Getting anriferrze into engine?

[agouge888]

Everything is drained and plugs are back in. So whats the best way to get my antifreeze into the block and circulated? I guess Im asking if I can undo a hose and put it into a 5 gallon bucket and crank it, let it pump through the system till it comes out of the exhaust. Just need to know the best easiest wayto get it in there without doing the fake-a-lake thing.

Thanks.

Andrew
agouge888

[slob02]

What boat do you have??...........there are tons of great post on here on how to do it.
I personally put a funnel in the fresh water intake hose (engine side of the water strainer), fill it up with a little anti-freeze, start the engine and put about a total of 3-4 gallons in it. If you have a heater or shower, you will need to make sure they are empty of water and put antifreeze in them as well. Ballast too...

[Quinner]

Most important is that everything is drained, if so you can draw in the a/f from a bucket. Ideally you would draw in after your strainer, if easier to do it before just be sure to empty the strainer completely of any fluid when you are done. Should take at least 4 gallons, if you have a heater and shower you should have at least 6 gal available but should only need about 5. If yes on the shower be sure and run it until you see the a/f coming out then shut it off. Having a helper when it's time to run would be a definite plus.

[jsta281]

I just put the intake hose in a bucket of a/f and ran the motor to suck it up after everything was drained. Quinner, why do you need to empty the strainer of the a/f? I did not do this, do I need to unwrap my boat and get in there to do this? It has not been that cold yet, unlikely it has been cold enough to freeze yet.

[Quinner]

Drain the strainer so the a/f won't discolor or mess with the clear plastic in any way. IIRC you have that black 206, if it's not a signature edition and you have pitots, you may want to disconnect the water lines going to your gateway box in the trunk behind the black plastic cover. They are supposed to self drain however the first winter mine did not and the water/ice backed up onto the circuit board and fried it. You may also have a zirk fitting back there, hit that which will lube the rudder. If you have access to the boat during layup it's also not a bad idea to crank the wheel back and forth several times once every three weeks or so to help keep the steering cable lubed up.

[MLA]

The single biggest goal with winterizing is freeze protection, i'm sure most would agree. Preventing rust and corrosion with the use of a Marine/RV antifreeze is not a bad thing, especially if your boat is stored for a long period over the winter. For those like us, that have a long boating season and a short lay-up period, I do not think rust/corrosion protection is a must. Although boat service and repair is not my primary thing, I do winterize for some of my long time customers. Most do not feel the need for antifreeze and do not ask for it. For those that do it needs to be done effectively.

I read and hear of so many boaters running 5-10 gallons of antifreeze through their engines on the muffs or fake-a-lake. Then there's some that fire up the engine and wait till they see pink running out the exhaust, then stop, thinking the block is full and protected. There are two holes in this theory. 1) Marine/RV antifreeze is best used @ 100%. its not like automotive coolant that is best effective when mixed with water. So, if there is any water in the block, it will dilute the antifreeze and raising its freeze point. 2) Even if the engine was warmed up with fresh water prior to swapping the hose over to the antifreeze bucket, the thermostat will close as soon as the cold antifreeze hits it. At that point, the antifreeze will be diverted to the exhaust, which always has fresh water flow regardless of the thermostat, and then exits the exhaust. For those that run a little through til they see pink, have ended up with very little protection. Those running gallons and gallons through, will get some into the block, but it may be diluted and it took a lot to get what you got in there.

IMHO, the most effective way to fill the block with antifreeze for the winter, is to drain the block of all water, remove the thermostat housing and thermostat, and pour the antifreeze in until the block is full. For those will a semi-closed cooling system, you should be good to just run some through the heat exchanger and exhaust, or just drain the the heat exchanger exhaust and leave it.

Also, I do not believe in leaving plugs out and hoses undone during winterizing. This requires more work in the spring. I always leave my boats turn-key ready for spring. Just my $.02

[Quinner]

I read and hear of so many boaters running 5-10 gallons of antifreeze through their engines on the muffs or fake-a-lake. Then there's some that fire up the engine and wait till they see pink running out the exhaust, then stop, thinking the block is full and protected. There are two holes in this theory. 1) Marine/RV antifreeze is best used @ 100%. its not like automotive coolant that is best effective when mixed with water. So, if there is any water in the block, it will dilute the antifreeze and raising its freeze point. 2) Even if the engine was warmed up with fresh water prior to swapping the hose over to the antifreeze bucket, the thermostat will close as soon as the cold antifreeze hits it. At that point, the antifreeze will be diverted to the exhaust, which always has fresh water flow regardless of the thermostat, and then exits the exhaust. For those that run a little through til they see pink, have ended up with very little protection. Those running gallons and gallons through, will get some into the block, but it may be diluted and it took a lot to get what you got in there.

IMHO, the most effective way to fill the block with antifreeze for the winter, is to drain the block of all water, remove the thermostat housing and thermostat, and pour the antifreeze in until the block is full. For those will a semi-closed cooling system, you should be good to just run some through the heat exchanger and exhaust, or just drain the the heat exchanger exhaust and leave it.

So as not to panic the masses, your assessment of water flow is incorrect, t stat effects fluid exiting not entering. Additionally you say drain is enough a/f is not needed, which is mostly true. However stating adding a/f is not ineffective because there is still water in the block? So the water alone is better then water mixed with a/f?? Completely draining is the most important thing regardless of whether you add a/f or not.

At $3 a gallon for the pink stuff I don't thing using an extra gallon or 2 is going to break any body's bank, lol

[MLA]

Additionally you say drain is enough a/f is not needed, which is mostly true. However stating adding a/f is not ineffective because there is still water in the block? So the water alone is better then water mixed with a/f?? Completely draining is the most important thing regardless of whether you add a/f or not.

At $3 a gallon for the pink stuff I don't thing using an extra gallon or 2 is going to break any body's bank, lol

I am not quite sure what you are saying or asking, so please allow me to clarify what I was stating.

I think we can all agree that the most important thing is to prevent any freezing of the boats drive-train and other fresh water systems. I think we would all agree that air will not freeze. For most people, adequate draining of the water is all that is needed to protect the block etc from freezing. For those that choose to use the marine/RV antifreeze, I would only caution that its freeze protection is at its optimal level when used at 100% strength. Simply introducing the antifreeze into an engine that is full of water, may dilute the antifreeze and reduce its effectiveness. I suggest completely draining the block and other systems, prior to running the antifreeze through. I think we all agree on this point as well.

How we introduce the antifreeze, is entirely up to the shop or boat owner. For me, I have done it many different ways. I have found that pulling the thermostat housing and introducing it directly into the block. It costs only the amount of antifreeze used to fill the block and a $5 gasket. For, its quicker and simpler, but others, it may not be as their mileage may very.

[Quinner]

2) Even if the engine was warmed up with fresh water prior to swapping the hose over to the antifreeze bucket, the thermostat will close as soon as the cold antifreeze hits it. At that point, the antifreeze will be diverted to the exhaust,

Try again, this statement is misleading and incorrect. That is what I was saying.

[MLA]

Try again, this statement is misleading and incorrect. That is what I was saying.

Yur right, im wrong, hows that, piece out!