PCM Excaliber 330 Winterization - 2006 Nautique 216 Direct Drive

[Rob Bacon]

I'm in the middle of winterizing my boat and still need some help after searching on here for answers. Please bare with me, some of my question may be pretty dumb. Please keep in mind that where I live we can get weeks of -30 celcius so I'm a little paranoid about not doing this properly.

I've done the oil change and changed my filter after running a fake a lake to get my motor up to tempature. I've started draining any water out of my motor. I've also riged up a line that attaches to the upstream side of my raw water filter which I plan to circulate antifreeze through. A bucket with 20l of antifreeze will go under my exhaust to catch the antifreeze coming out of my exhaust. I'll put one end of the hose in the bucket with the other end attached to the intake at the strainer. If all goes to plan the boat should circulate the antifreeze through the whole boat. I plan to run the shower and heater while I do this to ensure antifreeze gets into each area.

I've drained exhaust manifold plugs (2)
I've drained engine block with knock sensore (1)
I've drained engine block with shower output attached (1)
I've drained plug on front bottom driverside from water intake (1)

Here come the questions:

1. I can not for the life of me find the plug on the transimssion cooler or really know what a transmission cooler looks like. I read I am supposed ot follow my water intake hose down the passanger side of the boat and it should hit me in the head. Anyone have a picture of what I should be looking for? Or give better direction? (If they ever rename this plug it should be called a clitorus.)

2. Are there other plugs I should be looking to drain?

3. I can not get the hoses off for my heater to blow out the lines, I found the heater core under the dash and traced two hoses running up to it. When I tried to take the hoses off the motor end to blow out the line I've found they've "cooked" on for lack of better terminology. I got pretty rough with them and even tried using a screw driver to pry it up as well. I still can not get them to come off. Any tips?

4. After I run the antifreeze through should I drain that out as well or leave it in and drain it in the spring. I've heard of people doing both.

5. Since I plan to circulate antifreeze through the entire motor could I not just run my shower and heater to avoid having to pull those hoses that are causing me so much grief? Would the antifreeze not make it all the way through?

6. Transmission Oil change - Sounds like all I do is pump out as much oil as I can after it is up to a good running temp. Then replace the oil with new oil. Is there more to it?

4. I'm having the same problem with the hoses on the shower as the heater core (more just tricky so will eventually get it)

I really appreciate the time. I'm getting conflicting stories on the best way to handle this best. All my brother does is drain his boat and leave the plugs out. He doesen't have a shower. The plugs I've found so far is all he pulls and hasn't had a problem but seems to me more should be done.

Rob

[AirTool]

For item 1. The transmission cooler is torpedo shaped and not much bigger diameter than the hose. It is easy to miss. Pick up the entire motor box including the bottom carpeted section and look under the port side exhaust manifold. You will see it. The raw water comes in on the starboard side and makes a 90 into the strainer. Then the hose runs around the back of the engine above the tranny then takes a dive to the bilge to feed the pump from below. The foot-long (or so) hot dog looking cooler is right there. IIRC.

[H2O]

For the stuck hoses, use a heat gun (hair dryer) to warm the end of the hose then twist it until it breaks free. Once it is free use a combination twisting and pulling motion to get it off. Usually the heater/shower hoses are secured with barbed fittings which are tough to remove but heat helps. Leave the antifreeze in the motor for rust/corrosion protection.

[AirTool]

When I install hoses....I lube up the inside with just a tad of old fashioned wheel bearing grease. (not goofy lithium stuff or moly etc.).

The rubber can handle it and they come off easy years later.

[TRDon]

For stuck hoses, I use a chanellock plires on them. Get a good grip, but try not to tear it, right on the fitting. Just give it a twist and that is usually enough to break the glued on feeling that they have and it will come off pretty easy from there.

[SoldTheBayliner]

I just wrestled with those same heater and shower hoses. You don't have to pull the shower one...you can actually drain that whole side of the block just by running the shower...run it until it's dry, and you've sucked the water out of the block. The heater line eventually came off with twisting, the plier trick above, and a little bit of me just not caring if I destroyed it... It was either going to break or come off, and it came off. Wise choice, hose.

You only need to pull the heater line at the drain plug...then pull the plug at the elbow or pull the entire line off of the water pump/thermostat housing, so that any water you blow out of the heater core will just drain straight out. Blow into the one heater line you got free, and all the water will come out of the other end of the system.

I'm wondering if what you're calling the plug on the 'front bottom driver's side water intake' is the transmission cooler. I had the same struggle, and it's the only thing between the water strainer and the motor.

[Rob Bacon]

Thanks for everyones help, got er' all dialed in last night. Hoses came off with the help of a buddy, one pulling and twisting the other with a flathead trying to break the seal.

In case anyone has the same problems I did there were 6 total drain location on the boat.

1. Starboard Manifold
2. Port Manifold
3. Starboard Block (connected to knock sensor)
3. Port Block (connected to shower hose)
4. Front end of motor starboard side of belt near the bottom
5. Oil Cooler - The hard one to find, if someone else is looking for it mine was closer to the floor of the boat rather than along the side of the motor or bottom of the boat, it is infact a portion of your intake hose and litterally the same diameter, just metal not rubber. It was right behind/under the front port motor mount. Mine has a plug so didn't even have to pull the hose. After finding it I feel like a dumby having such a hard time locating it.

After blowing out water in the heater core and pulling all the drain plugs I hooked up my raw water intake to %100 RV antifreeze and cycled it through. I'm done and have about 25l of antifreeze in through out the motor. Who knew it would hold so much.

Now I can sleep at night and bring out the sled for the warm Canadian winter...

[mcbridek]

I don't think most people that flow RV antifreeze in through the raw water pump - drain the oil cooler since 100% of the inbound antifreeze flows through the oil cooler. I don't always drain the manifolds, but your a lot further North. I always pull the plugs and drain a small amount into a white plastic cup to make sure it's pink - both engine and manifolds.

[gatorgates]

If your engine has the clear plastic bowl for the raw water screen, make sure you empty the the antifreeze out of the bowl and rinse it well. Some brands of antifreeze will eat up that plastic and cause all kinds of funky cracks over the winter.