust manifold and fill it directly by pouring it down the tube - bypassing the thermostat, note: only do this trick when the block is cold.

As others have stated, fully drain the system prior to filling with AF and like others I connect a piece of hose from home depot to the input of the transmission cooler and put the other end in the bucket. I find this is the easier place to connect than the input to the raw water strainer, which is a pain to access on a vdrive without scraping your knuckles.

[83ski2001]

i dont drain my block before and it gets down to 10-15 degrees here all winter long in MD. but i do run about 6-7 gallons thru my block so im sure by then all the water is out? am i right or wrong? when i look at my exhaust it looks really deep color pink as its running it thru.. this is the 3rd year i have done it this way.